This is it! The very last chapter of Paper Cranes! I know you've all been waiting, but real life hits hard when it wants your attention. Six weeks may have seemed like a lot of time for all of you waiting for the conclusion to this story, but my word it went fast!

So, as some of you more vocal readers might know, I made a visit to the family up north for baby brother's HS graduation and open house. I haven't been on particularly good terms with a large portion of my immediate family for a few months now and being shoved into close quarters with them wasn't pleasant. I was emotionally wrung out two days before I was supposed to come home. Ugh! That kind of stress is not good for writing and creativity!

I got back and hit the ground running in my house hunt. I was fairly exhausted before we found a house that I liked and that would accept my offer (The second distinction is very important as the first house I went for got a better offer before mine.) Once the offer was accepted, It was inspections and paperwork and packing and signing until I'm blue in the face. But it's all done. Mostly. I will have completely moved out of my apartment of four years and into my new house on the 27th with only a little cleaning left to take care before turning in the keys. And through it all I some how managed to crank out this chapter.

I'm not promising awesomeness here, nothing explosive or particularly poignant. Life never just finds a good stopping point (except death, and even that leads into the story of those affected by loss) so don't expect all loose ends to be completely tied up in a knot. But it does end on a positive, hopeful, looking to the future type of tone.

Calendar: October

I do not own: 1) Inuyasha, the characters or world therefrom. Those belong to Rumiko Takahashi. 2) the original idea that spawn this specific plot. That was borrowed from Shellbabe's Lost Mate found on FFN.

Heart Full of Love

When Kagome moved to put her empty salad bowl in the sink, movement outside the kitchen window caught her eye. The view made her smile. Today was Rin's birthday. Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha had taken the pup to walk the property lines.

It was a rite of passage common among canine youkai. It marked the end of infancy. Rin was now graduated from the purely taken care of to the realm of increasing responsibility. The rite was the admission that she was beyond the helpless stage of life. Sesshoumaru would start teaching the little female ways to manipulate her youki in defensive maneuvers.

Sesshoumaru – and Inuyasha in smaller ways – would teach her techniques to take down attackers in any form. While the whole of the pack would protect her still, she would be expected to learn to protect herself and others younger and weaker in the ways of a pack. Ginta and Hakkaku would be invited to participate. The more Rin learned the better protected she would be. Her instinct already leaned in the direction of looking after those around her in all the ways she was capable, now she would learn more.

Before now all of Rin's efforts had been limited to following medical protocols and cheering up the patients she came in contact with. The little coyote knew when a situation warranted the need to tell an adult. She could identify a situation that would be dangerous for those around her and she knew the peaceful ways of words and disarming innocence to defuse an argument. She wasn't an expert in their use, only growth and experience could teach her that, but the little female was observant. Rin had proven her readiness for this step by learning so much already.

Besides, Kagome sighed in chagrin, Rin's youki had grown quite a bit in the last six months. She'd wanted to argue for putting off this rite, reluctant to admit the pp was growing up so fast, but the coyote pup was now powerful enough to pose a risk to SIMHH if she didn't learn to restrain her energy. Kagome and Sesshoumaru could contain her little spikes of frustration and occasional anger, but now was the time to teach her self control. It would be silly to wait until the pup's energy became completely unmanageable. She would pose a greater danger then and have a more difficult time trying to learn control if allowed to grow stronger first.

Kagome noticed Inuyasha was panting lightly as Kikyou approached him with a bottle of water and a towel. His aura was full of a contentment Kagome had never detected from him in Japan. Separation from the Taishou pack had done him amazing good, whatever Hiroyuki and the press might have fed to the world.

Immediately after the Taishou alpha was returned to his base of power in Japan, the story began to circulate that SIMHH had kidnapped and imprisoned his son. The press had camped out front of the clinic for weeks. The initial absence of Kagome and Sesshoumaru only gave the rumors time to grow crazier with each iteration.

Ginta had saved them the first day after the pair were ready to return to the world with a phone call and a fast ride. Kagome still couldn't believe the malarkey Hiroyuki tried to pass as fact. Sesshoumaru had been required to stand up in the press conference out front of the institute and straighten out the story. Cheryl and Titus had participated to clear the name of SIMHH and explain the rules Kagome held as law. They had to go into the history of why and how and what to explain why a visiting lord had been banned from the building. Kelly had produced a video of the scene that proved Hiroyuki had been removed for his own bad behavior rather than any malicious or pointedly prejudiced decisions on SIMHH's part.

Kagome had been carefully kept out of the lime light, the better to continue doing her work.

