YAY! I finally got the time to sit down and read Blood Stained properly, and I am liking what I have read so far. here's my review for this awesome chapter!

Now, the first part was emotional once again, when he thought about his mistakes. I thought it was brilliant the way you mentioned his greatest mistake was in hurting Kagome and the pup. Guilt is bound to strike him, and I am glad you gave Sesshoumaru's heart that teeny bit of humane touch.

And bravo for mentioning that Kagome could never go back to the same again. I actually liked that very, very much. After suffering such a horrendous trauma, escaping from the terrifying beast and growing pregnant with his child and eventually becoming a mother...I think it is impossible and almost crazy to expect Kagome to go back to being what she used to be. She could heal, but she should heal and emerge a different individual. Besides, she would have to be stronger and more mature emotionally to take care of the new little life that is baby Kiyoshi! Sesshoumaru's presence would definitely help her in this arduous process, and I thought it was nice how he realized that on his own. It would not be nice if Kagome had to go through something life-threatening for him to realize it, or for someone else to tell him to do so.

THEN...*snickers* He starts to think about the mating bond. Now, of course the mating bond is pretty important and it affects their actions to a certain extent. But he is right, he is nonetheless the master of his own body. And...OMG...and...*SQUEALS LIKE A TYPICAL FANGIRL* HE IS FALLING FOR HER. OMG OMG I CAN SENSE IT. I CAN READ IT. YAY!!!!! *floats on PINK clouds*

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Back to Earth.

Oh god, poor Sesshoumaru is feeling sooooo much remorse over his actions; it is killing me. I am hurting because I can actually relate to the pain because your beautifully crafted words brought me into his thoughts. It is so raw and painful. And like some other reviewers have mentioned, I thought the imagery of him trying to reassemble the crushed petals of a flower was poignantly beautifully. How tragic, to be doing something like that. The flower can never, ever be the same again, but he is still trying. For that, Sesshoumaru deserves happiness. I believe he does, and I really really hope Blood Stained has a good ending. Or I will cry. Like seriously, seriously CRY. (LOL! That was not a threat sweetheart!! You know I love you LOTS!)

The signs of her growing acceptance are definitely visible in this chapter, from the way she didn't really evade him when he came back into the hotel room, and actually closed in the distance when she sat on his bed. Kagome's psychological state was very, very skillfully written, and it is very mature of you as a writer to mention that a part of her was still angry at Sesshoumaru. It is definitely very realistic, because this is a woman who has been raped. I am not saying I understand fully how victims of rape feel, but I believe no matter how gracious a person is, there would be residual anger and a small part within them that can never come to terms with the pain and trauma. But she is definitely very brave to face her fears, and actually think of Sesshoumaru in a very rational manner instead of channeling all her energy to hating his guts. So she's right, time will actually heal a lot, and she will find herself again if she learned to let go of certain things.

OMG Sesshy as Papa is soooooo beautiful~ The mental image of him kneeling down in front of her and leaning his nose against her stomach is soooooo sweet! And gosh, he SMILED. Are you sure you are not a fluff writer, darling?? I am getting a little giddy from the fangirl-ism. Contact is very good indeed. Please have more contact, Sesshoumaru and Kagome.

You know, I've always thought I'd love for them to be together and actually love each other, but the idea of intercourse between them scares ME. Can you imagine it?? OMG. I cannot, but I did! I actually feared when they talked about being more in contact, and I thought Kagome might go berserk on Sesshoumaru. But then again, you are a very mature writer, so you never give me cause for meaningless worry! Blood Stained is such an awesome fic because of the pace. That aspect alone is very, very commendable.

SEE?? EVEN THE BOND THINKS THEY ARE RIGHT FOR EACH OTHER. Honesty is indeed, the best policy. I thought it was good to have Sesshoumaru tell Kagome the truth, and allow her to accept it slowly. Because no matter what she'd think, the truth remained as such, and it was better than having her realize it subsequently and have no choice but to deal with the situation. It's really sweet that Sesshoumaru is growing to be affected by Kagome's opinions of him! I thought it was cute that he felt bad almost immediately when Kagome started crying. AND ZOMG I want to pull his ears. He should stop pushing everything to the poor bond. It's high time this demon realizes it is his HEART that is feeling all these emotions.

