Warning! This chapter is incredibly long an full of DRAMA!

…But I guarantee you will either enjoy or want to destroy me by the end! ^^v

***

Late May…

Aoshi sat on the porch, enjoying a cup of tea and the solitude of the morning. There was no one around to distract him, no one to disturb the peace which had engulfed him. Kenshin was running an errand, Yahiko was cleaning the dojo while Kaoru oversaw his work and Misao was still asleep. The ninja would have enjoyed remaining in bed, his wife held securely in his arms, but he was truly a morning person and didn't understand how she could sleep so long.

The sky was a perfect shade of blue, filled with puffy clouds which drifted by lazily. It was the kind of morning that could almost make one forget about all of one's troubles.

Almost.

Misao had appeared happier and a lot less anxious since they arrived in Tokyo. Of course, Aoshi knew, she was still under a lot of stress over the situation. The whole issue of Jishin and the fact that he would be waiting back in Kyoto weighed heavy on her mind.

Staring into his tea cup, he sighed. This whole thing was killing him slowly. He was agonizing over Misao; her health, her mental state, the well-being of the baby. He loved their unborn child fiercely and the thought of something bad happening to it because of the circumstances unnerved him. Constantly in the back of his mind was a voice -a terrible one which he tried to get rid of: If the baby doesn't make it, there will be others. But there is -and always will be- only one Misao. Protecting her is most important.

He hated this thought. He hated this thought with all of his being. That child was special, damn it, and no other baby could ever replace it, should the worst happen. Yet he could not stop himself from thinking this way.

"Aoshi?" Misao's voice startled him back to reality and he nearly dropped the tea cup. He looked up. She was standing behind him, still wearing what she had slept in, her hair back in a loose braid.

"Yes, Misao?" His heart still stirred every time her name slid off his tongue. It was hard to believe he could possibly love one person so much. There in the morning sunlight, she looked positively radiant.

She smiled. His eyes, which had once been so empty, now gave away his every thought. Presently, they showed concern highlighted by his undying love for her. "Good morning." She sank heavily down beside him; gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Good morning." He looked her over. Her eyes were clear and bright; her expression matched the morning sun. She looked ridiculous with that rounded belly, like a child trying to hide something under her shirt, but he remembered what it was the doctor had told her. 'She was so tiny that she would look farther along than she was, but not to worry because she was perfectly healthy and could handle it, as long as there was no added stress.' No added stress…He snorted to himself. It was a little late for that.

"You look serious. What are you thinking about?" She peered at him from under her eyelashes, her gaze dark and questioning.

"You." He replied quietly, "And the baby. And how I don't want anything to happen to either of you."

"Oh Aoshi…Nothing is going to happen to us." She patted her tummy, "We'll be fine. You worry too much."

"Do I?"

"Yes. The baby is perfectly okay. I woke up because he was kicking me." She took one of his hands and placed it over the bulge, "See?"

His expression softened. There was indeed a steady flutter of movement from within her, as if the child were trying to make them aware of its presence. "He's just as feisty as you are, Itachi." He informed her, to which she smiled. He brushed back her hair, his hand lingering on her cheek. "Maybe I'm just worried about you." He drew her face up to his, his lips meeting hers.

A light blush crept across her face. "You're not supposed to carry on over pregnant women, Aoshi." She whispered. She felt fat and ugly, unworthy of his current affections.

"Am I not allowed to show my own wife affection? I love you. I want you to know it." He kissed her again, this time on the forehead, "Now why don't you go get dressed and have some breakfast? I'll wait right here for you."

She nodded, struggling to rise to her feet. The swell in her middle made her movements clumsy and awkward. He watched for a moment, then rose from his seat and offered her his hands. Surprisingly, she accepted his assistance and he helped her up. She smiled, hugging him before she turned to go. "Thank you. I love you too, by the way."

A half smile crossed his face. "As if I didn't know."

Misao hummed to herself as she slid off her yukata and began dressing. Everything had been wonderful since they arrived in Tokyo. The weather was perfect, she and Kaoru had done a lot of catching up and Kenji was positively adorable. She found taking care of the little boy to be good practice for when her baby came along and was no longer quite as nervous as she had been.

She looked down, fingering the pale skin of her swollen belly. A smile crossed her face. "We'll be good to you." She spoke to the child in her womb, "Aoshi will be a sweet papa, and he'll spoil you rotten. I already treasure you more than life itself. You'll never want anything and we'll take such good care of you; I promise."