Until the official paperwork for Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha's separation from the Taishou pack came to light. It further proved the Taishou had made the story up but also brought to light that the inu brothers were immigrating to America and that Kagome and a number of her previous sponsors were bringing them in. Then they'd done what they could to dig up dirt on the secret miko, her professors, sponsors, and associates. They dug up "Mary" who told all in her very biased view and ended up in litigation for defaming Kagome. They discovered the mating between Sesshoumaru and Kagome and speculations ran rampant. They tried to use Katarin as proof of her unfaithfulness though how anyone could think a human could breed with any youkai and produce a full-blooded youkai, Kagome had no idea. There were tabloids filled with speculation over her relationship with Ginta and Hakkaku.

The papparazzi dug into her family in Japan and linked her with as many males as possible, failing to report that nearly all names raised were currently and formerly linked romantically with other people. Brett's name was dragged through the mud for his sexual proclivities and chosen life partner. Somehow the nosy gossip-mongers found out about Trish and the rest of the Australia crew. Somebody spilled all their fantasies to the press as if it were fact, making it seem like Sesshoumaru had cheated on Kagome.

Then the ugliest rumors started. The ones that had the small state bound pack exchanging partners in the most petty, highly emotional, and jealous ways. The worst part, all of the excessive talk even found its way into the more respectable papers until Kagome had been required to stop all SIMHH's periodicals just to keep the vitriol out.

Things were just started to quiet down, when the circling vultures snapped up the speculation that Kagome was pregnant. She wasn't showing that much when the first reporters began to publicly wonder about babies. And it wasn't in the cheerful disinterested excitement that accompanied the same idle fertility musings regarding celebrities either. It was the malicious type, the kind that turned up around shotgun weddings. As if Kagome being pregnant would be the only reason Sesshoumaru would mate her.

Kagome took a deep breath and let it out slowly bringing her mind back to the present and focusing just on the father and pup shaking out their fur. Rin was still bounding around, darting from the paws of the white inu to nip at the pant legs of Inuyasha and back again playfully. To the casual watcher, the coyote might seem just as full of boundless energy as she had been when she left, but Kagome could see the truth. The pup was excited, exhilarated to be growing up and spending time with her papa and uncle. But the motions were a second off in their initiation from when the notion struck. The paws tripped up a little too often.

Knowing the pup like Kagome did, she had little doubt that instead of just running the property lines as was required, Rin had likely run back and forth between the two males who were escorting her as proper alpha and pack mate should. With all the circles and exploring the little pup ran, it wouldn't surprise Kagome if Rin had run far enough to encircle the property three or four times. The pup was about ready to drop but Rin would never admit it.

Kagome smiled before the expression dropped off her face and she whirled around to look away from the view. Sesshoumaru was changing back and that first glimpse of naked male got to her every time. It was really quite annoying. All the males around her would tease her terribly for her altered scent and hormonal reaction, but god forbid she try to hide it. The last time Kagome had chosen to cover or block her scent with Reiki, they'd nearly had a riot against her. Even Rin had growled at her.

Kagome shuffled her feet over to the door before slipping off her house slippers and stepping into a loose pair of outdoor shoes. Technically, they were Sesshoumaru's moccasins, bought for him to wear around the property in place of his nicer loafers. Once Kagome's feet started to swell, they'd become hers since there wasn't a pair of her own shoes that were nearly as comfortable. Sesshoumaru wordlessly teased her about it every time she wore them with the same smug grin. She was uncomfortable because she was pregnant and he felt proudly responsible.

Kagome didn't care at this point. She swept up the book she was working through before opening the door and heading for the lounger selected for just this activity. Once she settled into place, Sesshoumaru and Rin would join her and hopefully, the pup would doze off. Sesshoumaru was always glued to her side after any separation, no matter the duration and reason. And generally where Sesshoumaru was during the day, Rin was not far behind.

Kagome was wearing light weight pants and a long-sleeved cotton shirt. They were among the dwindling selection of her clothing that weren't quite too small in the waist yet. She hadn't completely out grown her wardrobe but it was a near thing for some of her clothing. Sesshoumaru always suggested she revert to his clothing whenever she brought it up. He wanted to see her draped in his claim all the time. Kagome hated to tell him that she doubted even his clothing would be big enough for the entirety of her pregnancy.

This time of year wasn't particularly warm, but the sun was high, the air was crisp and she wanted to be out in it before the chill of winter really had a chance to take hold. If she settled in a quiet spot, bathed in sun, she would be warm enough even without the anticipated company of mate and pup. After they joined her, the bite in the air would likely be necessary to keep her comfortable.

