AN: AT LAST. Guys, I am SO sorry for the massive delay on this. Living Arrangements took longer than expected, life's been busy in general, and then I screwed up by not looking at my file properly before Word wanted to overwrite its autosave file, and so I lost a week's worth of edits to this chapter and had to start over. But I finally finished, and I hope it's worth the wait!
Chapter 38: The Lights of His Life
When Sesshoumaru approached Rin's bedside, he couldn't help but stare. For the moment, she was still on oxygen to clear out the rest of the miasma from her lungs. Otherwise, she lay in quiet repose in a white hospital yukata. He took her cold hand—the one without an IV sticking in it—and squeezed, his skin conditioned to feel her return the pressure, but her hand remained limp in his. Their mating bond was quiet, and though he could still feel the gentle presence of her life through it (how had he lived with its absence before?), the soft rise and fall of her chest and the regular beat of her heart in sync with the beeping monitor reassured him she was indeed alive and not dead once again.
Dr. Jinenji stood a respectful distance behind him. "Speak to her, Sesshoumaru-san. She may yet wake because of it. And if she is, in fact, comatose, there will still be periods when her mind will be awake and she will hear you, though she appears asleep. It will reassure her to know you are here. I'll leave you with her, but please don't hesitate to let me know if you need anything."
When the door shut, Sesshoumaru knelt down on the floor, fighting back a wince as his healing leg protested. But he suffered the pain. He deserved it, and it was far less than Rin was suffering now.
He clutched Rin's hand to his forehead. "Rin, I am so sorry." The words that were so hard to say to others spilled so easily from his lips around her. "I promised to protect you and the children, and I failed. I promised I would never watch you die again in my arms, and here you lie as if in death once more. …Can you ever forgive this Sesshoumaru?"
He squeezed her hand again, placing a kiss upon it despite knowing he would receive no answer. He rubbed his thumb along her pale skin. "I went to see the children. They are in the NICU, but I suspect their stay there will be short-lived. Do you recall the story of Gemini I told you? Those are our girls, Rin—our little warrior twins. They…saved your life when this Sesshoumaru could not."
He proceeded to tell her then of what the doctor theorized. His throat went dry as he spoke, unused to vocalizing for this long at once. But for Rin, he would do anything, even test the limits of his comfort. He did not want her to feel alone in the darkness. Not like he did now, drowning in murky sorrow.
But there was still a light he was swimming towards. He just had to remember that even though his children weren't with him now, they would be soon.
"They are beautiful, Rin—just like their mother. Our eldest has my coloring, our youngest yours. I have not seen them yet with their eyes open, but I will tell you what color they are as soon as I know."
Just then, a knock sounded on the door, and as Sesshoumaru stood up, it opened to admit the Higurashis and his mother. His in-laws bustled in and went straight to Rin, surrounding her bed. They started talking to her all at once and reassuring her that everyone was well—or well enough. Sesshoumaru was simply thankful for the opportunity to rest his voice.
After a while, his mother, who stood next to him, asked, "Have you decided on names for the children?"
She hadn't spoken loudly, but the Higurashis cut off their words, turning as one to look at him. He nodded.
"Will you tell us?" his mother-in-law asked.
He hesitated. "I…do not wish to choose their identities without Rin."
Inukimi sighed. "You heard the doctor, my son. She may not wake up for weeks. But the hospital has to finish filling out their birth certificates. They need names, so you must choose."
He thought back to the meanings of their names: Setsuna and Towa—now and forever. Rin said she chose the name Towa as a symbol that her love for him would last forever. He had chosen Setsuna because he had wanted to live in the happiness of the moment when he proposed to Rin for the rest of his life.
So, it only stood to reason that the child that resembled the parent towards whom those affections had been directed should get the chosen name.
"Towa shall be the elder; Setsuna the younger."
Souta grinned. "I remember when Rin picked out the name Towa. I'm glad you both agreed to use it. Did you pick out Setsuna?" Sesshoumaru nodded. "It fits. Good job."
"Did you hear that, Rin?" her mother asked, rubbing her shoulder. "You need to wake up soon so you can meet them, alright baby?" Her voice hitched on the last couple of words.
Sesshoumaru had only known Hisgurash-san for a few months, but he had come to think of her as an unflappable woman. Learning her daughters had gotten involved with demons hadn't seemed to phase her. Seeing the Nishikuni estate in all its ostentatious wealth had only inspired heartfelt compliments with not a tinge of envy or gold-digging pride in her daughters' fortunes. Getting arrested by the demon slayers hadn't resulted in a meltdown.
So watching her fight back tears as she looked at her sleeping daughter gave him more sympathy for a human than he had ever given another outside his mate.
The Higurashis resumed talking to Rin, and he wondered at their ability to hold a conversation so easily. At one point, Kagome yawned, and her mother looked on with concern. "You should go home and rest, Kagome. You've just been through a harrowing experience, and now you've got a baby to think of."
"Is that okay? Rin…."
"I will be with Rin," Sesshoumaru answered.
His mother-in-law smiled softly. "I'd like you to take Kagome home, if it's not too much trouble, Sesshoumaru."
He frowned. "I will stay."
Higurashi-san nodded to his leg. "You need rest too. Don't worry—I'll keep my daughter company."
Sesshoumaru was about to protest when Inukimi cut in. "At the very least, you should go home and change out of that horrendous outfit."
"Hey," Souta protested, though there was no bite to his words.
Admittedly, that did hold some appeal. "Very well."
"Is there a train station or bus stop or something near the estate? I've gotten so used to taking a car that I don't know the routes over there," Kagome said, pulling out her phone.
"Why don't I drive you guys back to the shrine? Your cars are still there from the wedding. You can bring them back," Souta offered.
"Oh, that'd be great!" Kagome answered. "Let me just go check on Inuyasha, and then we can head out, okay?"
"We'll come with," Souta said, standing up with Moe. Sesshoumaru cheek twitched. That meant he was basically obligated to accompany them to Inuyasha's room, since they were his ride, though he felt no need to see that idiot.
Even so, he tailed the siblings to his brother's room, and when he heard the ruckus going on inside, he was suddenly glad he had come. The entertainment alone would be worth the price of admission.
"Get off of me! Hey, let me go!" Inuyasha cried out, trying to fight off three different demon nurses as they wrestled him into restraints on the bed.
"What's going on here?" Kagome cried out when they entered. "Inuyasha, what did you do?"
Inuyasha froze, betrayal etched across his slackened face. "What did I do? I'm your husband! Shouldn't you be taking my side?" While he was still in shock, the nurses strapped his limbs and torso to the bed.
"It's because you're my husband that I know you all too well. These good professionals wouldn't have to resort to such measures if you were behaving yourself!" Kagome protested.
Inuyasha suddenly realized he had been tied down. He wriggled, trying to break free. "You bastards. Let me out of here!"
One of the nurses turned to Kagome and bowed in apology. "Nishikuni -san, I'm afraid your husband refused to comply with the doctor's orders for bedrest. He got up so fast, he tore his stitches, and we had to fix them. The doctor wishes for him to recuperate here for the night at least."
"Of course. He'll behave from now on. My apologies," Kagome said, bowing in return. Once the nurses left, Kagome put a hand to her head and collapsed in a chair. "Inuyasha, please don't give them anymore trouble. I can't handle this right now."
