A/N: Well, it's the moment you've all been waiting for! Ta da!

Chapter 8: Family

Kagome sighed as she walked outside for the first time in a month. Now that she was in her eighth month, Inuyasha was more protective than ever. He hadn't even let her out of bed, let alone out of the hut. Just because I'm the size of a hippopotamus doesn't mean I can't walk on my own…

Even though Sango was now in her fifth month, Miroku wasn't half as protective as Inuyasha was. He was still very protective, but he let her out of the hut every once in a while (as long as he went, of course). I swear, its like he thinks I'll collapse if I try to stand up.

She seized her chance when Inuyasha went out hunting for the morning. If she had to walk somewhere, she decided to go to Goshinboku to reflect. She pushed aside some bushes and walked towards the tree. Kagome smiled. Goshinboku…this is where it all started, two years ago…

Kagome placed a hand on her belly. As of two weeks ago, she was seventeen. She looked at Goshinboku's leafy branches. I could have never guessed that when I saw that boy on the tree two years ago, all this would have happened…

She felt a sharp pain in her stomach. The baby had kicked again, like it had been doing all morning, this time more forcefully. Ow…I swear, not only does it have claws, but fangs too…

She cringed as it kept kicking. "Why did it have to get some traits from Inuyasha?" she asked. "Calm down, you!"

For a while, at least, it seemed calmed. Kagome sighed and leaned against Goshinkboku. She closed her eyes and thought of…she didn't want to think of that dream she had a month ago, but she couldn't help it, it still haunted her mind. She remembered the terrible words her friends and family had said to her, but also how Inuyasha…she knew Inuyasha would never do that, but still…his betrayal had made a great hole in her heart.

Everyone was saying something…how youkai and humans cannot be together…but…that's not fair. I mean, he's not a youkai, he's a hanyou, but does it still count? Is there a reason we can't be together?

The baby gave a sharp kick. No, there isn't. If we can have a family, then there is nothing wrong with us being together, if we want to be…

All of a sudden, a sharp pain seized her. Kagome fell to her knees, clutching her belly. While she breathed heavily, against the pain, she realized something…Wait…wait…why do I feel…Her water had broken. She suddenly started to panic. These aren't kicks…that means…oh…no…no…the baby's…its coming!

She gave a cry in pain as another contraction hit her. No…its too early…it can't come this early! What am I going to do? I can't do anything…I just have to…the pain hit her again. "INUYASHA!" she screamed, as loud as she could.

But Inuyasha didn't come to her rescue, a minute later, Sango and Miroku burst through the brush. "Kagome-chan!" Sango said, gasping when she realized what was happening.

"Kagome-sama, what's wrong?" Miroku asked.

Kagome didn't say anything, she gasped with pain. Sango took charge. She handed Miroku Kirara that had been on her shoulder. "Miroku, you take Kirara, find Inuyasha. Get him here now!"

Miroku looked back at Kagome, and suddenly understood. "Right." Kirara transformed in a flash of fire, and he jumped on her back and headed off.

Sango ran over to Kagome. "Come on, I'll get you to Kaede's."

"Sango-chan…" Kagome moaned, as Sango, tried to help her stand up.

"Come on, Kagome! It's not that far. Lean against me."

As Kagome stood up, she moaned again. "Inuyasha…"

"Don't worry, Kagome-chan. He's coming." As Kagome moaned as Sango practically dragged her back to the village, she said. "You know Kagome, I'm beginning to think this birthing thing will be harder than I thought."

Miroku looked down through the forest, scanning for anything red. He suddenly spotted a red flash pouncing on a couple of rabbits. He knew that must be him. He lowered Kirara. "Inuyasha!"

The hanyou popped his head up after capturing two squirming rabbits and holding them in his hand. "Miroku, what are you doing here?"

"Get back to the village!" Miroku yelled.

"Why?"

"It's Kagome-sama!" Miroku said.

Inuyasha's voice suddenly turned to one of panic. "What? Whats' wrong? Is she all right? What's going on?"

Miroku fought the desire to swoop down and slap the sometimes slow hanyou. "You baka! She's in labor!"

Inuyasha dropped the rabbits and they scampered away while their captor stared at Miroku, his face gone white. "Wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-what?"

"GET YOUR ASS BACK IN THE VILLAGE!" Miroku yelled, and a second later, Inuyasha took off, a red blur against the green forest.