Kagome had to smile at the mini spat Kikyou and Inuyasha were having as the hanyou followed his mate back toward the herb garden still being readied for the colder months. Kikyou had insisted on planting at least some of the materials she needed to continue her work. To that end she had planted some fruit trees too. Next summer they hoped to get a bee hive set up for her and probably a large flower garden to go with the herbal one already prepared.

Rin had been confused as to why they needed another flower garden. Her little plot at the front of the house was packed with flowering plants that were pretty and smelled nice. Kikyou was still trying to explain the difference between the weeds that were good enough for Rin and the fragrant blooms used in the making of naturally scented products.

Kagome refused to step in to help tackle this subject. There were some lessons the pack would have to impart jointly. Kikyou had a stronger background in horticulture and botany. Inuyasha was about as articulate on the subject of flowers as he was on any subject that wasn't food. Sesshoumaru generally answered Rin's questions with a rather cute bewildered look that searched Kagome out for help. The pup was three years old and could no more understand prejudice against certain types of flowers as she could against certain types of people.

In some ways, Kagome was proud of Rin's simplistic view of the world around her. It was naïve and innocent, but couldn't last without greater protection than would be good for the pup. It wasn't necessary that Rin learn prejudice or hatred herself so much as to become aware that it existed in the world around her. To remain blind to it would be a danger as the pup grew and entered the world. Kagome couldn't teach this lesson, she needed to remain free of it so Rin would come to her for comfort and advice.

The world wasn't perfect. It never came close, but it was the world they lived in. She and Sesshoumaru as parents were tasked with helping Katarin learn what she needed to live in it too.

Kagome paused at the strange yet exhilarating shifting below her belly button.

Pregnancy was the incredibly terrifying yet euphoric experience she'd expected it to be. She was uncomfortable and tired, easily aroused and eternally hungry. Her emotions were, thankfully not as mercurial as she'd feared they'd be but still occasionally scared the life out of every member of the pack with the exception of Rin. Her cravings had been fairly tame if the occasional need to eat raw meat could be considered tame.

She headed directly for the lounger without bothering to pay any further attention to Sesshoumaru or Rin. There was no need. The minute she settled Sesshoumaru lifted her back out of the seat to claim the space she was in, planting her in his lap. Rin cuddled up against her side wearing her fur to commune with Kagome's rather active belly. Sesshoumaru insisted their hearing was better in their natural forms and the sound of so many heart beats enchanted the pup's imagination.

Kagome and her OB/GYN had done some extensive research into the many possible reasons humans with power might have more trouble birthing hanyou than humans without. Miko were not particularly unique in the world though the terminology and philosophy changed, all cultures had humans with power that were generally revered to a certain degree. While the Japanese had all but driven miko to extinction via youkai breeding and mating, other places had followed a different course.

As such there were plenty of more recent cases of humans with power breeding with youkai. And while the same problem was prevalent, it wasn't what they were expecting.

There was no doubt that the miko women five hundred years ago had suffered severe vitamin deficiency. Nearly all humans did. It was also true that childbirth was a dangerous undertaking at the time too. Infections and fevers were common. The medical practices were universally lacking in hygiene and sanitation.

None of that was the true reason for miko fatality rates in child birth.

The real reason had shocked the hell out of Kagome.

She wasn't pregnant with just one pup. It wasn't even the more rare but entirely possible set of twins. Apparently, human and youkai energies were incredibly compatible when it came to breeding. Where humans cross bred with youkai at a higher rate than youkai bred within their own species in general, humans with power practically amplified that reality.

It was rare to find a hanyou born from the same two parents on the same day. It was just as rare for the youkai breeds to bring a litter to full term nowadays as well. But powerful humans rarely produced anything less than three.

And that was where the high childbirth mortality rate came from. The women five hundred years ago that had survived birthing twins were small in number. The rate dropped significantly when the size of any given birthing increased.

It wasn't that miko were unable to produce viable offspring. It wasn't that they were less able to have children. It was more that they were trying to birth multiples in a time period ill-equipped to assist them in the difficulties that came from it.

When Kagome first learned that she was essentially carrying a litter of five, she'd had a fit. Then she'd promptly told Sesshoumaru that nobody in the pack was going to be breeding again any time soon. The pack simply couldn't afford it. Not if Kikyou were likely to drop a litter too. The one house just couldn't hold that many pups. The pack funds couldn't support it either.