Then as if he heard me, Sesshoumaru had to say this...

"If they were meant to, then they did."

HELLO?? I THINK I STOPPED BREATHING THERE FOR A MOMENT. HE IS A FREAKIN' ROMANTIC at heart. Now I can die happy, LOL.

And they continued with that conversation with all that subtle hints and it was really, really sweet to read.

The entire conversation weighed so heavily on me because of how beautiful it was, and I honestly haven't typed such a long review in my eight years of reading fanfiction, but I NEED TO TELL YOU HOW I FEEL.

Sesshoumaru is like, the cutest thing. I know this is strange, because I am reviewing Blood Stained, which is known throughout the fandom as a darker, dramatic and emotional fic. But still, he is so darn cute when he started pondering about what love actually entails, and matching emotions which he had felt in the past to the descriptions Kagome gave. It was as if he had a checklist, and he was just ticking everything off. Having Kagome educate him on the theories of love was a great idea; she actually managed to prove to him that yes, while being alone was easier, it was not exactly nicer. Sure, one didn't get the hurt and pain that comes from being in love at times, but neither would the person know happiness from love. 

THEN SHE TOUCHED HIM :) :) :) *mega grin*

He just had to go and think, didn't he? I want to pull his pointy ears now and scream in them. "YOU ARE IN LOVE, DOGGY!!"

Please keep up the good work, my dear, and keep the chapters coming!! I adore Blood Stained and can't wait for more!! *HUGGLES* Did I break the record for longest review for Blood Stained ever?? LOL.

Ohmygoodness, he's falling for her :D or has he already fallen? ahaha Wonder when Kagome will feel thesame,,? Awesome chapter yet again so please keep up the wonderful work && Also, I hope your grandmother's situation continues to get better.

Ahhhhh you are so creative I love it! The part were Sesshomaru was trying to pick up the pieces of a crushed flower and put it back to gather was just great totally worth the read. I just love your stuff. 

Loved this chapter! Was excellently written. I love the parts where Sesshoumaru examines himself and his emotions concerning Kagome. I think those are the times that really makes me understand how lost he feels when he goes through each and every emotion that he hasn't come across in his past. Thank you for this update and PLEASE UPDATE SOON!

Wow, before I even start reading Chapter 44. I have to say, THIS IS A DREAM COME TRUE.

 You updated like 2 times this month! :) Thank you so much. I'm absolutely in love with the story, especially with the way the chemistry is starting to build up between Sesshomaru and Kagome now. I wonder what would happen after she gives birth!

:) Thanks Maddie.

Man!! I love this story, in fact, I have never been dissapointed is any story or drabble you have written. Every time I seen a new story from you, I get just a bit excited! lol I love the premise for this one and how its gradually building up to their love and how hard it is. I get upset when authors make them fall in love too quickly. Keep up the most excellent work and don't let other reviews get you down....bitches don't know what they are talking about if they say its horrible or bad...i give you four thumbs up (including my big toes...) keep giving me my fanfic crack lulz...

Well, at least he is confused. Thats a start for him. A insightful chapter!

Another Lovely chapter. This gets deeper and deeper with each new update. So Sesshomaru thinks  there is a chance hes falling in love. I wonder if his guilt and fear of hurting her will hold him back or if he will try to push her away. Or will he grow into the feelings and try to work from there.

Wow, this gets better with each chapter!

The emotions in this story seem so realistic, you are not rushing things one bit and exploring the evolution of Kagome and Sesshomaru's relationship in great detail.  I can see them caring for eachother a great deal once their barriers are finally down.  Will it be the birth of their child that does it?  I look forward to finding out...

Ugh I feel like such a slacker.  It's Saturday night and I'm just reviewing now. Firstly I want to say that I'm glad your grandmother is getting better.  I will continue to keep you in my thoughts and hopes that she continues to improve.

Now onto the review.  So many answers and still so many questions I'm not sure where to begin.  Kagome's thoughts on whether or not she and Sesshoumaru are friends or not was very well thought out.  I think it would be safe to say that yes they are friends.  Not in the "I'll tell you everything" way but I think on some level she trusts him enough and she would certainly depend on him if needed. 