This vow was met with a swift thump. She rubbed her belly, laughter bubbling up from her heart. "Yes; you're eager to see the world. But you need to spend more time in there. You need to grow and make your mama even fatter, so your papa won't find her attractive any more." She pulled her kimono on, hiding her tummy away under the fabric, "I'm more than ready for you to come out." She fastened a purple obi around her expanding waste, "But the rest of the world doesn't agree with us, so we need to wait."

She yanked the messy braid from her hair and ran a comb through it. Aoshi liked when she left it down long, those long dark tresses rippling like a waterfall down her back. This, however, was not practical for day to day; her hair tended to be a bother when it wasn't secured back in one way or another.

As she fastened the end of her re-braided hair, she heard a thud from somewhere outside. Stepping into her sandals, she slid the door open. Looking around, her gaze came to rest on a piece of paper nailed to the post holding up the overhanging ceiling.

Her eyes widened and her heart began to pound. She slid down to the ground, her hands resting protectively on her stomach. "Aoshi!!"

Aoshi, meanwhile, had just sat back down to wait for his weasel to return, when Kaoru appeared behind him on the porch, Kenji in her arms. "Good morning, Aoshi."

He looked up at her, nodding a greeting.

"Where's Misao? I need her to watch Kenji while I give my lessons." The baby squirmed in her arms, waving his hands and babbling cheerfully.

"She just left to get dressed and have something to eat." He said quietly. This had potential to get interesting. Kenji made him nervous. He wasn't used to being around small children. If what she says next is…

"You'll have to take care of him then."

That's what I was expecting. Not wanting to get into a big argument with the tanuki over this, he hesitantly accepted the baby. Kaoru smiled, calling over her shoulder to him as she headed to the training hall. "You'll do fine with him, Aoshi. And it'll be good practice for you."

Good practice.

Right.

He held the Battôsai's son at arms length. Kenji bore a strong resemblance to his father, right down to the vacant smile and the flaming hair. He was indeed an attractive child and there was no doubt in Aoshi's mind that he would grow up to be a fine swordsman. "What am I supposed to do with you now, Kenji-kun?"

The baby studied him intently, his turquoise eyes seeming to take in every feature of the former Okashira's face. Then he burst into a grin. "Ahhhh!" He clapped his hands excitedly.

Aoshi raised his eyebrows, a slow smile lighting his face. This isn't so bad…I can do this. Until Misao comes back at least. Then she can take over.

"Aoshi!"

Misao's voice, high-pitched and frightened, startled him and he rose to his feet, tucking Kenji under his arm. Something is terribly wrong!

Misao sat huddled on the ground, her face buried in her hands; her body curled around her belly. Where is Aoshi? Why hasn't he come? Where is he?? I want him. I need him…I can't…He's watching. He's going to hurt me. He's going to hurt my baby. I need my Aoshi here with me…

"Misao…Misao! What happened to you? Are you all right?"

She looked up, her eyes wide with fear. "Aoshi…" He was knelt before her, Kenshin's son grasped in one arm, his expression one of great alarm. Tears ran down her face, leaving damp trails on her flushed cheeks.

"Did something happen to the baby? Misao, what's wrong?!" He brushed her bangs back from her face, trying to get a clearer understanding of what happened to her.

"He's going to get me…" Her voice was no more than a hoarse whisper and her chin trembled, dripping tears as she spoke.

Aoshi was perplexed. He had no clue what she meant. She was clearly frightened, but he couldn't help her if he didn't understand of what she was frightened. "Listen carefully. You need to tell me what happened. I'm right here and I'm listening. Nothing will hurt you. Now what on earth is wrong?"

She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. So she merely pointed instead. His gaze followed her finger to where the paper was pinned to the post. What is that? He stood up. "I'm just going to look, all right?"

She nodded, watching him. Never in her life had she been more scared. Not with the cat, not with the poison, not even when Jishin had kidnapped her. This…This was different. She had the baby to worry about. If anything happened to her, it would happen to the baby as well. She held her stomach protectively. It felt tight; the baby was restless. That made her nervous.

Aoshi's eyes widened as his gaze swept over the paper. Every breath you take, every move you make, I'll be watching you. Can't you see? You belong to me…He felt anger rising up within him. Jishin had followed them all the way to Tokyo. How dare that man do something like this? He'll pay for everything he's done. Next time we cross paths, only one of us will walk away alive…

But right now…

"Misao." She looked terrible. She was sweating, clutching her belly. "Misao, are you okay?"

