November
Kyoto, Aoiya

Propriety be damned! This hurt!

"AAAAAAAAAAAEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Misao's screeches echoed through the upper quarters of the Aoiya, which had been closed to the public today. She pushed and pushed with all her might, but due to the narrowness of her pelvis, it was a very tight fit. Okina grimaced, both at his adopted granddaughter's earsplitting shrieks and the vice like grip that was slowly crushing the bones in his right hand.

Misao's right hand crushed that of her husband, who sat staring mutely down at her distress, unable to think of anything to say or do except hold her hand and offer her silent support. Battles and wars, he understood and could plan for. Childbirth was something with which he had no experience and was badly off his game. Aoshi did his best to heed Himura's words about just taking things as they came. He hoped this would come and go quickly, as he hated to see Misao in such pain.

The midwife finally reached in and grasped the baby's head, turning it on its side to somewhat ease the delivery. That helped and Misao was finally able to push it out. The midwife quickly severed the umbilical cord and laid it aside to be put in the heso no o box. She then took the baby to clean up.

Okina breathed out a sigh of relief now that the baby was out. Perhaps, finally, the circulation could return to his swollen hand.

The midwife held the baby upside down and spanked it until breath came to it. Usually, newborns cried when they were smacked and took their first breath. This baby took a deep breath, opened her icy blue eyes and glared at the midwife. Taken aback, the woman quickly righted the child, bathed her and wrapped her in swathe. All the while, the newborn continued to glare.

'Downright creepy,' thought the midwife as she laid the baby on a futon.

Misao's ear-shattering scream brought the midwife's attention back to the patient. Why was she still in pain after the baby was born? Unless...

Okina and Aoshi had to suppress their own screams as Misao again screeched and the crushing feeling returned to their respective hands. What was going on? The baby was already out! Why was Misao still in pain?

"Misao?" asked Aoshi, uncustomary alarm leaking into his voice.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!" was Misao's answer.

Quickly returning to the futon, the midwife again reached between Misao's thighs to pull the emerging head of the second infant. Since the mother's birth canal had already been widened, the baby slid out easily. The umbilical cord was severed and laid into the wooden box.

Something was wrong! The baby was turning blue. The midwife tried smacking the baby, but it didn't breathe. She quickly righted the baby and breathed into its mouth several times, trying to get its lungs and heart going. Finally, the baby sucked in breath and let out a wail. Only then did the midwife bathe and swathe child.

"You have twin daughters, Shinomori-san," announced the midwife.

Misao couldn't believe it; two baby girls! She looked up at Aoshi's inscrutable features and hoped he was happy.

"Congratulations, Aoshi and Misao! This is indeed a joyous day. I'll go and tell the others of the newest additions to the Oniwabanshuu!" declared a jubilant Okina.

"Thanks for all your help, Gramps," said Misao between gasps.

"Yes, thank you for everything, Okina," said Aoshi with a slight bow.

After the babies were clean and dry, the firstborn was laid into Aoshi's arms and the second into Misao's. Aoshi and the quiet baby stared intently at each other while Misao had a fine time cooing over the squirmy younger baby.

"They're beautiful, Misao," Aoshi said at length.

"I love how they have your eyes," smiled Misao.

After ten minutes, they switched.

Aoshi smiled slightly at the squirmy baby in his arms, as this one's energy rather reminded him of his wife's. Misao smiled down at the quiet baby in her arms, who reminded her of Aoshi.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

This from the baby in Aoshi's arms as she announced that she was hungry. Aoshi's eyes widened a bit, an unaccustomed look of panic washing onto his features.

"Give her to me, Aoshi," commanded Misao.

Aoshi handed the wailing infant to the mother, who put one on each breast for their first feeding. The couple exchanged smiles, then settled in to watch the babies.

They looked exactly alike! Both had Aoshi's icy blue eyes and tufts of jet black hair on their little heads. The one in Misao's right arm squirmed and fussed; the one in her left arm lay still and glared at her.

"They're perfect," she sighed happily to Aoshi.

"They are absolutely beautiful," agreed Aoshi again.

As Aoshi watched, he further calmed himself with Himura's advice to let things happen naturally and enjoy each moment as it came.

Kamiya Dojo

Kenshin and Kenji were sitting on the engawa, sipping green tea in perfect synchronicity.

"OH, KAMI-SAMA, I DON'T BELIEVE IT!" came Kaoru's voice from the front yard.

"Oro?!"

A startled Kenshin spat out his tea, which landed all over Kenji's head.

"Dad!" cried Kenji.

Kenshin looked apologetically at his son and did his best to wipe the tea off his face.

"Kaoru, what is it?" asked the redhead, looking back to where his wife came running, her features aglow with excitement.

"Misao-chan had the babies!" she shrieked happily, causing Kenji to plug his ears with his fingers.

"Oro? Babies?" asked Kenshin, emphasizing the plural.

"It's all in the letter. They had twin girls named Yuki and Tsuki. Isn't that cute?" gushed Kaoru.

"Sounds dumb to me," said Kenji disdainfully.

"No one asked you," reprimanded Kaoru, earning a scowl from the small redhead.

She then went on to deliver the gory details of the birth that Misao had included in the letter.

"Eeeeeewwwwwwww!" cried Kenji, suddenly jumping up and running away.

"Oroooooo..." agreed a rather green-looking Kenshin.

"Rrrr, you males are hopeless. Childbirth is a beautiful thing!" fumed Kaoru, folding up the letter, which she would just share with Megumi, Tae and Tsubame instead, as only another woman could truly understand.

"If you say so, dearest," Kenshin pretended to agree.

That night, Kaoru was the only one with any appetite for dinner, so she ate out at the Akabeko while Kenshin and Kenji went to bed early to try to get the grisly images of the birthing process out of their minds.