Chapter Sixteen:

We Are Family

InuYasha placed his hand on the hilt of his sword as he glared at the four demons that had dared to come into his territory.

He acknowledged Miroku's clumsy entrance with only a flick of his ear. As far as InuYasha could tell there were only four of them. Two females and two males. Despite the hanyo's obvious hostility the newcomers seemed completely at ease and unconcerned and that pissed InuYasha off.

Suddenly one of the females, the one dressed like a ninja, gave a frustrated shake of her head as she growled.

"Oh I can't take it anymore!" Aiko screeched as she moved quickly to stand in front of her nephew.

"Little Inu-kun is all grown up!" she said as she suddenly wrapped her arms around a very stunned InuYasha's head and nearly suffocated him in her bosom.

InuYasha was so shocked that he actually dropped the Tessiga as his arms flailed around him.

"What the hell?!" InuYasha shouted though it was muffled by the fact his head was being held rather tightly to a strange female's chest.

Miroku was also surprised by the turn of events that all he could do was stare in shock before saying.

"InuYasha you are one lucky bastard."

InuYasha finally managed turn his face so his words weren't muffled.

"GET THIS BITCH OFF OF ME!" he shouted as the other female came toward them. Raiden couldn't stop laughing. Aiko was always so true to her name and the fact she basically glomped the poor kid made his day. It was almost as funny as the way she'd glomp and cuddle Sesshomaru as if he were still a little puppy that thrived on attention.

"Aiko let the pup breath." Megumi ordered as she pried her sister off of the

boy. Once InuYasha was free he snatched the Tessiga up and pointed it at the evil woman that had tried to suffocate him.

"Who the fuck do you think you are? And I ain't no damned pup!"

"Should have let her kill him." Dai grumbled as he eyed the youngest son of Ryoichi. Not only was he a half-breed but he was disrespectful to his superiors as well.

"Raiden reached back and popped his younger, brooding brother in the back of the head. "Be quiet, hanyo or not he is family."

"I'm sorry," Miroku said as he moved to stand with his friend. "Family?"

Raiden's grin only grew bigger as he turned to the monk while Dai's face only turned angrier.

"You see he even has a human for his beta!" Dai snarled as he glared at Miroku. "And a monk none the less. Shameful."

"Oh shut up you old wind bag!" Raiden chuckled. "Yes monk we are his family. I am his father's younger brother Raiden," he then gestured to the female with the floor length sliver hair that was cut in a princess cut. She was dressed in a green princess kimono with cranes flying from the sleeves and a large silver dog on the back. Taking her cue Megumi bowed her head.

"I am Megumi, third born, first sister." She then glared at Dai who only turned his nose up obviously not wanting to answer.

"That is our younger brother Dai. He is the youngest boy."

"And I am Aiko!" the ninja said as she stepped forward. "I'm the youngest and I have to say you have grown so much since the day you were born. You were an adorable little baby."

InuYasha's mouth was practically on the grass as he stared at the group in shock and awe.

Miroku noticed his friend's inability to speak so he did it for him.

"So you are InuYasha's aunts and uncles?"

"Yes," Raiden eyed the monk as Sesshomaru's words concerning the humans of the group came to mind.

When Sesshomaru says a human is strong, even for a human, that's a big compliment. I'll have to test this monk and slayer out to see what I'll be working with.

Aiko rolled her sun colored eyes as she began to shift her weight from foot to foot.

"Okay I can't wait anymore I want to meet this miko!" InuYasha glowered at his 'aunt' with untrusting eyes.

"You really think I'm going to let you anywhere near my pregnant wife?"

Raiden shrugged as he approached the hanyo. His long waist length silver pony tail swayed with his movements. "Well that's why we're here, Kimi said you agreed to her compromise and so we are here to escort you and your pack back to the West. Does it surprise you that your brother would send the best warriors in the West, second only to the Inu no Taisho himself of course."

InuYasha eyed the older man with mistrust born of years of full-blooded demons wanting him dead. There was no way he was taking any kind of chance with his family's lives at stake it was his duty as her father to protect his daughter and her mother at all costs. But for some reason all of his fears abandoned him when he looked to the one named Aiko. Her scent was familiar, so much so that he had a flash of a memory.

He could see in his mind a beautiful face smeared with dirt and blood and he could almost feel a woman's soft, yet strong arms around him cradling him; and then a soft voice almost like the tinkling of wind chimes breezed through his mind.

