Sheumaru felt sick to her stomach as the group walked back to Kaede's village so Kagome could go back to her time. She was sweating and clammy as she wretched into a near by bush. Jinoku winced at his mate's pain.

"Is there anything I can do, love?" He asked as he held her hair back.

"This is the most you can do I'm afraid. At least until we get to Kaede's village." She wiped her mouth with her hakama sleeve, grimacing at the smell of hurled fish.

Jinoku nodded in understanding.

"Here, take this. It should help you until we get to Kaede." Kagome gave the half demon a tums and a drink.

"Bless your futuristic medicine, Kagome." Sheumaru sighed happily as she took the tums and downed the drink in one swallow.

"No problem."

"What's that smell on you? I don't like it." InuYasha huffed.

"That would be the vomit, brother." She responded irritably, glaring at him.

"No, I don't think that's it. I've smelt vomit before... but this, this is different." He stated absentmindedly.

Jinoku sniffed around his mate, trying to see if InuYasha was right, he shook his head.

"I don't smell anything odd."

"That's because you've only been around my sister for a month." InuYasha spit nastily.

"I was enveloped in my mate's scent for a fortnight, I think I would know if something were off." Jinoku said with the same gusto.

InuYasha opened his mouth as if to retort again but Sheumaru was tired and irritable so she ended the conversation quickly. Trying her best to hide her blush from Jinoku's comment about being enveloped in her scent.

"Boys! So help me gods if I have to hold you two by the ears for the rest of the trip, I will! Now, whether or not my scent has changed it is very clear that there is something wrong with me. Even half demons don't get sick, at least not easily." She paled as realization hit her. Whatever has come over her, it likely won't be easily cured.

"Let's just keep going." She said clearing her voice. Had she been poisoned? Or was it some sort of sickness they hadn't come across yet and it was contagious? Should she separate herself from the others for their safety? An onslaught of dark thoughts surfaced from the very back of her brain, but she quickly shoved the thoughts down, too afraid to voice it in front of everyone, especially in front of her mate and brother.

As Kogome predicted the medicine had helped Sheumaru for the next hour or so until they managed to get to the village, where she vomited in a nearby rice field. The villager who was tending to the rice gawked at her as she wiped her mouth and smiled sheepishly at him.

"Sorry."

"It's fine, lady, just chose your next vegetable victim carefully. If you have something Kaede can't cure I have to replant this all!" He said respectfully at first but worrisome over his hard work possibly being ruined.

"Yes. Um I will. Sorry again!" She said, rushing off to catch up with her friends, who had carried on not knowing she had stopped.

They walked Kagome over to the well where InuYasha and the human girl were able to say some words to each other in private. They waited a moment more after Kagome had disappeared, before Sheumaru felt bile rise up in the back of her throat again. Sensing his mate's severe discomfort, Jinoku quickly rushed everyone to Kaede's hut.

"So ye been sick have ye?" The old woman questioned when she saw just how pale Sheumaru had gotten.

"Yes, ma'am." Sheumaru winced.

"And who is this new dog demon ye have with ye? I don't remember seeing him." She looked to Jinoku.

"I am her mate, ma'am. But please, don't focus on me, can you help her? Cure her of this sickness?" Jinoku asked, concern dripping off every word.

There was a knowing glint in Kaede's eye, Sheumaru did not like that look on the old woman.

"I think I know somethin' that will clear things up a bit. Hold on a moment." She got up from her spot on the floor and walked around the small hut, looking for something as she mumbled to herself.

The old woman came back, a necklace in her hand, the wooden carving in the middle hung heavy as she held it out for all to see.

"How's that going to cure her?" InuYasha asked angrily.

"Shut it boy! Watch and you'll see." Kaede sat down cross legged in front of the half demon girl.

"Hold out your palm, Sheumaru." Kaede instructed. Sheumaru gulped, nervously she held out her palm.

The wise woman hung the necklace over her hand, the wooden medallion hung still only for a moment before it began to sway across her palm vertically.

The old woman chuckled, "I thought so.."

"You thought what?" Sheumaru was scared now, and when she got scared she got impatient. She knew it was not wise to snap at elders but she was getting sick of Kaede's antics.

She turned to Jinoku, completely disregarding her.

"How long since the mating season?" She asked. Jinoku's eyes grew wide.

"Two weeks, ma'am." He said respectfully. The woman nodded absentmindedly.

"I want ye to do somethin' for me. Listen closely to ye mate's heartbeat. Tell me what ye hear." Sheumaru was starting to get impatient and irritable. She just came to the old woman for some help with her sickness, not go on some sort of spiritual journey. But she stayed quiet as Jinoku did what was asked of him.

He closed his eyes and listened closely. It felt like an eternity of staying quiet, but Sheumaru knew it was only a few moments. She didn't realize she had been holding her breath until Jinoku's eyes opened in shock and she had sighed.

