The Missing Link

By:

Summary: Kagome is an archaeologist who's teams digging around Japan. In her search, she comes across the only known existing demon, frozen and preserved in the mountains. Once he's thawed up, it is up to her to attend to him, teach him the ways of the new world, and comfort his aching heart.

'Blah'-Sesshoumaru's strange language

'Blah'-thoughts

'Blah'- Mental communication

Chapter 54

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. That is all…thank you

A/N: It's been a looooong time. What can I say? Life happens. But thanks to everyone who asked me to finish this story. I will do my best! I've written one of the longest chapters this story has so far in an effort to make up for it. Anywho, moving on. The reactions to this whole argument arc have been really interesting. There are a lot of people who feel like Kagome is being horrible and see Sesshoumaru as a victim of sorts. Then, on the other side of the spectrum, there are people who feel he has run over Kagome for long enough and are glad to see her finally fighting back. There are also a couple of people who think they're both wrong in some way but also both right in other ways. Obviously, there isn't a right was to view it. I just find it really interesting that there's such disagreement about everything and pretty firm evidence to support the different views. What does that mean for my writing? Lol.

"Kagome, wait!" Inutaisho raised one of his hands, the other gripping the window sill to aid him in maintaining his balance.

The two days that the two had agreed on had stretched into a full week, as each time his son called or set foot anywhere on the property, his miko would bring her threat to his attention again. With each day, their relationship was growing more strained, and Inutaisho could only stand idly by for a short time. So, he had formulated a plan. He would sneak in, leave his gift on his new daughter's bed, and be gone before she even had time to sense his aura, but the little woman had returned more quickly than he had expected. He had hardly landed on her sill properly before he'd felt her aura as she approached hurriedly and burst through the door to catch him in the act. Stealth had never been his strong suit.

"I knew I felt you," she fumed, taking a step forward. "You've been lurking outside the shrine for…for hours like some kind of creeper. Did you honestly think that drawing it in was enough to hide it from me?" Her voice was quiet, a flame flickering in her eyes when he made to open his mouth. "I told you and the rest of your pack quite clearly that I didn't even want to smell dog during this break let alone see one of you."

"I know. I kn-" He stiffened as her hands ignited, tendrils of her energy striking out against his youki. He had to say something to make this better. "I didn't respect your wishes, and for that, I am sorry. I probably deserve to be thrown out of this window right now, and I know you could do it. I saw what you did to Shuji." He realized his mistake the moment he saw the guilt flash across her face, but his slip-up had also caused her reiki to recede, for which he was grateful. "I did this all with very good intentions, Kagome."

"…I would never hurt you," She assured him, putting her hands behind her back. "I never meant to hurt him. I just…I don't have much control when I feel this way."

He smiled gently. "I understand, pup. Reiki is much like Youki. Control be damned when emotions rise."

Her eyes lingered for a moment on his, her mind unconsciously comparing and contrasting them with those of her mate. Sesshoumaru's, she noticed, were of a similar shade but so much brighter, despite his stoicism, and they were angled differently and more almond shaped. And there were these beautiful thin strands of chestnut scattered throughout his liquid gold irises that made the gold stand out all the more shockingly when the sun struck th- "Why did you come?" He was ruining her resolve, punching holes through the wall that she had erected between her and Sesshoumaru. He needed to leave. Immediately.

Of course he had seen her mind wonder, seen the moment that she snatched herself out of thoughts of his son and brought her attention back to him. The gift he'd brought seemed even more appropriate then. "Right! I only intended to leave this for you." Coming fully into her room, not without noticing the sudden tensing of her body, he reached down for the gift he had dropped earlier and extended it toward her.

Hesitantly, she accepted it with a small bow before looking pointedly toward the window.

"Alright. I know when I am not wanted," he raised his hands with a smirk and turned to leave.

"Obviously you don't," she mumbled to herself as she fingered the ribbon on the box. "If you did, you wouldn't have shown up to begin with." As if reprimanding her, the pup shifted before delivering an especially painful kick. "Well, sorry, but I did tell him to stay away," she whined, petting her stomach to soothe her pup. "I know. Let's see what Ojii-san brought for us, ne? That'll make up for Mama being a little mean."

She pulled at one of the ribbon's loose ends until it untied, then drew the lid off the box. After navigating through layers of paper, her fingers met the softest material she had ever felt in her life. The feeling was somewhat akin to the furry cocoon Sesshoumaru had encased her in but softer and finer. Pulling it out from among the paper, she found herself holding a silvery, fluffy baby blanket. "How beautiful," she breathed as she unfolded it, appreciatively taking in the delicate magenta stitching that outlined it. She followed the seam until she came upon the perfectly embroidered words, 'For my beloved Maru-chan.'

