A/N: After three years hiatus I return with the final two chapters. Woot! I doubt anyone from long ago is still reading this, but if you are give me a holler. And I'm revamping the other chapters previous to this so go check them out since I assume you will anyway to remember what the hell is going on. Oh and for lemon versions (since there is a lemon conveniently missing from the beginning of this chapter) please direct your attention to mediaminer and aff. I'm still called Kaye under there and the story is the same though they may not be uploaded right away.

Long overdue thanks to: Leomae, suca, -.WaterWind-hanyou.-, Inu-Baby18 and all my reviewers. You all rocked my proverbial socks.

Disclaimer: I totally don't own anything involving these characters, unless you don't recognize them, in which case they are mine. Amaya is not however, she belongs to my sister.

Chapter 24 -Endings are suppose to be Perfect-

"Crap."

Inu-Kana and Shippo looked back to see Ryu holding his head, not looking at all happy. They were in the middle of a forest with the mission of returning Maeko her body.

Shippo cocked his head to the side and leapt to where his brother stood with Maeko's body strewn over his shoulder. "Ryu, what's that matter?" Shippo asked, a grin on his lips as Ryu blanched.

"I just caught a thought in Kaida's mind… and it was not pleasant." Ryu closed his eyes. "This twin mind thing should shut off after a certain age. Or after mating occurs."

"Well, maybe Kaida hasn't been claimed by Ookami yet. Maybe their youkai speed has prolonged the-"

"Inu-Kana, do you really want to think about that?" Ryu asked through clenched teeth.

Inu-Kana blanched. "Oh you're right! I don't!" He shook his head to clear it.

"Serves you right!" Ryu shouted.

"You're the one who brought the thought up hanyou!"

"What? What did you call me? Don't forget your mother was human!"

"So was yours!" Inu-kana shouted back.

Shippo sighed and shook his head. "Some things never change. It just gets worse. Come on you two, we need to get this body back to her mate."

Ryu and Inu-kana shot each other identical looks before following after Shippo.

(3 months later)

Ryu jolted awake, his body tense. He was in his den, his room. He extended his sense and noted that his mother was sleeping gently and his father lightly. Shippo was moving about, probably hunting, it was almost daybreak, but that wasn't what woke him. No, it was something else. Kaida.

He pushed the fur off of him and ran out to where Shippo was, his quick footsteps awakening his father.

Inuyasha growled in annoyance, and tried to pull the furs up around him and Kagome, willing his tired body to go back to sleep. But something gnawed on his brain as his ears twitched, picking up the movements of his two sons. Their voices were low, but hurried and after a moment Inuyasha heaved a sigh and stood, making sure to tuck Kagome in the furs.

He stormed outside into the front rooms of his cave to be greeted by the sight of Hakku and Ginta trying to – it seemed – reason with Shippo and Ryu.

"Please, we need Kagome-san." Ginta pleaded, his hands clasped in front of him.

Inuyasha stepped up from behind his two sons, looking at the two wolf demons. But before he could open his mouth the authoritative voice of his mate broke his thoughts.

"What's the matter? Is everyone alright? Is Kaida fine? Ookami, Kouga, Tama?" Kagome's eyes were wide as she stepped forward, ready to leave.

Inuyasha caught Kagome's wrist, pulling her into himself. "Calm down love." He looked up at Ginta and Hakku. "Why do you need her?"

Ginta looked at Hakku, and then back at Inuyasha. "Ta- Tama has gone into labor. Well, we think. It is weeks before we expected anything – even Tama-"

He was cut off by Kagome rushing forward, outside the den. There was a holler from Inuyasha before he was chasing after her. The four other demons looked at one another before following suit, leaving the den empty.

Kagome ran at full speed, pushing herself to her limit. The caves were a good five hours run at breakneck speed, which meant that already that much time had passed for Tama. She couldn't – no. Of course not. Kouga wouldn't have risked it if Tama started to fade. They had to have other midwives. It would be crazy. Tama just wanted her there for moral support.

Kagome shook her head and pressed herself harder. She felt Inuyasha falling beside her but she kept pressing forward. He would try to slow her down. He would pull her onto his back and would pull a slower pace. She just knew it. She couldn't risk that. What if Tama really needed her. Demon's were not supposed to give premature birth, they just weren't!