Suddenly, Inuyasha was as compliant as trained dog. But Sesshoumaru understood. Seeing his pregnant mate so weary would trigger the instinct to please. "Kagome, are you okay? What did the doctor say? Are you…are you really pregnant?" The hesitant way he spoke about it made it obvious he wasn't sure whether to believe Naraku's claim or not.
Kagome looked up with a soft smile. "Yeah, I am."
"And the baby's okay?"
"Seems like it. It's still pretty early though, so there's not much they can tell us."
Inuyasha sighed, falling back against the bed. "Thank goodness. If that bastard had done something to you, I would have had to go back and resurrect him, just so I could kill him a second time."
Suddenly, Kagome's eyes welled up with tears. Inuyasha went on high alert and sat up again as far as his restraints would allow. "Kagome, what is it? Wait—did he do something to you?"
Kagome shook her head, tears dripping out of her eyes. "N-No, but…he was going to. I-It's only…thanks to Rin that he didn't." She started crying in earnest then, and Moe walked over to put her arms around her.
"Wait, what did Rin do?" Souta asked, his eyes wide with worry. Sesshoumaru wanted to know the same.
"S-She took my place when he…said he was going to…um…use me."
"Bastard," Inuyasha hissed at the same time Sesshoumaru sucked in a breath.
Souta's hands clenched. "Don't tell me that he…to Rin…?"
Kagome shook her head. "She said he didn't, but…h-how can I believe her? She always h-hides her own pain…to comfort others."
Sesshoumaru's mind went numb. Had Naraku forced himself onto his mate? Just the thought of it had his hackles rising.
"Did the doctor mention anything about sexual trauma?" Moe asked. It took Sesshoumaru a moment to realize she was addressing him. He shook his head. "Okay. You could always ask to be sure, but I feel certain he would have mentioned something had they found evidence."
Evidence. Of course. He would have known if Naraku touched her, wouldn't he? He would have smelled it—unless Naraku had some way of disguising it. But could he disguise that putrid scent of his? Unlikely. Naraku had worn that stench like a badge of honor.
"I did not smell him on her," he said for Kagome's and Souta's benefit. They visibly relaxed at the words.
But inside, Sesshoumaru's heart still roiled. Even if Naraku hadn't raped her, both Kagome and Kagura had inferred he tried. As if his Rin's life hadn't been traumatic enough, would she be haunted by those memories for the rest of her life? He wouldn't know what happened unless she woke up, but he didn't want to bring up the question and make her remember…yet he also wanted to comfort her if she needed it.
His mind was still swirling when Inuyasha asked, "So…does that mean Rin pulled through okay?" Sesshoumaru looked away, and Kagome's head drooped. Inuyasha's eyes widened. "Now what's wrong?"
Kagome gave him a summary of Rin's and the twins' conditions. Afterwards, his gaze was decidedly softer when he looked at Sesshoumaru. He seemed to struggle with what to say before finally settling on, "I'm sure they'll all pull through. Rin's built of some strong stuff, and it sounds like those kids aren't pushovers either. Have you seen them?" He nodded. "So…what do they look like?"
Wordlessly, Sesshoumaru took out his phone and showed him the picture, already playing the proud parent.
Inuyasha's lips twitched up. "Huh, cute kids. Certainly no thanks to you."
Sesshoumaru grunted, rescinding Inuyasha's viewing privileges.
Kagome laughed, stroking Inuyasha's head and giving him a little scratch behind his ear. "Will you behave now, so I can go home and rest without worrying what you're doing to the poor staff here?"
Inuyasha huffed. "…Fine. I'll stay. But just so you know, I only wanted to get out of here so I could go home with you."
Kagome smiled and leaned over to kiss his cheek. "I appreciate that. But don't worry. I'm going home with Sesshoumaru, and I plan on passing out as soon as I get there."
Inuyasha leveled his brother with a hard stare. "Make sure that she does, you hear?" Sesshoumaru didn't bother to reply, but Inuyasha didn't put up a fight about it.
Afterwards, Souta and Moe drove Kagome and Sesshoumaru to the shrine, where they took Touga's and Sesshoumaru's cars back home. They parked in the garage, and a relieved servant offered to drive them to their homes in one of the golf carts. The cart stopped in front of Sesshoumaru's home first, and no sooner had he stepped off than the front door of the home burst open.
"SESSHOUMARU-SAMAAAAA!" Jaken wailed, tearing down the steps and attaching himself to Sesshoumaru's injured leg. When he grunted in pain, Jaken hopped off and flattened himself on the gravel. "Forgive me, Sesshoumaru-sama! I did not realize you were hurt! How could this have happened? Where have you been? Where is Rin? Why are the children hooked up to so many tubes? Why—?"
"Jaken," Sesshoumaru hissed, his head throbbing from the imp's shrill shrieks.
"It's a long story," Kagome said, hopping off the cart to better see Jaken. She proceeded to give a succinct recap of the wedding, their arrest, the women's kidnapping, the battle, and the resulting visit to the hospital. Jaken's eyes bulged more and more with each successive part of the tale until Sesshoumaru imagined they would pop out of his head altogether. The servant driving the cart also listened with rapt attention. No doubt the story would be spread all over the estate by morning.
Jaken turned wide, watery eyes up to his master. "Milord has suffered greatly these past several days and must rest. Never fear—I, Jaken, shall handle everything from here! Oh, speaking of, I did as you asked of me, Sesshoumaru-sama!" He ran back just inside the front door and picked up a box, bringing it back and presenting it to Sesshoumaru as if it were a sword. "I even took the liberty of purchasing a special portrait lens." Sesshoumaru nodded in recognition of a job well done.
"A camera?" Kagome asked as Sesshoumaru took the boxes in hand and looked them over. "Why did you buy that? I thought you were against taking photographs, since they leave evidence."
"Now that we have come to an agreement with the slayers, the need for secrecy may not be so dire," Sesshoumaru remarked. "But even if that were not the case…I do not wish for Rin to miss out on a single day of her children's lives."
Kagome's eyes lit up in understanding. She then squealed and enveloped him in a hug that had him stiffening up. Confound these Higurashis and their sneak attacks. It was a testament to his weariness that he had not even cared to dodge it.
"Sesshoumaru, that's a wonderful idea! Oh, oh, I know! We should make a scrapbook for her!"
Sesshoumaru's brow twitched. Taking photos was about the extent of his sentimental abilities. "I would not know how to do that."
"Don't worry about it. You handle the pictures, and I'll take care of the rest. Rin will be so thankful when she sees it! But I also demand the right to abscond with that camera at any given time to do photoshoots with the babies. And you'd better be prepared to be photographed, mister! Rin will expect pictures with you in there too!"
Perhaps the stress of the last few days had indeed overwhelmed him, but he simply didn't have the strength to stand up to Kagome's hurricane-force enthusiasm. So he quietly agreed with nod.
The following days were the most difficult of Sesshoumaru's life. Past difficulties in his life lay in pursuit of his goals of conquest, whether in the warlike or business sense. Failure brought anger and a renewed sense of determination to try again and succeed. Never before had his failures left his mind weak and downtrodden.