'This was Sesshoumaru's?'

Somehow, she had managed not to cry since her arrival at her childhood home, but her efforts collapsed in an instant as she held the blanket to her face and inhaled deeply, the faint, slightly different scent of her fiancé wafting into her nose. There was one tear and then another, and then all at once she was swaddled in the same comforting softness that Sesshoumaru had once offered her.

"Wh-what are you- What is this?"

"My Kegawa."

"L-like Sesshoumaru's?" She asked, rubbing away the still falling tears with the base of her palms.

"Yes. Well," he corrected quickly, "he calls his mokomoko-sama."

Her eyes widened, a small smile coming to her lips. "His fluff-fluff? Really?"

Chuckling, he nodded, "Doesn't sound like something the regal Sesshoumaru would call anything, would it?"

"No. It sounds like a child named it."

"That is because one did, a pup rather." Grabbing onto one of the furry locks of the blanket she held, he informed her, "When he was a pup, he had no idea what the thing was. He thought it some sort of threat, it seemed, as he would take to wrestling with it. It was a worthy adversary, he'd say, or in the words of a very young Sesshoumaru, 'a good-fighting Oni'. When I would arrive home from traveling, he would regale me with tales of how he'd triumphed over the clever Mokomoko-sama. For whatever reason, the name has remained."

"That is unbelievably adorable," she gave a weak chuckle that was little more than a single puff of air from her nostrils.

"I admit that I was quite taken with him when he was a pup. Somewhere along the line my pup lost his…cute factor, I guess you could say.

A faint smile came and left her lips, and her eyes left his as her mind began to wander. Before long, tears were gathering in her eyes once again, "We can't do this."

Eyes wide with panic, he leaned over to see her face. "Why are you crying again? I thought you were past the point of tears! This is excess!" Human women! He hadn't dealt so closely with one in centuries, let alone one drowning in her own hormones. What was he to do now that her tears had gone past the point acceptable for youkai?

"We can't do this."

"Can't do what, Kagome?"

"Do what you did. Raise a pup. We're going to have a baby in two months, Inutaisho, and we can't agree on the simplest of things. How will we agree on how to bring up a child? How will we be able to put ourselves aside for him if we can't do it for one another?"

Instinct told him to simply rebuke her worries and tell her to collect herself. There was no need for tears. When the pup was born, instinct would take over and little else would matter beyond their pup. They wouldn't be able to find time in the pup's early years to fight, and most issues would be gone by the time that they could. As he looked into her wide, tearful eyes that pleaded for answers and solace, something within urged him to be patient, empathetic, consoling. So, he drew her into his arms, kissed her forehead and growled ever so gently until she settled, whispering soothing words of assurance and understanding.

"I know this isn't what you'd like to be doing, but we've all decided that it isn't good for you to be holed up in your study until Kagome-kaachan finally returns. It isn't healthy. When she returns, you'll probably still be stuck in the mindset you had when you two parted. Maybe the fresh air will give you a new perspective." Rin paused for no more than a moment before, unable to take the new, strained silence coming from her father, speaking again. "I told Shippou and Setsuna that you wouldn't want to go shopping with me on a normal day, let alone one like this, but we really didn't end up having a choice on who took you on. I mean, you have to know how upset Setsuna is with you about this whole thing. I don't think facing him would be a good idea until things are fixed. And Shippou is occupied with some changes that are going on in the Eastern Kitsune Skulk, some affairs he didn't want to tell me about. He's so secretive. I mean, really, who am I gonna tell? But that's neither here nor there. Anyway, you know Inuyasha is buried up to his elbows in poopy diapers with Kikyo-san working again, so he couldn't volunteer to take you out. You two would probably end up fighting anyway, so I think it's for the best that he couldn't. And Tai-jiisan is…well, I really don't know what he's doing. He disappeared early this morning and hasn't answered anyone's calls all day, so he couldn't do it. That left you stuck with me, and I'm really sorry you have to put up with this, Fath-" She stumbled to a halt after looking to her left, seeking her father's acceptance, only to find that he wasn't at her side any more. Looking around the street, she frowned when she noticed him several shops behind her, staring intently into a window. She hurried to his side.

