The Sleeping
This story is rated PG-13 for sexual situations
Prologue
"The garden is so beautiful this time of year. Hey, that tickles," Aara giggled.
They were sitting on the grass with Vash leaning up against the trunk of her favorite blossoming cherry tree with Aara sitting between his legs and leaning back against his chest. Vash had his arms around her and was blowing in her right ear. They were alone for a change, just cuddling and enjoying the falling petals and the spring flowers. Vash rested his head over her right shoulder and smiled.
"I didn't tell you to stop," she protested. Then she smiled, turned her head to kiss his cheek and then looked straight ahead again and tilted her head to lean it against his.
"Don't you guys ever quit?"
They both sat up straighter smiling and blushing as they looked left at the approaching group.
"What are you insinuating, Kyo?" Vash said, supporting Aara as she got up, and then got to his feet himself.
The three visitors approached. Tekken was admonishing Kyo for being an insensitive jerk and Kyo defensively started arguing back.
"Will you two PLEASE stop fighting?" Vara said in a tired exasperated tone.
Aara walked straight to her daughter. Something didn't feel right about her.
"Vara, what's wrong?" Aara asked.
Vara was pale and looked fatigued. She also had a glazed look like someone in pain.
"She's been feeling really bad for several days." Tekken said with concern. "We brought her here to see Kaiba. Our healer is away from the Palace and won't be back for at least another week."
"I wanted to bring Kaiba to her instead," Kyo said and they started bickering again.
Ignoring the two demons, Vash stepped up to his daughter just as she started to sway and manage to catch her as she fainted. Only then did the two stop fighting, united in their concern for their Queen.
They stepped toward Vara but Vash swept her up into his arms. They started to protest but Vash gave them such a cold reprimanding look that both demons fell silent.
"Stay here!" Aara said to them as she lead Vash with her daughter back to the Castle. How does she tolerate those two? Aara thought
"I don't know," Vash said. Aara looked at him a little surprised. She had forgotten that he could sometimes hear her thoughts.
They reached Kaiba's tower and Aara opened the door and walked right in followed by Vash.
"Kaiba... Rin..." Aara called out as Vash laid his precious cargo on the empty bed and then sat in the chair next to it holding his daughter's hand
Rin appeared immediately. She saw they had a new patient and went straight to the bed, then hesitated when she saw who it was.
"What happened?" she asked Vara's parents.
"They say she was coming to see Kaiba because she has not been feeling well. We were out in the garden talking and then she fainted." Aara said,
"She doesn't look good," she said placing a hand on her forehead. "No fever though. Who are they? Where are they?" Rin asked. "I need to find out more about her symptoms."
"'They are Kyo and Tekken and I'm not going to let them anywhere near her," Aara said. "I know they must be at least partially to blame for this. Apparently they verbally bicker with each other constantly. The stress on her must be terrible."
"They're in the garden? I'll go talk to them. I sent Kain to fetch Kaiba so he should be here shortly. Stay with her." With that Rin left the room.
Aara went to where her mate was sitting and sat on one of his legs as he encircled her waist with his spare arm. She leaned against him and put one arm around his shoulder and placed the other hand on top of the hand that held her daughter's hand. All they could do was wait.
A minute later Rin returned to the room.
"You weren't kidding," she said. "They didn't even know I was there. Kaiba will be here before I'd be able to get anything from them. Poor Vara."
"I'm here," Kaiba said walking into the room with his son, Kain. Aara stood up upon his entrance but Vash remained seated.
"Sorry it took so long," Kaiba continued. "I was in the middle of something." The healer walked up to the patient. "Vara?... What are her symptoms?"
"We don't know," Vash said, gently putting her hand down on the bed so the healer could "read" her. "Apparently she's been ill but she fainted before she could tell us anything."
Kaiba placed his hand on her forehead and closed his eyes.
"She's over-stressed, extremely fatigued, very dehydrated, and..." he hesitated with surprise.
"And what?" both parents said in unison.
Kaiba removed his hand, straightened and looked at the anxious pair.
"She's pregnant," he continued. "About a month along I'd say, with a boy."
"Pregnant?" the whole room responded in shock.
"Who's the father?" Vash asked, thinking of the two demons in the garden.
"That I can't tell," the healer said. "The baby feels like his mother except for being male. Apparently she's having a rough first trimester so I'd like to have her stay here until she's through it. I overheard Rin talking. I'm assuming that the 'they' she was referring to are Kyo and Tekken?"
The two parents and Rin nodded.
"Something has to be done to get those two to stop fighting, for Vara and her baby's sake or we are going to have to ban them from seeing her. She is not handling the stress well. They could end up causing her harm and even make her loose the baby."
"I don't usually interfere, but for my daughter's sake, I will. Those two will stop their fighting now!" Aara said coldly as she left the room.
Vara finally regained consciousness and was told the news. After the shock had faded, she was thrilled.
Minutes later Tekken and Kyo entered the room looking liked whipped puppies. Kyo was almost as white as a sheet. Aara followed in behind them.
They both walked up to Vara's bed, apologized and promised to care for her and her son, no matter which one was the father. They also promised to never fight in front of her again. They each kissed her and then they left. Vara stared after them in shock.
"What did you do to them?" Vara asked her mother.
Aara walked to her daughter's bedside and sat on the edge. She tenderly pushed back her daughter's hair from her face and said, "I taught them a little lesson in fear. I had no idea how bad they had gotten. If they ever transgress on their promise, please let me know. I've sent them home to take care of things while you're gone. You're to stay here until you are feeling better. In fact, stay as long as you like."
"I can't stay here; my males need me and I have duties to attend to." Vara tried to rise from her bed.