But now, the emotional distress of watching his mate and children lie in a hospital took a greater toll on him than he had ever expected it could. As he waited for his babies to be released from the NICU and waited to see if Rin would wake up, he simply didn't want to do anything but sit or stand by their sides and watch them. Every moment with them was precious, he knew now, because they were not guaranteed to be there forever.
When had sitting become so wearying? It took less and less effort each day for his mother or mother-in-law to prod him into going home to rest. And rest he would. Between Rin joining him in his bed earlier that summer and him sleeping every day now, the staff had never had to make his bed so often. But the whispers he overheard weren't ones of derision (at least, most weren't, though some were rather smug about seeing his arrogant self fall). Rather, they were filled with pity. Some were even filled with fear—that the new lady of the household who had softened their lord would never come back.
He always went back to her, however. He took a proper leave from work this time, starting with one week. He would adjust his time off if needed.
His new routine at the hospital began with a visit to the NICU. That first day after the girls were born, he came back with the camera (which he had experimented with while "resting" the night before) and found they had opened their eyes with unexpected shades. Towa appeared almost albino with her crimson eyes, and Setsuna had the most captivating shade of indigo. He put that new portrait lens to good practice that morning.
Rin's condition hadn't changed, but he was surprised to see she received a visitor that day who actually wasn't part of the family: Shiori.
It only made sense for Shiori to visit the hospital, since her father had been admitted as well, but Sesshoumaru had all but forgotten the bat demon's plight in light of his own family's state.
As she sat with Rin, she talked to her for a little bit, updating her (and thus Sesshoumaru) on Tsukuyomaru's recovery.
"Last night was crucial," Shiori explained, weariness lining her face and puffy eyes. "They said if he pulled through last night, he would probably make it—and he did. But it was touch-and-go there for a while." Her eyes glossed over, and she scrambled to take a tissue out of her purse. "I'm so sorry if I look like a mess, Sesshoumaru. When Kirinmaru called me and told me what happened…I was just so scared—" Her voice broke, and she sobbed silently into her tissue.
Unease gripped Sesshoumaru's muscles. He knew how others would reach out to comfort a crying female in a situation like this. Comforting Rin felt natural now (though it pained him to see her cry), but reaching out to others was still beyond him. So he sat in silence, giving her the time to let everything out.
After a couple moments, Shiori took a deep breath and dabbed the last of the tears from her reddened eyes. "I apologize about that."
"There is no need." She gave him a watery smile. "So he will recover?" Sesshoumaru asked.
Shiori took a deep breath. "While many of his minor injuries have already healed, and some of the major ones are well on their way, the truth is…his wings were crushed. The doctors said it was almost as if someone had deliberately set out to snap every delicate bone in them."
Sesshoumaru recalled the malicious sneer of Naraku's monstrous incarnation, Goushenki. He would not be surprised if the demon had done just that.
"Unfortunately, while his body is trying to heal the injuries, the bones were broken into so many fragments that they're not…healing properly. The doctors are trying to determine if they can repair them with surgery or if…if they'll have to amputate them." Her voice hitched again, and she clutched her hand to her chest.
"Could he grow them back?" Sesshoumaru asked. Limb regeneration was possible for many demons—some more so than others—but it required a great deal of strength and fortitude.
"I'm not sure. And I'd hate to be the one to make that decision for him. I'm just going to have to pray that they can do the surgery. Of course, the doctors warned that even with surgery, he might never fly as well as he used to, and he'd have to undergo weeks if not months of physical therapy to relearn the skill. But he survived, and I'm just thankful for that," Shiori explained.
She then looked over at Rin, reaching out to take her hand and addressing her. "When I think of how you lost your parents at such a young age and how strong a woman you are right now…I'm just in awe of you, Rin. If my father had died in that battle…I'm not sure how I would have coped." Tears sprang once more into her lilac eyes. "He's been with me for over five hundred years now. You'd think I'd be satisfied with that. I've had so much more time with him than humans have with their parents. I've been with him fifteen times as long as my mother was even alive. And yet…that almost makes it even harder, you know? Because he's been such a fixture in my life, and the thought of him not being there just opened up this well of loneliness I didn't know I had. I admire you so much for your strength, Rin. I'm not sure I would have had the same in me."
Sesshoumaru felt like an intruder on this conversation, but he could hardly bear to leave Rin's side during visiting hours, even to give the two some privacy. However, his regard of Shiori grew then, for she recognized his mate's strength for what it was.
His own father's recovery took just three days. When Touga awoke on the third day, both Izayoi and Inukimi were by his side. Each woman informed her son about the development, and because Sesshoumaru was already in the hospital, he went to see him first (Inuyasha had been discharged after a single day, much to the entire staff's relief, and promptly went home to recuperate with his mate).
When he entered the room, he froze, looking his father over. Touga lay propped up in bed, smiling as if he hadn't just spent the last three days sleeping off serious injuries. Izayoi sat on a chair at the head of the bed, while Inukimi sat in a corner near the foot.
"There's the new father!" Touga announced with a grin. "I hope you brought this new camera I've heard about, because I want to see pictures."
"You look hearty enough. Why not go see them in person?" Sesshoumaru asked, already pulling out his phone and clicking on the cloud-sharing app where the camera automatically dumped his photos (that had been a pleasant discovery—Jaken truly had done his homework in terms of finding the most convenient tool for his master).
"Of course I wanted to the moment I heard!" Touga protested with a puffed-out chest. "But those quacks aren't letting me get out of the bed yet. And I hear the staff here is…not afraid to use force."
Izayoi bit back a smile. "I might have told him what happened to Inuyasha in an attempt to save him some embarrassment."
Bullheadedness certainly ran in the family. Sesshoumaru handed over his phone in appeasement. And as soon as Touga laid eyes on his grandchildren, his face melted into an expression Sesshoumaru had never seen before. He didn't quite know how to describe it. For some reason, the word "squishy" came to mind.
Naturally, the first thing Touga did when he was allowed to get back on his feet the following day was trail Sesshoumaru to the NICU. The nurses wouldn't let Touga inside, but Sesshoumaru was able to hold the girls up for him to see through the window. His father didn't even blink as he stared at his granddaughters, taking in every inch of them.
Dr. Jinenji had said the twins were recovering well and in good enough health that they could start kangaroo care. After they had eaten, Sesshoumaru laid both their tiny bodies against his fur-covered shoulder, patting their backs until they burped and then turning the pats into soothing rubs with both his hand and his demonic energy.
An electronic click caused him to look up, and he found his father with the new camera, taking a photo of the three of them. When Touga lowered the camera, there were tears in the demon's eyes and a soft smile on his lips.
And though Touga said it quietly from the other side of the glass, Sesshoumaru distinctly heard the words, "Well done, my son."
How ironic that the pride he had always sought from his father came not through great achievements in battle or business—but in the domestic act of caring for his children.
Nevertheless, the last barrier in Sesshoumaru's heart eased with a cathartic release, letting it swell in humble satisfaction.
In this, at least, he was now content.
Rin had such a large and loving family that her room usually contained one visitor or another. In that way, Sesshoumaru was able to keep up with news of how their other allies were faring.