Sango and Kagome burst into Kaede's hut, where Kaede and Shippou were mixing up some herbs for colds.

"Kaede-sama!" Sango said. "Kagome-chan is—"

But Sango didn't need to say anymore, Kaede instantly dropped what she was doing, and ran over to help Kagome lay down on the mat as she moaned in pain. She started handing out orders. "Shippou, go out and find those pain relieving herbs I showed you the other day." Shippou immediately left. She handed Sango a drenched cloth. "Put that on her forehead." Sango did.

"Breathe, Kagome-chan. Breathe." Sango said.

Kagome tried to control her breaths, but they were sharp, and scared. "It hurts…" she said.

"Here." Kaede said, dripping some boiled water down her throat. "That should help with the pain."

All of a sudden, Inuyasha burst into the hut. "Kagome!" he said, kneeling down next to her.

She turned her head and said weakly, "Inuyasha…"

"It's okay Kagome, I'm here." He said, grabbing her hand.

She didn't respond, she just cried in pain as it hit her again.

Inuyasha couldn't stand to see his mate in this kind of pain. It was instinct to him that whenever she screamed in pain, he would kill the one causing it, but now, he knew there was nothing he could do. Guilt racked him since he knew it was partially his fault that she was in this pain now. "CAN'T YOU STOP THIS?" Inuyasha yelled.

"Don't yell, Inuyasha." Kaede said. "I have given her some herbs, she will be fine."

But Inuyasha wasn't sure. Sweat soaked Kagome's hair and she would cry out whenever a contraction hit. Whenever this happened, she squeezed on his hand. After a while, however, Inuyasha began to think she might break his fingers. "It's okay, Kagome." He said. "Breathe, remember to breathe."

Kaede said, "Inuyasha, it is time for you to leave the hut."

"What? WHY?" he demanded.

"It is tradition." Kaede said.

"I DON'T CARE!" he yelled. "I'M NOT LEAVING KAGOME!"

The old miko sighed. "Fine."

And so they waited as Kagome's moans of pain became worse and worse. As time went on, everyone became more anxious, and Inuyasha more worried. Suddenly, Kagome gave a loud scream, making everyone jump.

"It's coming." Kaede said.

"Come on, Kagome, you can do it." Inuyasha said.

"Inuyasha…" she moaned. "I can't…"

"YES, YOU CAN BAKA!" Inuyasha yelled. "YOU CAN DO THIS! JUST DON'T GIVE UP!"

She winced and gave a bloodcurling scream and at the same moment, Inuyasha smelled her blood. Please let her be okay…please let her be okay…He thought as his fingers were crushed in her hand. A second later, a baby's cry was heard throughout the hut.

"It's over." Sango said, as Kaede collected the small bawling baby in a blanket.

Kagome gasped, and breathed deeply. She opened her eyes to a smiling Inuyasha. "Inu…yasha…"

"You did it Kagome," he said, kissing her forehead.

Kaede came over, with a small bundle. "It's a boy." She said, smiling, handing the crying baby wrapped in a blanket over to Kagome. Kaede and Sango left the hut, to give the family a little privacy.

"A-a boy?" Inuyasha asked. "I have a s-son?"

"I guess you were right after all." Kagome smiled, looking down at the child. It had a small tuft of black hair on its head, with chocolate eyes. On top of its head were two small dog ears.

"It's got your looks." Inuyasha said, wrapping his arm around Kagome.

As Kagome traced its face gently with one finger, it stopped crying and tried to bite her with its gums. "And your temper." She replied.

"What are we going to name it?" Inuyasha asked.

"Well, we can't name it Suki," Kagome said. "Or Yume…or any of the names I picked out…"

Inuyasha ruffled the baby's black hair. "Kuro." He said.

Kagome smiled and leaned against her mate. "Kuro." She sighed. "Welcome to the family."

A/N:AWWWWW! (I was listening to Four Seasons all through the last part, so it might explain the border on cheesiness…) Also, sorry to say, NO ONE won the cookie…I had Kuro picked out a long time ago just because…it works. Anyway, I think I might name Sango's baby one of the names previously mentioned, so you can still try to win a cookie!

Even though the baby is born, the story is NOT OVER! You still got that evil dude, to deal with, remember?