I do not own Inuyasha or any of the wonderful characters.

Please read and review, and I apologize in advance that I may not be able to update again very soon, my greatest creation is due any day.

Sesshomaru was awoken by a knock at the door arly the next morning. He glanced down at his family, Melissa had fallen asleep early and Hoshii had come to them during a storm near midnight, frightened by the thunder. The air was still scented by the strong ginger tea that had calmed Melissa's belly and allowed her to eat well the night before.

The knock came again and he rose to answer it so that his girls were not awoken. When he opened the door the scent of ginger overwhelmed the room again as Granny entered with a steaming cup. "I'm sorry to wake you so early my little lord, but I wanted to bring this early enough that Melissa could start sipping it as soon as she wakes. It should be cooled enough by then."

She then proceed to plop her self down in a corner and began working on a ball for Hoshii. Sesshomaru dressed and let himself out to the garden to get away from the smell of ginger. It wasn't unpleasant, just too strong for his sensitive nose. But if it helped his wife eat... Why wasn't she eating well? Why was she so tired? She still didn't have a fever.

They only stayed one day, Melissa said she had something she wanted to talk about with Kagome. Girl stuff, she wouldn't tell him what. She seemed nervous, even frightened. Though that could be because of the way Granny had fussed over her, she knew Kimiko had guessed what happened and she didn't need reminding. He'd talk to Granny when they returned.

Granny gave her a large amount of ginger root for tea before they left. It overpowered her own lovely scent, but it did help her eat so Sesshomaru decided to tolerate it. Though she still refused foods with a strong odor, such as fish. The next couple of days he caught rabbits for her and Hoshii to eat.

A couple of days after they left his mother's palace he looked back at his wife, trailing behind him. She was absent mindedly rubbing her chest as though her breasts were hurting her. They often did hurt before her bleeding, and come to think of it she was overdue. But then he knew stress could delay it by several days. The month she nearly froze to death she skipped it completely.

He realized she had stopped walking and turned around again. She was holding on to a tree for support with a hand over her mouth as though she were about to be sick. She gagged but fought back the urge to puke. She then held her upset belly and took several deep breaths.

He walked over to her and placed a hand to her head, still no fever but she was obviously ill. Damn, all he could smell was ginger! "We will break for lunch early. Make your ginger infusion and I will catch prey for you. We will reach the village by mid afternoon, perhaps Keade or Kagome will know why you feel ill."

He returned with a deer leg and the bone was cooked alongside the meat so that Melissa and Hoshii could share the marrow of it. Melissa ate only enough to please him and immediately regretted it as her tummy began to feel upset again. She said nothing though as she didn't want him to fuss or worry, but he could tell she was feeling poorly. Hopefully Keade could help her.

They met Kagome first upon entering the village, she was coming out of a hut with Rin both smelling of blood and amniotic fluid. From inside they could hear the cries of a new life. They beamed at them as they rushed forward to greet them. Then Hoshii was in front of him with her arms up. "Daddy, my legs are tired."

Sesshomaru glanced down and obligingly picked the child up. She leaned her head against him and began sucking her thumb. When he looked back up Kagome was still approaching them, but Rin was walking away. Sesshomaru watched in confusion and Kagome and Melissa both followed his gaze. Rin never even looked back as she swung the curtain of old Keade's house aside with much more forceful than was necessary.

"I take Hoshii, talk to Rin." Melissa told him. He hesitated, Melissa was sick. But he obviously did need to speak with Rin.

Kagome heard them and saw his hesitation. "She's adorable, can I hold her?" She didn't wait for his reply and he didn't resist when she took the child from his arms.

Rin was grinding seeds when Sesshomaru entered old Keade's house. She didn't look up or acknowledge him but was pounding the seeds with such force she threatened to break the mortar. Keade quietly gathered up the tea she'd been working on and went to deliver it to an ailing family.

"Rin, I do not approve of this rude behavior." Sesshomaru informed her sitting down in front of her.

"So? Why do you need to approve of me? You have another little girl now, don't you? You don't need me anymore!" She yelled throwing her pestle down in anger.

"Rin, stop this at once."

"You can't tell me what to do, you aren't my father!" Now she began to tear up but blinked rapidly as she looked away to keep her tears from falling. "That's what Daddy means, isn't it? Father."

"I believe so." He replied as understanding came to him.

