Chapter 14

Kagome gives birth to a son.

Kagome had been expecting to give birth within the next week or so. So when the pains began she was ready. Inuyasha had brought the old village woman to stay at Sesshoumaru's palace two weeks previously. For a demon, he was sure nervous about the birth. He was always watching Kagome for signs of pain.

"Stop worrying. I'm fine if there was any thing wrong I'd tell you. Now go outside or something, anything just go already." Kagome was getting short tempered. She was young and not entirely prepared for how difficult a pregnancy could be.

Sesshoumaru took Inuyasha by the arm. "It's best not to annoy a pregnant woman, they bite." They went outside to walk in the garden.

"This is nerve wracking. How did you stand it." Inuyasha was pacing.

"I stayed out of the way, remember? I was here making preparations while Katame was with you." Sesshoumaru was matter of fact. "You can't hurry things. It's best to let her be. There will be plenty enough for you to do soon enough. You already have the village woman here, there is nothing else to do but wait."

Two days later...

"Unnghaa... Damn you Inuyasha, this is all your fault. Unnghaaah." Kagome was in rare form. "I'm going to ...Unnngh.. oh... I hate you for this!"

Inuyasha was holding her hand not knowing what to do. "Hang on Kagome, it won't be long now." Inuyasha was trying to be helpful and all he got for his efforts were curses.

"Pant, lady Kagome, ye must pant it will help ye with the pain." The village woman was trying to encourage her.

"This is the last...Unngh....Oh Inuyasha no demon battle could possibly Unngh.... hurt you as much as I will... aaagh!"

"Your doing great Kagome." Inuyasha said.

"You think so.... you monster.... unngh... aieee. Damn you, SIT!"

Crash! Inuyasha's head hit the floor hard. "Hey!" He rubbed his head. "That's playing dirty."

The baby's head was visible. "One more push my lady, and it will all be over." The Old one worked to free the rest of the babe. Out he slipped.

She washed the baby. And after having wrapped him in soft clothes handed him to his father. Inuyasha's face was beaming. He sniffed the boy taking in his fresh scent. He smiled.

"You did great Kagome he is strong and healthy. Here, take a look at him." He said as he handed the boy to his mom.

She smiled weakly. "I'm sorry I sat you, but that really hurt. I'm glad its over now, and I have my baby. What shall we call him?" Kagome sighed.

I don't know I'll have to think about it for a bit. But first you need to rest. Katame can you help out the old woman here?"

"Of course I will, you go on." Katame was happy to help her friend. Both she and the village woman cleaned and dressed Kagome and put her in a fresh bed. "You should sleep now Kagome you've had a hard day."

"Yeah, no kidding." She said and went to sleep.

Later...

Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru were out in the court yard talking. "Well at least the boy is here now Kagome can get back to her usual self." Inuyasha was still rubbing his head from when he hit the floor.

"Don't count on it my brother. That woman will no doubt be difficult. By the way what is this power over you, that she has? I've not seen this before."

"That, Oh it's these cursed beads the old woman was sister to Kykyo and when I woke from my sleep after being pinned to that damn tree for fifty years, the wretch put a spell on me. Every time Kagome says sit, bam, down I go."

"Order her to remove the spell." Sesshoumaru was angered that a human would seek to control a demon.

"She can't. It was put there to keep me from killing Kagome." That wasn't entirely true but it was all he would offer. He knew his brother well enough to know he wouldn't accept the full explanation. "Don't worry about me. I have my own ways of dealing with her." Inuyasha's eye's sparkled with mischief.

"I still think it is disgraceful." Sesshoumaru muttered. To think that both he and now his brother would have such limits placed on them put him in a foul temper.

Inuyasha just shrugged and walked back inside. He went into where Kagome was resting.

"I have thought of a name for the boy. I will call him, Sugumi, after my father."

Katame smiled. "Sugumi, it's a beautiful name." She looked at her son. He was beautiful, but he looked like Inuyasha when he was in his human form. She had expected silver hair and ears like a little dog, just like Inuyasha. But Sugumi had jet black hair and a human shape with human ears and everything. Perhaps this was because Inuyasha was half human and she was all human. Maybe he had no demon at all in him.

Inuyasha took his young son and scented him again. The smell of him was strange. He smelt.... what was that? The smell wasn't human but wasn't quite demon either. His smell was very unique. He opened the wrappings surrounding his son and examined him thoroughly. He appeared to be human in every respect. Even his nails. He ran his thumb along the nails of his son's tiny hands.

"Owww." Inuyasha pulled his thumb away. It was bleeding. He examined the boy's hands more closely. "Hmmm... so little man, you do have some of me in you after all."

"What are you talking about? What's wrong? Why are you fiddling with him so much? Here give him to me. He'll catch a cold if he is not wrapped up soon."

Inuyasha handed Sugumi back to his mother. "Watch out for his nails, Kagome they're sharp." With that he went out to find his brother Sesshoumaru. He wanted to know if what he was thinking, could really be possible.

He found Sesshoumaru arguing with the old woman. "I'm sorry lord Sesshoumaru, but the magic is not mine. Only lady Kagome can do as you command."

"Sesshoumaru! let the woman be, she can't do anything to help about the beads. Besides I have an interesting news about my son. I want to know what you think. He went on to explain the unusual scent and the nails.

"Could Kagome's magic and my demon half have produced this."

"I have heard of demons who's only form is human." Sesshoumaru said thinking deeply. "They are deceptive in appearance and very dangerous in battle. But, I'm unsure though, as to whether he could be one. You are only half demon Inuyasha and although your strength is that of a full demon thanks to our father's own strength. I...Hmmm,... let me scent the boy perhaps then I will know." The brothers went in to the room where Kagome was feeding her son.

"Sesshoumaru? What are you looking at?" Seeing the odd look on his face.

"Will you be finished soon? I wish to scent the boy." Sesshoumaru sat watching the lad eat.

"You know, I'm not sure I like this." Eying him suspiciously. "What is going on?" She looked at Inuyasha.

"I will know soon enough woman. Now keep your questions to yourself. I have business with the boy." Sesshoumaru's temper was showing. He was still unhappy about the beads. Sooner or later he would fix that. But now, there were other matters to think about.

Kagome finished feeding Sugumi and handed him reluctantly to Sesshoumaru. He held the boy close and sniffed. He sniffed again.

"Hmmm,... you may well be right." He said sniffing again. "Of course we wont know for sure until he grows a bit." He examined the nails of the babe. "Yes. definitely a possibility." He handed the boy back ignoring the blur of questions Kagome was sending out.

"What are you doing? What are you talking about? What possibility? Answer me I want to know what is going on?"

Sesshoumaru just got up and said to his brother "We will need to take precautions with this one. He will need to be trained early. Come." They got up, leaving her to wonder to herself.

Later. Katame brought in some lunch for Kagome.

"Ok, maybe you know what's going on. What are those two talking about?"

Katame had been serving tea to her husband and Inuyasha while they were discussing the boy.

"Your husband thinks the baby may be a kind of demon who is always in human form. It is something about the smell of the boy and also his nails. I don't understand these things. But that is all I was able to hear before I was sent away."

"What does that mean? Is he a full demon in human form? I didn't think that would be possible Inuyasha is only half demon where would the rest come from?"

"Lord Inuyasha is not just half demon, lady Katame. His father was great among demons. Inuyasha's strength is that of full a demon." The old woman came in. "You also lady Kagome, have a magic of your own. Maybe this affected the babe changing him to full demon."

She looked down at her sleeping babe. "I don't think I will ever understand this demon stuff It's just so strange." Kagome said brushing the baby's soft black hair away from his face.