Kagome checked in with Miroku to see how he and Sango were doing after the DSC took them to a human hospital. Apparently, Princess Abi had actually done a decent job of doctoring Sango, to the point where the hospital had checked her in, reviewed her injuries, prescribed her some painkillers as well as bedrest, scheduled a follow-up, and let her go home. She was officially on medical leave.
While Miroku got away with only a few minor scrapes, most of the trauma he sustained from the mission was mental. He was afraid to leave Sango's side for even a moment, and he had been having trouble sleeping lately due to nightmares. Having seen Sango go through moments of post-traumatic stress disorder in the past, he understood what was happening and planned to see a psychiatrist soon. (Kagome had been proud of him for taking that step so quickly, remarking in private to her family that while Miroku may have always been a perv, he had always been very self-aware.)
While Sango was recuperating, Grandpa Mushin became a near-full-time babysitter, which was driving him to drink. ("But then," Kagome inserted, "it doesn't take much to do that.") The twins were due to start school again in a couple weeks, and by then, the doctors surmised that Sango would be moving about, so the family was just holding out until then for the chaos to die down.
Kaede also came to visit Rin one day while Inuyasha and Kagome were there. It wasn't long before she revealed the twofold-purpose of her visit.
"I wanted to tell you in person that Kikyou passed away last night," the elderly doctor said. Inuyasha stiffened. "Though the doctors were able to treat her injuries, I think that final battle took out most of her energy. Had she been younger, perhaps she might have survived, but I fear the stress on her body was too much this time around."
Kagome reached out and took Kaede's hand. "Oh Kaede…I know we had our differences with Kikyou, but I think I speak for all of us in saying that we can sympathize with the loss of a loved one. Is there anything we can do?"
"Why didn't you call us?" Inuyasha murmured. The others looked at him. He clenched his hands in his lap. "You should have called us the moment it happened," he spat out. "Sesshoumaru could have brought her back!"
Kaede sighed with a grim smile. "Silly boy. Do you think Kikyou would have wanted that?"
"W-What?"
"You're a long-lived lot, so I'm not sure you understand, but when we humans get to this age, we realize that we're not so afraid of death anymore. In fact…sometimes it is a blessing. I will miss my sister, of course. Perhaps you will remember her fondly at times as well. But we should not mourn her. Kikyou lived a full life. She was not some tragic teenager dying young for a cause she championed. She was the leader she always wanted to be. And in taking that bullet for you, she died a hero. And I am so proud of her for that.
"In truth, though I was part of the DSC as a youngster, the older I got, the less comfortable I was with what it stood for. But whatever Kikyou's faults, I like to think that final act went some way towards redeeming her. And perhaps she felt that way as well. If I had to guess, I think the guilt of shooting you always stayed with her, even though she told herself it was ultimately in humanity's best interests to rid the world of another demon.
"I truly believe she was relieved to see you hale and hearty after all this time. Whether her defense of you was instinctual or some way she felt she could make up for what she did fifty years ago, I cannot say. But I am confident she is finally at peace. So, why ruin that with what might be only a few more years in an aged body? Getting old isn't all it's cracked up to be, I'll have you know."
Properly chastened, Inuyasha didn't bring it up again. And when Kaede informed them of the funeral arrangements, he and Kagome went to pay their final respects.
After a week in the NICU, Towa and Setsuna were finally allowed to leave. Sesshoumaru knew their grandparents were dying to get their hands on the girls, but there was one person who deserved to touch them first—even if she wasn't aware of it.
"Rin, it is time you met our girls. This is Towa," he said, sitting on the edge of her bed and carefully folding Towa into the crook of Rin's limp arm while supporting them both. He took Rin's other hand and cupped it around Towa's head. Towa just stared up at her mother, as if trying to figure out who this new person was. "Her hair is already thicker than Setsuna's," Sesshoumaru explained, brushing Rin's fingers through the thin, white strands. Then he passed over her unique forelock. "And here is that little patch of red I told you about."
He moved her hand down to knuckle the baby's soft cheeks and ghost over the rest of her form. "Can you feel our daughter, Rin?"
Of course there was no answer—not even a blip of emotion in their link.
He sighed. "Wake up soon, so you can hold her on your own accord." Towa jostled in their hold, moving her head towards Rin's breast, instinctively searching for food. Sesshoumaru's heart cracked. In another life, Rin would be nursing their children now. But the C-section and her subsequent separation from the children delayed her milk production to the point that her breasts were already returning to normal.
"This is your mother, Towa. Do you recognize her touch? Her smell?" Towa mewled in her search, and he took that as an affirmative. He thought about taking a photo of Towa in her mother's arms, but he wondered how that would come across to Rin once she woke. Would she find it too sad to see a photo of herself holding her daughter and not remember it?
Well, he would cross that bridge when he got there.
He grabbed the camera from the side table and snapped a photo, keeping the focus on Towa rather than capturing Rin's sleeping face as well. Then he replaced Towa in their arms with Setsuna.
"This is Setsuna. See how fine her hair is?" he asked, running Rin's hand over Setsuna's crown. "She has three spots of red in her hair. Two here," he said, tapping her finger against Setsuna's temples, "and one on the back."
As he was moving Rin's fingers across Setsuna's body, the baby waved her arms, her little hand clasping onto Rin's finger.
Sesshoumaru snapped another photo.
Suddenly, Setsuna let go of her mother and started to cry.
"What is the matter, Setsuna?" Sesshoumaru asked, taking the baby from Rin and hoisting her against the fur on his shoulder. He rubbed his daughter's back and stroked her demonic energy with his, trying to calm her. Then the smell of feces hit his nose, and suddenly Towa started crying as well, and judging from how she had been looking to feed earlier, he figured a feeding was due after their diaper change.
He was pleased to discover that the men's bathroom did indeed have a changing table in it, and anytime a demon walked in and looked at him with astonishment as he changed the girls, he just glared at them, and they scampered into a stall to hide, even if they had been on their way to a urinal.
Towa's and Setsuna's cries continued to rattle between his sensitive ears as he prepared their bottles, and then came the juggling act of feeding, burping, and soothing them simultaneously. At least in the NICU, there had always been a nurse there to help him with one of the girls if he needed it. Now, he realized just how difficult this single-parenting act was going to be.
His hand was halfway to his phone, ready to call Jaken to come and assist him when he looked at Rin again and realized something.
She originally planned to do this all by herself.
That sobering thought made him put away his phone. There would be help at home. He could honor Rin by caring for them on his own until then at least.
To his surprise, when he arrived back at the estate carrying the girls in their car seats, nearly all the staff was lined up on either side of the walkway leading up to the front door of his house. When he approached, they all bowed in unison and intoned, "Welcome home, Towa-sama and Setsuna-sama!"
His family was waiting for him on the engawa, Kagome snapping pictures on her phone of the simple but powerful ceremony. A part of Sesshoumaru he hadn't realized was still worried relaxed upon seeing the demonic staff accept his half-demon daughters with the respect they deserved.
No sooner had he reached his family than Touga swooped down to carry both girls in his arms. "Hello, my precious puppies," he said, rubbing his nose one at a time against theirs, a natural canine instinct to show affection that Sesshoumaru himself had recently discovered was a part of himself as well. Towa sneezed in Touga's face as a result, but he just laughed. "Even your sneezes are adorable." The fact that he didn't flinch showed just how accustomed he was to baby fluids regularly appearing on his body. Sesshoumaru had yet to master that reaction.
