Watching Her Sleep

Summary: Times of Change One Shot. There will be multiple one shots that take place between Times of Change and the yet to be named sequel. InuYasha stays up late watching one of the most treasured people in his life.

She was so small. Like a fragile little china baby doll that would crack with the most insignificant amount of pressure. The moon from the crack in the rice paper doors leading to the garden shone on the infant's downy silver hair. So small and so precious.

Her little puppy ears twitched with every little sound in the night but she slept on secure in the fact that her sire was there and would protect her in this new and strange world she had been thrust into almost fourteen nights ago.

It amazed InuYasha how something so completely perfect and innocent could ever come from him. He had no doubt that his Kagome could produce such a treasure but him? Never. But he did and she was now the most important thing in his life. She would need him in the years to come and he would be there. Come low or high tide he would be there.

InuYasha's ears perked forward as the newborn baby girl wiggled in her basket and then she began to whimper. At the sound of distress InuYasha was there kneeling beside the basket and he gently lifted the baby up while carefully supporting her head and neck.

It was tradition that a pup would not be taken from the den until he or she was able to be aware of her surroundings so as not to make her vulnerable. The only exception, against InuYasha's instincts as it may have been, had been seven days after Izayoi's birth at her naming ceremony before the Taisho council. The young father had not left his daughter's side even when court decorum demanded that he did.

But he couldn't have left her if he wanted to. They just didn't understand. The past eight and a half months and fourteen days had seemed like a dream. A wonderful dream he was afraid would be taken from him. This pup was, to him, a miracle, a gift from the Kami.

The hanyo had never had any delusions that he would have survived long enough to father a child or to find a woman able and willing. But he had and now he had everything he could want.

He may have been just filthy hanyo, an abomination, a disgrace but in these moments with his mate fast asleep and his arms cradling his precious treasure he felt whole, complete.

At peace just watching Izayoi sleep.

A/N: So every now and then I'll be posting these little one shots of Izayoi's life as I update my Times of Change stories. I don't know how many there will be but they will be from between Times of Change and the sequel that I have yet to name. Please review and let me know what you all think.

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha.