Naraku was dead…

Her family had had to suffer but Naraku, the bastard, was dead. Did that make it all worth it?

Kagome looked over to where her twin girls were playing with their older siblings, watched over by the ever reliable Kinza and Tinza, and shook her head.

No… nothing, not even the defeat of that evil and vile bastard, was worth even a moment of suffering her family had had to go through.

She sighed, leaning back against the tree under which shade the children had placed a large blanket, claiming it the perfect place for a picnic lunch. She had to agree though… It was perfect.

At least, nothing permanent had happened to any of them. Everything had healed as if nothing had happened after Sesshoumaru had brought them all back to life. Still, there was no escaping the fact that two of her children were the twins of Fate… And that her baby-sitters were the twins of Destiny, Kagome thought wryly.

She didn't want to think of what might happen to her children because of what they were… but there was no choice. She was a mother, a very good one if she did say so herself, and it was a mother's job to think of her children's safety and future.

She sighed again, wondering not for the first time, what had happened to her old friends Sango and Miroku.

"Thinking of sad thoughts again, my love?" a voice asked. She sighed, happily this time, as she was lifted and cradled in her mates lap, surrounded by his scent and love. Kagome laid a delicately clawed hand on his chest beside her head and closed her eyes.

"Not really… just the usual. Naraku, Fate, Destiny, the future and friends…" she replied softly, knowing that he would need an answer. A hand stroked her long black hair falling freely as he rested his cheek on the top of her head.

"It's been five years, Kagome… Nothing has happened and nothing will happen. Both Fate and Destiny say so… Naraku is dead and will stay dead, consigned to the deepest pit of hell for all his crimes. You know this, love…"

Kagome raised her head to look into her mate's brilliant amber eyes and smiled.

"I know… I can't help but think of it though… I wonder what the future has in store for us, our children… our family in general. The world… Can't help but worry."

Sesshoumaru kissed her softly and twined his arms around her bulging belly.

"Worrying is not good for the pup, Kagome. He will worry too and then you will both be agitated and miserable."

"I know but-"

"But nothing… The future is unknown. As your mother once said, 'que sera sera'. What will be will be, my Kagome. But, I have something that might make you feel better…" Sesshoumaru said. Kagome frowned in confusion.

"What could you possible give me that I don't already have?" she asked, as he stood up, still cradling her gently in his strong arms. Sesshoumaru grinned at her, a sight that would never stop making her catch her breath and heart skip a beat.

"Wait and see…" he said cryptically as he strode through the halls of the Western Palace.

"I hate it when you do that…" Kagome pouted, making him chuckle.

"Which is precisely why I do it, my dear Kagome…" he laughed. A sharp gasp indicated that they were at their destination.

"Kagome!" an incredulous voice asked. Kagome whipped her head around and stared.

There, right there!, in the entrance hall of her home, stood Miroku and a heavily pregnant Sango.

"OH MY KAMI! Sess, put me down right now!" she screamed, forgetting about her mate's sensitive hearing in all her excitement. He complied, not wanting to become deaf any time in the near future, and placed her gently on the floor.

She rushed to hug the two but their wary expressions stopped her dead in her tracks.

"What? What is it?" she asked anxiously, looking from one to the other. Sango looked at her shell-shocked husband and tried to explain.

"It's just… you don't look like the Kagome we knew…" she said nervously.

Kagome smiled, relieved. "Oh, is that all… it just turned out that my parents were both inu-youkai and so, I'm one too…"

Sango still looked skeptic so Kagome thought of a way that she could prove that it really WAS her…

"I've got it! Sango, do you still have Kirara? I'm sure that she'll recognize me…"

Sango's face fell and she turned to Miroku, who coughed.

"Lady Kagome, unfortunately… Kirara passed on several years ago. But she did leave a few offspring."

Kagome's face fell as well and tears began to glisten in her eyes as she turned to Sesshoumaru, who sighed and encircled her in a one-armed hug.

"Forgive my mate, Houshi… Taijiya. It is the pup controlling her reactions lately. It has turned her into a mess to rival a weeping willow more times than- OOF!"

And Kagome's elbow made contact. As did her glare, promising retribution and sleeping on the couch. Sesshoumaru cringed.

Sango laughed. "I'd know that glare anywhere! It really is you Kagome-chan!" she exclaimed.

Kagome laughed as well and approached the other woman. The two males watched as their respective life-mates hugged each other awkwardly around their huge bellies and shrugged.

"Why don't we go to the garden for lunch?" Sesshoumaru suggested. The women nodded and strolled arm-in-arm until Sango stopped.

"Oh!" she cried. "We forgot the kits outside!"

Just on cue, 5 bouncing fire-kittens charged into the room. Sango grinned as they started pulling on Sesshoumaru's immaculate robes.

"They're all yours Kagome… Kirara had a litter of 8. Miroku and I both felt that 3 were enough and so… there they are."

Kagome laughed. "Goodness… I'm sure the pups will love them. Won't they, love?"

Sesshoumaru scowled, attempting to remove one nasty little bugger that had clamped onto the sleeve of his white kimono.

Laughter echoed in the Western Palace. Laughter, Love and Joy would surround the home for ages… but as all things. That too would come to an end.

And so we end for now… to continue only when tomorrow has finally come.

Hopefully, today will last just a little bit longer… just a bit.