Author's Note: When I finished Stranger a couple years ago, I never anticipated coming up with a sequel. A few weeks ago I decided to go back & re-read, revise, & edit it. While I was re-reading, a few ideas popped into my mind & I haven't been able to let them go. I felt as if I needed to tell more of Jenny's story. So here I am, adding on more than I ever expected. I can't wait to see how it all unfolds. (If you're new here, please go read Stranger before diving into this tale.)

Chapter 1 - The Beginning

The hand… or was it an elbow?... pressing on her stomach was causing her so much pain that it made her to cry out in pain. "OWWW!"

Hiei jolted awake next to her, his eyes instantly scanning the room while a hand moved protectively to her stomach. He flinched when he felt the same internal movement kick against his own hand. "Oh…." He closed his eyes & gave a small chuckle, shaking his head.

The baby rolled inside her, stretching her stomach into an abnormal shape. Jenny groaned. "Yeah, real funny. Too bad it's not your internal organs & bladder being kicked around." She groaned again as she braced herself to sit up on the edge of the bed, breath coming out a little faster with the effort. "I know I had it pretty easy the first two trimesters of this pregnancy, but this trimester sucks." She rubbed her lower back with her hands, hoping for some relief. There was none.

She was 39 weeks pregnant now & her doctor didn't see any signs of imminent labor. She was barely dilated, somewhat effaced. Just a few Braxton-Hicks contractions every once in a while.

"Wuss." But Hiei moved to sit next to her, watching her intently. "Any sign of change?"

"Besides this kid only getting stronger each day & finding new ways to torture me?" she half-joked. "No…." She sighed. "I swear, this kid is already trying to fly around like his dad –" She stopped suddenly when Hiei stiffened next to her, realizing her mistake. "Hiei – I'm sorry –"

Hiei turned his head to look out the window instead of at her. "It's fine. I get it." But she could tell his anger was there, just under the surface.

Over the last few months, Hiei had been working through his turmoil over the fact Jenny's baby was really Jins, not his. He was determined to stay by Jenny's side & be a father to this baby, but the paternity still got to him sometimes.

He must be getting more anxious about it as baby boy's arrival draws near, Jenny thought as she took in his solemn gaze.

After a while of staying at Kurama's, Hiei had asked Jenny to move in with him, so they could be together with the baby when he arrived. It had thrilled & terrified them both. But Jenny, along with help from Botan & Keiko, had created a small nursery in their spare room. She would often catch Hiei standing in the doorway staring into the room, appearing to take in every detail. She couldn't tell if he was doing it out of excitement, anxiety, or regret over the upcoming birth, which unnerved her somewhat.

Jenny wrapped her arms gently around Hiei's neck, placing her chin on his shoulder as she leaned the side of her face on his. "I love you." She felt the tension in his shoulders lessen a bit.

"Hn. We'd better get moving. We have an appointment to get to this morning." Hiei placed a hand on hers, giving her a small gesture of reassurance.

That's about as much as I can get out of him, probably. She smiled to herself as she watched him slide on his pants before he went out into the hallway. Stubborn ass.

Jenny sat on a stool that she could barely climb up onto anymore across from Hiei at the kitchen counter. The pair sat in a companionable silence as they ate their breakfast. Her longer, auburn hair had been pulled sloppily back into a loose ponytail. She wore a pair of maternity leggings & a form fitting black tank top to show off the curve of her enormous 9-month belly.

"How did you meet him?" The question came out of nowhere & Jenny stared at him, confused.

"Huh? Who?"

"Kai, of course." Jenny blinked several times as what he asked began to sink in. The silence stretched on for a few awkward moments. "Your memories are back, but you haven't said anything about your life before Kurama found you, other than a few nightmares." His eyes held her strongly. It was obvious he'd been thinking about this for a while. "I've been patient, but we're going to be quite busy soon." His eyes flicked down to her stomach. "Now might be a good time to discuss a few things."

Kai… Jenny had been avoiding those thoughts. She hadn't wanted to think back to that time of her life. She had her memories back, yes, but it was like a filing system. If she reached back for a memory it was there, but it's not like they all flooded back in the same clarity all at once. Now that Hiei had brought it up, the memory was there, fluttering in the back of her mind, wanting her to open that folder to let it escape. She got little glimpses of images, but didn't allow her mind to dive in.

"Hiei…. I don't –"

"I know you don't want to," Hiei interrupted. "But don't you think it's something we need to do? Don't I deserve to know? If I'm to be raising a child with you, I need to know all of you… like you know all of me."

That last phrase hit her hard. She did know all of him. He had told her everything, the good & the bad, months ago. He'd been patiently waiting for her to do the same.

"Hiei…" She sighed as she clasped her hands together to stop them from trembling. "I'm sorry." When Hiei looked as he was about to interrupt, she raised her hand to quiet him. "I should have been willing to share those memories with you sooner. It's just… so hard. The memories I've already glimpsed are horrific." She closed her eyes for a few moments, but opened them again when she felt Hiei standing next to her.

He put a hand on her lower back & looked into her eyes. "I know. That's why I haven't asked, until now. Are you ready?"

She shook her head. "No… but I need to be." She hardened her face into a determined expression.

"That's my girl."

Her stomach fluttered at the word "my". Oddly, his possessiveness appealed to her. She loved that he wanted to claim her, keep her as his. Hiei helped her carefully down from the stool & they moved to sit side by side on the couch in the living room.

