Chapter Nine

Sesshy's Pride and Joy

Disclaimer: I shall buy InuYasha and Co.! One day anyways...

Sesshomaru had been watching his rapidly growing mate carefully and, frankly, she was getting a little annoyed with the whole thing. She couldn't go anywhere without him watching her and it wasn't helping to try and convince him, as she was doing now.

"I promise I won't do anything strenuous!" Kagome begged. He had kept her at close range pretty much ever since he found out that she was pregnant with his pups and she had spent most of her time inside the castle.

"I want to go outside for once! Feel the fresh air, pick some flowers, and lay in a field ... " Kagome's eyes began getting a little dreaming as she day dreamed about sitting outside with her friends. Sesshomaru looked at his very large and very round mate suspiciously. She was close to her delivery date and he didn't want to risk her getting hurt or getting sick or anything like that.

"No, Kagome." He said sternly, crossing his arms across his chest.

Kagome went over to him, giving him the look that he always broke down under. Looking at her, he only sighed a little, finally caving.

"Fine, but you are to be with InuYasha and the ones that you were traveling with." Kagome gave a happy little 'yay' and hugged him, well, as much as she could.

"I'll even take Rin and Shippo with me." Sesshomaru smiled a little, feeling his active and healthy pups kick him. He gently laid a hand on Kagome's abdomen and gave it a little rub. Kagome giggled a little, smiling.

"Okay, can I go now?" He looked to her and nodded.

"Just be careful. And – "

"Take it easy. I know." Kagome finished off for him and gave him a quick kiss before waddling out of the castle and instantly spotting Sango.

Sango looked up and gave her pregnant friend a smile. "Hey, Kagome. I see Sesshomaru finally let you out of his line of sight." Kagome laughed and nodded.

"On the condition that I have to hang out with you guys, InuYasha, Rin and Shippo."

"Well, at least you're outside." Kagome nodded.

"Yep! Now, let's go sit down up on that hill there!" She grabbed her friend's hand and they finally got to the hill. She actually managed to sit down, with a little help from Sango and Miroku, of course.

InuYasha jumped down from his usual perch in a tree, grinning like a fool. "Well, I see Sesshomaru let you roll out of the castle." Sango sweatdropped a little. Wrong thing to say to a pregnant woman with violent mood swings.

Kagome put on her sweetest face. "InuYasha ... " He turned to her and was about to say something smart again before ...

"SIT BOY!" Thump! He was sent face first into the ground. InuYasha groaned a little.

"Stupid wench."

"SIT BOY!" Thump again! Another grumble and insult from InuYasha. This one got to Kagome the most and she managed to sit up with some help.

"SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT BOY!" Sango and Miroku looked down at the new InuYasha crater and sighed.

Miroku crouched down. "You know, InuYasha, you really should be nicer to Kagome. Especially since she's pregnant with your brother's children and is prone to violent mood swings."

Sango was currently helping Kagome to the castle, as she needed to pee, yet again.

Her pregnant friend let out an exasperated sigh. "I just went ten minutes ago!"

Sango smiled a little. "Well, at least you're getting your exercise." Kagome looked to her friend and laughed. "Yeah, you're right."

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InuYasha sat next to Miroku, after digging himself of out his crater. Miroku was smirking a little, trying to hold in a chuckle.

"Shut up already, damn it!" InuYasha ordered. Miroku put his hands up in defense.

"I'm sorry, InuYasha but you really need to learn to think before you speak. Especially to a pregnant woman." InuYasha glared at him and sulked. The worst thing about the whole situation was that he knew Miroku was right. Honestly, sometimes he didn't know what possessed to say such things to Kagome.

His ears twitched when he saw Rin and Shippo running towards them.

"InuYasha!" Shippo cried out, stopping in front of him. "You have to go find your brother!"

The hanyou blinked. "Why?"

"Okaa-san is going to have the babies now!" Rin said, frantic. InuYasha paled a little. His concern for his friend was there in an instant, just like always.

"They still have three weeks left! They can't be born yet! Damn that Sesshomaru!" InuYasha growled a little as he took off to find his brother.

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Kagome cried out in pain as a contraction hit her, squeezing Sango's hand. Lucky for them, the healer who frequently checked up on Kagome and the pups, had arrived at the castle just in time. Sango was dipping a cloth in a bucket of cool river water and dabbing Kagome's face with it.

"Hang in there, Kagome." Sango urged, concerned for her friend's well being. She hoped that Sesshomaru would get there soon, Kagome was crushing her hand and it really hurt.

The healer was moving around, propping up Kagome's legs and moving them apart and covering her with a blanket. She could already feel the baby's head and looked up at Kagome with a smile.

"You're almost there, Kagome, dear." She said soothingly. Kagome nodded a little, panting, trying to breathe through the incredible pain.

Just then, Sesshomaru showed up, worry written all across his features. Sango, being too relieved to hand Kagome off to him, would have been shocked at such a display of emotion.