"Do you want to go in this store?" His eyes slid to her then back to the display and remained there for some time before he finally nodded. "Okay. Let's do it then." Latching onto his hand, she pulled him inside. "This is a charming boutique. I bet Kagome-kaachan would adore it," she noted as she looked around. Suddenly becoming aware that he had at some point begun leading her, she asked, "Have you been here before?" He didn't answer, instead heading straight to the back of the store and pausing before a rack. "Girl clothes?"

"It is not here." He scowled slightly. He had only been here a month or so ago. Where had the outfit gone so quickly?

"So you have been here before. Well, the boy clothes are over there. They've probably moved things around a bit. Here. Tell me what you're looking for, and I'll help."

"You're looking for something?" A voice called as a woman approached. "I can help you with whatever it i- Oh! It's you. You're the young man who came in here with that gorgeous mommy-to-be who wore the dress out of the store, tags and all." Her eye drifted to Rin. "…Her sister?"

"My daughter," he corrected flippantly, ignoring the woman's look of surprise. "When we were here, there was an ensemble here, ten paces from the dress that my fiancée purchased," he gestured to the rack just past her shoulder. He remembered exactly where it was because he had had to pull her from this particular outfit, and her reluctance had vanished when she'd seen the dress. "It was simple, a white dress."

"Dress?" Rin repeated.

"Pink flowers were embroidered along the hem and the collar. Pants and a hat were included. The hat had white ears attached to it."

The woman frowned thoughtfully, considering it. "We sold out a while ago, if I'm not mistaken. You see we had only ordered a few to sort of test the waters." Her voice softened as felt something wash over her, something that told her that this was a huge disappointment to the man in front of her. "You know what? Just to be sure, I can check the back for you, if you'd like."

"Please." He bowed his head, his heavy aura lifting, and watched her leave.

"I don't understand, Father. You're having a boy."

"This time."

"Any and every time. I don't even think you have whatever it is that you need to make a girl in you."

"My lack of reproductive X-chromosomes does not change the fact that Kagome wishes it."

"Kagome's desires don't change the fact that you don't have these…chromosomes."

"…They do not."

After a moment of watching the emotions flit through his eyes, she smiled, crossing her arms. "You're trying to show her that you care about what she wants, that you want to give these things to her."

"Hn."

"It's Shin-mi all over again. She's touching that special part of you that makes you act all out of character...As much as I love who you are, I can't say that I'm not glad to see these changes."

He only hoped that Kagome felt the same. His ears twitched as he heard fast approaching footsteps. Turning, he saw the woman hurrying in their direction, grinning and waving the outfit at him.

"There was one left. It's a miracle. We must have removed it as seasons were just changing when you were last here. But, anyway, here it is," she breathed heavily. "I really hope she loves it. I can tell it's a surprise." She winked.

"She will," he said, more to himself than to her, as he accepted the clothing. "She will be thrilled."

Kagome awoke with her face buried in Sesshoumaru's blanket. Sighing softly, she snuggled deeper into comforting scent and fur.

"His mother made it for him."

She opened one eye and glanced around the room before finally looking up to realize that she was resting her head on Inutaisho's lap, his hands gliding so easily through her hair that she'd hardly felt it. Knowing that he expected no answer from her, she simply closed her eyes again and listened.

"It is her fur…the last existing evidence, aside from Sesshoumaru himself, that she walked this earth. She took full form and had me clip her fur." He laughed softly. "The sight of her when she reverted to humanoid form, horrified to find her hair cut asymmetrically. It will forever be engrained in my memory. She got over it quickly, though. It was to be for our first pup. She had him named decades before we had even conceived. I think that secretly, she had had a name thought up since she was a girl. Do you have any you've liked for a long time?"

"…If you laugh at her, you'll laugh at me," She murmured, flushed.

"I won't. I swear."

"…Tatsuya, Ryu, or Dai for a boy and Sayuri or Kanari for a girl."

"Beautiful names."

"Of course you know your son wants something that sounds bloodthirsty and merciless."

"He is a leader. It is tradition."

"Our pups will be growing up and living in this era, Tai-papa. 'Destroyer of Millions' is not acceptable."

"I'll have you know that Okutou was a revered name in my day."

"Right. In your day," she reflected back at him.

"Hn." Leaning his head back against the wall, he admitted, "It is good to hear that you are no longer worried over how you will raise pups."

"I am still worried. I'm just not going to cry over it. I know raising pups is hard, as is being in a relationship. It's just really scary, and I feel so alone in this. If we were a united front, maybe I wouldn't feel this way."

"You have nothing to worry over. As you say, it is hard, but you two will overcome."

"How can you be so sure?"

