A longer chaper!

The rest of the trip was quiet between them, neither really wanting to bring up something in fear that it would make the other uncomfortable so they stuck to safe topics. She didn't understand what had made her so upset, she couldn't blame him if he moved on, she wouldn't have waited forever for someone. She should have been glad that he pulled back at the end, it could have ruined their friendship. But she couldn't stop the nagging feeling that it could have led to something else. She wished that sango was here to give her advice, and-

"Oh my god, Sango!" she exclaimed, making kouga jump, he had been keeping his distance from her since yesterday.

"Kagome? What's wrong?"

"It's almost time for her to give birth any day if she hasn't already." her teeth tugged at her bottom lip nervously, she had to be there for Sango, she knew Kikyo was more than capable of helping her, but she highly doubted Sango would want her in there. Knowing her friend, she would have to be held back by Miroku, even at nine months.

"I-I think I should go back, I know she won't let Kikyo near her…and I want to make sure I can help her during the birth." Kagome had aided many women in the village to give birth, and she worried for her friend's health. Oh how she wished she could take Sango to a hospital from her world.

He nodded, "I'll take you."

She shook her head, "no it's okay, you've been away from home for so long, I can go by myself." we probably need space from each other.

"They'll be fine, but if you don't want me to go with you, at least take Ginta and Hakkaku so I know you'll be okay. Please." there was a plea in her voice that made her soften, he was always so concerned with her.

She looked at him, and saw his brows furrow, and she couldn't help but feel guilt tugging at her heart, she shook her head, "as much as I love having them around, I think they would cause issue, especially Hakkaku."

She didn't know what Hakkaku would say to Inuyasha, or even Ginta, they knew what had happened between them everyone did, but Ginta and Hakkaku treated her like a sister, and she knew they wouldn't stay quiet about it.

Kouga chuckled, they were both cowardly but Hakkaku was know to be shrewd, even to him, "Kagome I," he paused, he couldn't tell her she couldn't go, she was more than capable of taking care of herself against demons, but it was humans that concerned him, human men, he leaned down, "is…it because of yesterday you don't want me to go?"

Remorse consumed her, "no! N-no…well I mean…" she stared at the ground Ugh why is this so hard?

"Kagome." his finger gently tilted her chin up so she could look at him, and she felt her face warm at his touch, "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable at the party, that's all I meant by yesterday."

"We almost…kissed." she whispered the last part. He moved his hand back to his side, and he nodded.

"I almost kissed you," he corrected.

She shook her head, "I…I thought …I mean…you were going to kiss me so…I wasn't" I wasn't against the idea.

His eyes rounded at her confession "you mean that…you weren't pulling away?"

She shook her head, willing the ground to consume her, a grin creeped up on his face and he had to stop himself from bursting from joy, she wanted to kiss him? He willed himself to calm down and stop grinning like an idiot.

"I won't kiss you kagome…yet." she wasn't a wolf, but he would follow his customs.

Her face changed from disappointment to shyness, their conversation wasn't over, but this was a start right?

"So about going to the village, do you still want to go by yourself?" he said cooly moving on from the topic but in reality his heart was thundering in his ears. She wanted to kiss?

How did he remain so calm? He made it seem like they had just been talking about the weather.

"Well-"

X

Inuyasha could smell it, Sango was going to give birth any day now, and he worried. He knew there was no way in hell she would be asking Kikyo to help her deliver her child, and the only person that could help her was Kagome, but there was no way in hell he was going to go find her. Kaede was still around, but she was older now and getting slower, and he wouldn't risk her health either. He didn't even know where Kagome was the only thing he knew was that she had gone on a trip, but no one knew how long.

No, he wouldn't risk things with Kikyo, especially now, they had been arguing so often she had even kicked him out of their home, his home for a week after she found out he was asking if anyone knew where Kouga's tribe had gone.

He had been staying with Kaede for the week, she didn't say anything to him, simply gestured him inside when she saw him wandering around, the two sisters never really reconnected, and their relationship remained frosty.

He sighed, wishing Kagome would come, he wondered how she was doing, if she was doing well, if…if she missed him. He shook his head, Kikyo was the woman for him, the only woman for him.

"The sooner we get there, the better." she said, they were close to home, but without the snow the wolves could no longer pull her, and could only pull their things.

"It'd be faster if I ran us home wouldn't it?"

She nodded and they both froze, they were still the same people but something had changed between them even if neither one wanted to admit it, but this was still physical contact so how would they go about it?