Sesshoumaru had chuckled before handing down the news. Inuyasha had blustered and complained until he found out just how many pups were on the way. Kikyou had blanched and readily agreed without further discussion. No woman wanted to hear they were destined to birth triplets every time she got pregnant. One baby was terrifying enough.

Kagome ran her fingers through Rin's fur, affectionately smoothing out the wild tufts against the pup's skull. Sesshoumaru reached around Kagome to twitch one of the coyote's ears teasingly. Rin yipped at her father before ducking out of reach of both her parents' hands and Sesshoumaru chuckled. Rin settled a bit lower on Kagome's hip and Kagome turned her attention to the book in her hands.

Sesshoumaru read over her shoulder, digging in his chin to let her know he wasn't finished with a page when she moved to turn to the next one. She wasn't sure how much he was getting out of it. She was rather far into it, the text was dry and difficult to read, a rough translation of an obscure herbalist's healing diary. She was hunting out more options for her hanyou patients and if it improved medicine in general, that was all the better. It was research of the driest type.

Kagome had already explored the easier source materials, ones more readily available for perusal. Now she was moving on to texts that could only be obtained through special contacts and networking. This was her third time through this particular volume.

For some of these rougher translations, she'd found it a bit more sensible to read it multiple times. The first to help her get familiar with the translator's particular syntax and style, all repeat efforts were an effort to glean real information from the text. Sometimes it wasn't just the translator's special proclivities for wonky sentence structure and overly literal transcription. Some diarists and herbalists were simply eccentric in their documentation. This particular author and translator pair liked to write in incomplete sentences, dropping words and particles irregularly. It was full of home remedies and useful treatments for common childhood diseases that seemed plausible and completely pertinent to her hanyou patients. The hard part was ferreting out everything involved in a singular treatment plan when connectivity was ambiguous.

Kagome sighed in frustration. She supposed it was to be expected. Most herbalists a few hundred years ago rarely had reason to expect their scribblings would ever be read by anyone else of their own profession. Training back then wasn't from books, it was from already experienced and vetted masters schooling a replacement.

Sesshoumaru pressed a kiss to her ear and Kagome laid her head back against his shoulder, taking her eyes of the frustrating book. She wasn't sure if he was aware that he made the same gesture every time Rin fell asleep next to them. It never failed regardless of his consciousness of the action.

Kagome closed the book to ask the questions she'd wanted to since espying their return. "How did it go?"

"Hn," Sesshoumaru squeezed her briefly before relaxing his hold around her. "Rin threw off Inuyasha's pacing." His tone conveyed his amusement at the situation. For all that Inuyasha had matured over the years, the hanyou was still easily goaded into altering his behavior by a three year old pup. It was another reason the pack should put off the breeding of the younger couple.

"I'd noticed he was winded when you got back." Kagome smiled at Inuyasha's twitching ear. He could hear them talking, but he couldn't catch what wasn't being said. "Rin was excited."

"Indeed," She could tell he was smiling too. It was in his tone. The big inu had much to please him today. "Still, we made it all the way around. The rite has been completed." Sesshoumaru would take Rin with him regularly from now on. They wouldn't walk the whole property line every time, but they didn't really have to. The pack had enough members able to do the job that the task could be split up reasonably well. It was meant to be time spent between pup and alpha, time to bond fully and teach youki control and release. There would be defenses taught for her true form as well. Walking the boundaries of their shared territory was a defense in and of itself.

"How often do you plan to take her out?" Kagome asked. There was some ambiguity in what was required. Time constraints on alpha and pup could cut into other activities including their shared walk.

"Ideally, we would go daily," Sesshoumaru thought aloud. "Realistically, I'll be happy to go no less than twice a week." Kagome nodded her understanding. The Clinic demanded much of them all. With Sesshoumaru here now, Kagome rarely slept in her office of a night, but her attention was often still drawn that way. His was too as he worked to manage their financial strategies and marketing. He was determined that SIMHH be widely known so that every doctor and family would know where to reach out if there was a need without having to be lucky enough to catch the right doctor. He was busy trying to find more donors so that her original sponsors no longer had as big a stake in the clinic as they do now.

Sesshoumaru was also the reason Kagome was already teaching two doctors for the next year. It would have become a part of her program eventually, to train up the next wave of Hanyou experts, but she hadn't planned to start so early. When her pregnancy was confirmed medically, it became apparent that some months down the road someone would have to cover the clinic during her maternity leave. Luckily the two chosen were flexible thinkers and more than willing to accept Kagome's methods for what they were. The only ones that had proven to work. The pair were capable and incredibly willing to take direction for the more experienced nurses on staff. There would be no more Cora's lost by doctors more convinced of their own infallibility and capability than the methods that, while seemingly counter intuitive, had proven effective.