It's okay puppy Aiko-oba is here. You and mommy are safe with me.

"InuYasha?" Miroku asked as he nudged his half human friend from his thoughts. "What do you want to do my friend?" Even though it was strange to see a pack of full demons interested in protecting a human woman pregnant with a hanyo's child he didn't feel anything particularly malevolent, with the exception of the once called Dai. In any case he felt that it could be in Kagome's best interest if these demons were allowed to guard her. After all they all knew that InuYasha was particularly deadly when Kagome's safety was an issue he could only imagine how a group of full blooded dog demons were concerned with the protection of one innocent little baby hanyo girl. But he would adhere to InuYasha's judgment.

"Feh," he said as he sheathed his sword and turned his back to the demons and faced toward the direction of the village and his wife. "It's your life but if any of you do anything to hurt even one hair on any of my pack I'll gut you with Tessiga and send your remains back to Sesshomaru."

For some strange reason Miroku noticed that the three demons, the older male and two females smiled as if proud of the hanyo's threat, the other on the other hand looked ready to lash out at the hanyo.

"Well," Miroku said as he moved to stand with InuYasha. "Shall we return to the village? I would very much like to catch a few more hours of rest before dawn."

InuYasha grunted and lead the way to the village.

Meanwhile with Kagome

Kagome woke to a rather sharp kick in her belly and an empty sleeping bag with Shippo curled against her swollen womb but InuYasha was gone. Again her baby kicked hard as if upset that she could no longer sense her father. She sat up and looked around for her husband and noticed that Miroku was also gone.

That's strange. She thought confused as she pulled herself to her feet. Where could they have gone?

She grabbed a light blanket and wrapped around her shoulders and stepped out of the hut's doorway just waiting for the men to return.

She waited for nearly an hour before she saw her red clad hanyo coming back toward the hut. She smiled and took step toward him then she noticed the others he had with him.

"Kagome!" InuYasha said as he walked to her side and held her close. "What are you doing out here so late? You should be sleeping."

Kagome smiled softly as she laid her head on his chest over his heart and merely closed her eyes.

"I woke up and you weren't there." She then placed her hand on her belly where the baby had finally clamed down when she had heard her father's voice once more. "And she didn't like you being so far away."

InuYasha chucked as he rubbed his hand over his baby as if to calm her down further.

"Sorry Kagome." He kissed her head and then Kagome turned her attention to the strangers staying a respectable distance away.

"Who…?" Kagome wasn't sure how to word her question without being rude but she didn't need to because Raiden took the initiative and stepped forward.

"I am Raiden your mate's uncle, these are my sisters, Megumi and Aiko and our brother Dai. We have been sent here to retrieve you and your pack and bring you to the West."

Kagome blinked then she smiled as she looked at InuYasha. He might not have been able to see it with his lack of trust clouding his eyes but she could tell that these people meant them no harm.

She then broke from her overprotective lover's embrace and approached the demon. "It's nice to meet you Raiden-oij, my name is Kagome."

Raiden smiled and nodded. "It's a pleasure to meet you," then his eyes lowered to her stomach where the baby rested. He reached out and looked up at her. "May I?" he asked and Kagome nodded. So Raiden placed a careful clawed hand on the human's belly and was greeted with a strong, almost fierce kick.

"She a strong one already."

"Oh! I wanna feel!" Aiko said as she quickly came to her elder brother's side. She eagerly placed her hands on her nephew's wife and waited eagerly. Aiko's patience was rewarded by another kick.

The demoness's face lite up with delight as she smiled.

"It'll be good to have another koinu around."

"Yeah, yeah whatever." InuYasha said as he finally gave into his instincts and placed his hands on Kagome's shoulders. "Come on wench, you need to get back to bed." Kagome nodded and entered the hut and went back to bed.

Miroku followed his young friend to go back to sleep. InuYasha turned to look at his Aunts and Uncles as he tried to think of where to put them. He knew the slayer would be more likely to kill them if she woke up to four strange demons in the hut.

"We will retire to the forest for tonight InuYasha." Megumi said as she spoke up. "We will see you tomorrow love." She then kissed the hanyo's head and led the others to the woods intent on returning in the morning.

A/N: So what do you all think about InuYasha's Aunts and Uncles? Please let me know with a review.

Koinu- puppy

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha or any character affiliated with the show.