"Goodness, it's true what they say: men treat their girls differently from their boys," Izayoi remarked. "You were much more reserved with Inuyasha."
"It was a different time," he replied. "It wasn't acceptable for men to show so much emotion."
"Is that your excuse?" Inukimi remarked, but aside from some raised eyebrows, the others let her comment slide. She turned to the assembled staff. "You may come give your greetings to the princesses."
Sesshoumaru hadn't realized this was going to be such an affair, but Touga assured him that this would give the staff an opportunity to bond with the girls they were to serve.
By the time they were done, the babies were snoozing in their grandmothers' arms. "We should put them to bed," Sesshoumaru said, stepping inside.
"Wait! Rin and I promised we would do this photo-op when they were born," she interrupted, shoving her phone in his face. It was opened to the Pinterest app, where two naked babies lay on their sides facing each other in the shape of a heart. They lay on a quilted heart to reinforce the image. "I've made the props and everything."
"Perhaps you should save this for a milestone," Sesshoumaru remarked. "Let them acquaint themselves with their new home."
Kagome frowned. "They're babies—they're going to sleep anywhere you put them. Let me take a picture in the meantime."
He frowned. "They are part dog-demon. There are unfamiliar smells and auras here. They must learn that this is home."
Kagome stopped. "Oh. I didn't think of it that way."
Sesshoumaru strode past her. "Remember that eight months from now, when yours is born."
Kagome rolled her eyes. "Fine. Since we can't do their one-week milestone, we'll do it for their one-month one. And maybe by then…Rin will be awake to participate." Her words were a somber reminder for the group of who was missing this moment, and so once the girls were down in their bassinets, everyone quickly dispersed.
The sleep Sesshoumaru had partaken in this past week was once more a thing of the past. The twins woke up multiple times that night, and every time they cried, he rushed to see what they needed. Diaper changes were easy to detect—he could smell those from outside the room. But at one point after he and Jaken had fed and burped them, they still would not stop wailing, and he did not understand why. They had been so easy to soothe the rest of the day.
The girls had been screaming for several minutes without ceasing when his mother came in. "I had forgotten how loud it is to have a child in the home…let alone two." But without another word, she took Setsuna from Sesshoumaru and started rocking her, humming a tune that struck a deep chord in him.
Sesshoumaru stared at her in befuddlement. "You…used to sing to me, didn't you?"
"Of course I did. You were my little boy," Inukimi answered, wiping the tears from Setsuna's cheeks as she calmed down and snuggled into her grandmother's fur. "It is an ancient song passed down through our clan. Your father sang it to you as well." Inukimi looked up at him. "I understand your propensity for quiet, son. But at this age, children need to hear you to be comforted."
Like Rin needed to hear him now. Once more, he was going to have to push past his comfort levels.
His mother's lullaby had already soothed the girls, and so they put them to sleep. Sesshoumaru couldn't help but stare at them for a few moments as they slept. Some inexplicable part of him needed to be reassured that they breathed. His mother stood beside him, watching the girls.
Suddenly, she reached out and swiped a thumb against his cheek. He jerked away in surprise. She merely raised her brows and held her white thumb up. "You had baby powder on your face. Most unbecoming." He huffed in response. She looked down at her fingers as she brushed off the powder and then murmured something most cryptic: "Looks like I owe you two a honeymoon." Sesshoumaru waited for her to explain, but she chose instead to leave.
The next time the girls woke and would not go back to sleep, he told Jaken to leave. Once the door was closed, Sesshoumaru held the girls against his fur-covered shoulder and hummed a tune he had heard Rin singing to herself and the babies the past couple months. Perhaps it was the familiar melody that relaxed them, but they quieted within seconds.
In the previous week, Sesshoumaru had established something of a routine in visiting the hospital. Now that the babies were home, even that was going to change to some extent.
He brought the children with him, for one. While others might argue that it wasn't good to expose a newborn to a hospital environment rampant with illness, he felt it was important that Rin hear them and feel them throughout the day. Besides, he wanted them there for her to see first thing if she woke up.
Now, however, he had Jaken to assist him. This was the imp's first time visiting Rin, and he was a mercurial ball of emotions. He ran to his mistress' side and erupted into a blubbery mess as he took in her prone form. That quickly changed into berating her for making his lord worry and then to demanding that she wake up soon and meet her cute babies.
Normally, Sesshoumaru might have kicked him out for being so annoying, but Jaken could talk as long as Rin could at times, and someone needed to keep her company, because he and his voice were downright exhausted. He would never tell anyone, of course, but if he could keep silent and save his vocal cords for a while, he would.
But he must not have hidden his weariness as well as he thought, because someone besides Jaken noticed.
Shiori had started stopping by every day to say hi to Rin after she visited her father. Sesshoumaru had been quietly relieved to hear that the bat demon did wake up and underwent multiple hours-long surgeries for his wings. The limbs were specially bound for the meantime so that they would heal, and it would be months before he could undergo therapy to use them, but the doctors were optimistic that he would one day fly again.
A couple days after Sesshoumaru started bringing the girls with him, Shiori held Setsuna in her arms, stroking her plump little cheek with a knuckle. Setsuna pumped her arms and legs, looking to grab something, and Shiori offered her finger. Setsuna gripped it, and Sesshoumaru's lips quirked at the sight. Setsuna was already like a little leech, clinging onto those who held her and crying if they gave her up too soon. Shiori rubbed the girl's tiny fingers against hers with her thumb.
"You're already so strong, aren't you?" she cooed. "I'm not surprised. You and your sister have proven yourselves ten times over already, from what I hear." Setsuna grunted as if in affirmation, and Sesshoumaru's lips twitched upwards even more.
Shiori looked over at him. "It's good to see you smile, Sesshoumaru." He quickly masked his features, and the half-bat-demon pouted. "Don't be like that. You need to embrace these moments. You've been through some rough times lately, and even you could use a reprieve."
"I'm fine," he lied, averting his eyes towards Rin.
Shiori followed his gaze. "I know you don't like to leave her side. I can sense you hovering out by the door at times when there are visitors. But Rin wouldn't want to see you overburdening yourself like this. You need to get away and clear your headspace."
"I go home each night."
"Yes, but…I think you just need a change of scenery from both the hospital and your home." When he cocked his head in question, she nodded at the door. "Go out and take a walk. There's a park nearby. Leave the girls to me. Don't worry—I've been around plenty of babies. I can handle a diaper change or something if it comes up. Just get out of this hospital for a bit."
Sesshoumaru hesitated, but he had to admit he craved the outdoors. And he loved his girls, but they had tired him out more in a few days than some of the days-long battles he'd once had. So he nodded. "Very well. Jaken will assist if needed."
"Of course, milord! Leave everything to me!" Jaken squawked.
Sesshoumaru did not go far—just to the park Shiori had mentioned. But after making sure no one saw him, he jumped into a tree and relaxed on a strong bough as he would have done centuries ago. He breathed in the nature—tainted by city air, but there was no cure for that here—and closed his eyes, trying to let the stress flow out.