A gentle but firm hand pressed her back down. "Your first duty is to yourself and your baby, If your pregnancy is anything like your mother's, your males won't be needing you for a while," Kaiba said. "We'll see how you feel in a week. If you have sufficiently recovered by then I'll let you go home, provided those two men of yours have straighten up their act. You can't handle stress like that any more. Now drink this," he said handing her a large glass of water laced with sleep-inducing and stomach-calming herbs."
Vara winched at the size of it. "It'll just come back up," she whined.
"Trust me and drink it," he said.
Vara swallowed dryly and then she drank the whole glass. Rin took the glass from her and Kaiba said, "Good. Now rest."
Vara nodded, already getting sleepy-eyed. Vash and Aara kissed their daughter and then left the room.
Vash and Aara ate dinner in the library so they could discuss Vara's surprise pregnancy in private. They made the announcement to the rest of the Castle residents in the dining hall before they excused themselves. They had arranged with Kaiba and Rin to have them answer the questions.
"I still can't believe Vara's baby is the son of Kyo or Tekken." Aara said as she walked over and snuggled in the oversized chair with him.
"If not them then who?" Vash asked.
"I don't know. It's not like anyone new has come into her life. Aara said.
"Didn't you say that the Red Phoenix came to the aid of Suzaku? Maybe he's the father."
"Tasuki? Not possible. He's really not the same man as we once knew him. He doesn't even have a substantial body anymore."
"Well, maybe we shouldn't waste time questioning the fates. Maybe we should just be happy for her. You should have seen her face light up when Kaiba told her the news. She is so happy about it."
"Do you think she was like I was? Do you think she wanted a baby so bad that it just happened?"
"And what was I? Didn't I help?" He looked at her pretending to be hurt.
She push at him. "You know what I mean. I wished so hard for a mate and children of my own. That's when you appeared and made all my dreams come true."
"That's good, You had me worried for a minute."
Aara laughed and hugged him. Then she continued. "I don't think Vara wants a mate per say, she is content with Tekken and Kyo, at least when they're not fighting. Maybe all she wanted was a baby."
"And you think the Fates answered her prayers?"
"Yes." she said. "Yes I do!"
"Do you want to know what I'm wishing for?"
"What are you wishing for, Vash?"
"I want another child, I want us to have another baby."
"Already? I only just got you back!"
"You don't want one?" Vash looked at her worriedly.
"Of course I do, someday. Just not right now. I want you all to myself for at least a little while longer."
"Do you object to us at least trying?" he said, looking at the tops of her breasts and then kissing them.
She giggled and said, "No, my love, I don't object. In fact I insist that we try, as often as we can!"
"Excellent!" he said.
With that Vash rose and went to the door. Aara wasn't sure if she should follow or wait until she saw his hand reach for the lock. He looked back at her with a seductively wicked look as he slid the bolt home. She laughed and held her arms out to him as walked back, undressing as he moved.
Suddenly all five bonded Demons eating the dining room rose as one and excused themselves from the dinner table. Kurama and Bakura both left immediately. The remaining three, InuYasha, Aniki, and Hiei quickly piled their plates up high with food to take with them before they followed the other two.
"It's times like these that make me envy Shilo." InuYasha said to Aniki as they passed through the door balancing their plates. They were all glad Vash was back, but it sure got embarrassing at times.
"What's going on?" Isabo asked, staring after them puzzled. Hiya leaned toward her ear and whispered the explanation to her.
"Oh..." she commented.
The remaining Castle residents smiled knowingly as they finished their meal.
It was hours later when Aara walked onto the balcony with Vash following. She looked out at the moonlit landscape as Vash encircled her with his arms. She had just washed up from being with her demons, InuYasha being the last.
"Tired?" Vash asked as she leaned back against his chest.
"A little," she responded.
"Maybe we should just cuddle tonight," Vash said.
"Why?" Aara asked.
"You said you were tired"
"I'm never that tired."
Vash rewarded her with a big smile and then he kissed her.
Suddenly a scream of terror and despair rang through the Castle.
Aara and Vash broke apart and turned back to the view off the balcony. In the moonlight they watched a Unicorn run across the field and disappear over the hill.
"Isabo had another nightmare," Aara said.
Suddenly a large form flew by the balcony, it's body engulfing the night sky and wind caused by it's beating wings pushing the two back into the room.
"What was that?" Aara asked as the two of them rushed back onto the porch.
Vash squinted as he looked after the flying figure. "It looks like Kyo. Guess they didn't want to leave Vara here alone. I wonder if Tekken knows he's here."
"Is he following Isabo?" Aara asked.
"Looks like it," he responded
"Then I'm going after them," Aara said.
"What can you do?"
"Do you trust Kyo, I mean really trust him when he confronts a 'Dragon-slayer'?"
"I don't know. Kyo has changed a lot from the man I once knew. I doubt he would do her harm, but the one I have faith in is Isabo. She has overcome more than anyone else I know in this world. One curious red dragon shouldn't be a problem for her."
"I'd rather be safe than sorry, besides, he has disobeyed my order. I can't overlook that. I also might be able to help Isabo with her nightmares. I'm going to ask InuYasha to carry me and follow them."
"You want to use your powers on her? You can't bind her, so anything you can do for her will only be temporary at best," Vash said.
"Hopefully, I can give her time to heal and find something or someone else that will help her overcome the pain," Aara responded. "I can at least try."
Vash couldn't argue with that logic. He gave her a quick embrace and then released her. As she headed for the door he said, "Hurry back."
She gave him a suggestive smile and then exited the room, closing the door behind her.
