A/N: Well. Here she is! Thank you so much for sticking with me for this process! As promised, there will be a sequel, it's a trilogy, actually. The next story is called Kakyaku and is a bridge of sorts. Not saying much more so I won't spoil things. It might be a while until it's up, but I am working on things! Currently internet is scarce, and I'm mostly typing on my Kindle...blah.

Disclaimer: You should really have figured this out by now...I don't own Samurai Champloo. Hiroshi has already made his last appearance for this story...but I own Jin and Shino's baby! Didn't think I'd let the story end without the kid being born, did you?

Epilogue

The rest of the journey had been spent with Fuu and Shino gossiping and giggling in girlish anticipation of births and weddings. Mugen was already sweating at the thought of marriage, but only because he still thought Fuu deserved better. What she saw in a rogue like him, who knew. Jin was, as usual, in silent contemplation.

The last leg of the trip seemed much faster than expected, and soon enough, they were on the porch of a small home on the outskirts of a mid-sized village. Fuu glanced about as Jin slid aside the shoji door to allow them entrance.

It was a humble abode, just suitable for a small family. Three rooms set off from the main entry hall. A dining room combined with the cooking fire was clear to one side. The other two, to the right of the entry, most likely served as sleeping quarters.

As the group entered, Shino smiled at her spouse, "You see, Jin dear? All the way to Edo and back, and the baby has yet to come. Fussing over nothing..."

"Hn..." The annoyed grunt was accompanied by a brow twitch, the ronin not bothering to point out their journey had been shorter than expected due to the original engagement being cancelled.

Fuu and Mugen exchanged incredulous looks at the comments from the former prostitute, but it was the vagrant who sputtered a laughing response, "F-fuss? Fish-face fussin'! Now that'd be a sight! 'Hn...hn...hnnn!'"

At her fiance's impression of an emphatically grunting Jin, Fuu burst out laughing as well, even as she tried to scold him, "M-mugen, s-stop! I think it...pfft...it's sweet he cares so much...hahaha!"

"Laugh if you want," Shino smiled at them wrapping her arms around Jin from behind. It proved slightly difficult due to her baby belly, "But you know how concerned you get when one of you might be in danger...this is just a different level of concern...plus our baby's involved, so it's twice as much! You'll see someday..."

Blood was rushing to the pale man's features as his wife wound her arms about him and gushed about his concern. It was a private matter that didn't need shared with guests! Her words, however, seemed to prove effective in quieting the laughter of their companions.

Fuu squeaked and went pink quite suddenly at the implication of children. Not that she wouldn't want to be a mother...but would Mugen want kids? She somehow doubted he ever considered the idea. Doe eyes drifted sideways to take him in through their peripheral.

The pirate seemed to have cheeks stained a dusty rose hue, though it was hard to make out. Kids, him? What sort of hellspawn would he unleash on the world. Turning his head aside with disinterest he huffed, "Tch..."

For a moment, grey met brown, then both averted yet again. Sensing the awkwardness had served it's purpose all around, Shino smiled, "Let's take a moment to rest, then, before Fuu and I start on supper! I don't know about you, but I just want to sit awhile!"

Trailing their hosts into the combination dining room and kitchen, Fuu and Mugen situated themselves on the floor across the table from the other couple as Jin helped his pregnant wife awkwardly lower herself into a seated position.

Once everyone was comfortable, Shino set right to gushing over the development of their friends' relationship, "This is so wonderful, though! Things are finally as they should be, of course I knew quite some time ago, but you know my Jin dear! It was always 'Let the river carve it's own course,' this and 'the wild creatures fight hardest when cornered' that."

Shifting a slightly confused glance to Mugen, Fuu found he only had equal bewilderment to answer with. They both turned to Jin looking for enlightenment, only to find their normally calm friend seemingly exasperated.

"Your relationship!" The former brothel girl exclaimed with a giggle at the looks she observed, "I knew even only with the few interactions we had. The stories of your travels were a large hint, but Fuu-chan's letter about Hiroshi-san was all the proof I really needed!"

Suddenly Fuu's eyes went wide, "That's why! You were interrupted after all, but by Jin! He caught you writing about what you thought of Mugen's feelings for me-EEK!"