"I cannot, but we dogs are extremely optimistic, unlike cats. They practically invite negativity into their homes. Are you going to be like that? Are you a feline, little one?" He teased.

"No, but I'm certainly not an overly optimistic canine either. So what species is known for being realistic?"

"Well I think you're far more optimistic than realistic, but I suppose the avian are the realists," he joked.

"With their heads in the clouds? I think not," she played along.

"Ah, you've got me. How about the Kitsune? I like to think of them as right in between felines and canines, not to mention, who knows more about reality than those who seek to distort it with pranks and magic?"

"…Makes sense. I'll have to inspect Shippou-kun more closely."

Grinning, he assured her, "Shippou is the best case study you could find." As silence settled between them, he allowed his thoughts to turn to his son. Hopefully the boy would be prepared to accept the fragile miko and wouldn't make things worse. He had tried offering advice but had been rejected at every turn. He wasn't sure if his pup was too stubborn or if he had a handle on the situation and didn't want his mind cluttered with other things. Or maybe the pup was so broken up over what had happened that he couldn't face the situation yet. Whatever the reason, their relationship could not stay like th- The scent of salt water snapped him to, and he looked down as a tear escaped the miko on his lap. Scowling, he eased her off his lap, standing and grabbing her hand. "Come."

"What? Where are we going?" She rose, clinging to the blanket with her free hand.

Enough was enough. She could not cry all day. He had been patient. He had been…humane, trying to erase the worries that had caused her grief. He didn't even know what was ailing her this time, nor did he care. Obviously, human methods wouldn't work on her. Now, he would handle things as youkai did. "Out. Where is your jacket?"

"Um…in the closet downstairs." As they descended, she heard movement in the kitchen. "Mama's home."

"Kagome! Is that you coming down the st- Inutaisho-san?"

Bowing lowly, he apologized, "Forgive me. I cannot stay long. I came to retrieve Kagome. I'll be taking her home."

"Now?" She and Kagome both inquired, one in shock and the other in worry.

"No. We'll be making a stop first. I am going to introduce Kagome to the last member of our pack. Hopefully, I can get her mind off of all of this until she goes home. Speaking of which, where is your coat closet?" He stepped around her when she gestured to the door behind her.

"…Well, he's a man on a mission, isn't he?" She asked her daughter with a small smile, trying to lighten her mood. "Don't worry, dear. I'm sure he knows what he's doing, as…" she wiped away a few stray tears with her thumb as she sought the right word, "eccentric as he may be. He is only looking out for your wellbeing…I think. If anything is the matter, though, all you have to do is tell Mama. I'll handle him."

Matching her mother's smile, Kagome nodded, "Un. I think he's just a little frazzled by all the tears. I guess youkai don't cry as much." She turned when he approached with her jacket. "Arigatou, tou-sama."

Ayumi watched as the stone-faced but worry-eyed youkai assisted her daughter with her coat. "I leave her to you, Inutaisho-san. Take care of her." She bowed before gracing her daughter's cheek with a kiss and heading back into the kitchen.

"Who are we going to visit?" Kagome asked quietly as she followed Inutaisho out of the house. "I thought I met your entire pack."

"Nowhere near. You have met most of our sub-pack. The Gin-Inu pack as a whole is small but spread quite thinly over all of Japan. Even still, you have not met the most important member of our pack."

"Is he nice?"

He paused for a moment then grinned. "She is a Bitch, and let's just say, the term has come to mean what it does for a reason." Sensing her nervousness, he chided, "You needn't worry. Pack isn't to be feared. She is a most remarkable creature…Is there somewhere that I can use youki in private?"

"Ummm, the well-house, I guess."

"Perfect." He guided her there, shutting the doors behind them. Allowing his youki to gather at his hands, he touched the four corners of the well and stood back as a portal opened.

"Does this help for speedy travel or something?" She asked, squeezing the hand he offered.

"It is the only way to travel where we are going. Do you trust me?"

"Mostly."

"Hmmm, good enough." He pulled her into his arms, urged her to remain calm, and leapt into the portal.

Kagome was torn between marveling at the blue energy that surrounded them and clenching her eyes shut in fear as they descended into the vortex. She had finally settled on keeping her eyes open when the energy dissipated to reveal a boneyard full of massive skeletons. Gripping her father-in-law more tightly, she turned and buried her face in his neck.

Smiling gently, he nuzzled the top of her head as he landed. "Come now. It's alright."

"She lives in a graveyard?!"

"Well, she doesn't live per se."