For about the month before birthing, the pair would be working under the supervision of the lead nurses and Dr. Peterson who had insisted on being constantly on site. Kagome would deliver in her own clinic, but she would not be the doctor on-site for a full three months. She used to panic for a single week, now she wasn't. Dr. Nelum and Dr. Jordan were a bit green, but with the support staff should be able to cover most situation

Sesshoumaru was also responsible for upping her consulting bracket from what it was to thirty six international cases.

"Could the run from here to the clinic serve the same purpose?" Kagome asked for a solution. Since she and Sesshoumaru traveled to and from the institute almost daily, Rin and The inu could take it on foot and supply the time he wanted.

"It's a bit far," Sesshoumaru pointed out. Walking the entire parcel of land probably wouldn't take as long, but it didn't serve the same purpose.

"She can take a nap while she's there," Kagome shrugged. "Or she could only take it one way." It was a rare day when Sesshoumaru ran and Kagome didn't also drive. She liked having the added mobility since her mate couldn't legally run into town on his four paws.

"True," Sesshoumaru conceded before turning the subject. He was obviously going to think about it, but Kagome could tell he didn't want to commit to that plan just yet. "You called the clinic." He prompted. The words weren't really a question. Kagome always called when left to her own devices. Given she wasn't planning to go back until tomorrow only increased the odds.

"Teddy's a go for this afternoon," Kagome answered. They were having a bonfire later in celebration of Katarin's accomplishment. Many of the hanyou who'd gone through SIMHH were invited and had already agreed to come, but Teddy was always a last minute prospect. His constitution had been wonderfully tame and stable the last few months and Kagome wanted to start introducing him to the environment outside. Eventually, she wanted him to be able to attend school. Coming out to a mostly isolated location was only a single step in that direction. "Hakkaku promised to monitor him right up until go time just to make sure."

"Rin will be pleased he can come," Sesshoumaru hummed in satisfaction. Hakkaku didn't much care for Sesshoumaru and the two performed a rather interesting dance to avoid intruding on the other's space. Kagome was only glad the wolf was still willing to come home to sleep. Sesshoumaru insisted he understood and never tried to engage her Little against his will. It was hard to tell if Ginta felt the same since he was hardly home before Inuyasha's bout of measles.

Hakkaku was supposed to go back to his pack at year's end. He had a nursing position lined up at the same major hospital in Toronto that Miriam-sensei's grandchildren were at. Kagome was sad that he was leaving, but happy that he was already lined up for success in his future. Ginta was staying another year for school before also heading back to Canada.

In Hakkaku's place, Ayame was coming down to support Ginta. The pack had asked Kagome special. Apparently, Kouga's tendency to claim people on sight had landed him in a shotgun mating to a female that had taken him seriously. Her family had believed his claim indicated more personal interaction than had actually taken place and insisted on making the union permanent to uphold the female's honor. It was Kouga's chicken's come home to roost in Kagome's mind, but it left Ayame at loose ends.

Kagome didn't expect having the younger female around to be very pleasant, but she fully understood the necessity of removing the redhead from the immediate situation to gain better perspective. It was a sign of great trust and respect that they'd asked Kagome to take Ayame in. Kagome didn't know what they were going to do with the teenager, maybe Ayame would choose to attend school.

"The wolf will likely watch over Theodore while he's here," Sesshoumaru observed further.

Kagome snorted, "Him and nearly all the rest of the adults." Most of the adults attending the party were fully aware of Teddy's situation and worked in some medical capacity. Nearly all the adults were parents of hanyou though there were a few invited for their own merit. There wasn't a pressing need to hash it all out. You couldn't plan for every possible eventuality. There would always be something to surprise the planner, revealing a single overlooked contingency that spontaneously required a mad scramble to address. It was the adrenaline and spice of life.

Sesshoumaru kissed her temple and squeezed her a moment before leaning his head back against the lounger, his silver hair blew up over her shoulder obscuring the waving foliage that surrounded the property. Kagome cuddled back into his chest before joining her content family in a short nap, warm in their presence and comfortable with their closeness.

Their world wasn't perfect and it wasn't trouble free. There would always be problems that needed solving and responsibilities that needed to be met. But it was what they had made of it. Together they would face it all, as a pack, as a family, as a mated pair. They would each face their own personal tribulations but they would have the support of the rest to see them through. The key was to take pleasure and comfort in the little moments of uninterrupted togetherness.