"You never told me to call you father." She muttered, not looking at him.

"I did not realize you wished to. Your father was a good man, you had no need of another, that is not so of Hoshii."

"How do you know what I needed? You never asked!"

"I assumed. It appears I was mistaken." He was quiet for a long time, watching Rin try unsuccessfully to control her emotions.

"You have spoken of your father before. You speak with love and reverence for him. I also lost my father, and like you I held him in high esteem. No one could replace my father, so I knew none could replace your own. I would not assume to do so.

However I do view you as my own. Had you decided to honor me with a similar title you would not have been rebuked, but it is not an honor I had any right to ask for."

Rin was quiet for a long time, still not looking at him she asked "I... I could call you father?"

"If you wish."

She was quiet for a while longer then said "I already had one father. You're right, no one can replace him. Could... could I call you Daddy instead?"

"Yes, Rin, you can."

She finally looked up at him, beaming. He reached out to wipe away a tear then asked "Now would you like to meet your little sister?"

After Sesshomaru had gone to speak with Rin Kagome retrieved her daughter From Sango who had been watching the baby while she recovered from giving birth to her own new baby girl. Kagome and Melissa went to Kagome's house to talk while the girls played together. A while later Sesshomaru came for Hoshii and took both his little girls for a walk to get acquainted while the women talked.

Izayoi pulled up on Melissa's arm, wobbled for a breathless moment then plopped on her bottom and crawled over to Kagome. She climbed into her mother's lap then pulled the top of Kagome's kimono open and helped herself to some milk while her mother began to fix dinner. Kagome opened a jar of natto and the pungent odor was to much for Melissa who clapped a hand to her mouth and raced outside to empty her belly.

She returned shaky and pale to find Kagome had reclosed the jar and decided on tofu instead. "I'm sorry, I forgot you don't like natto. Are you ok?"

"Yes, I ok." She replied, then switching to English said "I think I'm pregnant."

"Oh Melissa, that's wonderful! I'm so happy for-" She stopped short as Melisa began to cry. Switching to English as well she asked "What wrong? I think you want children?"

Melissa nodded and continued to cry. "Is because of Sesshomaru? I think he be good father. Yes baby is hanyo, but he know you might have hanyo before marry you."

"He does want a baby with me." She weeped.

"Why sad?"

"I'm so scared Kagome. I lost my other babies. I got pregnant by Josh four times and each time... each time I miscarried my babies!"

"Oh Melissa! Oh I so sorry!" She replied picking up Izayoi to move closer and place an arm around her friend. "Maybe this time be different. Sesshomaru is daiyoukai, is very strong. His baby be strong!"

"But if I am the problem... Is a hanyo strong enough to live through a miscarriage? Can this baby live outside of me if I can't carry it more than a couple of months?" Kagome was quiet, they both knew the answer. Even a hanyo needed time to develop. An early birth would pose little threat, but a first trimester miscarriage the baby would not survive.

"Does Sesshomaru know?"

"He hasn't said anything, but he knows I haven't been feeling well. Granny gave me some ginger root so It's possible he can't smell that I'm pregnant."

"You should tell him."

"I'm not going to tell him. If it happens before he has a chance to fall in love with this baby perhaps it won't hurt him as badly."

"Would that make you not hurt? To not know?"

"It's going to hurt either way, but maybe not as badly." Melissa replied.

"Your smell will get stronger. If he not smell you are pregnant now he will soon."

Later that night Melissa and Sesshomaru went for a walk around town with Hoshii while Rin helped Keade with some chores. He asked her if she got a chance to talk to Kagome about their girl talk and she said that she did. To his irritation she still wouldn't tell him what they spoke of however.

In the distance they saw Inuyasha coming home with Miroku from another exorcism. Inuyasha tilted his head and scented the breeze then began to laugh as he walked toward his brother. He was focusing on his brother so did not notice Melissa's frightened expression or the slight shake of her head. "Oh man, eating your words now, aren't ya Sesshomaru? How do they taste?"

"What nonsense are you babbling about?" Sesshomaru demanded, in no mood for his brother.

"You knocking up a human!" Inuyasha replied gleefully.

Sesshomaru Grabbed Inuyasha and shoved him several yards. "Do you think you are amusing?! Your jokes are not appreciated!" He hissed softly so his wife would not hear.

"What the hell is wrong with you? What jokes?"

