Well, I think there were supposed to be more chapters before the last one, but this is it folks, last chapter of MKT: BOTA. Liked it? Good, 'cause there's a sequel on the way. (On the way meaning the first post will be infive months or more, I'm writing the whole thing before I post chapter 1 this time!)

Kagome pushed the sheets away and shivered. It was nearly winter in Japan. She and Sesshomaru were supposed to be meeting with the remaining lords to determine what was going to happen in regards to their civil war (which had been at a relative standstill since Kikari's death three months earlier) as well as the threat China held over them.

Kagome wasn't worried that anything would happen. Between her and Sesshomaru, no one would be foolish enough to start anything. Sesshomaru himself had mellowed in leaps and bounds since Kagome became pregnant. A comfortable uniformity and tranquility had settled over the castle, and it seemed like the calm would last forever.

"You're looking rather bright-eyes this morning," Kagora said as she came in with the normal splatter of servants to dress Kagome for the morning.

"Well I should hope so. This is the end of the war," Kagome replied cheerfully, slipping her body into the first layer of clothing.

Kagora eyed her in the mirror. "It might not be that simple, Kagome-sama. War is a tricky beast."

"Yes, that's true, but it doesn't mean that anyone is frivolous enough to drag this out. Besides, Sesshomaru will make sure everything goes just how we want it to."

"It's good to have a lot of faith in your mate, dear, but you have to remember the other lords are just as powerful as he is. His word holds as much power over them as...Inuyasha's word has over you. They don't have to fear him, though it's wise."

"But everyone wanted to be on our side before Kikari died."

"Yes, but Kikari was highly influential. She planned to take over Sesshomaru-sama's territory, one way or another."

"That doesn't matter now! She's dead."

"Death is elusive. The demon lord of the south was in love with her not so long ago. He was enraged by her murder. He has settled for minor attacks so far, but seeing you...like this with Sesshomaru-sama might push him a little farther than you intend. This isn't a win-win situation."

"What do you mean? He couldn't have cared about her that much if he went into war against her. What does my relationship with Sesshomaru have to do with it at all?"

"He joined us because he was scared. Some men are cowards, Kagome, before they are loyal. Kikari would be here if Sesshomaru hadn't cared about you enough to save you. He'll remember that when he sees the two of you today."

"Sesshomaru didn't save me," Kagome replied stonily.

"He went after Kikari with those troops. Don't you remember?"

"Sesshomaru fell to her. I was the one who killed her. I was the one who saved him. Maybe his manly pride won't admit that." Kagome sighed and her expression brightened. "But it's okay. Everything is going to work out perfectly today."

"I hope you're right, Kagome-sama."

Inuyasha had nearly gotten over the shock of Kagome and Sesshomaru's circumstances when Kagome came bounding into the hut where he and Kikyo lived. The war is over, she told him, and everyone is safer now. Inuyasha couldn't believe he was hearing that from the mouth of someone who had seen firsthand the dangers everyone faced everyday. But when he sat down with Kikyo and discussed it, and heard what soldiers had been doing in larger towns, he decided Kagome had been right after all.

Kagome stayed overnight in the village and returned home to Sesshomaru the next day. Rin, then Sesshomaru, greeted her.

"Welcome back, Kagome-chan!" Rin giggled happily, throwing herself into Kagome's arms.

"Hey you!" Kagome responded with a smile. "I was only gone a day."

"Days are long when there's only Sesshomaru to play with," Rin pouted slightly.

"I bet so," Kagome reflected, giving Rin a pat on the head.

"Kagome." Sesshomaru greeted. He kissed her lightly and went back to his business.

Kagome sighed and wondered if that would be the extent of their conversation for the day. It normally was, and she was beginning to get tired of it. She hoped for more out of a relationship than two words a day and a peck on the cheek or lips.

"Well Rin, let's get going then, shall we? We're a day behind on playing dolls."

Kagome played with Rin until dinner two hours later, when to her great amusement, Rin decided to play at mimicking Sesshomaru. Kagome watched the demon lord try to ignore Rin, but the ordeal proceeded to Sesshomaru trying to scare the little girl out of her game by growling. Rin growled back. Kagome covered her mouth with her hand and stifled her laughter rather poorly.

"Don't encourage her," Sesshomaru said, glaring.

"Don't encourage her," Rin said immediately after, looking Kagome's direction.

"Enough, you infuriating child!"

"Enough you infuriating child!"

"Come on now, Rin, we don't want to insult Mr. Big Bad. He might start foaming at the mouth."

"I don't think I can do that," Rin replied thoughtfully after a moment of consideration. "Can you do that, Lord Sesshomaru?"

"I wouldn't know, Rin."

"I bet you can."

"Is this necessary?"

"No, conversation isn't necessary, Sesshomaru! Neither is maintaining sanity, so what? Life goes on, you might as well make it pleasant."

