Author's Note:

Once again, I feel like spoiling y'all by posting another chapter so close together. I kind of love how I'm cranking them out, and I love the feedback you guys are providing. Please keep them coming! Also, someone mentioned InuYasha taking medicine and when you're going to get to know more about the twins. I will be throwing in little tidbits here and there within their discussions, so be on the lookout for those. Also, to help balance out some of the emotions, I will be adding more cute moments between the characters, like in this chapter. So, I hope that you enjoy them. Please let me know if there is anything else you'd like to see within the story, and I'll see where I can add it.

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Chapter 6

The next day, after InuYasha and his twins spent hours in the Gardens, listening to him talk about his mother and him singing some of his childhood songs, Usagi and Lady Narou came in for their daily checkup. InuYasha was bored out of his mind as he waited for them to finish their quick check, not really listening to what the women were saying. He should have been, especially when it comes to his "imprisonment." Just then, a knock at the door alerted them to the presence of Lord Sesshomaru, someone the young hanyo was less than eager to see.

"What the hell do you want?" InuYasha glared.

"Lord InuYasha, show some respect to his lordship," Lady Narou scolded before Usagi and she turned to bow in his presence.

"How is InuYasha's health coming along?" Sesshomaru asked as he kneeled beside the bed.

"He is healing nicely. His internal wounds are healing a little slower, but his external ones are almost nonexistent. However, we gave him some medicine to speed up the healing process. He is to take it twice a week for at least the next two weeks. After that, he should be good to be cleared for his post-partum finally," Narou explained.

"Two weeks! You mean I'm stuck here with him for another two weeks! That's bullshit!" InuYasha shouted.

"Well, you did technically have one hundred and fifty years of post-partum. What are another two weeks?" Usagi giggled behind her hand as he groaned about his treatment plan.

"Did InuYasha finish his first round of medicine?" asked Sesshomaru.

"Yes, milord," the women asked together.

"Good, then leave us."

Usagi and Narou bowed to them simultaneously before exiting the room. When they were gone, tension between the two brothers spiked to uncomfortable levels. Despite his younger brother glaring at him, Sesshomaru brushed off the seething hanyo as he sat as still as a mountain.

"I thought I told you that I didn't want to see your ugly mug until you gave me an answer about the missing one hundred and fifty years from my life,"

"I came to discuss something important with you," said Sesshomaru.

"That would be?"

"Fukushu. I know you remember him and were told about his relentless assassination attempts." InuYasha nodded. "He's back and looking for vengeance."

"Does he know about me?"

"Not to my knowledge. However, that does not mean that he will not find out before too much time has passed."

"Since when have you ever been afraid of anyone?" asked InuYasha.

"I am not afraid. He is a crafty demon who's managed to escape my grasp with each battle. It's been hard to track him," Sesshomaru glared.

"So, we find him and kick his ass; it's not that hard, especially if he's threatening our children."

"You are not going anywhere or doing anything until you have been released. I shall deal with the matter at hand."

"Bull fucking shit, you will. You've been "dealing" with this fucker for too long, and nothing has happened to him. It's my turn to get revenge after kidnapping and trying to kill our children." InuYasha said as he tried to get up, only to have Sesshomaru push him back down.

"I prohibit you from leaving the castle grounds until you have been released. That is my final order on this matter," Sesshomaru argued.

"You're ordering me around? Ha! That's hilarious. You know good and well that you can't tell me a goddamn thing. So, either you will let me help you get rid of this guy, or I'm going to find him myself and take care of it for you. Which one is it going to be?"

"I have had enough of your insolence," Sesshomaru growled, challenging InuYasha. "You will remain within the castle walls and regain your strength. Only then will I consider you helping with his defeat."

"You've got some nerve~."

"For once, in your pathetic mind, be reasonable. You're in this situation because of him. Do you not think that he will not hesitate to kidnap or kill you again once he knows that you're still alive? You've already lost one hundred and fifty years. Do you want to actually lose your life this time and leave the twins motherless permanently this time?"

InuYasha immediately shut his mouth and glared at his elder brother. Although he did not like what Sesshomaru said, he couldn't help but think that he was right, especially knowing his true plan before he was sealed away.

Deciding that arguing was getting them nowhere, InuYasha gave in with a sigh and turned his head away. "Did he ever tell you about his plan?"

"Excuse me?"

"His plan. When you came to rescue me, did he ever tell you about his plan?"

"No. He only promises the death of our children and me."

"Well, he told me."

"Why did you not say something before?" Sesshomaru growled.

"It wasn't important before, and I had a lot going on. Forgive me, Your Majesty," he said sarcastically with an eye roll.

"What is his plan?"

"He wants to kill you and the twins so that he can take over the throne. But, if he finds out that I'm alive, he might be more relentless in his assassination attempts toward you guys. He wants me alive."

"Why would he keep you alive? You're the second son of Inu no Taisho. If he wanted to take over the throne, he would have to kill you too."

