Air burst through his nose in short shaky bursts while two trembling lips pressed against his wife's temple. Amber eyes closed tightly trying in vain to stop the tears streaming down his cheeks. Two arms struggled to maintain his grip on the cold body while he unconsciously rocked back and forth and back and forth…

How could this happen?

"Sango, take the babe," he distantly heard Kaede mumble over the high-pitched ringing in his ears and a part of him was grateful the damn thing was being taken away. Kagome had managed to make him forget that his entire existence was cursed. That he was a monster who should have never been born and was constantly punished for the crime of drawing breath. Everyone who ever loved him got executed for that defect. Kikyo. Mother. And now Kagome…

A soft hand lay on his shoulder and squeezed.

"Inuyasha-"

"Go away," he managed over his soft shuddering sobs – unwilling and unable to let go of the corpse in his arms, "Just go."

"Ye need to be strong," Kaede murmured wearily, "Ye have a child who needs ye."

Inuyasha whined and jerkily shook his head. His lips pressing against the stiff Kagome's temple once more as he continued his rhythmic rocking.

"She would want ye-"

"Don't you think I know that?" Inuyasha hissed – the salty tears burning his cheeks reducing his voice to a rasp, "I just c-can't. I-I don't even want to l-look at i-it. How am I supposed to look at it?"

"Her. She's not an ' it' . Ye have a little girl," Kaede corrected gently – kneeling down in a very elderly fashion before reaching over to gently stroke his raw cheek, "Ye are not alone. Ye are still loved. We will all help ye. I promise ye that."

A long moment went by. Inuyasha continued his struggles to breathe. His body trembling out of his control while what was left of his heart crumpled and died. So, he rocked and sobbed and tried to ignore the faint cries in the distance. The lingering scents that embodied Kagome's life and death. He'd done this to her. This was entirely his fault. He had been the one who had pushed for a baby. He'd wanted to start a family so badly and for what? To…to satiate some pathetic desire for normalcy ? Why did he do this to her?

"W-why did this h-happen?"

The elderly miko deflated slightly as she recognized what he wanted to say. What he was thinking.

"Ye are not to blame. Childbirth in these times is dangerous," Kaede offered wearily – her wizened hand gently rubbing soothing circles against his back, "And she had been ill throughout the pregnancy. Very ill."

Nodding faintly, Inuyasha buried his nose in his deceased wife's hair and tried to stop his descent into madness with little success.

"I don't w-want h-her b-burned," Inuyasha managed – his voice cracking dangerously with every word as he readjusted his hold on the body and pulled it closer, "Want her b-buried. Like M-mother."

Kaede hummed sympathetically and nodded. It was difficult to manage but in this immediate moment, Inuyasha needed someone to be strong. To hold themselves and him together. Despite everything that had transpired over the years, Kaede had always held a sisterly affection for the man who had fully intended on being her brother by marriage. Even during the time Inuyasha had been pinned to that tree…

Well, he was the only family she had left in this world. Even if he never considered her as such. For years on end, Kaede would discuss things with his unmoving form. Pretend he was giving her little snarky answers or advice. As she got older, she went to visit him less for silent advice and more in an attempt to gain answers. Hoping beyond hope that the right question would wake him, and she would know what truly happened at last.

Despite the evidence that had been presented to her, she never quite believed Inuyasha had been the one to slay her sister. A part of her had always known.

"Aye. We can do that," the elderly miko murmured affectionately as she moved her hand to stroke his cheek once more, "Have ye considered talking to-"

Letting out a strange choked sound, Inuyasha shook his head and nuzzled his wife's cold temple.

"I asked him. Way back when-" he managed to get out – his chest shuddering as his soft sobs renewed, "When Kagome first started getting sick. If he'd bring her back if…if it got to be too much and her heart couldn't take it. He told me n-no. I n-never asked h-him for a-anything and h-he still said..."

A painful sounding whine escaped as he clutched desperately at the lifeless woman in his arms.

"I-I d-didn't even g-get to say g-goodbye or t-that I l-love her o-or a-anything. W-wasn't even t-there."

Wilting in sympathy, Kaede scooted slightly closer and wrapped one arm around her found brother's shoulder. It was endearing that his softly sobbing form leaned into her for support and a little shocking that he didn't seem embarrassed to show that he needed this type of gesture at the moment. His anguished cries continued for hours – intermingled with the grating screams of the newborn who had previously been so wanted. Neither understood why they had abandoned in such a way. Neither could fully comprehend what was happening.

"Y-you said s' a girl?" Inuyasha asked hoarsely – the words marred by the continued presence of hitching sobs. Kaede hummed in the affirmative.

"Aye. A very good, very healthy girl," Kaede murmured affectionately as the back of her fingers stroked his cheek. He sagged a little more into her shoulder at the gesture. The tears, however, seemed to be drying up. Not necessarily because Inuyasha was slowly recovering from his grief but more that he had transitioned into a state of shock.

"I…I don't know if I can l-look at her," he mumbled while adjusting his hold on the increasingly stiff body – his voice sounding disassociated and numb, "I don't think I can look at her."

"Did ye discuss any names?" Kaede asked with gentle encouragement and after a long pause, Inuyasha gave a faint nod before pressing his lips against the corpse's head once more. Kaede didn't fault him for the morbid yet affectionate gesture. The events of today had been filled shock and grief. Both of which Inuyasha was very much in the throes of.

"I-I would w-want to see h-her before giving h-her a name," he mumbled absently before closing his eyes and holding Kagome's body slightly closer, "I d-don't know if I c-can look at her though. Can't M-Miroku name her? Or you? Why c-can't y-you name her?"

"Aye. If that is what ye wish. My mother's name was Sute," Kaede offered quietly – understanding that whatever names he might have considered earlier were most likely too painful to say aloud, "I had another sister as well. One that came before even Sister Kikyo was born and who was lost. Tsuru. I always found that name to be rather pretty."

Opening his eyes, Inuyasha nodded faintly in acknowledgement and began subtly rocking once more.

"Do ye like either of these?"

For the longest time, normally expressive amber eyes seemed to glaze over – taking a hollow doll like appearance. They stared at the dirt before him – unmoving and vacant. Then those haunted eyes closed and Inuyasha finally replied.

"I-I liked A-Asagi. We…we had met a little half-demon girl way b-back. B-brave. S-strong," Inuyasha breathed – his gruff voice sounding odd and mechanical, "L-loyal. 'Gome w-wasn't a fan. H-had her own i-ideas."

"What names did she like?" Kaede pressed quietly. Inuyasha's lip trembled.

"S-she said it'd be a surprise , ya know? She…she had them p-picked out. One for a boy and…and one for a girl," he managed to choke out before he buried his nose once more and his entire frame shook, "Was gunna t-tell me after t-they were here b-but she p-p-promised that I'd l-like it."

Worrying about her lip, Kaede nodded once before moving away and attempting to get to her feet…

Only to be stopped when a clawed hand shot out to lightly grip her wrist.

"Don't leave me with her," Inuyasha demanded in a soft, frightened tone, "Please don't."

"I will not leave ye," Kaede promised as she gently patted the trembling hand around her wrist and then knelt back down, "I promise."