"…Oro?" Kenshin said again. He looked at Megumi, then at me. Understanding dawned on his face, then his eyes widened. "Oh. Oh! Right, Dr. Megumi, I'll do that. Are you sure? Is Kaoru ok?"

I was bent over, shock and the cramps racking my body. Megumi put my arm around her and supported me. "She's fine, Kenshin. Call the hospital!"

"Yes, yes, hospital…phone, where's a phone?"

"A phone? Kenshin, are you still living in the early twenty-first century? Use your communication device!"

He gave her a blank look, which, on any other day, I would have thought adorable.

"On your wrist, baka!" I yelled as another cramp hit me.

He jumped slightly, then nodded frantically. "Right!" He then noticed Sano standing, dumbfounded, at his side. Kenshin tapped his forehead with his knuckles. "Get the car!"

Sano shook his head as if to clear it, then nodded. His face was focussed, as if he was about to start a fight. He ran down the stairs and disappeared. Meg continued to support me, and I felt someone under my other arm. I looked and saw Kenshin, who gave me a wan smile. He kissed my cheek gently. "It's all right. The hospital is expecting you. I'm here."

I nodded my head and allowed both of them to walk me down the stairs. We attracted a lot of attention, especially because I was groaning in pain, but no-one bothered us. When I looked to see why, I noticed Misao and Aoshi pushing everyone back. She flashed me a wink and a thumbs-up, and then, noticing a guy from my anatomy class walking towards us, began to curse him with very unladylike language.

The cool night air brushed my slightly sweating neck, and I abruptly wished I was in pants. Sano was already waiting for us, jingling the car keys nervously. When he saw us, Megumi released me from her side and he took her place. Quickly slinging me into his arms so he carried me bridal style, he ran me to the car. He bundled us both into the back seat – none too gently – and slammed the door behind us. Kenshin took the wheel, and Megumi sat in the front seat.

She turned to me, her face serious. "Breathe, Kaoru."

I was huffing, sweat gathering on my brow. Sano's arms instinctually tightened around me, his jaw tense. He wanted to protect me, I knew, from the pain I was going through. "I – am – trying." I panted, trying to take a deep breath. Another contraction came, and I almost yelled in pain. Instead, I just whimpered.

"Can't you go any faster?" Sano screamed, tension clear on every line of his face.

"I'm going as fast as I can. We'll be there in a few minutes." Kenshin answered, his voice terse.

"Kaoru, I know it hurts honey, but we'll be at the hospital soon. Your contractions are coming faster and are lasting longer; you're probably going to give birth soon."

I moaned as another contraction hit me, and my hands curled around my stomach. "Kenshin, hurry," I whimpered, wishing I was in my bed.

"Damn, what I'll give to see how much you're dilated…" Megumi muttered, looking at me with calculating eyes.

"We're here!" Kenshin announced, jerking the car to a stop. Before the car was even in park, Sano had the door open and was carrying me out. Nurses began to swarm towards him, one wheeling a wheel chair.

I looked at it in despair. "Do I really have to sit in that?"

Sano shook his head. "No, I'll carry you."

"Sir, that's against proto-" A nurse began, but Megumi cut her off.

"She's my patient, and I say it's all right. Have you prepared a room?"

The nurse who was cut off looked peeved, but she nodded her head. "This way please." She led the way to a small room in the back, which looked clean and tidy. And way too small for all the people cramming in here.

Sano placed me gently on the bed, putting his cool hand on my forehead. "Breathe, Kaoru."

"Sir, are you the father?" The annoying nurse asked.

Sano glared at her. "No, I'm her twin. Got a problem, eh, old hag?"

The nurse bristled, but a resounding bang stopped whatever she was about to retort. Sano turned angrily on Megumi.

"Get out." Megumi's voice was ice cold, and her expression spelled murder. Sano immediately backed down.

He leaned over me and kissed my forehead. "Stay strong, lil sis."

I gripped his hand in mine. "See ya in a few," I promised weakly. Another contraction took a hold of me and I winced. I didn't even get to see Sano leave the room.

"How much time was that?" I heard Megumi ask someone as she pulled on her scrubs and a surgical mask. Rubber gloves up to her elbows were placed on her hands, and she looked a bit like a mad scientist. I almost wanted to laugh at the ludicrous thought.

"Approximately five minutes, Doctor Takani."

Meg's face was grim. "All right. She's coming to the end of her early labour. How dilated is she?"
A nurse blabbed a number that I couldn't hear over the sound of my scream. I felt someone grip my hand, and I turned and looked at Megumi. Her mask was off and she gave me a wan smile. "Soon, Kaoru, soon."

I nodded, biting my bottom lip. I can live through this. I will live through this.

"Four centimetres!" A nurse yelled. "She's dilated to four centimetres!"