"No…Something is wrong…" She looked up, her face pale and tear-streaked, her eyes wide with fear.

The baby…Something truly was wrong with the baby this time. She wouldn't have been so terrified otherwise. It was too early. The baby couldn't survive. It would die! "I don't want to leave you," He kissed her cheek, "But I have to. I need to get Kaoru. You be brave and hold on a little longer, Itachi. I love you; you'll be okay. I'll be right back."

"Aoshi." The baby is going to die…Fresh tears trickled down her cheeks, It's my fault, for not being stronger. If I weren't so weak…I have failed them both. Our child will die and Aoshi will hate me. She was huddled in a lump on the ground, trying to make the pain go away.

Aoshi burst into the training hall, disrupting Kaoru's lesson. The master of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu was angry for a moment, then she noticed the look on Aoshi's face. "What's wrong?"

"Misao needs a doctor. Take Kenji," He practically threw her son into her arms, "And go find some one to help her. I can't leave her alone. She needs me." He turned to sweep back out of the room, but Kaoru caught him by the arm.

"What happened, Aoshi?" He was extremely distraught and Kaoru was extremely confused.

"I don't have time to explain. You need to hurry and get a doctor. I don't want our baby to die."

"Aoshi…" She turned back to dismiss the class as the ninja ran back out of the room. Then she high-tailed it out of the training hall to get help.

"Misao…Itachi; everything is going to be fine." Aoshi scooped his wife into his arms, "I love you. You're so brave. Kaoru's going to get her friend. She'll take care of you. You'll be okay." He stroked her cheek, holding her close to his chest, "You need to calm down."

"But it hurts…" She whimpered.

"I know. I know it hurts. The doctor will make the pain stop."

"…It's too early…The baby will be too small…He won't make it…"

"Shh…It'll be okay. The baby will be fine." He wasn't sure what else he could say to her. He didn't know what she needed to hear or how to make her feel better. Will the baby make it? His mind was racing, It was November…It's almost June now. Seven months…Is that enough time?

"Where is she? What's wrong with her?"

"I don't know…"

Two female voices -one Kaoru, the other vaguely familiar- drifted across the yard. Aoshi felt a little better at this, as if the situation didn't seem quite as hopeless. He moved towards the sound of their voices, Misao still in his arms.

Rounding a corner, the man came face to face with Megumi Takani. No wonder I recognized that voice…I haven't seen her since Shishio, but I'm sure she still remembers Kanryu. None of that matters now…Helping Misao is all that's important. "Help her." He pleaded pathetically, "Don't let our baby die."

"Oh, Misao…" Kaoru looked aghast. The young ninja was white as a sheet, her hair matted to her forehead with sweat. She looked terrible.

"What happened to her, Shinomori?" Megumi blinked her dark eyes, assessing the situation as she spoke. She saw no blood. That was a good thing, "Kaoru explained part of your problem back in Kyoto to me, but she didn't know what was going on."

Aoshi explained breathlessly, trying his best to make Megumi understand that something was very wrong. Misao was whimpering in his arms the whole time; he could feel her whole body shudder ever time a contraction struck her.

"Take her inside and make her comfortable. Then I want to talk to you."

Aoshi nodded. Then he took Misao back into their room, Kaoru trailing behind him. He settled her down on the futon, making her as comfortable as possible. She was in pain and it was making him miserable. "I have to go back outside and talk to Megumi. Do you think you'll be all right here with Kaoru?" He asked her quietly.

"Don't leave me!" She begged, her eyes wide with terror. Her fingers trembled as she clutched his sleeve; her eyes welled with fresh tears. There seemed to be no end to her fright and she was so damn pitiful.

"I'm sorry, but I must." He kissed her forehead softly, "Be my brave, strong girl and I'll return as soon as possible."

It was with a heavy heart that Aoshi left the room, Misao huddled on the floor and pleading with him not to go. He slid the door shut behind him, his eyes on the ground. This was not good. Not good at all.

"How far along is she?" Megumi's voice broke through the ninja's cloudy thoughts. He looked up. The kitsune appeared very troubled. She was thinking, trying to judge for herself when Misao could possibly be due. Her stomach had seemed huge, but then, she was a petite girl, even smaller than Kaoru.

"Seven months." Aoshi sounded old and tired, "It's only been seven months since I did that to her. She was so innocent and inexperienced…It's all my fault." He buried his head in his hands.

