Disclaimers: I do not own InuYasha or any of the manga/anime characters. They belong to the wonderful genius Rumiko Takahashi.

This was written for the fanfic_bakeoff community at LiveJournal. The prompt is "Ouch" and the requirement is that each drabble be between 100 and 300 words. There was also a bonus ingredient "Weather" that could be worked into the drabble.

Title: A Hard Day's Night
Fandom: InuYasha
Rating: T
Warning: language
Summary: Kagome and Rin enjoy some peace in the sun before Rin's baby arrives.

I.

Bonus: (1)
Word Count: 289

"Mmmm… isn't this nice?" Kagome commented.

Rin exhaled slowly as they lay in the warmth of the midday sun before she responded, "It is a nice break from all of the rain. I just wish it would last."

"Mama, Mama!" a voice called from the distance as a white blur sped towards them.

Kagome sighed. "So much for peace and tranquility."

The young very pregnant woman next her couldn't help but to giggle. "I wonder if our child will be anything like yours?"

"I wonder if the second will be anything like our first. I'm hoping some of InuYasha's tamer genes come through on the next one," Kagome responded. "I don't know if I could handle two Kazukis."

"Don't you really mean three?" Rin laughed. "Kazuki and his father are very much alike."

"Not like Sesshomaru – he's a lot like his mother," Kagome observed. "That was something I certainly did not expect. Where is she, anyway?"

"She flew home to check on things there and to find out what is going on. There were some rumors she wanted to follow up on. It sounded like the war might be escalating. I hope we'll be safe here." Rin fell silent.

"Mama!" Kazuki slid to a halt in front of them. "Daddy says you need to come back inside the castle walls."

"Just a few more minutes…" Kagome closed her eyes.

Her anxious son picked up her hand and tugged as hard as he could. "Daddy says you need to come."

"Ouch!" Rin groaned.

"Kazuki! Be careful you don't hurt Rin!" Kagome exclaimed and opened her eyes. "Wait, you're over here…"

"It wasn't him," Rin grunted as she clutched her swollen abdomen.

Kagome's eyes widened. "Maybe we had better go back."

II.

Bonus: (1)
Word count: 300

Kagome helped Rin to her feet. "Are you all right?"

The younger woman wrapped her arms around her belly. "I don't know," she answered through clenched teeth.

Kagome kept her arm around Rin as she instructed her son, "Kazuki, run and find your father. Tell him I think it's time. He'll know what to do."

Kazuki opened his mouth as he started to protest, but then thought better of it. He dashed off without saying a word.

"Umph," Rin grunted as she doubled over.

A much larger white blur than the earlier one turned into a worried InuYasha as he abruptly stopped right in front of them. "Kagome, you two need-"

"I think she's in labor," his wife responded. "Didn't Kazuki tell you?"

"I told him to get his ass back in the castle. There's a storm brewing, and I don't mean the weather. It's not safe out here. Let me carry her," the inu-hanyou said.

"What's going on?" the miko questioned as they hurried towards the gate. "Has something happened?"

"Well, her water just broke," InuYasha commented.

Kagome looked at Rin's now bright red face. "All we wanted was one peaceful day…"

"I'm sorry," Rin whispered.

"For what?" Kagome replied. "We knew this could happen any time now."

Rin was in tears. "I ruined everything… and InuYasha is all wet… ow… they're getting harder."

"You ain't done nothing we weren't expecting and my firerat will dry. Hell, it's been through way worse than this." The hanyou chuckled. "Let's get you to the birthing room and let the asshole know."

"Can I do anything to help?" a familiar voice asked.

"Sango! What are you doing here?" a surprised Kagome responded.

"Arrrr!" Rin cried out.

"You women can catch up later," InuYasha ordered. "Right now you have a baby to deliver."

III.

Word count: 300

Sesshomaru stood motionless and silent as they waited outside the birthing room. He did not know anything about human deliveries, but he was thinking that it was taking too long.

"Don't worry, they're taking good care of her," InuYasha reassured him.

"I am not concerned," the Daiyoukai responded.

His hanyou half-brother just raised an eyebrow. He could feel the anxiety rolling off of Sesshomaru in waves.

They turned towards the doorway as they heard the cries that filled the birthing room. First were those of Rin that accompanied the passage of their child through the birth canal, followed by the welcomed screams of the newborn.

"Nothin' wrong with her lungs." InuYasha's ears were plastered to his head.

"It is a welcome sound, is it not?" Miroku added.

Sesshomaru remained silent. Though he appeared nonchalant to the casual observer, InuYasha could tell he was coiled like a spring underneath his calm demeanor.

Sango was the one who appeared first through the doorway. "They're both fine - you can go in now. We'll talk more tomorrow after everyone has had some rest. It's been a long day. We should collect our children and go to bed."

Miroku said, "Congratulations, and good night."

InuYasha nodded in acknowledgement and replied, "Thanks for your help. Get some sleep – I know you need it."

The monk couldn't help but to grin as he passed through the doorway. "We are just puny humans, after all."