He was surprised when an hour passed and he felt a little lighter.
When he returned, Shiori smiled and asked, "Better?"
He dipped his head in acknowledgment and then reached for Towa, who Shiori was now rocking in her arms. Towa wiggled as she went, kicking him in the sternum as he transferred her to his furred shoulder, but as soon as her head hit the pelt, she stopped moving and snuggled in.
Shiori beamed. "She does love her daddy. Setsuna went right down, but Towa was struggling."
Sesshoumaru nodded. "Setsuna enjoys her sleep." Towa seemed to want to stay awake with him as much as possible.
"I was thinking about something while you were gone. I hope I haven't overstepped my bounds, but I've told the Half-Demon Society about what's happened with your family. You're members, after all, and as a community, we stick together. They want to help but weren't sure how. How would you feel about babysitting rotations?"
Sesshoumaru tensed. "I will not hand my children off to strangers."
"Of course, I understand that, but what if I introduced you to them first? Once you've met them, I'm sure you'll realize they only have the best intentions at heart. And I'd only bring on those who are experienced with children. But I think it would be good for you to get away for a little bit each day. You need time for yourself, Sesshoumaru. You can't handle this all on your own."
"I'm not." His family was helping. Jaken was helping.
Shiori seemed to read his mind. "I know your family is with you, but I'm sure they could use a break too. What do you say?"
Shiori was nothing if not persistent. Likely, that's how she'd managed to keep her half-demon causes going for so long, despite all the trouble she would have faced. "Very well."
"Wonderful! I'll schedule a time this week for a group meeting."
And in that way, Sesshoumaru learned of the kindness of strangers. Over the past year, he had learned about compassion for one's family, but the compassion of strangers still perplexed him. He soon realized that it was because the Half-Demon Society saw each other as family that it was so easy for them to reach out to help one another. It made him realize something else—something that had stuck with him since Shiori's first hospital visit to Rin.
After the initial meeting with some fellow society members, the others left him and Shiori alone in Rin's room. She was just getting ready to leave when he said, "You would not have been left alone."
"Pardon?" she asked.
"If Tsukuyomaru died. You wouldn't have been left alone." He nodded towards the departing mix of demons and humans. "They would have cared for you."
Shiori blushed. "I didn't think of that…but you're absolutely right, of course."
"The inner strength you said Rin possessed? …You have it as well." Shiori's eyes widened in surprise. He looked away from her and stood up. "I will permit them to care for my daughters."
She snapped out of her shock and grinned. "They'll be delighted to hear it. I know several of them are very excited to hold a baby or two again."
And so, Sesshoumaru started to come to grips with his altered state of life, and the darkness plaguing his mind began to recede in the light of both his little girls and the friends and family who wanted to help them.
But the darkness of Rin's illness still pressed in around him, and he knew it would never fully lift until she had recovered.
Several days later, Sesshoumaru was dozing when a prickle of alarm stung his heart. His eyes shot open, and he sat up, listening for the girls' cries. But the house was silent.
The fear prodded at him again, growing more desperate, and this time, Sesshoumaru realized what it was.
Rin.
He called the hospital. As soon as the staff answered, he asked, "Is Rin Nishikuni awake?"
"We have not recorded a change in her behavior or vitals," the staff responded. "Is there a reason for you to think otherwise?"
"I can feel her. She's afraid."
"Let me get a doctor on the line for you, Sesshoumaru-san. Please hold."
As he waited, he tried to tamp down on his simultaneously inflating hope and rising panic, instead pushing feelings of reassurance towards Rin. It felt like and hour rather than mere minutes before the line picked up again. "Sesshoumaru-san?" asked a doctor he recognized as one of the ones who oversaw Rin when Dr. Jinenji wasn't on duty.
"Is she awake?" Sesshoumaru demanded. He had been ready to fly to the hospital if he took too much longer, visiting hours be damned.
"I'm afraid she's still comatose, Sesshoumaru-san. I understand you called because you felt her emotions?"
"Yes."
"That's a very good sign. We'll run some tests to see if there's any change in her brain activity to be certain, but unfortunately, even if that is the case, she's still not healed enough to fully wake up yet. I spoke to her while I was checking on her and turned on the TV in the room to give her something to listen to so the silence wasn't so overwhelming—just in case."
"…She does seem calmer now," Sesshoumaru admitted. But that undercurrent of terror and frustration—likely at knowing she was awake and not being able to open her eyes—still hovered on the edges of their emotional link. "Does this mean she has not heard any of us before this point?"
"That's likely, but do not let that stop you from talking to her whenever you come to visit. You never know—just as people wake up from hearing noises when they're sleeping, the same could hold true for Rin-san."
"Will she wake up soon then?"
"I cannot say for certain." When Sesshoumaru was silent for several seconds, the doctor added, "I understand this is a difficult situation, Sesshoumaru-san, but this appears to be a step in the right direction for her recovery. Stay strong and keep doing what you're doing. In fact, I want you to know that all of our staff are in awe of your efforts and loyalty for your human mate. Such devotion will not be for nothing. If you feel her consciousness again next time you're here, speak to her. Perhaps you'll receive a comforting response."
Later that day when visiting hours resumed, Sesshoumaru returned to the hospital with twins in tow. The girls were napping in their stroller, so he didn't disturb them as he wheeled them near Rin's bed.
He grabbed his wife's hand and massaged her cold fingers. "Rin, do not fear. I am here."
No response.
He hadn't expected one. The activity in their bond had died down hours ago. So once more, he waited.
One of the Half-Demon Society volunteers came by for her babysitting shift just as the girls woke up, demanding to be changed and fed.
"What timing!" the half-demon named Ai announced. When she saw Sesshoumaru still hovering near them, she shooed him off. "Go on! Jaken and I will take care of it from here."
Sesshoumaru nodded and then walked to the doorway.
Suddenly, hints of emotions flickered to life in his heart.
Confusion. Curiosity. Desire.
He spun around darting back toward the bed. Jaken and Ai stared at him in alarm.
"Rin?" he asked, taking her hand and squeezing. "Are you there?"
Confusion again. A prickle of fear.
"I am here, Rin. Do not be afraid."
Joy and love warmed their bond.
"M-Milord?" Jaken asked.
A thousand emotions he could not name flooded Sesshoumaru. He kept his back toward his servant and said, "Take the girls out for some sun."
"Y-Yes, milord!" Jaken said, prodding a confused Ai with the stroller out of the room and closing the door.
Sesshoumaru reached up to cup Rin's face. "My love, can you hear me?"
A pulse of contentment and relief. He took that as an affirmative.
He laid his forehead against hers, stroking her cheek. "I am relieved." He kissed her cool lips, and in a response, a tingle of joy sparked along their link. When he pulled away, disappointment reached him.
"I'm not going anywhere," Sesshoumaru answered. He looked at her bed. It was rather small for two people, but Rin was tiny. He carefully shifted her over a few centimeters and then lay on his side on the very edge of the bed, holding one of her hands and wrapping the other around her. He rubbed her shoulder. "I will not leave you, Rin."
Relief.