The explaination of why Sesshoumaru has been sleeping so much made a lot of sense.  They never thought that it would be draining to him since his youkai is sealed away but I think the connection is tapping into that hidden force and he isn't used to it.  I am inclined to agree with another reviewer's thoughts that perhaps the two halves are merging somehow and that is where all of these feelings are coming from.  OR he could just be seeing her in a different light now and is forming his own opinions about her without even realizing it.  It's going to be highly interesting to see how his feelings keep evolving and changing the more time he spends with her.

I don't understand how their mating bond could be weakening if they seem to be growing closer.  I wonder if it's because they keep the beast locked away and that part is essential for the mating to not cause the other pain.  I'm curious as to how they are going to fix the problem.  Though Kagome has gotten closer to Sesshoumaru she still has problems with his other half and rightfully so.  I can't see her just agreeing to free him if there is no real threat to her or Kiyoshi.  I don't think she's ready for that but only time will tell.

So the doctor isn't sure what Kiyoshi is going to be...interesting. I am really glad that he's alright though.  I was very impressed with the explaination you have for the pains that he is suffering through and it makes sense.  If her miko powers were locked away when he was conceived then he wouldn't have had the chance to adjust to them.  But when Sesshoumaru took off the bracelet and Kagome returned home he was flooded with this new power that was designed to destroy those like him so it would make total sense that he would fight against it and grow faster.  I wonder what they are going to do after the doctor told them that they had less than a month.  If she's that close it's not safe for them to be hoping on the next plane back to Japan but I don't know if it's safe for them in Brazil either.  If they do stay hopefully the doctor will be there to assist with the delivery.

The end of this chapter had me in tears.  There was so much emotion especially from Sesshoumaru and it was amazing.  He thought he was doing the right thing by sealing her powers and now he finds out that he has brought nothing but more pain to her and the pup was more than he could bare.  The fact that he told her that he wouldn't have killed her despite everything was huge.  Then there was that little man doing what he could to make his parents feel better.  I really think that Kiyoshi understands everything that is going on and he is doing his best to bring his parents together.  When Kagome put her hands on Sesshoumaru's head I think I was more proud of her than I have been in a long time.  It's a small guesture that most people don't think about but for her it was big.  Now, if only Sesshoumaru would stop running away and leaving her alone everytime his emotions get the best of him.  He needs to communicate how he's feeling to her because I think that will go a long way in the their relationship.

I can't wait for the next chapter.  I know I say that every time but I really mean it!  I hope you are well and wonderful job as usual.  Best Wishes as always sorry for my lateness it's been a very long week. ***Bigg Huggs***

Dear Madison:

I want to begin by saying that all this week my thoughts have been with you and your grandma! I feel so happy that she survived something so awful as an aneurysm! Something so dangerous and serious!

Now that you have got another chance to enjoy her, don't let it go!! Love her very much and giver her tons of attention and care!

I hope her recovery will be swift and painless, and I wish the best for you and her!

Now to the review:

This was another excellent example of why we love this story so much! There is always something unexpected and that, keeps us on out toes! Is not like some predictable stories where you can pretty much tell what is going to happen, NO! here we are constantly gasping because a new development has come!

I am glad that a youkai Doctor has come to help diagnose the problem with Kiyoshi. Who could be better than someone who can understand the complexities between youkai and humans?

I was really surprised to learn that it was the mating mark the one that was causing problems for both Sesshomaru & Kagome. It makes sense, but at the same time, Sesshomaru raised a very valid point when he wondered if it would make Kagome too weak to deliver the pup?

This brings new issues because as far as we all know there is only certain ways to strengthen the mating bond, and I can imagine that Kagome will not go for any of it! However, perhaps because it's something that will help the child, she may agree with it. A question that came to mind while thinking about that, was: If they are to try and make the bond stronger, will it matter if it is just Sesshomaru or will it have to be the beast involved? I think Kagome MAY be more open to be close to Sesshomaru, but I see no way that she will agree to anything with the beast!