The vagrant chuckled as his bride to be turned a glare on him, gripping his wrist and twisting his arm away from where his hand had taken to pinching at her butt. With a lecherous grin he commented, "Oi, you must've been pretty obvious, eh?"

"Both of you were, really," Shino smiled affectionately at her friends, "Mugen's jealousy was obvious, and Fuu-chan was clearly trying to make him jealous enough to do something, even if she didn't realize it. It was rather precious..."

The younger woman went pink as her kimono and climbed to her feet, "Well, I'm rested enough...let's start on dinner, Shino-chan."

"Alright, alright," With a giggle the pregnant woman requested that her husband help her to her feet. Once Jin had done so, she sent the men off to get the ingredients they would need for dinner. After all, the owners of the home had been gone for some time and so had little in stock.

Once the men had departed, Shino and Fuu set about some girl talk as they busied themselves with pulling together what they could.

A pot to cook the food when it arrived was pulled out of storage. Firewood was added to feed the flames that would prepare the meal. Some vegetables were secured from a quaint garden out back. Fuu tried to insist on doing most of the work, but once and a while Shino would slip in to help.

Fuu added a fair amount of water to the pot and put it on the fire to start it boiling before turning to her friend with a sigh, "Well, that's that. Until the guys get back anyway."

"Mmhmm...they shouldn't take too long..." Shinto smiled, looking a bit tired, her hand upon her abdomen.

Fuu frowned some, worried at the sight, "Is everything alright?"

"I'm fine," The older woman laughed, the bell like sound a bit weaker than usual, "Just tired, and the baby is restless. But after we eat, everything will be fine."

Less than inclined to believe her friend, the pink clad girl eyed her skeptically, "If you say so. Just let me know if anything happens. Jin would never forgive me if I let something go wrong!"

"I doubt he'd be any more inclined to forgive me!" Shino laughed softly, sounding a touch better. Whatever had bothered her seemed to have passed.

As the water set to boiling the men returned. With them they carried some beef and rice from the market. Beef wasn't necessarily something regularly budgeted for in a household, but Shino had insisted that celebrating Fuu and Mugen's engagement made it a special occasion.

The pregnant woman set to cutting the beef into smaller pieces, cubed and slight enough to thoroughly cook amid other ingredients in a boiling pot, as Fuu added a measure of rice to the bubbling water. As that cooked, the younger woman cut the vegetables they had gathered and cleaned earlier.

When the cutting work was done, the girls turned back to the pot, Fuu approached and added the vegetables, sweeping them from the board she had cut them on into the bubbling, cooking rice. Shino was right behind her with the beef until...

A loud clatter sounded along with a shout of pain. Fun whirled about to see Shino doubled over, her face scrunched in agony and a pool of liquid beneath her. Jin was already at his wife's side and the beef scattered at her feet was forgotten.

"Sh-shino!" Fun was wide eyed with worry, even as the realisation of what was happening settled over her. She glanced at Mugen, who was quite pale and looked rather queasy, "Mugen, blankets! G-get blankets and bedding!"

She knew her friend hadn't been alright! And with her water already broken, there was little time to fetch a proper midwife. Fuu would play this by ear. She prayed to whatever deity would listen, as Mugen shouted at Jin to tell him where the damn bedding was, "Okay, I can do this...Shino, keep calm, and breath."

"W-what do I do..." Jin questioned, wide eyes looking to his friend imploringly from behind his glasses. His large hands were supporting his wife and he was already sporting a cold sweat of panic upon his brow.

"Get the rice off the fire and boil water. I...I need hot water." Fuu took over supporting Shino as Jin went to his assigned task, continuously glancing back in their direction. Meanwhile, Mugen returned with the bedding, "Good, move the table aside and set it up there, then help me get her laid down"

As her latest instructions were being carried out, all the while Shino letting out moans and cries of labor, Fuu turned to look at Jin, "Once that water boils, bring it here and set it to the side. Then you and Mugen get out."

When Shino had been settled among the bedding the make-do midwife sent her fiance to help Jin. Once everything was in place, she shooed the men outside with a scolding look.

Her focus shifted then to the woman in labor, "Alright, Shino, let's do this! Deep breath and push!"

No sooner had the men stepped off the porch and into the yard then Shino let out a labor cry. Jin whirled about, brows knitted together in concern, muscles tense. Clearly he wished to race back into the home, to do something to help.

