Rosaline, Rachel, and Icarus led the pack up the mountains, nipping playfully at each other, yipping happily as Icarus bowled Rosaline, tugging at her ear. Rachel growled warningly at him and he released her, pouncing Rachel instead. Shippo joined the game, wrestling with Rachel until she tossed him like a dishrag into Rosaline, growling impatiently. "Bitch!" Shippo growled under his breath.
"Will you cubs settle down?" Inuyasha growled. Kouga laughed as Rosaline shifted forms and stood beside him, allowing him to kiss her cheek and slip his arms around her waist to pull her close. She allowed him to hold her for a minute before she wriggled away, playfully nipping his fingers. She shifted forms again and sat down next to her sister. "If we continue at this pace then we should make it there by sun up." Kagome yawned and Inuyasha looked at her, concerned. "Are you alright, Kagome?"
"I'm a little tired," she said, softly.
"Me too," Sango said. Miroku looked at her, gently touching his hand to her waist. Rosaline fidgeted impatiently, knowing that the guys would suggest that they should stop and rest, continuing on in the morning. She was right. Within an hour, they had a fire going and she was sprawled out in the grass next to Kouga, well away from the others.
He was watching her now, his fingers trailing through her white blonde hair, feeling her back against his chest, taking in her honeysuckle scent, mixed in with something he couldn't identify. He tilted his head and sniffed again but decided to ignore it. Instead, he watched how the firelight danced across her face as he kissed the back of her head, feeling her hair tickle his face. "So," she finally said softly, half asleep, "How long are going to stay?" she asked.
"I can't stay long. I just came to see you. I was going to leave in the morning." She nodded as his arm looped around her waist, pulling her closer.
"For now, though, you're here. I love you, Kouga."
"I love you too, Rosaline." She fell asleep against his chest.
Rosaline woke when Kouga eased away from her, lifting her head gently from his shoulder and resting it on the ground. She opened her eyes and looked up at him, asking him with her eyes to kiss her. He obliged, using the kiss as one last excuse to hold her close. "Next time, I'll stay longer, I promise." He kissed her again and she released him quicker then last time, and, as she watched him go off into the darkness, she thought to herself. She knew they couldn't take seeing him leave for much longer. She knew that she wouldn't be able to stand being separated from him, and she knew he felt the same.
She heard a noise and turned sharply, seeing Inuyasha in the bushes. "Hey," he said vaguely.
"Hey," she replied. Once again, he could smell the alteration in her scent, his nose twitching in the air as he sat down next to her. He wasn't all that good at comforting anyone, especially her. They were better as rivals, not as friends, and she was better off with Miroku, Shippo, or one of the girls as a companion, but they were all asleep. She needed someone then.
"You alright?" he said, breaking the silence.
"I'm fine. I miss him, though." Inuyasha nodded and they spent the next few minutes in silence. Rosaline was almost asleep before the source of the chemical change finally clicked in the back on his mind. He tried not to smile as he turned to her.
"Kagome told me about how you can't have kids. Who told you that, anyway?"
"My father," she said absently.
"Did you ever think that he could be wrong?"
"What makes you say that?"
"I can smell it on you, Rosaline. A change in your scent. Shippo and Kouga smelled it too. I think you might be…pregnant."
"You're insane," she snapped, turning away from him. He shrugged.
"No I'm not, and you know it." She didn't reply and he pressed on. "I'm just saying, you were a small cub when you got sick. It's possible that your father was wrong or that you grew out of it when you reached adolescence. I don't know any explanation, but you're pregnant." Rosaline seemed to finally believe him as she brushed her fingers over her belly, lifting her shirt slightly. Inuyasha noticed that it was still smooth and flat. She wasn't far along, probably not more then a few hours. He could smell the changes in her body instantly.
"Well," she said softly, unable to say much more. Inuyasha couldn't hold back a slight smile now.
"I wished I had figured it out before Kouga ran off."
"He'll be back soon. I'll tell him then. He doesn't need to worry about me with his pack to take care of." Inuyasha nodded and Rosaline closed her eyes softly, yawning tiredly.
"You should get some rest," he said softly. "I guess you're sleeping for two now."
"My kind tends more towards twins. I probably won't have twins though."
"As little as you are, you probably wouldn't be able to carry twins." Rosaline growled at him.
"Hey!" He chuckled.
"Go to sleep, Rosaline." He stood and walked over towards Kagome and, after snuggling next to her again, he drifted off to sleep. Rosaline followed suit, Shippo curled against her waist and her hand on her belly.
By mid-afternoon, the rest of the pack knew that Rosaline was pregnant, the girls giggling excitedly, Shippo placing his ear to her belly, trying to hear the baby, and Miroku smiling gently. He told her that she was going to make a wonderful mother. Icarus was holding on to Rachel, getting ready to head back to his pack. Rachel was going with him but she promised to come back when it was time for her to have the baby. She gave her twin a long hug before they parted, but she smiled, knowing she would see her sister soon.
The sun was setting as they reached the village and Kagome sad good-bye, disappearing down into the well. Rosaline sat behind Kaede's house, watching the sun disappear behind the hills and she closed her eyes, her fingers trailing across her belly, trying to imagine herself as a mother. She could see herself holding a small, dark-haired baby to her chest, kissing her forehead and bouncing her up and down as her fussing quieted. She had always wanted children and now that she was having one, she was scared to death. Shippo came outside and smiled at her, asking if he could come sit with her. She nodded and he bounded into her lap, asleep almost instantly. She cuddled him in her lap and the thought, I could do this. I could be someone's mother. She held Shippo close as she drifted to sleep, feeling comforted by Shippo's warmth.