"If you're alright with it, I can use my powers to observe the memory alongside you in your mind... So you don't have to re-tell it to me & relive it a second time."

Jenny nodded & sighed, adjusting her body to try to get comfortable, but failing miserably. I cannot wait until this kid is out in the world for SO MANY reasons.

Hiei took her hand in his, squeezing gently, reassuring her. She felt the familiar tingle of Hiei's consciousness alongside hers, waiting. It was an odd sensation, but surprisingly comforting at this moment. She closed her eyes & allowed the folder to flutter open, letting the memories rush over her.

She felt herself entering the memory, feeling both an outsider in the moment, but also a part of it. She was standing next to her adopted mother, not feeling a connection to her, but still sensing abandonment. She saw a tall figure coming into the distance. A slender, strong man, with dark hair. He smiled at her seductively when he stopped in front of them, his eyes scanning her up & down.

She was horrified to feel her stomach flutter when she looked at him. There was excitement there. A longing she hadn't known existed until that moment. Before, she had felt anxious & sad about leaving the only life she'd known, even if it hadn't been the kind of life she saw her friends had at home. But now… now he was here. This mysterious, handsome man who was going to take her away from it all. Her "mom" & the man were discussing something, but she wasn't paying any attention to it. Her focus was entirely on watching for the moments he would glance her way. She was drawn to him in a way she'd never known.

In her 18 years she'd never had a boyfriend, or anything resembling it. Her mother had forbidden it. She'd been terrified to go behind her back, so she'd kept those thoughts out of her mind. But now… now she was going to be leaving with this man for a new life. She realized the man was smiling at her again & her heart began to race as he reached for her hand. She went willingly, eager to see what this new adventure would bring.

Like a nightmare slowly unfolding, she watched "memory Jenny" be taken into Kai's home. It started off like the fairy tale Jenny had initially imagined. Kai was kind to her, doting on her, treating her like a prize. She relished it.

In reality, she was acutely aware of Hiei's hand tensing around hers as he watched these memories alongside her. She felt his consciousness bristling against hers. She tried to squeeze his hand back reassuringly, but wasn't sure how effective it was.

Then it happened. The memories began moving faster through her mind, almost as if her mind wanted to speed past what it was about to see. About two weeks into her stay at Kai's, she saw him make his move. He wanted her. All of her. She was uncertain. He continued to press, moving in closer with his body & words. Eventually she gave in, believing she owed him. She was his now, right? He saved her? She should do this for him. And she liked him, didn't she? He whispered these to her as he took her.

Fear crept in. No. She wasn't ready. She did not want this. She wanted it to stop. She tried to make him stop, but he wouldn't. He pressed her arms down hard, bruising them. She tried to free herself. He only hurt her more. She screamed for help. None came.

The memories again came faster, slowing down at key points that seemed to be more memorable. She saw several instances where Kai hurt her worse than usual, along with times when he tried to win her affections back. It sickened her.

One memory in particular stuck out to her more than any other, though. She saw herself tearfully telling Kai that she hadn't had a period in a couple months & begged him to let her take a pregnancy test. She felt the terror rip her heart out as she saw the two lines appear. Kai's excitement contrasted with her fear. But it got worse as she saw herself lying in bed, her stomach cramping in pain. She felt herself reach down between her legs to find a pool of blood. She remembered seeing her lifeless baby's tiny body, holding it in her palm as she cried.

The miscarriage had almost killed her in more ways than one. She felt relief that she wasn't going to be carrying that monsters baby, overwhelming sorrow for the life of the baby – her baby – that had been lost, & terror over what Kai would do to her for losing it. And guilt. So much guilt over it all.

She knew she had tears running down her cheeks as the rest of the memories washed over her & Hiei, until finally they arrived at the moment Kurama had picked up her exhausted body from the park to carry her home.

The moment that specific memory appeared, Jenny slammed that mental folder shut, jolting herself back completely into the present. Her eyes snapped open to see Hiei watching her, one hand now on the side of her face, the other still holding her hand. She couldn't hold it back any longer. A sob escaped her lips & she wrapped her arms tightly around Hiei as he held her.

She wasn't sure how long she cried like that in his arms, but eventually her tears slowed. She felt yet another strong kick & a roll simultaneously on her right side, which made her smile, reluctantly.

"He must've thought we were squishing him," she said, laughing softly as she rubbed the side of her belly.

Hiei watched her closely a few more moments before speaking. "Kai was a monster. I hope you know you deserved none of what he did to you." His voice held an angry tinge along the edges, like he was barely keeping it contained. "Your first baby…," he trailed off, for the first time seeming unsure of how to continue.

Jenny's heart ached with this newly rediscovered memory. She placed a hand on her belly to feel the reassuring movements. This wasn't her first pregnancy. She had lost a baby. Her baby. Fresh tears sprang to her eyes.

But suddenly she tensed, realizing something was wrong. Am I imagining this? Or…. Both afraid & hopeful, she stood up & felt a gush of fluid, followed by a consistent trickle, from between her legs. The fluid puddled around her feet as her eyes jumped up to meet Hiei's. His eyes held the same terror & hope.

Moments later, her stomach hardened & she doubled over as an uncomfortable wave of pain rippled up her abdomen & back, making her legs weak. Hiei reached out to help support her weight & guided her back to the couch as she moaned.

"Hiei… call Kurama…. & get me to... the hospital… now!"