Of Claws And Fangs
Episode 72

Shakaku opened the scroll, scanning the message quickly, eyes lighting up with joy. Clutching the scroll in her hand she sprinted into the gardens. "Keikan! Rin.. she had her baby."

Hearing his mates voice full of joy, Keikan shook off the depression that was threatening. With a smile firmly in place he met her as she turned the corner of the path. "So I'm an uncle. So boy or girl? Name?" He loved the way her eyes sparkled when Shakaku was happy.

"It's a boy," she held out the scroll, "Read for yourself. They want us to come for a visit."

"Arashi? Interesting name." He mused. He was about to agree when one of his messengers arrived handing him a scroll. Nodding he read it swiftly. 'Damn you Reiketsu. You couldn't have waited a few days.' he thought. Breathing deep he smiled sadly at his mate, with a shrug he explained, "Give my apologies to Rin and Uncle. Duties," he held up the scroll, "call."

A frown pulled at her features. "Can they not wait?" Shakaku sighed when he shook his head and gave him an understanding smile. She stepped up to him, putting her arms around him, kissed him gently. "I will not stay long."

Before she could pull away, Keikan wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight for a moment. "Be careful, would you at least consider taking a few bodyguards with you?"

Shakaku wasn't certain what had gotten into her mate but he seemed in need of reassurance. "Normally...I would say no but if you feel it is necessary and it will make you feel better...I will," she said nuzzling his neck.

"Hai, it will." He breathed deep, filling his senses with her scent. "Wait here I'll send the guards to escort you." Moving away, he softly called Jaken. "Jaken, my mate's safety is your responsibility. Should anything happen to her, I will use your bones to make chopsticks. Go and find my personal guard, until further notice they are not to leave my mates side."

Sesshomaru paused on the porch, water bucket in hand as the wind changed bringing him Shakaku’s scent. He took a deeper sniff, frowning when he realized that Keikan was not with her and that she was accompanied by the entire retinue of personal guard. The inu sat down the bucket by the door and sprinted off to meet her. He chuckled at the annoyance on her face as she rolled her eyes at Jaken.

“Jaken, for the hundredth time I am fine. I have no idea why Keikan insisted I bring all of you but he certainly is going to have some explaining to do when I return home,” she said wearily. Her mood changed as she saw Sesshomaru standing in the path ahead. “Sesshomaru-sama…it has been to long.”

“Hai, it is good to see you too Shakaku. Come, you can explain all this after you have settled yourself.”

Keikan led the two women back towards the castle. His anger buried deep within himself. Even if he did know these two were up to something he had no choice but to play the role Reiketsu had cast for him. 'Stay in Edo, Shakaku.' he begged silently. Not looking at the two women he asked, "Why were northern soldiers attacking you?"

Nabikasu spoke, remembering all Nanshokagai's lessons she stayed close to the truth. "I do not know why they attacked us. I am Nabikasu."

Keikan bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. If nothing else whoever this mysterious third woman was she did have a sense of humor. "Your name, it means to seduce, correct?" He finally asked.

"Hai my lord. I am a trained courtesan."

She followed silently, her eyes darting to look at the hanyou leading them but never lingering long. She had not known he would be so handsome. Ori mentally went over her instructions but no where was there a plan for this.

Keikan wondered why the ningen was so quiet, but ignored it. Deciding to state his position he spoke, "That is of course an honorable profession, Nabikasu-san. However, I have a mate, and as I'm sure you are aware, Inu youkai are extremely loyal to their mates. Some say the ningen, 'till death do us part' is in honor of Inu youkai devotion to their mates." Continuing forward he called to his sister, 'Mika? Can you hear my thoughts?'

Ori listened to the inu hanyou's words and smiled to herself. 'If that's what it will take,' she thought to herself aloud she said, "That is a very noble sentiment, my Lord."

Mika held up the kimono she was rinsing in the river, checking for dirt. It was the last piece she had to do before she could go back. Keikan would be arriving soon and she wanted to be there to greet her brother and his mate. Then she heard his voice in her mind. 'Hai, niisan. Are you in the village already?'

'Iie, Mika, I couldn't come. Do me a favor?' Then answering the ningen's comment, "No it is not just a sentiment my Lady. I have once been forced to fight for my mate. Had not family business called her away, she would even now be at my side."

Nabikasu wasn't stupid, she saw that the hanyou was more solicitous of Ori than her. Catching the ningen's eye she nodded. Her job now was to sow the seeds of doubt within the mate.

Akisame stood on the porch holding Kaiya when Shakaku arrived. Smiling she handed the pup to her mate. "I think she's trying to speak." She told him, "Such determination in her eyes today." Moving she gathered her daughter into her arms, "My son being over protective?"

A baby's soft gurgle was heard and then "Pa..... pa....."

Ori returned the nod. "I do hope I will meet the one who merits such loyalty," she said with false sincerity. This hanyou would be hers. Damn the plans. Damn Rieketsu. She would get what she wanted.

Mika nodded, knowing Keikan couldn't see the action, 'What is it niisan?'

Sesshomaru blinked in surprise, looking at the pup in his arms. A smile broke out on his face as he felt his chest swell with such emotion he was afraid it would burst. "Hai little one...I am your papa," he looked up at his mate, "Did you hear her? Did you hear what she said?"

'Ask Hahaoya and Chichioya to help, but keep Shakaku in Edo as long as possible. There is danger here for her.' Keikan nodded to indicate he heard the ningen. His nose wrinkled at the scent of her lie.