Hesitantly, she withdrew, looking up at him. "Setsuko-sama?" At his quiet nod, she shifted in his arms until he sat her on her feet. "These are her…bones?"

"The ones we are standing on? No. They belong to other Gininu who have passed."

The miko nodded thoughtfully before bowing her head and whispering a soft prayer. Once she had finished, she surveyed their surroundings, her eyes pausing on the massive torso that seemed to stand out from among the others. Her first steps toward it were slow and unsure, but as she neared and felt the warm, inviting youki that emitted from it, she sped up.

Inutaisho followed closely behind, astounded and pleased by the speed with which the miko raced toward the proper skeleton. He could only assume that either the miko was quite astute or his Setsuko was calling to her.

She stopped once inside the ribcage, the grin that had spread on her face as the energy caressed her fading as she took in the small altar in the center. There was a painting of Sesshoumaru's mother in all her glory, and Kagome knew at once that her mate had taken everything from his cold features to his flaming eyes from his mother. Slowly getting to her knees, she pressed her head to the base of the altar and sought for words to express how she felt. Her heart nearly ached with the gratefulness she felt. This was the woman who had given her Sesshoumaru, and she couldn't even see how amazing he had grown to be. And he was amazing, despite their arguments. He was beautiful and protective and brilliant and strong and-

"Broken." The whisper echoed softly through the skeleton, reverberating off the bones and meeting her ears time and time again.

Inutaisho stumbled back at the sound. "Setsuko?" He had visited her many times over the centuries, but never had he heard her speak.

"He is beautiful and protective and brilliant and strong and broken. He is scared and stubborn and selfish and loving. I made him some of those things, but you have made him many of them also."

Kagome touched her chest. "Me?"

"Spoiling him with your love, making him scared to lose it. He clings to you, seeks to own you so that you cannot leave."

"…I wouldn't leave."

"Yet you have been away."

"…"

"Feel no shame, little one. My pup has always been difficult. His father used to hide from him when he grew too bothersome."

"As did his mother," Inutaisho interjected with a smirk, reveling in the small amount of youki that brushed teasingly against his.

"You must be patient with him…I was unable to teach him better, to teach him that he can be secure in love. In fact, my death is what sparked this in him. Undo my wrongs, little miko."

"…I will try, Setsuko-sama."

"You will succeed. I feel your love for my pup."

Sensing the receding of his beloved's aura, Inutaisho called, "I love you."

She wanted to tease him as she used to, question his love for her until he listed the evidence that he did. But there was little time for that. Whatever connection had been forged when her pup's little miko had unconsciously reached out to her was crumbling. So she hurriedly answered, "I love you too, mate."

Relishing the words, he went to help Kagome to her feet. "Thank you. I have not heart my mate's voice in centuries."

Flushing, she shook her head vigorously, "I didn't do anything."

"You were you, pup."

She was here. He has felt her aura from a mile and a half away, but now she was here. Walking up the driveway, standing at the door, hesitating, breathing, opening, calling to him. She still loved him. He heard it in her voice as his name left her lips and felt it in the way her aura settled against his. Honestly, he felt ridiculous for thinking that she wouldn't, that she would return from such a short time away without the tiniest amount of feeling for him. He met her in the hallway and stared, feeling how desperately she wanted to run into his arms but restraining himself because she was restraining herself.

"Where is everyone?" She whispered after a short time.

"Out for dinner with Inuyasha and his mate. We are alone."

For some reason, she felt lighter at the news. "Good. Good."

He nodded slightly in agreement, but otherwise said nothing. He could feel the silence between them as if it were tangible. He would think of things to say to break it, to keep it from separating them but could never let any of the words out. They were not him. As much as he wanted to, he could not offer apologies or tell her that she had taken some of his strength when she had gone or that he had missed her.

"-missed you." He caught the tail end of her confession. She was indeed his other half as he had heard many a man say in the romantic comedies she had forced upon him, the perfect foil for his personality in all the ways that mattered. Chest swelling with pride, he had her in his arms within the second. She couldn't help but laugh as his lips graced her temple, cheek, eyelid, neck, purposely ignoring the mark that had been the start of it all. "Your canine traits are showing, dear" she teased as he nuzzled her. A moment later, he was kneeling before her rotund belly, growling at it and pressing into it with his aura.

