Disclaimer: R-U-M-I-K-O! T-A-K-A-H-A-S-H-I! Now! What does that spell? RUMIKO TAKAHASHI!!!!!! And she owns the show Inuyasha…Not me…Arigatou.

Love Me as I Am

Chapter 59- Second Thoughts

~*~*~ I'm sorry I forgot to put an Authors Note on here earlier but I had to now. It seems people think this is the end. Did I say that this was the end? *blinks curiously and looks around* Didn't think so. I can't just leave you hanging now can I? Like I said. I don't think I'll be doing a sequel but I will however have an epilogue at the end where you will get to see the characters years later. I haven't even been able to write that (and have been increasingly busy writing all the fluff and stuff for you fluff fans) that I haven't quite gotten to that part yet. I think some of you will enjoy what's coming up in this chapter and some of you may find it weird…but oh well. ^_^ Enjoy anyway! ~*~*~

"Hey Suki. Look what I found."

Suki walked over to where Yasuo was crouched on the ground looking at something.

"The last…jewel shard…" Suki gasped breathlessly.

Everyone was drawn over at the mention of it, eyes wide as she picked it up and immediately it was purified.

"Y-you're miko powers."

"Hai. They have returned."

"Oh Suki! That's wonderful!" Trinity squealed, hugging Suki.

"Wait…returned? You mean you had the powers before?"

"Hai. When I was young. Very young. Then they just disappeared after Kuno was born. I had never told anyone. I thought it was because I was left unclean and no longer pure…"

"So does this mean you can be a miko now?"

"I-I'm not sure."

Suki examined the glowing jewel between her fingers as she twirled it. The moment of observation was soon interrupted as sixty padded feet ran into the clearing.

"You're all alive!" exclaimed Suki in astonished amazement.

She was soon tackled by some of the older kits that knew her a little better.

"Miss Suki!"

Suki giggled from beneath all them as Yasuo extended a hand to help her up. She smiled as he pulled her into an embrace, holding her tight against him.

"It's almost time." He whispered, tickling her ear.

Suki nodded knowingly as she fingered the jewel in her palm. Kagome and Inuyasha sauntered into the clearing moments later holding hands but no one seemed to notice until Suki cleared her throat. As soon as she did so, Sango fell to her knees panting and holding onto the hem of Miroku's robes as he desperately tried to lift her.

"I-It's t-t-time."

~*~*~

"I was this close." Suki whispered to Yasuo, accenting her point with a gesticulation of her hand.

"Just this close to finding out the jewel's real power."

"Yeah…I know. You'll get your chance soon." He soothed, wincing as another sharp cry shot out of the cabin.

"Not soon enough I suppose?" asked Suki smiling as Yasuo covered his ears.

"I'm not sure if you would believe me," she continued "but I was practically unconscious when Kuno was born."

"Unconscious?"

"Not for the whole thing…but I was very tired. I was also upset because that was the night I first found out Kanaye was blind."

"That must have been hard."

"Oh, it was."

Suki spent a few silent moments in thought and Yasuo could tell she was upsetting herself thinking about it.

Yasuo held Suki securely in his arms.

"You've been through so much." He whispered, gently stroking her hair.

Suki nodded and looked up at him.

"As have you. You never really did tell me what happened the night…you know…"

"Oh…"

"Your wife…was she beautiful?"

"Very much so. She was more beautiful than beauty itself and I loved her more than anything…until now…"

"B-But…I don't desire to--"

"No one could ever take her place and I'll never forget her but--"

"I-I don't think I can do it."

"What?"

"I don't think I can…marry you." She whispered, suddenly taking her engagement ring off and pushing it towards him.

Too many feelings had been brought out and she didn't know what to do with herself as she pulled away from him and took off running. Yasuo took off after her, his hand wrapped firmly around the ring.

"Suki! Suki please!"

Suki choked back tears. If she had a flower for every time she'd cried in her life the she'd have more flowers than the local nursery. She kept running as fast as her feet would take her until she could run no longer.

'I think I lost him…'

'Lost him.'

The words hit her hard as she rubbed her finger that now lacked the ring Yasuo had given her. She felt naked without it and had grown quite used to it being there. Slowly she sunk down to the ground and leaned against a tree, hugging her knees to herself and crying.

"I can't…he loved her first…I'm…imposing upon him."

'No you're not.' A voice in her head told her.

'You love him.'

"Of course I do…more than he could ever know…"

Suki buried her face in her arms and cried some more. Had there been rain it would have fit her mood perfectly. Cold and wet. She was startled as some bushes beside her started to rattle and was out of there in a split second.

"It's too much like…that night…I can't stay here."

Just then she felt two arms wrap around her as she screamed bloody murder, thinking it was someone out to get her. Which incidentally…this person was. Only, this person she knew…this person she loved…this person…loved her more than anything in the world and would do anything to get her back.

"Yasuo…onegai…don't hold me like this…"

Suki winced as he touched her cheek.

"Suki…"

"Onegai…onegai…"

But he didn't give her to chance to finish her protest as he claimed her lips with his, slowly pulling away.

"I'm not asking to have you take her place…I'm asking…if you'll have me instead."

"Yasuo…"

~*~*~

Inuyasha sat outside the cabin with Kanaye, his head resting against the wood and his eyes closed. His ears were pressed low to his head to keep most of the noise out. Kanaye did the same except he couldn't close his eyes…not that it mattered anyway. He had become restless thinking about his mother-in-law. After all, the baby born from her womb would be his second niece or nephew and his wife's sister or brother.

'That's right…Trinity will finally be an older sister.' He thought, remembering the feeling he had received when Kuneau was born.

Then it hit him.

'Wait…if I'm correct in thinking…then Trinity could be carrying her own--'

He sat up abruptly.

"Father!"

Inuyasha nearly fell over as he regained his sense of balance and glared at Kanaye.

"What?!"

"Um…"

"Come on…you woke me up from my almost completely sound free nap to say 'um'?"

"No…Trinity…is she--you know, since your nose is better than mine…"

Inuyasha grinned evilly at his son who was caught quite off guard hearing Inuyasha laugh after a long, drawn out silence.

"You knew! Didn't you?!"

Inuyasha's grin didn't falter in the least as Kanaye sighed, half in defeat, half in disbelief.

"I…I'm gonna be a father…"

In the blink of an eye Inuyasha was behind his son patting him on the back.

"Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out." He coached.

Kanaye did as instructed then paused.

"I'm just wondering…DAD…why you're wasting your coaching on me. I'm not PREGNANT!!!"

Inuyasha fell over laughing as Kanaye laughed too. The screaming in the cabin was almost drowned out, but not quite.

~*~*~ Still a bunch of chapters to go. Don't loose hope my loyal reviewers!!! (o_O wow…I have officially lost it.)~*~*~ Miyu