A/N: I just couldn't help it! I had to give Sess a cameo! (Also…for you guys that wanted it…SM FLUFF!)

Chapter 10: Brotherly Ties

Late that night, Sango leaned against Miroku as they sat in their hut, her seven month belly now protruding from underneath her yukata. She couldn't help but grin. Miroku had been a bit more well behaved now that the baby was due soon. He had also been a bit more loving to her in the past couple of months. As he should… she added.

"Sango, do you know how many times I imagined this moment before it actually came to be?" he asked.

"I suppose you imagined quite a few other things as well." The youkai exterminator said.

"Yes…but I always hoped that one day it would be you that would bear me a son." He said, rubbing her belly.

She pried his hand off her stomach. "You'll be disappointed. I bet it's a girl."

He blinked his violet eyes. "Really now? I heard Buddha tell me in a dream that I will be having a son."

Sango glared at him. "Yes, you've told me plenty of times. But Shippou-chan told me that he heard somewhere that if you're beautiful when you're pregnant, you'll have a girl. I prefer to believe him."

"Better not let Kagome-sama hear that. Then she'll demand of Inuyasha to know if he thought she was ugly. And we all know how that will turn out to be." He chuckled.

"Yes…and we don't want to create problems for them now. Kagome-chan was telling me the other day how they were up half the night because Kuro crying."

"It seems the child takes after Inuyasha more than any of us would like." Miroku said, suppressing a shudder.

Sango looked down at her stomach. "I'm almost to scared to think about what it will be like if it takes after you."

Miroku placed a hand on her shoulder and turned her around. "Well, Sango, if what Shippou heard is to be believed, then I think we'll be blessed with a beautiful baby girl, just like you."

Sango couldn't help but blush. Even though they had been married for about a year, he still had that affect on her. "Uh…well…"

"And more to come, if we are lucky." He said, pulling her closer. A second later, his lips crashed down on hers, and she didn't budge.

That is, until she felt his hand grazing her bottom.

Her eyes snapped open and she grabbed his hand and forcefully removed it from his bottom. "You can sweet talk me all you want, but at heart, you're still the same lecher."

He couldn't help but grab her hand. "And you are still the same, feisty youkai exterminator I met two years ago. And that is why, I love you my dear."

Sango glared. "If you're planning to try that again, all you succeed in doing is getting me mad."

He sighed and dropped his slowly advancing hand. "You know me too well, Sango."

"I just know you only sweet talk me when you have a reason." She replied.

"Still…I know you enjoyed it." He said with a grin,

She smiled back and patted him on the head. "You're learning, Miroku. "You're learning."

Kagome bounced the now month-old Kuro on her knee. After a month, they had learned that like his father, Kuro also turned human on the night of the new moon. Though Kagome didn't mention this to Inuyasha, she secretly liked it better when Kuro was human. His claws wouldn't hurt whenever he tried to scratch in protest of a bath or a diaper changing.

And speaking of diaper changing, over the month, Inuyasha and Kagome had become experts on the subject. At first, they had absolutely no idea how to do it and had to ask Kaede to help. She had thoroughly embarrassed them by showing them how easy it was. Of course, Inuyasha had refused to taking over diaper duty, even though Kagome could usually bully him into it when she had enough. Although…she thought. I do wonder why he only faints from the smell when I ask him to do it…sensitive nose my ass!

Inuyasha had already adapted to the role of a father. He was even more protective now than he was before. If someone even stared at his child in a funny way, he would start growling. Kagome couldn't really blame him, since all through his life he'd had to endure harsh treatment from others. In fact, she liked this new Inuyasha. He was a lot more loving to her, and he would always make sure to give Kuro plenty of attention when they were home. He liked playing with his son. And it make her happy to see him this way.

As they were playing with Kuro, Inuyasha cried out, "Ow!" Kuro's hand had painfully grabbed his ear. He grabbed the little hand that had pulled it. "Stupid runt, you don't know how much that hurts!"

Kagome smiled. "Well, your ears are interesting, you know."

Inuyasha growled. "He's got his own! Why does he need to touch mine?"

She rubbed one of his silver dog ears. "They're cuter then you'll admit."

"Keh. They're not supposed to be cute. Here, you." Inuyasha said, placing one of Kuro's hands so he'd feel his own black ears. Instantly, the baby seemed fascinated by them.