Akisame released Shakaku from her embrace and turned. She smiled at the smile on her mate's face. "Trust this little one to call for her Papa before Mama. Hai my love, I heard her."

'I will try my best niisan...be careful.' Mika replied, gathering the last of the laundry to hang on the line by the hut she headed home.

Seeing Sesshomaru caught up in his youngest child, Shakaku laughed softly. "Things have been well here, Haha?"

Akisame wrapped an arm around the tora's waist, "Hai, daughter, except the early morning diaper changes." A thought crossed her mind, "Sesshomaru? You never heard any of the other pup's first words did you?"

'Arigato Mika.' Keikan closed the link. Still moving at a comfortable pace, he spoke "Do you have family? I will have my guard escort you home." He knew it wouldn't be that easy to get rid of these two, but one could hope.

Nabikasu schooled her voice as she had been taught, "Iie my lord. I have no family. I offer myself as your concubine or barring that servant to your mate."

'Like I'd let you within striking distance.' Keikan thought but kept his voice neutral, "That will not be necessary. My mate has not much use for servants, and I have no need of a concubine."

Sesshomaru shook his head still gazing at his daughter in wonder. "Iie...I did not," he said, a little sadly.

Ori shook her head. "Nor do I my Lord...I am skilled in the kitchens. I would be honored to work for you."

"Well the rest of our pups had the good sense to say Mama first." Akisame teased, not at all surprised that Kaiya had said Papa first. Not with all the time Sesshomaru had held her whispering the words to her.

"Until you are recovered," Keikan said finding it harder to maintain his mask, "You shall be our guest. I will have a servant prepare you rooms. When we arrive."

Sesshomaru just smiled at her as Shakaku stepped up to him to say hello to her youngest sister. As the tora's scent drifted up to him, he remembered what he had been meaning to ask her since he first scented her. "Shakaku...you are with pup."

Mika came into view, lugging her basket as Sesshomaru made his revelation. She dropped the basket heavily on the step and ran up to wrap her arms around the stunned youkai's waist. "Congratulations joudama (pretty lady)!"

"That's wonderful!" Akisame exclaimed. "My first grandpup. Now I suppose we must wait on Haya and Keishou for the next one. We decided, Arashi is our nephew. It is to strange having Inu Yasha's son as our grandson. Don't worry they are joining us for dinner, so you will meet him."

Haya had come from the garden and was about to speak when she heard Sesshomaru's announcement and Akisame's comment. Before anyone saw her she turned and fled heading towards the Bone Eaters Well. Reaching it she let loose the sobs.

Keishou entered the clearing, holding several rabbits and was greeted by the sounds of his mate's sobbing. Speeding to her side, he dropped his catch. "Haya? What is wrong?" he asked, pulling her to him.

Shakaku finally overcame the shock of Sesshomaru's words. She put a hand on her stomach, joy washing over her features. "Keikan will be so happy," she looked at Akisame, "I can not wait to meet Arashi. I have gifts for both he and Kaiya. Oh I can't wait to go home and tell him!"

Sesshomaru in the meantime had gone back to doting on Kaiya. "Can you do it again my little one?" he whispered in her ear, stroking the silky silver hair.

At Shakaku's words, Mika let go of Shakaku and reached out to take her mother's hand.

Akisame looked down at Mika, "What is it sweetness?"

Kaiya wrapped a small fist around a lock of hair and tugged it to her mouth, "Papa...papa...papa...." she gurgled happily.

Haya buried her face into his shoulder, her words coming between them, "Shakaku and Keikan... she's ... she's pregnant."

Sesshomaru let out a rumbling laugh. "Very good, Kaiya. Come," he said with a sniff, "I believe you need a changing."

Shakaku followed him into the hut, asking if she could help. Mika looked up at Akisame when she was gone and whispered, "Keikan wants us to keep Shakaku here. He says it's not safe for her at home."

Keishou held his mate tighter. What could he say to her that he hadn't already said? What would it take to prove to her that he didn't care about having pups? "You know it doesn't matter to me my love but it pains me to see you so sad," he said stroking her raven hair.

Kaiya liked the sound that fell around her, pulling the hair in her smile fist she happily continued to gurgle "Papa"

Akisame's eyebrows furrowed for a moment. Keikan would not ask if the danger was not real. "Then keep her here we will."

Haya sniffed gaining some control of her tears, "I know... It's just Akisame... she didn't know I was there. and I know we haven't told them...but she ... she said that now they only had to wait for us for the second." As she finished speaking, sobs racked her body again.

Keishou pulled away from Haya, wiping her tears with his thumbs as he looked her in the eye. "We should tell them, if only to prevent them from hurting you unintentionally."

Shakaku couldn't help but laugh as Sesshomaru continued to do the same. The inu couldn't seem to stop, despite the fact that his daughter was tugging on his hair most likely painfully. Sango peeked her head in the widow. "What is going on in there? Oh Shakaku, hello!"

"Sango," Sesshomaru called, moving to the window, "Listen to what Kaiya can say."

Another strand of hair touched, Kaiya's other hand and once again she grabbed. The sound had stopped, she wanted again. "Papa...Papa...Papa..." All the while tugging with both tiny fist on the hair they now held in the grip only an infant can place on hair.

"Ow."

Sango burst into laughter as the Lord of the West attempted to unsuccessfully, disentangle his hair from his daughters fists. Her face disappeared from the window as Sesshomaru resorted to reasoning with the girl and the taijiya could no longer stand.

"Kaiya...sweet one...let go of Papa's hair," he said. As he freed one strand and went to work on the other.

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