"Nope. Apparently, because of my omega status, I cannot hold the throne, and if my father had lived, he would have married me off to keep the throne in the family and strengthen our lineage. He said he would keep me as his breeding bitch. So, at least I would be safe, but there's no telling what he'll do to you or our pups. I wouldn't doubt that he would try using me against you guys again. There's no telling what that sick fuck will do if that happens."

"Are you afraid, InuYasha?"

"Fuck no!" The hanyo yelled as he turned to face his older brother, slightly annoyed by the knowing expression on Sesshomaru's face. "Ok, maybe a little bit. You don't know what it was like being pregnant and helpless, especially when the pups decided to come early. I'm kind of glad he did. If Usagi had been a different demoness and they didn't come right then and there, she could have cut them out like he ordered. I'm just glad things were different that night."

"He ordered Usagi to cut out the pups?" Sesshomaru asked angrily.

"Yeah, but she didn't listen. She only made me comfortable until Narou got there to help deliver them. She's a good demoness. Thank you for saving her. And… I guess… thank you for saving me too…"

Surprised by his little brother's words, Sesshomaru nodded but remained silent. With InuYasha's apology, the tension between them lightened somewhat. However, it was InuYasha who broke the silence again.

"What did you tell everyone after you left me in that old demon tree?"

"His name is Bokusenō. It would be best if you learned it for when you eventually meet him. As for your pack, I told them that you passed on to the Afterlife. It was the only way to prevent Fukushu from knowing the truth."

"So, my friends, Miroku, Sango, their kids, Shippo, Rin, Grandma Kaeda, even Koga… they all thought I died all those years ago? So that means that the humans died thinking that they'd never see me again?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Sesshomaru nodded.

"Oh…" Was all InuYasha could say as he tried to stop tears from pricking the corner of his eyes. "Did they cry when you told them?"

"Yes. The news of your passing deeply saddened them. Even Rin shed a few tears. I attended the funeral they held for you. It was… honorable… to see how much they valued your life, InuYasha."

"And Kagome… do you know if she ever came back from her time?"

"You mean that unusual wench you had with your pack?"

"Don't call her that. She was more than a wench. I love her, ya know," InuYasha glared, but there was no bite to it.

"So, I've heard. Unfortunately, I have not seen or heard from her. But that was also because I had not visited the village that often. I did bring the twins to meet your pack a time or two so that they would get to know them. Rest assured that they enjoyed their time with our pups and dotted on them. However, I asked that they pass the message along to that woman should she return. They never told me if she returned or not, so I do not possess that information."

"That's kind of comforting… I guess… Thanks for telling me, Sesshomaru."

Knowing that his friends thought that he died before they did was heartbreaking. Once again, thoughts of everything that he missed out on ran through his mind. How did he recover from that bit of information? However, knowing that they still honored and cared for them, even in his death, while also getting to know his pups, brought a light feeling to his chest.

Before his thoughts ran too wild through his head, Sesshomaru suddenly rose to his feet with his usual calm expression.

"I shall allow you to rest before your next round of medicine and food arrives. Would you like me to forbid the pups from coming to visit? I understand that you enjoy each other's company, but I also do not want to delay your healing process."

InuYasha shook his head, "No, that's all right. I like it when they visit me. Besides, they would still sneak off to see me even if you said something."

"Yes. It seems they inherited your stubborn streak, something I've tried to irradicate from them for decades," Sesshomaru sighed.

"Bullshit, you did. You know just as well as I do that you're just as stubborn. I would say they got it from both of us," InuYasha smirked with pride.

Even without his face changing, the hanyo could tell that his elder brother was proud of the traits their pups inherited from them. The unspoken conversation was left hanging as Sesshomaru silently exited the room, leaving InuYasha alone with his thoughts and emotions.

A few hours later, exhausted from processing the information that Sesshomaru gave him and the somewhat decent moment they shared, InuYasha rose from his nap feeling refreshed for the first time in days since he woke up. By the look of the sun's rays in his bedroom, InuYasha could tell that he still had a while before his next round of medicine and food would arrive. However, he quickly became bored and wanted to leave his room. Without no one around, the hanyo knew he would have to make his way out of his room alone. Luckily, he still had his resolve and somewhat remembered where the Gardens was; InuYasha was determined to get himself out of his room and make it to the Gardens by himself.

It took all of his strength to roll over onto his stomach before using his core and arm strength to lift himself onto his knees. Unfortunately, that took a lot out of him and caused him to sweat already. However, that wasn't going to stop him. After he pushed himself into a seated position, InuYasha managed to crawl over to his bedroom door and used it to lift himself. Although his legs still shook from lack of use, the hanyo leaned his weight against the door for support. With the amount of effort it took for him to move, InuYasha leaned against the door and panted as he prepared himself for the next steps. It only took a few moments and more determination before he slid the door open and exited the room without much trouble.

