Sorry for the delay in updating, mini-me has decided she doesn't need sleep. Ever. Plus my old laptop quit working so I had to wait until her daddy bought me a new one for our anniversary.

It was about a week after they returned to the palace and Sesshomaru was dreaming of watching his wife rock a baby when the smell of blood woke him. He sat up as he opened his eyes and looked around the room for the source of the smell. The source was Melissa. No. NO!

She was sleeping peacfully beside him, unaware that she was bleeding. Should he wake her? He almost did then thought better of it, there wasn't much, perhaps the midwife could stop it. There was no point in her laying there worrying until he got the midwife.

"Melissa is bleeding!" He announced entering the room Haruame and Shimo shared. Haruame woke up and grabbed her basket, leaving Shimo to sleep. She would send for her if she was needed.

"How much pain is she feeling?" Haruame asked as they walked swiftly towards his sleeping chambers.

"She was still asleep when I left her."

"A little bleeding is common, my lord. If she is not bleeding heavily or in pain it is likely nothing to worry about, but I will check her to be sure."

Melissa blinked up at her husband in confusion when he shook her awake. "I have brought the midwife to examine you."

"Why? Something wrong?" She asked, sitting up, "My baby ok?"

"Your husband is a worry wort, little mama. It is likely nothing is wrong, but he smells a little blood. Tell me, are you feeling any pain?" Melissa replied that she was not and the midwife had her lay back and placed her hands on Melissa's belly. She smiled and leaned down, "You need to settle down in there, you're scaring your Papa.

Haruame opened her basket and began to clean her hands with the hot towel. "Now I would like to check that your cervix is still closed, just to be sure. Your lady in waiting isn't present, but your husband can stay to assure I do nothing inappropriate. Assuming, of course, that he can control himself."

Sesshomaru took a seat beside her and focused on her face as he took her hand. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She clenched her jaw in discomfort as the midwife forced her fingers inside. Sesshomaru growled and rounded on Haruame, she was hurting his Melissa!

"Down, my lord." Once more he was frozen as the beads around his neck glowed. Then as before an irresistible force caused him to be better acquainted with the floor. When he pried himself up she was once again cleaning her hands.

"It all looks good. I only feel happy, healthy energy from the womb and the cervix is tightly closed. As for the blood, it's just something that happens, my best guess is that someone is settling in for a nice long stay. Now, would you like a sedative to calm your nerves?"

"No, thank you. I am O.K." Melissa replied, settling back down into her bedding.

"That's good, Little Mama, but I was offering it to your husband."

They made sure she was comfortable then Sesshomaru stepped into the hall with Haruame. "She is fine?"

"I wouldn't say so otherwise. But there is a matter I need to discuss with you, of a sensitive nature, is there somewhere we may talk?"

"There is something I need to discuss with you also, but not in her presence." Sesshomaru replied, pushing open the door to his mother's outer chambers to discover his mother was still awake, smoking and reading."Oh, I am glad to see you are still awake." Haruame stated then turned to Sesshomaru. "Your mother and I spoke earlier today but you were unavailable. She told me that your wife was raped around the time she conceived."

"She was."

"Were all the men responsible human?"

"They were."

"You are certain. There is no way she was raped by a hanyou or youkai?" Haraume asked.

"I am certain."

Harume turned to his mother, "Do not tell the staff anything, there is no point and it would do more harm than good. Two humans can't make a hanyou."

Sesshomaru watched his wife play with Hoshi and Kiyoshi in the fallen leaves. He couldn't yet see a change in her waist. The ribbon showed that she was a little thicker, but that could be her usual winter weight gain.

Her breasts however, had changed noticeably. They had both expected them to grow, but neither had been prepared for her nipples to darken. The midwife explained it was normal and the contrast would help the baby find milk if anything were wrong with it's nose, assuming the eyes were open at birth. He hadn't thought to ask about that. Humans were born with their eyes open, dogs were not, but what about hanyou?

They had also not expected that the stretched skin would itch. a lot. to counteract the itching the midwife gave Melissa oils to massage into her breasts twice a day, a task Sesshomaru insisted on helping her with.

She still had trouble keeping anything down at 10 weeks along and tired more easily. Haruame said that would likely improve in a few weeks, but that was no guarantee. Some women remained sick throughout their entire pregnancy.

Melissa excused herself from the game and asked someone to bring her some ginger tea to sip while she sat and watched the children pile the leaves up and jump in them again. Sesshomaru sat down next to her and watched the kids with her for a moment.

"I must go attend to some matters away from the palace. I can return in as soon as a week, but I would have to go back out soon. Or I could begone for two weeks and not have to leave again for a while. Which would be most convenient for you?"

"Go for two weeks, stay home longer." She replied.

Sesshomaru nodded then tucked the beads under his kimono. "Are they concealed well?"

"Yes."

"I will not leave for a few days. Would you care to have the scribe pen out a note to Kagome in the mean time? I plan to pass by the village and check on Rin."

The next couple of days passed uneventfully. The night before he was to leave Melissa gave him her note to Kagome and the next morning she and Hoshi were up at sun rise to see him off.

He returned home less than two weeks later, just 13 days. in that time the fallen leaves were replaced by fluffy white snow. He found Melissa in the courtyard with the kids, she was on her back, flailing her limbs. He rushed to her and pulled her quickly to her feet, "Are you ok?" he asked then looked around at the guards and barked, "Why was no one helping her?"

"Sesshomaru, it is ok. I am no hurt. Look. Making a snow angel." She explained. He paused and looked at the spot where she had lain and saw she indeed had made a snow angel, as were Hoshi and Kiyoshi.

"How was your trip?" She asked, trying to gloss over his mistake. He took her hand and led her inside to the warmth while the kids played.

"My trip was uneventful. Kagome and Inuyasha will be visiting us next year, once the snow has gone." He told her

"Really? when?" Melissa asked happily.

"I am unsure, that detail has not been decided yet, but it will have to be fairly early, before she is to big to travel."

"Before she is... Kagome pregnant?" Melissa asked excitedly.

"She is. Her pregnancy was discovered about 2 weeks after yours."