Megumi snapped back on her mask and went to where they had propped my legs up. Any other day I would have felt extremely self conscious that anyone would be looking down there but right now, I didn't care. They could look all they liked, I bet it was a mess anyways.

My contractions came faster and lasted longer. My medical brain told me that it meant the baby was coming soon, but my body just wanted to know how soon. I could barely speak, and was trying hard not to screech with pain. A nurse had given me something to clamp my teeth on, and it helped. It really did. Meg kept saying my dilated length as if it were a countdown, well, in a way, I'm sure it was.

"She's at eight centimetres!" Someone announced. "She's about to transition!" As she had said that, my longest contraction happened. I screamed and gritted my teeth, waiting for it to end. And when I thought it did, another one came. And another.

"She's almost fully dilated!" Someone else said.

Megumi's voice cut through my yell. "Kaoru, when I tell you to push, I want you to push, ok?"

I nodded frantically to tell her that I heard. After what felt like an eternity, I heard her scream: "Ok, push!"

I pushed. I pushed because I felt my life, and the life of Megumi's baby, depended on it. For some reason, the contractions seemed easier to bear, but that didn't make the pain any less. I pushed when I felt to push, and rested in between. In art, I was happy for the rest – it really gave me a chance to breathe. Meg kept urging me to push, so I did. I felt him move further and further down, until I heard Meg yell, "He's coming!"

I knew that meant the crown of my baby's head was about to appear, and a relieved smile broke out on my face. My labour period was almost done!

"Ok, Kaoru, I want you to stop pushing for a second. That's right…good girl. Ok, breathe, breathe, in and out, in and out…ok, now…push."

"She's crowning!" A nurse announced, in accompaniment to my long and drawn out scream.

"You're doing great, Kaoru! That's it! I can see his eyes!" Meg gave me a play-by-play of every part of him that came out as I pushed and pushed. Finally, with one last yell and push, I felt all the pressure disappear.

Meg laughed, a joyous sound, and I saw the nurses wrap a small, blood-covered thing in a blue blanket. Was that him? Was that Megumi's baby?

Megumi turned to me, her dark eyes shining in joy. I smiled back at her, tears cascading down my face and sweat pouring into my eyes, but I didn't care. I was so happy to see that Megumi finally got what she had wanted for all these years.

The nurses clamped and cut the umbilical cord, and then Megumi handed him to me. They had placed a little blue hat on his head, and his sleeping face was so peaceful. I held him in my arms awkwardly.

"Is this ok?" I asked, looking up to Megumi. "He's yours, after all."

Megumi's smile was gentle. "Yeah, but you did all the work. I figured you could hold him for a little while." Her expression became really sad. "After all, I'm-"

She was cut off as the door slammed open. "Kaoru! Are you all right? OHMYGOSHISTHATHIMHE'SOADORABLE!" I winced at Misao's loud voice, but I couldn't stop her from coming over and cooing over the baby.

Aoshi shot Megumi and I an apologetic glance. "I'm sorry. I tried to stop her…"

"…but wild bulls couldn't hold her back." Megumi finished.

However, I wasn't paying attention to them. I was looking instead to the two men who were walking in. I gave them both a huge smile. "Look!"

Sano rolled his eyes. "He's such a wimp."

A vein twitched in my forehead. "How can you say that? He's been alive for less than an hour."

"Look how tiny he is!"

"Well, duh! He's premature!"
"Plus, look how small his parents are," Megumi pointed out, gesturing to Kenshin and I. Then she froze. "…Oops." Even though her tone was rueful, I'm sure I saw fox ears appear.

"What?" Sano's voice was dangerously low and I felt the heat rising off of him in waves. I gave Kenshin a worried look. He had immediately come to my side, and his hand was now gripped in mine as he looked at the babe in my arms. He paid Sano no heed, his violet eyes serious as he looked at his son.

Then, without any warning whatsoever, he kissed me full on the lips. I was sure Sano was going to murder him for it right then and there, but I was too captivated by Kenshin's eyes to care. "Kaoru," he said, his face and voice all seriousness. "I know you must be overwhelmed right now and I know you have a lot of plans for the future, but please…don't let him go."

Him? Who? Then I looked at the small bundle of joy in my arms. Oh. "Um, why?"

"Because he's ours."

I shook my head adamantly. "No, he's Megumi's. He's a Takani. Can't you tell by his hair?" I said, stubbornly. I removed the hat, showing a little tuft of black hair.

"But…" Kenshin looked desperate.

I gave him a stern look. "No buts. He's Megumi's."

"Hibiki."

"…What?" I looked at Megumi, surprised.

She had tears falling down her face, and she looked so happy that I wanted to cry too. "His name is Hibiki. Hibiki Takani." She took him back, her face tender but sad. "And, I'm sorry to say, but he's coming with me to London."

Ah, a cliffie. I told you guys that these chappies will be shorter, right? Well, they will be. I am wrapping it up, after all.

All the information came from babycenter . com

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