"My wife is barren and it causes her great pain. We do not appreciate you joking about the children she can't give me!"

Inuyasha backed up and blinked in confusion. "Barren?"

"It means she cannot conceive, fool!"

"I know what it means!" Inuyasha replied walking past his brother to Melissa and sniffing her closely. "When is the last time you smelled her? Because she smells awful pregnant for a barren woman!"

Glaring skeptically at his brother he approached them. He wrapped his arms around Melissa and buried his nose in her hair and took a deep breath. That breath caught in his throat and his eyes went wide. It was faint, but it was there, below the smell of ginger root and woodsmoke was the scent of a woman with child. How had he missed it?!

"You are!" He whispered in amazement as he gazed down at her. The smile he gave her broke her heart into a million pieces. She pulled away from him and ran away into the trees with a sob.

Sesshomaru stared after her for a moment. "Watch Hoshii!" He ordered following after his wife.

Inuyasha watched them in confusion for a long moment, that was not the reaction he expected. He looked down at the little girl he assumed was Hoshii, "What was that about?"

Hoshii looked up at him and shrugged her thin shoulders with a thumb in her mouth. "Well they'll work it out I guess. I'm starving, lets see if my wife has fixed dinner yet."

Melissa ran into the forest and collapsed against a large maple then sank down to her knees and cried. She didn't look up at Sesshomaru, but she knew he was there, watching her as her heart broke. "How long have you known you're pregnant?"

Melissa hugged her knees to her chest and wiped her face, then felt Sesshomaru's hand wipe away more tears. "Not sure. I think maybe for few days, but not sure pregnant."

"Why did you not tell me your suspicions?"

"Not want you hope. Not want you to love baby if... if..." She began crying harder and Sesshomaru pulled her into his lap and held her tightly.

"I told you you would not face such pain alone. Whatever the outcome we face it together." He kissed the top of her head and stroked her.

"Scared." She whispered.

"I know." He replied. He held her for a long time, stroking and calming her.

"Where Hoshii? Is Hoshii scared? I run off... I should not have."

"She is with my idiot brother, but did not seem distressed, though i am sure she is confused. We should explain to her why you are afraid." Melissa nodded and Sesshomaru rose with her in his arms. The sun had set and the streets were empty but the sounds of families enjoying dinner could be heard from the little homes.

Kagome had made ginger tea and set aside a portion of dinner for Melissa, which Melissa accepted graciously. Inuyasha sat in a corner looking slightly abashed and avoiding Melissa and Sesshomaru's eyes as they entered and Hoshii was playing in the corner with Shippo who had also returned for supper. hoshii jumped up and ran to Melissa, throwing her arms around her mother's waist. "Mommy, why were you sad?"

"Let your mother eat, Hoshii. I will explain it to you." Sesshomaru told the small child sitting down next to Melissa and waiting for the child to plop herself in front of them. Where to begin? He decided it was best to see what she already knew.

"Hoshii, do you know how children come to be?" He asked.

She nodded and beamed with pride "They grow in mamas' bellies!" Then her eyes grew wide, "Does mommy have a baby?!" She asked excitedly.

"She does. However it is important for you to understand Hoshii, not all babies get to be born."

Her bright eyes suddenly went dim and she nodded. "My first mama's baby didn't get born. Mama died of a belly ache while it was still inside her." Then her eyes were huge with fear, "Mommy isn't going to die, is she?"

"No, Melissa is in perfect health. However sometimes babies, even in their mother's womb, her belly, get sick. Babies can die, even if their mother does not."

"Is the baby sick?" She asked jumping up.

"We do not know. Your mother has had other babies that did get sick. That is why she is afraid, we don't know that this one will live." Sesshomaru explained sadly.

Hoshii stood before them with tears in her eyes, then she stripped naked and piled her expensive kimono in Melissa's lap.

"Hoshii, what-" Melissa began but the child cut her off.

"If we keep the baby warm it wont get sick! It can have my kimono, I don't mind getting cold."

Melissa hugged the child then wrapped the kimono around her. "We not want you get cold either. I sure Kagome let me borrow blanket if feel cold."

Hoshii rounded on Kagome but she had already pulled out a spare blanket for Melissa to spread on her lap and 'keep the baby warm.'

A/N Some parts seem rushed to me, If you agree may find time to edit in coming weeks.