"I-" should she climb on his back? Or should he carry her with his arms? She was about to ask him which way he preferred, when he made the decision for them, hooking his arm behind her knees, the sudden motion caused her to shriek and grab onto his neck, and she knew he was smirking without looking at him.

"Let's go so we can see your friend." and he took off running, with his wolves following in suit.

"I need get my stuff for her, and then we can go." she yelled over the roar of the wind, "are you sure your people will be okay?"

He nodded, "they'll be fine, Hakkaku and Ginta can run the place, and if Ayame comes back they can go to her for help."

She nodded and tightened her grip around his shoulder as his speed picked up.

I need this and this, and oh I should bring her this! Kagome had made Sango's baby the smallest of kimonos possible, and the time for the baby to wear it was coming, she sighed happily as she packed it away in her makeshift pouch humming to herself.

She hoped sango would like her gifts, some clothes for the baby and a new kimono for Sango and medicine to try to ease her pain, silently praying that her birth would be an easy one. Taking another glance at a tiny kimono, she smiled to herself, she hoped one day she could have a child, but the idea quickly left her, one day if kami let her.

The village was quiet when they arrived, as dusk had settled, normally Kagome would have stopped to greet Kaede, but she didn't want to bother her, she slept early now and she didn't want many people to know she was there. They made their way silently to their house and she knocked.

They heard a cry and things being moved around before a flustered Miroku answered the door, and his face broke into relief at the sight of her.

"Lady kagome, I am so glad to see you."

"Of course," sango let out another cry in the background, "lead me to her."

Miroku gently wiped his wife's forehead with a cloth, and kissed her forehead, trying to stop the tears springing from his eyes, but it was of no use, she had done it, twice.

"You did such a great job my love." he whispered, dabbing her forehead again and she smiled weakly at him.

"We did it." she answered.

He shook his head, "just you, they are so beautiful, and you are so beautiful." he looked over to see kagome holding their other child, she had finished cleaning it up and handed it over to him, and his arms shook with fear.

"What if I drop the baby?"

Kagome laughed quietly, "you won't, here put your hand here to cradle it's head and you can hold her like this." he trembled slightly at holding his precious life.

"I'll be outside." she exited the room and saw Kouga playing tops with Shippo, the little kitsune ran up to her.

"Can I see sango?" he asked excited to meet the kid he would soon play with and kagome smiled and smoothed his hair.

"Not yet, she needs to rest, okay?"

He frowned but nodded, "when can I play with the baby?"

Kagome laughed and picked him up, sitting with him on a zabuton, "not yet, it'll be a few years before you can play with them, so for now you'll have to help sango and miroku take care of your nieces."

Shippo's eyes widened, "nieces? Two? And they get to call me uncle?"

She nodded, "that's right, you're an uncle now and she had twins. So you'll have to be a good uncle to them."

Shippo puffed out his chest, "of course I'll be the best uncle!"

"Lady kagome? Sango wants to talk to you."

"Of course, I'll be right there, shippo can you go with kouga?"

He nodded and Kagome made her way to Sango, who was sitting up as much as she could, "Kagome, thank you." she said, hugging her lightly, grimacing from the pain.

"Of course, I know you probably didn't want anyone else around." she said, gently helping her lay down again,

Sango's face clouded, "Kikyo offered to help but I told her to leave, and thankfully you showed up right on time."

Kagome smiled at her, "you should rest, I'll be back in the morning to help you around."

"Where are you going?" at this time of night?

"Um home?"

Sango shook her head, "of course not, stay here please." she pleaded.

"But… Kouga's here too."

"He can stay here too, please kagome?"

Kagome sighed, "fine I'll stay! But only because you're asking, I'll talk to him."

"Um which side do you want?" she said, rolling out the mat that sango gave her.

"Kagome, I can sleep outside, it's fine."

"No! I know he's out there and he'll cause issues with you, just stay here, I won't bite." her attempt at lightning the mood.

He smiled at her, "it's fine if you do," he teased, "I can sleep on this side, closer to the opening"

"Hmm okay, I hope you don't mind, shippo's gonna be in here, this is usually his room now."

"It's fine, I'm sure he missed ya." the little fox definitely saw Kagome as his mother and in way, he knew she thought of him as her son.

They laid down quietly, with shippo cuddling up to Kagome. Soon shippo's tiny snores came through and kagome and kouga shared the same thought.

This feels right