It took him much longer than anticipated to reach the Gardens. The first reason was that he partially forgot which way to go, and he cursed about the castle being a giant maze. The second reason was that he wasn't paying attention when the twins led him yesterday, which was no one's fault but his own. Luckily, he swallowed his pride and asked for directions. Despite the staff offering to help him, InuYasha's pride was too enormous to accept, and he continued forward with the directions he was given. Fortunately, he finally made his way to the doors to the Gardens. Now, he needed to figure out how he was going to open the doors and get to the large tree and koi pond.

"Need some help, papa?"

InuYasha jumped out of his skin. He quickly turned around and saw his daughter standing behind him with a knowing smirk.

"When did you get here? And wipe that smirk off your face. It's creepy."

InuKanpeki giggled behind her hand before rolling her eyes and walking toward the doors, "I went to your room to bring you something, but when you weren't there, I figured you made your way to the Gardens. A servant also told me that you stopped and asked for directions. Quite the accomplishment for someone with a large pride like yours."

"Ha, ha. Very funny. It's rude to mock your elders, ya know," he grumbled as he watched her open the doors and offered an elbow to him, which he graciously took. "Where's your brother?"

"Still in his lessons. Father caught him trying to sneak out and punished him by staying longer."

"What lesson was he in?"

"Japanese Demon History. It's not his strong suit, so he struggles to stay awake and focused on it," she giggled as she led him to the tree.

When they got close enough, InuYasha reached out to touch the tree and stabilize himself before sitting down. "Well, I can understand that. I'm not big on history, either. All I know is from what my mother or other humans taught me or what I picked up during my battles with other demons."

"Not to sound rude, but it does not seem as if you know a lot."

"It's not rude. I'm the first to say that it wasn't easy for a hanyo like me to learn anything when you're unwanted," he sighed as he adjusted himself. "So, you said you wanted to bring me something?"

"Oh yes! I found something in our family's library," InuKanpeki said as she pulled a scroll out from her sleeve and handed it to him. "Here you go."

"What is it?" he asked, examining the scroll suspiciously.

"It's a scroll about Grandfather Taishuo and Grandmother Izayoi. Go on, why don't you read it," she encouraged with a smile. It wasn't until he looked at the scroll with a frown that she realized something about her papa. "You don't know how to read?"

InuYasha shook his head, "I never had the chance to learn a lot. I know enough to get by, but that's about it."

"Then here," she said as she took the scroll back and scooted closer to him. "I'll read it to you." With delicate hands, InuKanpeki broke the seal on the scroll and rolled it open. As she spoke, she pointed to different characters and parts of writing. "This part tells the story of how they met. It says here that while he was traveling, he heard her singing and found her in the gardens. This part talks about how beautiful, witty, and brave she was when they met. This part mentions how he instantly fell in love with her and kissed her hand. Before they parted, when her family called her away, they promised to meet back here the next day. The next part talked about how he waited for her for hours before she finally snuck away and met him there. They laughed, and she sang for him as she picked wild lilies from the Garden. Finally, this part mentions their argument to meet whenever they can."

"Wow, I didn't know any of this. It's nice to get to know my parents before I was born. Can you please keep going?"

She nodded and continued, "This part talked about how he fell deeply in love with her every time they were together and how his heart yearned for her when they were apart. This next part is my favorite. It said that when he found out that she was pregnant, grandfather did everything he could for her. He sent her money and prepared for her to come to the castle and live with her father and him. It also talked about him being unmatted with Grandmother InuKimi and how it was more mutual instead of her being bitter."

"That's good. I thought she might hate my guts when I finally meet her,"

"You haven't met Grandmother InuKimi yet?"

InuYasha shook his head, "And I'd like to keep it that way until I'm at least better. But continue,"

"Well, this last part mentioned that he was excited the closer it got to your birth because he would have another pup to care for, a love child between the two of them. He even had your name picked out if you were a boy, which he hoped you were. He was also excited for you to meet father and was hoping that you would get along."

"Yeah, look how that turned out," he chuckled with his arms crossed. "What else does it say?"

"That's where it ends. Sorry,"

"It's all right. That was enough for me right now, anyway. Where did you say you found this?"

"In the family library. I'll take you there one day, and maybe I can read some more to you. Our tutor said that I am his best student, after all," she smiled with pride.

InuYasha returned her smile as he patted the top of her head. "That's my girl. I'm proud of you. And yes, I would like that. Maybe you could also read other things to me later. For now, why don't we sit in silence and enjoy the beautiful day, yeah?"

InuKanpeki nodded as she rolled up the scroll and leaned against him. Surprised, InuYasha leaned against her, too, before wrapping an arm around her in a loving embrace. As they sat in silence, the gentle wind blowing through their hair, each enjoyed the other's company, not needing to say a word as the moments ticked into minutes and the minutes ticked into hours before they finally dozed off in the evening sun's rays.

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To Be Continued…