Inuyasha and Yukime arrived in the village with their son a few months after Rin moved in with Kohaku. Sure enough Sesshomaru had been right and Rin was showing off an impressive baby bump.

"I was wondering where you guys were." Kagome said smiling at the couple.

"Yeah we were nesting I guess is the best way to put it." Inuyasha said. Kagome looked at the small swaddled bundle that Yukime held close to her. She was small and the infant seemed almost too large for her to hold.

"What did you name him Yukime?" Kagome asked softly knowing the half breed female was startled easily.

"Ichirou." She replied looking up at Kagome briefly. "I had wanted to name him Baku but his given name suits him better."

Her fingers itched to hold the small bundle but she didn't want to impose. Especially when it had taken Yukime so long just to say, 'hello', to her.

"Hey." Inuyasha said motioning for Yukime to hand her Ichirou. "Kagome wants to hold him."

"Oh, yes, of course." She replied somewhat embarrassed. "I have become so accustomed to carrying him with me..."

"Thank you." Kagome held out her arms and cradled him as he was placed against her. "You look like your mama. So beautiful."

"So, where's Sesshomaru?" Inuyasha asked after a few minutes had passed.

"I don't know. Why?"

"Just asking cause his scents all over the place."

"If you must know, Sesshomaru and I are dating. He's my boyfriend."

"Right. And I'm a full demon." Inuyasha scoffed. "Sure, king of the pricks would court a human. How dumb do you think I am?"

"I don't care if you believe me or not. Ask around; Sango and Miroku will tell you."

"Is that your brother?" Yukime asked curiously.

"Half-brother, far removed." He stated placing his hands into his sleeves.

"You guys have gotten along when you had too." Kagome chimed.

"Just don't forget about all the times he tried to kill you or maim you or worse!"

"Technically there was only one time he tried to kill me and he said it was because I annoyed him."

"Oh well, glad you two cleared the air on that one." He snorted. Kagome couldn't help but laugh.

"Thank you Inuyasha for looking out for me but really, I'm good." She said. "Sesshomaru is...wonderful."

"And I'm gonna throw up." He said standing. "I need air." Inuyasha pushed aside the bamboo curtain and walked outside.

"So dramatic." Kagome said giggling. Yukime wore a half smirk as if she were suppressing it. "How long will you two he staying?"

"Not long." She said shaking her head slightly. "We are just going to pass through."

"Do you have any family that you've visited?"

"No." Yukime said softly. "All I ever had was mother and she is long dead."

"I'm sorry. So, your father was a demon?"

"No. Mother was."

"Really?"

"Yes. Her people were attacked and sold into slavery. Mother was one of them." Yukime bit her lip. "She was sold to a human lord who kept her as a concubine. That is where she had me."

Kagome listened raptly with wide eyes. She felt her breath stifle as tears brimmed to the surface.

"Shortly after I was born, mother escaped back to the woods with me. That was where we lived until mother took her own life with her own hands."

"Yukime..."

"It is alright Kagome. Truthfully, I am happy. If I were not in the woods then I would never have met Inuyasha. He understood me, being a half breed himself, as mother never could. He has freed me in ways I never even knew existed."

Kagome took a deep breath and nodded her head once. "That's just beautiful. I'm glad that you both found each other."

After some time had passed the two bid their farewells and Kagome relinquished Ichirou back to his mother. She saw Yukime out and gave Inuyasha a hug.

"Take care of them." She said squeezing him tightly.

"You know I will." He said with a smirk. "Come on Yukime."

"Yes." She agreed walking beside him. It was still a few days out until Sesshomaru came again. In that time Kagome stewed over what Yukime had told her.

Life for half breeds was not easy, she had found that out by being so close to Inuyasha. Their lives it seemed was a near constant struggle just to survive.

Kagome sat listening to the rain on the roof of her hut and the hissing of the hearth wondering if she ever had a child with Sesshomaru what it would be like.

"Yeah, right." She said softly smirking wryly to herself. "Like he'd ever let that happen."

Kagome lit the brazier as night waned on and dreamed of a small hand holding hers with magenta stripes.