Inuyasha looked out the window and saw the darkness outside of their hut. "It's getting late, shouldn't we put Kuro to bed?"

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Inuyasha, you know he won't go to bed until he's calmed down." The baby was now grasping toward his father's face, in hopes of touching his ears again. She pulled the squirming baby towards her. "C'mere, sweetie, I think Inuyasha's had enough of you grabbing his ears for one day."

Inuyasha touched one of his ears. "What is so cute about them? They're just ears."

His mate smiled. "You just don't get it."

Inuyasha looked annoyed, but his annoyance turned to anger as soon as he sniffed the air. He growled. "What's HE doing here?"

"Inuyasha?" Kagome asked.

"You stay here!" he said, putting a hand on Tessaiga and walking out the door. Just as he left, he growled. "What the hell are you doing here, bastard!"

A recognizable voice said, "I believe I have a right to go where I want, little brother."

Kagome gasped, Sesshoumaru?

"Not here." Inuyasha said, his voice more than angry. "Now if you're just 'passing through' you can leave now."

"How dare you half-breed say that to Sesshoumaru-sama!" came the voice of the imp, Jaken.

"Jaken," Sesshoumaru said. "Shut up. Do you really think I would come unless I had a reason, Inuyasha?"

"Whatever it is, make it quick!" Inuyasha said.

"I heard a strange rumor about you from several youaki. They seemed to be convinced that you had taken a mate and now had a child. I, of course, hastened here at once. But," Kagome could hear him sniffing. "This scent is all I need to prove it true. Your mate is a human, no doubt. Father would be so proud."

Kagome knew if Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru were left to talk on their own any longer, it would erupt in fighting. She knew it might be time to interfere when Inuyasha growled in warning, "Sesshoumaru…"

"A baby? Sesshoumaru-sama, may I see?" squealed the voice of the eight year old, Rin.

"If you wish." Sesshoumaru said, and soon, the small girl ran into the hut.

"Kagome-chan!" Rin said, running up to her. She looked at the black haired bundle in Kagome's arms. "Oooh! What's its name?" she asked.

Kagome couldn't help but smile. "His name is Kuro."

While Rin fawned over Kuro, she heard Inuyasha growl. He wanted to remain outside to keep an eye on his brother, but he also knew Sesshoumaru wouldn't rest until he learned everything he could about this. Inuyasha walked inside the hut, with Sesshoumaru following to stand in the doorway.

"A son, is it?" The inu youkai asked.

"Yeah, you got a problem with that?" Inuyasha snapped.

"Inuyasha…" Kagome warned.

But Sesshoumaru knew he was overstaying his not-welcome. "Rin. Come, we're leaving."

Right when he got to the door, he said, "But whether we like it or not, Inuyasha, we are family. And family should know about new additions to it." And then he left.

"Finally." Inuyasha said. "I thought he'd never leave."

"Inuyasha, all he wanted was to know if what he heard was true or not!"

"Well, it obviously was, so why did he have to stay so long!"

"Don't you get it?" Kagome asked.

"Get what?"

She looked down at Kuro. "He's jealous because you have a mate AND a kid, and he doesn't have that."

Inuyasha stared. It was too unbelievable. His brother, his cold, heartless, bastard of a brother, wanted a mate? "What are you talking about?"

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Think Inuyasha. The only person he might have ever cared about in that way was Kagura, and now she's dead. And he knows that one day when Rin grows up, he'll have to leave her behind. Then he'll be alone again. He's jealous because even though you were alone, now you have a family. He doesn't have that."

"Keh." He said. "I don't believe it. If anything, he just came by to see if I had mated with a human."

Kagome sighed. There was just no reasoning with him sometimes. "Whatever, Inuyasha."

"Still…it shouldn't matter what he thinks. I've got a mate and a son, and I'm the happiest I've ever been. Why should that matter to anyone?"

"It shouldn't." She said. And she remembered the village people, and all the others who disapproved of her being with the hanyou. "But, I'm afraid…to some people, it does."

A/N: I know. Sessy had no real reason for being in here, I just like him…and I wanted to appease Sessy fans, of course. But, alas, poor Sess. He's gonna be all alone… (But I know lots of people who would gladly volunteer to fill that gap !) I did think Sess liked Kagura, or at least cared for her enough to want to avenge her death, as he states plenty of times after she dies…And we definitely know Kagura had a thing for him…ah, such a sad story…