"Ouch!" Miroku exclaimed. "You wound me, my Sango."

"And you groped me – what have I told you about that in public?" was the terse response.

"But there was no one around to witness it," the monk insisted.

"What do you call the servant?"

InuYasha couldn't help but to chortle as the voices of the pair faded away. Some things would never change.

IV.

Word Count: 296

"So what are you waiting for, asshole? Go in and see your wife and child," InuYasha said.

Both men were surprised when Kagome appeared silently through the door, took Sesshomaru's hand, and led him towards Rin. And while InuYasha had not planned on intruding on the introduction of Sesshomaru to his first heir, curiosity got the better of him and he followed them in.

"Brother-in-law, I'd like you to meet your daughter," Kagome said as she took the child from Rin's arms and presented her to the Daiyoukai.

Sesshomaru remained still, his arms hanging at his sides though his eyes opened a bit wider.

"Take her, bastard, or Rin will think you reject her," InuYasha hissed through clenched teeth.

Kagome stomped on his bare toes as hard as she could with her heel.

The hanyou didn't want to admit that hurt. "What'd you do that for?"

His wife glared at him. "Don't curse in front of the baby."

InuYasha rolled his eyes, but didn't make further comments.

Sesshomaru finally spoke as Kagome showed him how to properly hold his daughter. "She looks just like Rin." His eyes went from his daughter to the top of his hanyou brother's head.

"I don't know…" InuYasha's voice trailed away.

"Considering the times we live in, maybe it would be a blessing if she looked human," Kagome observed.

Sesshomaru handed the infant back to the miko and abruptly left the room. Kagome stood stunned as tears started to roll down Rin's cheeks.

"Don't," InuYasha stated. He could tell Kagome wanted to go after the Daiyoukai and give him a piece of her mind. "She doesn't just look human, she smells human. He's confused and doesn't understand - that makes him dangerous. I'll go talk to him. You stay with Rin."

V.

Bonus (1)
Word Count: 294

InuYasha found Sesshomaru in the meadow where Kagome and Rin had been earlier, staring at the sky. The hanyou thought that the dark clouds that were gathering on the horizon reflected his brother's mood.

"Leave."

"Not unless you come with me," InuYasha answered.

"Shit!" the hanyou exclaimed as Sesshomaru spun around and nearly sliced off one of his ears. "What the fuck did you do that for?"

The Daiyoukai turned his back on his brother and resumed staring at the lightning in the distance.

"I get it," InuYasha commented as he felt the mangled appendage. "I'm sure there's some reasonable explanation. You know that Rin has never been with another – she would never cheat on you."

"And I am certain that I am youkai," Sesshomaru said. "So how is it possible that any child of mine is completely human?"

"I don't know – but right now you have a wife that loves you that you left crying with your new daughter. You're not going to figure anything out just standing here. Your mother should be back soon – maybe she knows something that you don't. Maybe this has happened before… all I know is that I don't want a pissed off Kagome to come looking for us.

Sesshomaru remained motionless though he had actually listened to his brother's words. He was certain that Rin had never been with any other than him, so perhaps the half-breed was right – there was some logical explanation for the human appearance of his daughter.

The sun started to break on the Eastern sky, reflecting a myriad of colors from the dark clouds. With it they heard a new round of wails from within the walls of the castle.

"Shit! Something's up – let's go, asshole," InuYasha said as he took off.

VI.

Bonus: (1)
Word Count: 300

They were met by someone not expected.

"Mother-" was all Sesshomaru was able to spit out.

"I want to know what you two were doing gallivanting around when your wife just gave birth. They said you took one look and left. Tell me, son, just what was going through that head of yours?"

"Mother-"

"I mean you have a daughter that's the spitting image of you – well, almost anyway-"

"What?" InuYasha asked. "She looks like Sesshomaru?"

"Well, yes," a now confused new grandmother answered.

Without another word, Sesshomaru and InuYasha both hurried back into the birthing room to find Rin holding a child that now had white hair. Upon closer inspection, she also had golden eyes, delicate tapered ears, and tiny claws that tipped her fingers.

"I do not understand…" Sesshomaru said. "I thought…"

"Whatever you were thinking, it was wrong," Kagome snapped back. "How could you-"

"I get it," InuYasha interrupted. "She was born during her time of weakness – she was human, but now she's hanyou."

They realized that Sesshomaru was now standing next to Rin. Kagome's mouth opened to say something else but InuYasha took her hand and shook his head. Without saying a word, he led her from the room, followed by Sesshomaru's mother.

"She is beautiful," Sesshomaru said softly as he brushed Rin's wild and still wet bangs from her forehead. "I apologize for doubting you and for the pain it caused you."

"I understand," Rin said. "You were disappointed she looked like me."

"No, Rin, it is just that-"

"You know, I was hoping for ears like Brother-in-Law, or maybe even a tail." Rin's smile was as bright as the morning sun.

"Though I would not have minded had she looked like you." Sesshomaru said, "I believe I like her just the way she is."