Inu-yasha sniffed as he and Miroku entered the village.
"Is something the matter?" Miroku asked.
"…Fawks is back…"
"That's wonderful news!" Miroku beamed, "No doubt the girls have already thoroughly interrogated her…"
"You go on ahead, I'll catch up later…" Inu-yasha began, gazing off into the forest. Miroku followed his gaze, "Sessho-maru?"
"I guess I'm gonna have to get used to him if he's gonna make Fawks' mate" Inu-yasha sighed. Miroku clasped a hand on his friend's shoulder, "Try not to fight, for Fawks-chan's sake"
"Only if he doesn't start anything…" Inu-yasha scoffed, bounded off toward his brother's scent.
Sessho-maru opened his eyes with an annoyed growl, staring up into the boughs of the tree he was resting in.
"What do you want, Inu-yasha?"
Inu-yasha in turned glared up into the tree.
"So she did bring you with her…"
"Do you honestly believe I'd allow my mate to go unaccompanied?"
"Cut the crap, Sessho-maru. One whiff of Fawks and I know you haven't mated her, hell you haven't even bedded her in at least a month…"
Inu-yasha barely had time to blink before his brother was out of the tree and punching him, hard in the face. The hanyou hit the ground hard, skidding in the dirt.
"The goings on of my bed chamber is none of your business whelp" Sessho-maru growled dangerously.
"…It does…when it involves my friends…" Inu-yasha growled back, lifting himself off the ground. "If you're just stringing her along…!"
"Make no mistake, little brother, I do plan on making Fawks-chan my mate. Certain…complications have arisen and I will not bed her until then"
"…in case she gets pregnant…"
"You're not as simple as you look"
Inu-yasha glared, dusting himself off, "What's the big deal? Why not hurry up and get it over with?"
Sessho-maru hesitated, "In order to mate Fawks-chan I had to refuse a prearranged match. The girl then committed suicide and now her clan is howling for Fawks-chan's blood. In two days time we will be leaving for battle"
"We?! You're bringing Fawks with you?!"
"Do you honestly believe I could have stopped her? That she would obediently stay home and wait for me?"
"…No I suppose not…" Inu-yasha sighed.
"I do not know how long we will be away. I thought it best if Fawks saw her friends before then…"
Inu-yasha studied his older brother, "Are you saying she might not come back?"
"I would never allow that to happen" Sessho-maru hissed. "Even if she does lose her life, I'll resurrect her with the Tenseiga…"
"But you can only use it once…"
"One time is all I shall need. Fawks understands, if I were to lose her once, I would never let her back in battle…"
Fawks stroked Etsuko's head as the baby snoozed on her shoulder. The twins were asleep as well, their heads in her lap.
"You're really good with kids…" Miroku commented, as Kagome took her daughter from her friend.
"I like kids" Fawks shrugged. "I just never thought I'd have any…"
"Why not?" Sango asked.
"I…never really slept with guys. I never liked any of the girls I went out with enough to want to start a family with them. And if I did have kids I'd want them to have two parents, my mom raised me and my brother by herself and I saw the toll it took on her. I think it contributed to her illness…" She admitted. "But now I'm with Sessho-maru, I'm actually excited to have children…"
Kagome gave her a squeeze, "You're going to make a wonderful mom"
"I sure hope so" Fawks blushed.
"Yo" Inu-yasha muttered as he entered the hut, "The asshole says it's time to go"
"And hello to you too" Fawks frowned at him.
"Inu-yasha…! At least say hello!" Kagome scolded.
"I can't say I'm pleased with how he's doing things but…I hope you're happy with him…" He scoffed.
"Thanks, Inu-kun. And don't worry, I'll make you an uncle soon enough" she grinned.
"No one's asking you for that!" Inu-yasha barked.
"Oi, I want that…" Kagome pouted. "I'm sure Sessho-maru and Fawks will make some beautiful babies and Etsuko will have someone to play with closer to her strength"
"…I don't wanna talk about this anymore…"