Mugen was a bit uncomfortable at the sound of pained moans from inside, but Fuu seemed to know what she was doing, he would trust her judgement this once. It was a girl thing after all. His skills were more suited to taking life than bringing it into the world.

Another cry, Jim flinched towards the door. He was visibly forcing himself not to run to his wife's side. With a frustrated huff he managed to turn away, resorting to pacing like a restless cat.

Mugen let out a low chuckle, "Damn, Fish-face...yer a mess!"

Another louder cry and vagrant cringed while ronin hurried back to wait outside the door. In that moment, the former pirate made a firm resolution, muttering his vow aloud, "No way in hell I'm ever gonna be a father. No brats."

He didn't want to make Fuu go through clear pain, and he wasn't a good candidate for dad. Another loud groaning cry, and then the wailing of an infant made him look to the door.

The men froze, both staring at the shoji, listening to the screaming babe inside. Jin didn't dare to look away, but to him Fuu seemed to be taking forever to come and fetch them, and the child wailed, and he couldn't hear Shino at all anymore. A deep frown creased his features, "What is taking so long?"

"Now, now, Foureyes," Mugen slowly stood, trying to hide his own nervousness behind mocking, "Rivers, wind, patience...whatever...put your own metaphor to use."

As he finished, the door slid open and Fuu stepped out, with sweat on her brow, blood staining her kimono, and a tired smile on her face, "Alright boys, you can come in."

The sight of blood on his woman churned the former criminal's stomach. She was innocent, blood shouldn't touch her. But it was the blood that brought life, not the blood that took it away. Jin and Fuu had already vanished into the small home, so Mugen hurried in after them. Entering the kitchen they found Shino laying in the bedding, some bloodied towels off to the side. In the woman's arms rested a bundle wrapped in clean towels that emitted a soft whimpering coo.

Jin slowly approached the exhausted woman, kneeling at her side and smiling at her. As Shino returned his smile, she shifted the bundle so he could see the wrinkled, red faced baby that blinked up at its father, "Jin dear, meet our son."

"Our son..." The ronin gave a tremulous smile, tears threatening his eyes as they met the deep chocolate colored eyes of his child, "Jiyuu..."

"Mm...Jiyuu..." Shinto tried the sound of the name, liking the way it fell from her tongue, "Yes, I think that suits him well...Our little Jiyuu..."

Mugen stood back by Fuu's side, watching the cavity inducing scene unfolding before them. It wasn't so bad. If after all the screaming and shit they looked so proud and happy, maybe it was worth it. He smirked slightly, without meaning to he murmured aloud, "Okay, maybe I could deal with a brat..."

"H-huh?" Beside him Fuu blinked as she turned wide eyes on him. Had she heard that right? Mugen expressing an interest in kids now? "W-what did you say?"

Realizing she'd heard him, he went dusty pink, scratching his cheek as he replied, "Yeah, you heard me. I wouldn't mind a brat or two...but boys! I ain't gonna put up with whinin' little girls!"

From where the new parents were welcoming their child, Shino snuck a glance at their friends. She had heard Mugen saying he would welcome son's into their marriage and Fuu was giggling in response.

The woman at the vagrant's side looked up with bright doe eyes, her laughter subsiding as she replied, "I don't think we get that much say...but I'm glad you want a family..."

Mugen's dark cheeks went deeper into the realms of dusk as she rested her head against his shoulder, "Yeah, Yeah..."

The for stayed together, Fuu helping to care for Jiyuu as she and Shino planned a wedding. Vagrant and waitress married simply, and after a short while longer departed. Promising to keep in touch, the farewell was bittersweet. But they knew they would see each other again. Far from a happy ending, this was just a marvelous beginning.

Translation Notes

Jiyuu: the name of the baby. It means "Freedom". Or "a reason".

Final Note: Thank's again for staying with me! As previously stated, I do plan to let this fic serve as the first of a trilogy. Fair warning: As the stories progress, they will be less about the original trio, if you think you catch my drift. It may take me a while to get the first chapter of the next story posted, but at the moment, I'm fully intending to write it. So be on the look out for Kakyaku. Why is the next story titled in Japanese? Because, I felt like it, heh. Catch you in the next installment!