Kagome looked over at him with a smile just as he knelt down, his hand replacing Sango's. His other hand rotated the cloth, keeping it cool. He didn't realize how much seeing Kagome in pain would hurt him and then another factor of his worry set in; the pups were being born early. He was just about to say something to the healer before he was shooed out of the castle and replaced by a few more women, youkai and human alike.

He sighed a little, returning to his brother and the monk outside on the hill. To his surprise, InuYasha was sitting next to Miroku, looking worried, yes but he was expecting his brother to be pacing and cussing, not just sitting there.

He sat down as well, tuning his hearing to inside the room and every time he heard Kagome cry out, he winced visibly.

After a while, everything got quiet and all Sesshomaru could hear was murmuring voices and shuffling footsteps, which was making him extremely uneasy. He turned to Miroku and Miroku looked to him, nodding a little, pulling out a few strips of paper with enchanted writing on them. Sesshomaru watched Miroku go to the castle and saw a few words, before sticking the papers to the door and it's frame. It calmed the taiyoukai a little but not much, even though he didn't doubt the monk's ability.

Time ticked by, making Sesshomaru even uneasier than his brother. InuYasha was a little surprised at his own calmness. He just had this feeling that Kagome and the pups would be alright.

Eventually, the demon lord could sit still no longer. With a heavy and frustrated sigh, he began pacing. Everyone was a little surprised at this. Rin, who was sitting in between Sango and Miroku with Shippo on her shoulder, watched him.

"Outo-san?" She asked quietly, making Sesshomaru stop his pacing and look to the girl.

"Is okaa-san going to be alright?" Tears came to the girl's eyes and Sango smiled a little, putting an arm around the girl and saving the demon lord to awkwardness.

"Of course she's going to be alright, Rin. She is very strong and before you know it, you'll have some new playmates."

As soon as Sango was finished comforting the girl, two cries of life could be heard. Sesshomaru instantly stopped his pacing and his body yearned to enter the room but he knew of the old healer's wrath and decided not to risk it. When the door opened and the healer appeared, she nodded and Sesshomaru was the first one there and instantly was by his mate's side.

Kagome lay, exhausted and slightly sweaty but still beautiful, with two bundles that were whimpering quietly. He felt like he could fall over at the sight but instead, he sat down and Kagome handed him his son.

The small pup was wrapped in a blue blanket that Kagome had brought back from her time. It was warm and fleecy but still breathable. His mouth was open as he let out a little cry, showing two little fangs, along with silver hair and a pair of silver dog-ears. Sesshomaru smiled a little, giving the child his finger and smiled a little more when he stopped crying and opened his eyes. They were large and round but instead of being golden, they were chocolate brown, just like Kagome's.

Kagome smiled at them and shifted the slightly smaller pup that was wrapped up in a pink blanket, just like her brothers. The pups raven black hair and dog-ears contrasted beautifully with the blanket. She had fangs like her brother but instead of her eyes being chocolate brown, they were a pure golden color, just like Sesshomaru's.

"They're beautiful." Sesshomaru said softly, tracing a claw lightly around his son's face, who promptly tried to bite at the opposing object and nearly succeeded, too. Kagome giggled a little, nodding.

"They need names." He nodded a little, looking at his son and then to his daughter.

"He is certainly more active than she is so I think Kasei would be a good name for him." Kagome said looking at her children. Sesshomaru nodded his agreement, looking to his daughter.

"I think Takara would be a nice name for her." He said softly and Kagome smiled, nodding.

"Kasei and Takara." She said softly, having the twins look at her.

"My pride and joy." Sesshomaru said, equally soft.

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A while later, Kagome had gotten back her strength and was able to walk around a little bit but Sesshomaru was forbidding her to leave their room. Anyone who wanted to see them, could come to them, he'd said.

Rin and Shippo were the first visitors of the others. Both children had wide eyes of amazement. Shippo, being proud to be a big brother three times, had puffed out his chest a little.

Sesshomaru rose a brow at the small kit but didn't say anything. Kagome sat on the bed, holding Kasei while Rin held Takara.

"She's so pretty." Rin had commented and Kagome agreed.

The rest of the group came and went and finally, it was time for everyone to retire to their rooms. Kagome gently laid the pups in the bassinets she had gotten as a baby shower gift during a weekend in her time and returned to her bed with Sesshomaru, yawning a little and cuddling up to her strong demon lord.

"Good night, my Kagome."

"Good night, my Sessho." Kagome smiled at his little private nickname he had allowed her to give him. Sesshomaru smiled back at her and wrapped his arms around her, both new parents falling asleep quickly.

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A/N: Well, how do you like me now? Haha. This is the middle chapter and I hope everyone likes it.

From my sources:

Kasei – Born of fire or fire born (same thing, right?)

Takara – Treasure; Precious object

inufluffy - All three chapters … TODAY! Yay! This is the second of the three and if you get REALLY lucky … I may even make it four! I feel so happy and so inspired!

A BIG Thanks To:

MysticTenshi

KageFaiaKoori Doragon

k4g0me

Ayume 4 Sesshoumaru

Miami Inker

Thank you all SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much! This is EXACTLY what I've been missing with everything else I've written! You all rock SO much! I love you all! –Hands out tons of cookies and candy and chocolate-