Disclaimer: I am not Rumiko Takashi…Though I'm sure that if I was I wouldn't be sitting here writing FANfiction…that is how you know that I am not her…unless of course she is a fan of herself…which if that's the case then that's just weird. Therefore, if I am a FAN then I do not own any of the Inuyasha characters or plot. Only the plot of this story. Thank you. *bows*

Love Me as I Am

Chapter 19- A Deep Breath

Inuyasha still held his daughter, untainted, scathless, just as she had always been. Twists and turns, kinks and knots had changed her life. But she was still there. Still breathing. She hadn't surrendered totally and she hadn't given up.

He shifted her in his arms a bit.

'All she needed was comfort…that's all she needed.'

Suki, who had partially fallen asleep out of pure exhaustion, screamed.

How could pain hurt this much?

She cried pitifully into his haori. Daddy was with her…and he wasn't going to leave.

"It…it hurts…make it stop…" she pleaded.

Inuyasha didn't know what to say.

"I'm sorry…I…it's too late to turn back…"

Inuyasha set her on the futon gently.

"Daddy…don't leave me."

Kagome sat behind Inuyasha, placing her head and hands reassuringly on his back.

"What if the baby's not alive? What if it's…"

Suki screamed again. She was louder than Kagome if that was at all possible.

He hated hearing her like that. She was hanging onto him tightly while Trinity cheered her on from the other side.

"You can do it sweetie."

Suki began to cry again.

"I don't…think I can…" she breathed, panting heavily. She had woken up only to be faced with this. Her head and her whole body was beaded with sweat.

Kanaye sat behind Trinity holding Trinity's hand. He could hear the pain in his sister's voice and it scared him.

With one last push everyone was scurrying around. Suki had fallen asleep abruptly after the baby's birth.

Kagome stood behind Inuyasha with her hands at her mouth.

She was at a loss for words.

Inuyasha held the small bundle in his arms.

"Kagome…it's…not breathing…"

Kagome gasped and almost started crying. Had they been in her time then the technology might have been able to keep the baby alive.

Inuyasha roughly rubbed the baby's back. It was a baby boy.

He continued to rub, remembering that sometimes newborn animals such as the sheep from the village needed a jumpstart to begin their life.

But still nothing happened. The baby's limp flaccid body showed no signs of life.

"Inuyasha…It needs air. Here…let me do it." Kagome said suddenly. Inuyasha still held the baby for her. Kagome had taken some CPR classes a few years back and she knew if she didn't do something fast the baby would surely die.

She breathed gently into the baby's mouth as his lungs inflated and she applied light pressure to his chest.

"C'mon sweetheart…you can do it." She cooed, trying again.

Suki was oblivious to the happenings. The whole day had taken its toll on her.

Sango held her breath as well as everyone else while Kagome tried again.

A small cough was heard and then a scream, which evolved into full out bawling.

Inuyasha smiled and Kagome hugged him.

"It's a miracle. He's precious." She whispered, Inuyasha's ears twitching with every word.

"…and alive."

'Our grandson. Our first grandson. This child as well as Kanaye will carry on the family name.' Thought Inuyasha.

He looked pretty normal. He didn't have dog ears because he had mostly human blood in him. He did however have fangs and claws.

'They must have been the dominant genes.' Kagome thought.

The baby was hungry and they knew they would have to wake Suki eventually anyway. She would want to see what she had brought into the world.

Kagome shook her shoulder gently to wake her. After a while she opened her eyes and sat up yawning. She looked around.

"W-where's my baby?" Suki asked.

Inuyasha handed him to her and she looked over him in awe. He was perfectly shaped and even though his muscle tone was a little below, he was still the most beautiful baby she had ever seen.

He cried pitifully, grabbing her kimono top in bundles. He was seeking her milk.

She slowly slipped her top off her shoulders to feed him. Sango handed Kagome her baby who was crying as well.

Everyone helped clean up while the two sat together on the floor feeding their babies who were happily suckling away.

Suki smiled. It felt strange.

A couple minutes later, he was full. She placed her fingers on her breast to break the suction then pulled her shirt back on.

Kagome had finished her feeding already.

Suki placed him on her shoulder and rubbed his back lightly.

Kagome set her baby against her thighs and played with her hands. They were so tiny.

"Mom…you haven't found a name yet have you?"

Kagome shook her head.

"No. I haven't. Have you?"

"No. Maybe we could have a family meeting and vote on names or something. We're all family here."

Kagome smiled.

"We can go to Tokyo first thing tomorrow if you'd like."

Suki beamed.

"Thanks mom. Thank you so much. I know it would make grandma happy to have so many visitors over. It's been a long time."

Kagome nodded.

"Looks like we'll have to bring out the toddler beds again soon." she said dreamily.

Suki laughed.

"Mother…you're getting all nostalgic over a couple of beds."

Kagome laughed too.

"You're right." She said smiling.

"Silly me."

Kanaye was in another corner of the cabin being tended to by Trinity who had bandaged his eyes and was tying the ends of the bandages off. She kissed his cheek gently when she was through and he smiled, pulling her close to him.

She reached up and stroked his ears as he purred softly. They were his weak spot and she knew it all too well.

Inuyasha watched them out of the corner of his eye. They seemed so…happy. Even despite Kanaye's newly gained handicap.

He didn't get it. How could love be so forgiving and kind? Love wasn't stopped by boundaries, obstacles, or turmoil. If anything, it was strengthened by them. He watched the way Trinity handled Kanaye so gently. Like most of the women he had come to know. Kagome, Suki, Sango, even Kikyo.

"Kikyo…" he thought.

Her fondness of him had been something he had always admired. When they had been together, before Naraku. He remembered when they were alone sometimes Kikyo could read his feelings like a book. He could remember when she would sit with him and run her fingers over his skin making him shiver. But the one thing she couldn't do that Kagome could, was love him despite what he'd done in the past.

Kagome in all honesty had more right to be mad at him than Kikyo did.

Kagome had nearly had her life taken away…by him. But not only once, numerous times, though if he had had the choice and control of his body he wouldn't have dreamed of attacking her.

The first time was before he had come to know her, right after he had been freed from the tree. He had wanted the jewel. The other was when his demon side had surmounted over his human side. There had been many other minor accounts.

Since then though there hadn't been any more major offenses. But he still could not apologize enough.

But that was the thing, Kagome didn't want his apologies. She didn't even take the past into account anymore and on the contrary threw it to the side. She had wanted him and he had wanted her. And that was all there was to it.

That was more than he could say for Kikyo. He knew that if Kagome had been in Kikyo's place she never would have wanted Kikyo dead just because SHE was killed.

Inuyasha yawned. He hadn't even realized how late it was getting.

Tiredly he crawled over to the empty futon and looked across the room, beckoning for Kagome to come sleep with him. He was really tired.

Kagome didn't complain. She felt she was so tired she could fall asleep with her eyes opened. Fish sleeping Sota called it.

She smiled and stood up, carrying the sleeping infant. Inuyasha laid down on his side leaving his arms open to Kagome.

She climbed eagerly into bed surrendering herself to him as his strong arms wrapped tightly around her and the baby. His chin rested on her shoulder as he adored his newest daughter from behind Kagome.

"Inuyasha…" Kagome whispered.

Inuyasha rested his chin more comfortably on her shoulder.

"Yes?"

"Looks like you got what you wanted."

He breathed Kagome's sweet smell as is filled his nostrils.

"What do you mean?"

"You got a girl."

He buried his face in her hair.

"Yeah…but do you know what else I've got?"

Kagome shrugged as she felt herself melt into the warmth of his body.

"You."