"Kagome! Slow down!" Inuyasha yelled at her, trying to grab for her arm, but of course his mate was swift and she pulled away. "You're going to kill yourself at this speed. Just get on my-" He had to duck for a branch. "On my back Kagome!"

Obviously Kagome was not interested in listening to this type of rant and she only ran faster, making Inuyasha curse colourfully as he pushed his muscles just a bit harder to stay steady with her.

"Bitch! Get on my back right now!" He reached out again, grabbing her arm. There was a brief struggle to ensue as Inuyasha tried to pull Kagome onto his back, and her trying her hardest to fight him off.

Inevitably it ended in Inuyasha's favor, and he succeeded in getting a disgruntled Kagome on his back. She gave a few hits to his shoulder but Inuyasha ignored her, keeping his fast pace that she had started.

"Rest yourself. Think how much help you would have been exhausted out of your mind." He chided. "We'll be there shortly. Promise love."

Kagome gave the back of his head a heavy stare, but nestled into his back, the way they used to be. She trusted Inuyasha's word with everything she was.

Kouga paced outside the opening of his den. He didn't understand this bullshit. This idea that a birthing was something sacred. He had already seen his mate in all ways possible, having her with her legs spread as something as big as his fist came out of her wasn't going to do anything other than give him something to tease her about.

Unless of course that was the reason men were kept out of the birthing room. In which case – he'd just never mention that he found it funny.

His pacing continued.

Kagome had arrived over an hour ago. Shouldn't this be over by now? Ookami had taken no time to birth. The twins had taken just a little bit longer, but that was only natural, there were two.

Unless there was more than one.

His pacing picked up.

More than one pup? Kouga hadn't really thought of that idea. Ookami was a bit of a handful, then again he went off and mated himself to Kaida, and really what was the likely hood of there being two of the same pups in a liter? Honestly. Kaida and Ryu were as different as they come. Maybe this time around he'd be able to sleep at night.

And hopefully their teeth wouldn't grow as quickly. Though it had been fun to lick the nicks and cuts around Tama's –

No! This was not the time. Not the time to think sexually.

So why was he doing it!? He always did it. Always.

Was it the smell of blood in the air? Because in his honest mind he didn't really like the scent of his mate's blood in the air.

Who knew, really. All that mattered was that he was not focused and he had a feeling time was running short. Oh. And he kinda hoped that there would be more than one pup.

A cry lingered throughout the air and Kouga's head shot up. He ran to entrance of his den and peaked in.

Wow, that was kind of… wow.

Kouga pulled his head back out of den.

Maybe he should wait for Kagome to call him. That sounded like a plan.

And so he waited. And waited. And after what seemed like forever he heard someone step out, to his luck it was the three midwives. Kagome nodded that he could come in and though he wanted to enter swiftly he hesitated, remembering the site that had been there before, but he trusted Kagome enough to have cleaned up the mess.

So he entered the room and saw the sight of his mate curled with a bundle clutched to her chest. He came up beside her, placed a kiss on her head and looked down at the one pup she held.

"She's beautiful." Kouga breathed, brushing the blue-black tuft of hair to expose the similarly coloured ears. Everything about his daughter was perfect. He looked towards his mate, his smile big enough to break his face. "I was worried there had been more than one."

"Worried?" Tama gave a soft laugh. "I bet you were hoping there was more than one once the idea came into your head."

Kouga gave a soft chuckle as he brushed his daughter's cheek. "Maybe."

"Dad?" Ookami called from outside.

Kouga looked up to his son lingering at the doorframe and beckoned him forward. Kouga wanted to show off his beautiful daughter.

In came the whole troop: dogs and fox and wolf crowding around the new princess. Kaida cooed over the little girl, as did Kagome. Ookami tweaked his little sister's ears, thinking about all the torture he could put her through, but then decided that he was getting too old for that kind of behaviour. Shippo performed a cute, simple trick in front of the girl – a kitsune way of checking the child's reflexes.

And Ryu breathed the question. "What's her name?"

Ookami looked oddly at his friend before punching him in the shoulder. "Don't go hitting on my sister before she can walk."

Ryu blinked and looked at his friend, brother-in-law. "Excuse me?"

Ookami laughed and shook his head, turning back to his parents, curious in the answer.

Kouga watched his mate as Tama cuddled the little girl to her chest.

"Amaya. I think Amaya would suit her well."

End Chapter