"That was a rather short rant, for you, Kagome."

"Yeah, I'm not used to talking. We don't seem to do it much around here." Kagome felt her temper rise slightly.

"Does that bother you?" Sesshomaru asked, eyebrows raised slightly.

"Gosh, I don't know, what do you think? Your lack of speech makes it hard to tell."

"Let's not argue over this, Kagome. I didn't realize there was a problem; I'm sure we can work it out."

"Yeah, you're right, like usual. I just can't stand being around you all day but not talking to you. We might as well not even be in the same house they way we go on."

"We'll talk more, I promise."

"Thank you, Sesshomaru." Kagome smiled at him. Rin followed suit.

After dinner Kagome went down to the hot springs for a bath. Kagora followed her in and helped her undress, a process that had become more laborious with each kimono. She had begun absolutely refusing to wear the archaic style of layered kimonos, but Sesshomaru was repulsed by her preferences and responded by having servants use more elegant clothes every day.

Kagome had confronted him about it at one point, and sparing the details she was worn down by his long list of reasons for the way she ought to dress. And when she complained about the time it took to get ready only for breakfast he set mealtimes back an hour. There was no escaping, so Kagome gave in to his wishes.

But that didn't stop her from feeling harassed when it took two maids-in-waiting and nearly twenty minutes to get undressed for a bath.

Kagome sank down into the water and sighed. It was hard to get a bath as of late. Women around her kept insisting the hot water would harm the baby, cause it to be still-born, or for Kagome to have a miscarriage. Kagome did her best to discredit the claims, but she could see the twinge of concealed anxiety in Sesshomaru's eyes if she tried to take more than one hot bath in a week.

She knew he loved her. He tried to do things that would please her. But sometimes she felt unsure of all of her motives. She hadn't known him long when she agreed to mate with him. She found herself swept up in the same current that had taken her away when she began her mission to save Kikyo. She'd followed a voice somewhere in the back of her head that said, "Come on, let's do it and see what happens."

Taking after unfounded impulses hadn't dissatisfied her yet, and she knew that however much time it took, she would forget the point where she had joined Sesshomaru on a whim and remember it only as an act of love and dedication. She could feel it happen already when her baby grew in her stomach and kicked for room.

Kagome put her hands over her womb. She was not far pregnant yet, but she noticed she'd begun to guess months, weeks, and days until her child would be born. But when she stopped to think about it, she had no idea when her pregnancy would end.

Kagome pulled herself up out of the water and pulled a towel around herself. She looked down at herself and decided that to consider she was two months pregnant, she certainly looked at least four. She shrugged it off. Demon's pregnancies were different from humans, and whatever happened she was going to roll with the punches.

Her two personal servants pulled Kagome into her nightclothes, then a robe, and then a housecoat. She was then certified ready to traipse through the dining room, out into the main hall, up the stairs, down the hall, and into her room with Sesshomaru. She shoed them away and pulled her many layers away with the exception of her nightgown.

She glared at Sesshomaru as she slid under the blankets. "You know, at home, I never had to put more than a towel on to go from the bathroom to my room."

"There's that elusive term of 'home' again, hmm?"

"Don't you think it's possible to have more than one? Just because I call the house I grew up in home doesn't mean I don't feel the same way about this one."

"I suppose that's true. When was the last time we went to see your family?" Sesshomaru asked smoothly.

"A while," Kagome said somewhat guiltily. "A few months."

"Do you want to go again?" he pried inconspicuously.

"I think we should. I'd rather stay home, but I want to see Mom and Souta and Gramps. And I can catch up with Kikyo and Sango and everyone on the way there or back. I do want to go."

"Then we will. I'm glad this is your home as well, Kagome."

"Me too. Who knows where I'd be otherwise, right?" Kagome giggled lightheartedly.

"You think we're having a boy or a girl?" Sesshomaru questioned and stroked her rounded stomach with the back of his hand.

"I have no idea. It's a little exciting. When we're in the future, we could find out. It's really common to find out if you have a boy or a girl there."

"Is it? Isn't that a little unnatural?"

"Maybe, but that way parents know what kinds of clothes to buy and everything. It just makes it easier."

"But we don't need that luxury, as far as I'm concerned. If you want to know, then we can do that. But if your heart isn't set on knowing, I'm just as happy waiting."

"I think you're right. Besides, those doctors aren't always right. Souta was supposed to be a girl."

"Then we're just as well off. Besides, no child of mine will ever have clothes bought for it. They will have tailored clothes their whole life."

"I don't doubt it, Sessho. I don't doubt that all of us will be happy."

"Oh? What makes you say that?"

"It's easy for me to be sure, because no matter what happens in the future, we're in it together."

Sesshomaru smiled and held Kagome against him, and they fell asleep with each other's company and comfort.