In quiet tones, he proceeded to tell her everything. He started from the beginning all over again, not sure what she might have heard or missed in the past. He didn't care how much he had to talk. Feeling her emotions respond to his words was worth every word. He stared at her face as he spoke, stroking her temple, her hair, her side, her arm—anywhere he could. He had not held her like this in nearly two weeks.
When her awareness died out once more, he remained laying there as he would if she was only asleep. He stared at her face, relishing this moment. Having been so consumed lately with documenting baby milestones, he couldn't help but think of this moment in those terms: the first day he had been able to feel her and communicate since the battle.
Such moments deserved documentation…and despite what he had told Rin back at the baby shower, he still owed her some pictures.
He took out his phone, since it was easier to use for selfies. He could never replace the photos he had deleted of them at the sanctuary, but he could recreate them—with a twist.
For the first, he rested his head beside Rin's and gazed at her with every emotion that had bubbled to the surface since she had been "awake": love, hope, relief, joy.
Click.
He recalled that in her other photo, she had posed for the camera with a smile. He did not like to show his smile except to Rin, but a photograph could always end up in someone else's hands. Still, she deserved something to show his happiness.
So he looked at the camera and hid his mouth by bringing up their entwined hands and kissing the back of hers.
Click.
When he looked back at the photo, there was a softness to his eyes that even he could see registered his joy.
Now, finally, he felt that debt repaid.
Rin's burgeoning awareness gave Sesshoumaru a renewed hope every day that she would wake.
And every day, he had to fight off his disappointment.
Weeks passed, and the girls grew healthy and plump. Kagome marked their one-month-old milestone as promised/threatened, despite the fact that morning sickness had hit her like a sucker punch. She lay in bed whenever it hit, keeping a warm laptop resting on her stomach so she could work on Rin's scrapbook while feeling otherwise drained.
She never failed to show Sesshoumaru her progress, and he was secretly impressed with her work. Family cuddles, bath time, play time, and some portrait shots all came together in a beautiful book of memories. He knew Rin would love it, for even though he had seen all of it, he enjoyed reminiscing as well.
Inuyasha waited on Kagome hand and foot, and it amused Sesshoumaru to see him so servile. But then Inuyasha had to remark one day on how whipped Sesshoumaru had been during Rin's pregnancy, and when Sesshoumaru could not refute, he just scowled and left his brother's house, taking his daughters with him and prompting Kagome to complain loudly that Inuyasha was denying her baby time with his big mouth.
But as the weeks passed, the drudgery fed his pessimistic side until it started to overshadow the hope. He tried to keep his mind occupied so that despair wouldn't set in. The girls had settled into a good routine now, only waking up once during the night. While at the hospital, he would work on his laptop while they slept. His mother had actually offered to go to the Sanctuary on occasion and see to what he could not working remotely. The fact that she had offered to help in such a way, when she had promised in 1945 that she would never lift a finger to help the family businesses again, took him by surprise at first. But if he had changed drastically in the past year, his mother had done so as well in just a few months. Now that he was a father himself, he recognized her desire to help her son—even if she openly griped about it.
Even so, playing with babies, working, or even taking his daily walks to the park couldn't keep all the dark clouds of his heart away, and with every succeeding day that Rin slept, his heart weighed more and more like a stone. Seeing the newly added pages to Kagome's scrapbook felt less and less heartwarming and more depressing.
How much of her children's lives would Rin miss?
Rin's awareness flickered to life while he and Jaken were entertaining the babies. They introduced them to her again, moving her hands along their profiles like a blind person so she could "see" them, and the yearning he felt from Rin nearly broke his heart. Her despair was so great that his own mood blackened, and by the time her mother came to give him a "baby break," he couldn't control his tongue anymore.
"I'll take it from here, Sesshoumaru," Higurashi-san said with a gentle pat on his back.
"I will stay with Rin," he murmured.
It had happened enough by now that his family and the Half-Demon Society volunteers knew that when Rin was aware, Sesshoumaru preferred to have his breaks with her rather than outside the hospital.
"Oh, is she awake now?" his mother-in-law asked.
Something in him snapped.
He knew what she meant. She meant "aware" rather than "awake." But all the same, he couldn't take it anymore.
"Of course she's not," he snapped in quiet fury, and Higurashi-san sucked in a startled breath. "And those damn doctors don't know when she will be."
"Sesshoumaru, dear, you know they've said it's up to her—"
"Is it? If it was up to Rin, she would have woken up by now. She's strong. She could have done it if she wanted to!"
Hurt. Despair.
He was causing these feelings, and yet he couldn't stop himself.
"What am I paying these quacks for if they can't figure out what's wrong with her?" he hissed, slamming a fist onto the bed.
"Sesshoumaru, I think you need to go get some fresh air," Higurashi-san said in a quiet, caring voice.
"I don't need fresh air—just leave me alone!" he barked.
I need Rin. I need her awake.
He was drowning, and Rin's despair was only pulling him down faster.
Then the girls started crying, no doubt scared by his shouting, and the wails drilled into his ears, inflaming his brain.
"Get them out of here," he snapped. "I can't take any more of their crying."
He regretted the words as soon as he said them, but at the same time, they were true.
Jaken appeared constipated with tension. "A-At once, milord. Girls! Quiet down at once—your father is weary! Come now," he said, picking up Towa and patting her back as he carried her out of the room. His mother-in-law watched him sadly as she picked up Setsuna and wheeled out the stroller before closing the door to the room.
Once they were gone, Sesshoumaru let his head fall onto Rin's belly. He clutched her frigid hand, squeezing it like a lifeline. "Rin, please. I need you here. I can't do this without you."
Her hurt for him trickled through the bond, and he could almost imagine her answering, Yes you can. You're the strongest man—demon or human—I know. You can handle anything.
"I can't handle this," he confessed. "I'm trying to live for our girls, but I can't get my mind out of this pit. You are the light at the end of this tunnel, but right now, you feel so far away, I despair of ever reaching you. Every time I look at them, I see your face, and I think of how you should be watching them beside me.
"What is keeping you from awakening? …Is this my punishment for leaving you? I would have condemned you to do this all alone were it not for Inuyasha and Kagome. Now, I am suffering that fate. Have I not said it enough, Rin? I'm sorry.
"I'm sorry I didn't come for you sooner. We wasted so much time because of my foolishness. And even though I meant to spare you the danger of my world, I only inflicted more on you. I…am a failure of a mate."
A blanket of comfort wrapped around his heart. He hadn't felt her push such a strong reaction since the battle.
He looked up at her, stroking the back of her hand. "Come back, Rin. The girls need you. I need you. Please, Rin. Please come back."
He squeezed her hand. A hint of sadness mixed with desperation flowed through the bond.
Her hand twitched.
Sesshoumaru froze, unsure if he imagined it. But then he felt anxiety and weariness come through—almost as if she were trying her hardest and tiring out.
She was trying to wake up.
He clambered halfway onto her bed, reaching out for her cheek and watching her face. "Rin, I am here. I can feel you trying to wake. You can do it. Come to me, Rin. Come."
Her strength was dying out again, fading away as it did when her awareness faded.
"No, Rin, please," he begged once more, clasping the back of her neck. His head dropped as he tried to control how tight his heart squeezed with disappointment. He couldn't let her feel that. She was trying her hardest. He knew that. He was simply being weak, and he couldn't afford to be. Rin needed him to be a beacon of strength she could take refuge in. He could not crumble in the face of this storm.