The sensation was wonderful, the slight warmth around the perimeter of her belly while her pup, their pup, recycled energy inside. But it reminded her of how this strain had started, how he had pinned her with his youki without caring and marked her. Suddenly uncomfortable, she pressed down on his shoulders and stepped back. The hurt in his eyes pained her more than she would have liked. "Sesshoumaru, we need to-"

"What is this?" He asked as his nose finally took notice of the scents surround his mate. She smelled of his mother, of his mother and oddly, himself. But it was not him as he was. No, his scent was headier now. His eyes flickered to the bag in her hand. "What is this?" He repeated, this time looking at the bag.

"Ah! I forgot. It's a gift from your father, for us, for the pup." She handed it to him. Inutaisho had given her the bag when they had realized that the gift box was still in her childhood room. "It's really beautiful," she offered as he took it out, his spine stiffening. "We, um, went to see her today."

His eyes snapped to her. "He took you to Mother?"

"Yeah. It was kinda scary too, going through that portal into a land full of bones. But it was so worth it. Your mother is a lovely woman, so kind and loving. I see you've gotten from both sides."

"…you speak as though you have spoken to Mother."

"…I did."

He saw in her eyes that she didn't know how she had, so he didn't bother asking. Instead, he brought his attention back to the blanket in his hands. It smelled so deeply of his mother and himself. The scent pleased his soul so fully that he felt none of the anger that he should have toward his father for taking his pregnant mate across worlds without his permission.

His happiness radiated from his being, and Kagome delighted in it. "We'll swaddle our pup in it, and tell him that his grandmother hand made it of her own fur for his Papa. You can tell him stories of her. I can tell a few of my own if I relay some of what Tai-papa shared with me on the way home. With all of these strong warriors and a warrior princess in his lineage, he'll probably want to follow in your footsteps. I don't know what I'll do with him." She chuckled lightly.

Him. His. He. Getting to his feet, he returned the blanket to the bag. "I have a gift for you as well."

"For me?" She scowled as she followed him. "Tell me you know me well enough to know that I will not be bought with jewelry or anything else of that nature."

"It is not jewelry, mate. It is of actual use. Nor is it an attempt to buy you. It is merely a means of communication." He opened the door to their bedroom and waved her inside.

Still regarding him suspiciously, she inched into their room. When she finally drew her eyes from him, she took note of the small gift bag on the bed. Curious, she crawled up onto the bed and pulled on the first layer of tissue. For what felt like the millionth time that day, her eyes misted. "You…you went back and got it? How long ago?"

"Today." He wished he could say that he had had it since the day that she had fallen in love with it.

"Sesshou, you didn't have…this is really…Love, we will never use this."

"But you would like to. And I would like to," he answered simply in a tone that suggested that he meant so much more, and she thought back to what he had said earlier about the gift being a means of communication.

Understanding then all of the little things he intended to say with his gift, she crawled toward him and wrapped her arms around him. "Thank you." She just needed to know that she mattered, that he cared about her feelings as much as she cared about his. "You always know what to do."

"My recent actions would disprove you, mate."

Was he saying that he had been wrong? She couldn't be so lucky! "It's okay. I was wrong too. I shouldn't have gone out without talking to you. It was childish of me."

Thoughtfully, he ran his fingers over her mark, heart constricting when he felt her tense. "It can be removed." She jerked back from him suddenly, and he thought, at first, that he had angered her by bringing it up at all, but when she pressed her lips to his, he realized that it was just the opposite.

"I'm not parting with it now," she kissed him again. "But you have no idea how much it means for you to say that. My heart is on the edge of bursting, seriously."

Nuzzling the side of her face as her kisses moved from his mouth to his cheek, he muttered, "I will save all other news then, mate."

"No! Tell me. No, wait! Don't! No, go ahead and tell me! No! Don't! No!"

"Regardless of what you say, mate, I will hold my news."

"Fine. I don't think I could be any happier anyway. At this point, I think I could die happy. No, the pup. Okay, I'll have the pup, and then I can die happy."

"Not even then," he growled playfully, lowering his head to nose her throat.

"Not even then?" She laughed a little.

"Not even then, miko."

She grinned as he laid her down on the bed before joining her, his front pressed intimately against her back and his arm wrapped tightly around her waist. He wanted her. She could feel it. And she wanted him too…but it was a little too soon, and he either agreed or was respecting her wishes. Either way, she was beyond happy. Whatever issues remained to be discussed, like her marking him, could wait for tomorrow. For the moment, she wanted to enjoy the peace and happiness that his actions had afforded her and to do her best to make sure that he did the same.

A/N: Thank for reading and sticking with me. If you're going to review, please say what baby name(s) you like the most, whichever gender because I'm not giving anything away . Until Next Time.