It had been so long since Kagome had seen Sesshomaru. The last time he had visited, the bump was nonexistent. The war took him from her, and although she understood the importance of him leading his soldiers, she couldn't help but miss him. She fell into her role as regent easily, taking in financial and interpersonal issues of the west and allowing for audiences and meetings with the people of the West.

With time and trial and error, she gained the acceptance of the people she governed, and even later than that, she gained their respect and even their favor. Even as her bump grew, the peoples who came and asked for her assistance and her favor hailed her as their Mistress as it became clearer and clearer that Sesshomaru had pupped her.

Even so, as the days progressed, she could feel the dread that she had in regards to her belly growing more and more. How would her baby be? Would the visions be true? One of them? All of them? The thoughts filled her with absolute dread. If Sesshomaru had joined her, had been by her side, she would have been more certain that things would have been alright. But as the weeks turned into months since she had seen his face, her thoughts spiraled downward towards the thought that her child would be ill, or would make it into the world not even long enough to take its first breath.

Kagome looked on, despite the worry that she had concerning her baby. After a time, she stood from the inner garden, deciding that she had had enough of trying to relax herself. The more time she sat out for herself to find her center, to relax, to enjoy the luxury she got in exchange for governing the entire Western lands, with the help of her lover's mother, the more she was crippled with worry. She decided she'd had enough of trying to bask in the luxurious circumstances, and instead headed back to the hearing room. She had delayed it for long enough, and sat in the chair next to Sesshomaru's mother with almost a small smile on her face. As long as she stayed immersed in the problems of others, she could forget her own.

"There still is too little food within my village since the draught. Please, Your Highnesses, please grant us food stores to support our village until the winter months are over." She listened through the rest of their plight, nodding and asking questions where appropriate. It generally was easy to make the decisions concerning the subjects within the first sentence or so. She knew she would help them. They are sort of her people, how could she not?

"Nao, I have heard your troubles, and I grant your request for food from our stores to feed your people. However, be mindful that you should attempt to forage and hunt as much as possible, so as not to strain others." Kagome made the agreement with him, binding him with both his word and hers, before she sent him off. It was another day doing the same thing she had done for far too long. It made her feel good to be doing something of such import, but still, she couldn't help but wonder what Sesshomaru was doing, so far away from the castle, for so long.

It was several hours later that she was free again, and she couldn't help but dread another night, alone in their bed. She took her time, looking through the scrolls from different lords, noting which ones had paid their debts to Sesshomaru after the cruelly took advantage of his situation, and filed away all the accounts. She sat down at the low table, chewing her lip as she thought of what to write in her latest correspondence with Sesshomaru. After his last note, she felt like perhaps he would be delayed even farther for the next visit. She had been hoping that it would come to an end soon, or that he'd at least be able to come back to the castle for day or two, so she could break the news to him that she was currently very pregnant. The pen sat heavily in her hand, as she weighed what she was going to say in her letter. As she collected her thoughts, she reached for the bag that held his outer layers and laid it in her lap, breathing in his scent.

Sesshomaru,

I'm very regretful that you will be further delayed in your return. The goings on in the castle are as they have been. Your mother is very helpful in running the West, and without her help I would not have been successful as I am. Jaken and Rin are still where we have agreed to send them, and after my last visit, I am still certain that she is fine. She misses you, as do I, and I am more and more concerned for you every time you send another letter saying that you cannot come home. I have a very pressing matter that I must share with you, and I cannot do so through letters, as I worry that should I send a letter with such sensitive information, the consequences should it fall into the wrong hands would be catastrophic. Please, make time to come home in the near future, I must share something with you.

Co-regent of the Western Lands,

Kagome.

The pen hovered in the air for a moment as she considered what she had wrote, and she decided it would have to do. After five or so minutes of just sitting there, just missing him, she drug herself away from the table and into bed, her eyes moist and her nose stuffed. It was gradually becoming how she went to bed every night, as her worry grew.

Sometime in the night, her door opened.

"Milady, I have grand news!"

It was several minutes before she sat up, wiping the sleep from her eyes. "What is it, Michio?" She forced her tone to be light.

"Sesshomaru-sama is coming home!"

Okay, so it's been a long, long time since I've updated this. This is where I'm ending this one, though, as I feel it's as good a place to stop as any, but never fear! There'll be a second one, a sequel if you will, that will make sense of all the loose ends I've left. Thank you for reading. I love you guys :D