But the despair battered away at him nonetheless.
"Please," he repeated on a had never begged for anything in his life. But now that he had hope of Rin's return, he was loathe to let her slip away again.
"M'here…love. Don't…fear."
Sesshoumaru's head shot up to find Rin's eyes open only to slits but nevertheless looking straight at him.
Sesshoumaru eyes widened, his vision blurring. "Rin," he gasped, feeling as if all the air had been sucked from his lungs.
Six weeks. It had been six weeks since he heard her voice. He could hardly believe it.
She groaned, closing her eyes again but leaning into his hand to nuzzle it. He kissed her forehead and laid his against hers. "I knew you could do it," he whispered. His eyes burned with unshed tears.
"Needed…your help," she whispered, still too weak to talk.
He smiled, and her eyes lit up in response. The irony was not lost on him. His weakness had brought Rin back—along with her desire to be strong for him.
He would have to remember that. They were married now. As much as Rin would rely on him, he too would have to rely on her. But for the moment, she needed more of his help.
"Are you thirsty?" he asked. She nodded. Though he hated to let go of her, he went over to the sink and poured a cup of water. He didn't have a straw for her, but he supported her head as she drank so that she only took tiny sips. When she was done, she glanced around the room.
"I want to see…our babies. Where…are they?"
"They will be here soon."
He pushed the call button for the doctor and then dialed Jaken's number.
"Y-Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama?" he asked upon picking up.
"Bring the girls back. Rin wants to meet them."
"W-What? I don't understand…."
"She's awake?"
"WHAAA—?!" Sesshoumaru winced and terminated the call.
As the doctors came to check on Rin, Sesshoumaru stepped out and dialed his father. As soon as Touga picked up, Sesshoumaru said, "She's awake."
"We're on our way," his father replied, cutting the call as abruptly as his son had answered it. Then Sesshoumaru looked up to find Jaken and his mother-in-law hurrying down the hallway. When she noticed him outside and heard the commotion within, her eyes widened with hope.
"Is it true, Sesshoumaru? She's really…awake?"
He nodded. Finally, he could use that word. "She's awake."
Her mother gasped and left the stroller, running into the room. "Mama!" Rin cried out in a weak voice, and then she and Higurashi-san started crying.
Sesshoumaru stayed outside with the girls while the doctors bustled about, but once they gave him the report that Rin appeared healthy, if weak, he walked in carrying one girl in each arm. When Rin saw him, her eyes zeroed in on their children.
Rin held out shaking arms, and her mother transferred Towa from Sesshoumaru to Rin. Tears jumped to Rin's eyes as she hugged her firstborn against her chest.
Sesshoumaru spoke. "This is—"
"Towa," Rin interrupted, turning to smile at him. "The one who…looks albino."
Sesshoumaru's eyes widened. "You remember?"
Rin nodded, the tears falling down her cheeks. "I listened…to every word, Sesshoumaru. Thank you…for not leaving me alone…in the dark."
He reached out and wiped away her tears. "I promised I would never leave you again, Rin. I meant it."
"I can see that," Rin answered, smiling at him in a way he hadn't seen since their wedding. It almost stopped his heart with joy.
She turned back to their daughter. "Hello, Towa, I'm your mommy. I'm so sorry…I haven't been able to see you. Can you…forgive me?" She tapped Towa's nose, and Towa smiled, reaching up and grabbing her finger.
Sesshoumaru's eyes widened, and he grabbed the camera always within arm's reach, switching it on. Rin looked up in surprise. "Sesshoumaru, what—?"
"Tap her again and smile," he commanded, holding the viewfinder up to his eye. Rin did, and Towa smiled again. He snapped three photos in succession. Then he showed his favorite to Rin. "This is the first time Towa has smiled."
Rin's gasped. "You mean…I didn't miss it? I got to see…a first?" He nodded. Rin squealed and cuddled Towa tighter.
Higurashi-san brushed a tear from her eye and rubbed Towa's head. "Oh, little one—were you waiting for your mama to wake up? Aren't you just the sweetest thing!" Towa grunted, and Rin laughed. The sound was music to Sesshoumaru's ears.
Then Rin turned to Sesshoumaru. "But why do you have a camera, Sesshoumaru? I thought…your kind didn't take photos."
"I did not want you to miss a day of their lives."
Rin burst into tears at that.
Then it was time to meet Setsuna. Setsuna did not give her mother the smile she may have wanted, but she did grab onto Rin's finger, and Rin loved that just as much. Sesshoumaru took a photo of them both, commemorating the first time Rin got to hold her daughter while awake. In the background, Jaken wept like a fountain.
They weren't alone as a family for long, for the entirety of the Nishikuni family and Higurashi family was there within the hour, all packed into Rin's small room. Sesshoumaru moved into the background, watching his girls get passed from one relative to the next as they took turns talking with Rin.
Rin lay back on the bed, her eyes half-lidded. Just holding the girls had tired out her arms, and the subsequent visitors taxed her attention. Sesshoumaru was ready to chase everyone out so she could rest, but the joy he felt from Rin as she spoke to everyone convinced him to let them stay. If she fell asleep while they were here, so be it.
"So when are they finally gonna spring you from this joint?" Inuyasha asked.
"Two days…I think?"
Rin looked to Sesshoumaru for confirmation. "They wish to monitor her for the next forty-eight hours and run some tests. They also want to devise a physical therapy plan."
Rin's expression deflated, her shoulders drooping as she stared at her legs. They twitched beneath the covers. "I haven't tried getting up yet…but I can hardly lift them."
She would be wheelchair bound for weeks while she learned to walk again. Sesshoumaru already planned to make calls when he got home about having the house made wheelchair accessible. He wasn't worried about the steps—a ramp would solve that—but the gravel driveway and garden paths were an issue. Rin would no doubt want to enjoy the outdoors when she could.
"Good thing we have a pool!" Kagome announced. "Isn't water rehab good for this sort of thing?"
Rin nodded. "That's a great point, sis. Maybe you won't mind…helping me work out then." The sisters giggled.
"Look, all that's important is that you're awake again," Souta said, patting her hand. "The walking will come with time."
"You're a young thing. You'll bounce back before you know it," Grandpa added.
"And then we'll really have something to celebrate," Touga said. "After all, we still haven't held your wedding reception. I can't think of a better way to celebrate your marriage, your girls, and your recovery."
Sensing Rin's anxiety spike, Sesshoumaru said, "It is too soon to plan such a large affair right now. Let Rin rest."
"Don't worry, Rin—you needn't lift a finger. Izayoi and I will handle everything," Touga answered with a grin.
And so they did.
AN: So I've been waiting to write that ending scene with Rin for the last TEN MONTHS. Gosh, where has the time gone? I hope I did it justice. It was difficult to try to recapture all the magic of the moment I had dreamed up back then. This chapter ended up a lot longer than I original anticipated, just because I felt there were so many loose ends to tie up. But on that note…only one more chapter of the main story to go! I will try my hardest to get it up on Monday. Thank you again for your patience!
Oh, and Happy 4th of July to my fellow Americans!