We all suspected that Kiyoshi was developing faster, but now whe know the reason behind the abnormal development, and I can honestly say that I don't think that there is anyone that could be completely guilty for this. Yes, Sesshomaru placed the bracelet on Kagome, but he would have never do anything that would had harm the pup. What is important is the small amount of time left before Kiyoshi is born. Kagome needs to regain some strenght, they need to prepare for the arrival, will they risk the birth away from home or will they go back to Japan? Will they try to strenghten the mating bond for the sole purpose of helping Kagome birth the baby?

One thing that the Doctor said had me really shocked. The baby is not Human, nor Youkai, nor Hanyou! I am so intrigued by this!! I can hardly wait to see what is going on there!!

The scene where Sesshomaru apologized to Kagome was so moving that I could feel myself getting small tears in my eyes. It was not only the way he did it, but because he felt it, he didn't do it because it was asked from him, he did it because he felt the need to do it. When he kissed Kagome's hand I was just about to faint! That was so sweet!!

When Kiyoshi send his aura to help Sesshomaru, I felt that this little being, this small creatura that was not even born yet, understood all the pain and suffering his parents were experiencing and in his own way was trying to help them! Is hard to imagine the level of intelligence that he has in order to analize the situation and try to rectify it with the only means available to him!

All that is left is to have Sesshomaru accept that he is forgiven by his own child and that Kagome doesn't hate him, nor even feels the same ammount of resentment she felt at the begining of this journey. Forgiveness is something everyone needs at this point.

Thank you so much for writing and sharing! I look forward to see what is going to happen next!

Hugs:

MidCat

You didn't mess the chapter up at all it is wonderful.  Even more so due to your current circumstances.  Know that you and your family are in my prayers and that I am sending good wishes to you. 

Alright, I would have NEVER guess the braclet. Good job! XD  Now i'm curious too what the kid will be. and the whole mark business.... yep looks like things are going to get a bit more complicated.

They do have a kind of strange relationship, don't they? I can't imagine how you would classfiy it. Poor Kagome must be exhausted. She has to think about solving her tainted self all the time. Mental and emotional exhaustion is such a killer.

Is he going to blame his feelings on the mating bond again? Although I suppose the thought does have merit...still. He's dumb. The mating bond doesn't have to be the only reason.

You used the name Izumi! xD

Oh my god. You're a genius. I was wondering what was going on with Kiyoshi. This is a really interesting twist. How do you come up with this stuff all the time?

Man, I agree with Dr. Izumi. I totally want to meet Kiyoshi too.

That scene at the end was so heatrbreaking. They both blame themselves but never each other. I can't wait for the next chapter! This is getting so emotionally intense and the plot just keeps getting more interesting, but not by making new things happen. It;s being done by filling in the holes of unabswered questions.

Kagome's asking herself some difficult questions, but she's going in the right direction. If she won't ask, she's at least cursious about him.

And Sesshoumaru's in a bit of a situation, isn't he? Casual little gestures are just happening naturally. The poor thing's confused. And then Kagome's confused. I feel like maybe she's freaking out not because it was a sexual gesture, as she concluded, but maybe because it wasn't and it was more like a gentle caring type of thing. And that might scare her even more than the physical intimacy, because she had already gone through that so it's something that she doesn't want. But this is new and therefore makes it terrifying.

I find it also interesting how Kagome doesn't associate the Sesshoumaru now with the beast that she's afraid of. It's almost like the physical representation that Sesshoumaru now has also shows her changing opinion of him. I was wondering if Kagome would ever consider trying to forgive the beast, though. You answered that rather nicely :)

Madison, you're amazing. I think that's my favorite other world interaction they've had yet, and it has nothing to do with the kiss...well, it kind of does, but that's not the main part. They have so many deep conversations in that world and they realize so many things. It really makes you think, like always trying to see things from a different perspective.

How do you keep doing that with the last lines? You're like the queen of endings.

Yea! I love this story. The doctor was great! Now we have more answers, but will the two non-love birds become love birds? Thanks for your hard work especially while your going through a  tuff time with your grandmother being in the hospital. 

Dear Lord I love this story......

Wow, I am sure there are no dry eyes after that chapter.