"What?" She asked her mate quietly, not wanting to disturb the silence that had befallen the group of friends.

"What did you hear, love?" She asked again, nervous now that she didn't get a response.

"You..." He trialed off, but luckily Kaede continued for him.

"Ye are with child, Sheumaru. And it is a boy."

"It can't be. Oh no! What are we going to do, Jinoku?" She whispered, terror written all over her face. How was she to fight Narraku now? He would surely find out and use the pup against her.

"You got my sister pregnant?!" InuYasha yowled, startling Sheumaru.

Jinoku looked calm and collected as he turned to face the other male.

"While I didn't mean to, that is the whole function of a mating season. Not that you would know, seeing as you haven't even tried to get that human girl into your bed."

InuYasha seethed and went to attack Jinoku, but Kaede yelled before too much could go wrong.

"No fighting in my house!"

"That's fine! I can fight him outside!" And before Sheumaru could stop her brother he dragged her mate outside by the hair and threw him down on the ground.

"You didn't even ask if she wanted children, do you think she wants to be up the duff while we're fighting Narraku?" InuYasha suddenly grew very quiet.

"How many times must I tell you?! I didn't try to get her pregnant." It was evident that Jinoku was getting tired of InuYasha's games.

"That's not the point. You didn't even ask if she was ready. Now I have to watch the only family I've known in a long time be taken away from me. When this battle with Narraku is over, what's the chance I get to see her again? Because there's no way in all the hells that I'm going to let her keep fighting against Narraku now." He muttered lowly, but everyone heard him. Sheumaru's heart squeezed In pity at his worry for her. But she quickly screwed up her face so that it was an emotionless mask. Something she hadn't done since before her time pinned by the arrow.

"InuYasha." Her voice needn't be anything above a whisper, for everyone was so enthralled by Jinoku and InuYasha's banter that they forgot she was there, even if she was the cause for all the fighting.

They turned their attention to her, no one, not even Shippo, dared to break the silence.

"My mate isn't the only one at fault here. I gave him my permission to bed me, there were two people there during the mating season. It is my fault as much as his." She continued in the same even tone. Her cold eyes met her brother's, he looked as if he wanted to interrupt the silence but she moved on before he could.

"And as for the fight with Narraku, I intend to keep fighting against him, and I will do so, with or without your permission. I can be with child and fight that demon hell spawn at the same time." She sincerely doubted she could, but she did not share her doubts.

"Miroku, Sango." The two humans jolted at being addressed by the half demon.

"I presume, given your professions, you have some sort of medical training?"

The humans shakily nodded, unsure of what she was going to ask of them.

"If the need arises, would you two help me with my pup if anything happened? It is alright if you choose not to... I can't believe I'm saying this but even with your help I fear we would have to go to Koga's tribe if we are in the mountains." She admitted.

"I would be honored." Sango bowed.

"So would I." The monk copied her.

"There. Then the matter is settled. Any more questions InuYasha?" Sheumaru turned her attention back to her brother. He looked angry and frustrated, she could see the fire burning deep in his ochre orbs, but he stayed quiet. Grunting he ran to the trees.

She grabbed her mate's arm before he could run after InuYasha, to finish what they had started, she guessed.

"Leave him be. He'll be back later tonight, and when he comes back you too can battle it out as much as you want. Right now..." Sheumaru looked away from him, not liking how self-absorbed she felt. "I need you more than anybody right now." Her voice broke, and she was suddenly glad that Miroku, Sango and Shippo realized how intimate the moment was between the two mates, because they had quickly left after InuYasha ran into the trees.

"I am here." He whispered, putting his finger under her chin so she had to look at him. She was on the verge of tears, she was terrified. She didn't know the first thing about motherhood, much less fighting a horrific demon while being with child.

"I will always be here, I will never abandon you. We will get through this together." He promised.

"Do you think Narraku would stoop so low as to use our pup against me?" She asked, afraid to hear the answer even if she already knew it.

"Honestly? Yes. But I wouldn't even let him get close enough to sniff you, let alone take you." He said into her ear as he pulled her into a hug.

She tightened her grip on her mate's back, feeling every muscle expand and collapse as he breathed in steadily. He smelt like fresh air, and the forest after it rained. He was comfortable, even if they've only known each other for a short while he felt so much like home. It unnerved her at how easy it was to rely on him, but so far he hadn't failed her, so why should she question it?

She stood there and cried silently into Jinoku's clothes, out of fear and worry towards the future. He whispered sweet nothings into her ear as he ran his fingers through her hair comfortingly.

A: LONG CHAPTER! And oh my goodness I'm going way off of cannon but I'm having fun and you guys seem to enjoy it, so what's the harm?!

Anyway.. even though the baby isn't going to be born for at least ten chapters... anybody got some baby boy name ideas? If so please share!

Anyway thank you so much for reading all of this and please review(I love reading them!) bye bye now!