"Look, I'll be honest with you because you turned out to be an okay guy in the end. I don't think she would have made it much farther anyway without the added stress of that slime ball. She's so small that her body just can't handle all the extra weight anyway. If she lasted another month, you would have been lucky. But the situation's not totally hopeless. Babies born just as early have survived before. The both of you have a lot of stamina and I can imagine your child just as stubborn. It'll come out fighting."

"Thank you." He looked up, slightly more composed than before. If Megumi said it wasn't hopeless, there was a chance…

"You're welcome." She smiled determinedly, "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a baby to deliver."

Megumi would not allow Aoshi back into the room. "This," She informed him, "Is no place for a man. You wait out here. Misao will be fine. I promise I won't let anything happen to her." So he paced back and forth, fretting over what was happening.

There seemed to be a lot of ranting and raving and screaming on Misao's behalf. Aoshi would periodically hear his name followed by a string of curses, then Misao arguing with either Megumi or Kaoru, then "I can't; I can't; I CAN'T!!" and he wanted to rush right in to her side.

But stay on the porch he was told and stay on the porch he must. Kaoru appeared outside at one point, handing him Kenji. He wanted to ask her if everything was okay, but she didn't give him a chance.

The rest of the day was a blur. Kaoru went running in and out periodically, hurrying to fetch things Megumi requested. There wasn't much Aoshi could do, so he slumped down to the ground, Kenji asleep on his lap. All of his thoughts and prayers were simple: Let them be okay.

Finally, Megumi herself appeared in the door. She looked weary, her hair falling loose around her face. "For a moment, I thought I was going to lose her." She sighed, "The cord was wrapped around her neck and she was quite blue, but she's okay."

"She?" Aoshi rose shakily to his feet, Kenji still in his arms, "We had a girl? And she's all right?"

The foxy doctor nodded. "She's very small -although bigger than I expected- but she seemed to be breathing all right and crying a little bit too. It's too soon to tell, but I think she'll be just fine."

"And Misao?" He was relieved that the baby was okay, but if anything had happened to Misao…

"She did wonderfully, once I convinced her there was no way I could stop her labor. That was quite the strain on her body, but with a little rest she'll be back on her feet and arguing with you in no time."

"Can…Can I see them?" He asked timidly. He wanted to make sure for himself that both were okay. He wanted to see the child he had created. He was suddenly very curious. Whom did she look like? What color were her eyes? Did she have his hair? Or Misao's? Undoubtedly, she would be a very pretty baby.

"Of course you can." Megumi smiled, "Nothing would make Misao happier than having you in there with her."

He cautiously entered the room and, without a word, handed the tanuki her slumbering son. Then he sank to the floor beside his wife. She was laying there, propped up on several pillows, a trace of a smile on her face. The baby lay across her chest, tiny and pink, a fringe of dark hair falling across her forehead.

Misao looked sleepily up at him, her smile growing a little. "Isn't she beautiful?" Her voice came very soft, "Isn't she the most beautiful child?" She yawned.

"Very beautiful, Itachi. But she has a beautiful mother, so there's no surprise in that. I am very proud of you. Megumi said you worked very hard. You did it."

"We did it, Aoshi." Her gaze dropped back down to their tiny daughter, "She's yours too."

He smiled, brushing back her hair. "You did all the hard work, Itachi. I can't take credit for that."

"Did Megumi-san tell you," Her eyes closed and she sighed deeply, "That she almost died? She was moving so much today that she got the cord wrapped around her neck and she nearly strangled herself. She looked like blue death, Aoshi…" She opened her eyes again and he could see they were full of tears.

"Yes; she told me." He nodded seriously, "But she also told me our daughter should be just fine. She's a fighter and she will never give up hope, just like her mama."

"Oh, Aoshi…" Another yawn escaped her lips, "I do love you."

He leaned over, kissing her softly. "As I love you. Now get some rest. You worked very hard today."

He took the baby gently after Misao fell asleep, cradling her in his arms. She was so tiny; so fragile, but she was indeed a beautiful child. He touched her feathery hair, examined her fingers and toes. She looked like blue death…Blue…Aoi…Aoi-chan. He smiled to himself. That has a nice ring to it: Aoi Shinomori. Yes; that is a very good name…He leaned back against the wall, the baby held carefully in his arms. We are so lucky…

***

Feh. I'm not too crazy about the way I ended this chapter, but I wasn't sure what else to do with it. Any way, I hope no one hates me too much. This was actually sort of Tarah's idea, so blame her! *shoves Tarah in front of self*

Tarah: *confused* Oro???