You Are My Jewel by Magz2015

You Are My Jewel

Disclaimer:  I do not own Inuyasha.  Inuyasha and all associated characters are owned by Rumiko Takahashi.

All OC’s Are owned by me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Kagome sat on the palace wall and watched as her three of her five pups tried to take down her mate.  She still could not believe that she was mated to Sesshomaru.  The one person that wanted Inuyasha dead more than anything and tried to kill her on countless occasions.  But here she was, bound to his life and watching her pups grow up.  Actually just reaching her 178th birthday.

Five pups.  There was a time when she didn’t think she would have even one of them!  That was when she was trying to conceive her oldest, Katsuro.  And he is now 150 years old.  Then his sister Sakura who was 145 years old.  Kentaro who was 130 years old, and then she had a set of twins, Misa and Kisa that were only seven years old now.

Katsuro, if it wasn’t for his puppy dog ears that he had like Inuyasha, would be the spitting image of his father.  He had the crescent moon on his forehead and the two maroon stripes on his cheeks.  He even acted just like him!  Except when she was around, then he was a very loving pup.

Sakura was contrast to her older brother.  Where he had the white hair like their father, she had auburn hair and ears with large emerald eyes.  She got her name because of the single stripe on each cheek that was the exact color of the Sakura trees in the gardens.  Though she was more open and loving than her older brother, as far as fighting goes, she is evenly matched if not a little stronger.

Kentaro reminded her of Inuyasha in looks but he had eyes that were as blue as a clear summer day.  He is strong, but is always aspiring to be just like his big brother Katsuro.  She thinks it is cute the way he always use to follow him around and copy him, even though Katsuro didn’t think so at the time.

Kisa and Misa were her twins.  Kisa had her black hair and brown eyes, and Misa had Sesshomaru’s mother’s markings and colors and green eyes with the auburn hair of her sister.  They just turned seven a few days before and were defiantly what they would have called in her time Daddy’s little girls.  When Sesshomaru wasn’t training with the older three, they were on his heals no matter where he went or what he did.  Just like Rin was when she was a child.

The thought of Rin made her smile fade.  She has been gone for so long, along with Miroku, Sango, and their kids.  Every so often Shippo comes to visit with his mate and kits, and Koga finally settled in to mate with Ayame.  Who was expecting her seventh set of twins!

When he sent Katsuro, Kentaro, and Sakura flying through the air he took a break to look up at her.  She smiled at the caring in the depth of those amber eyes.  He was simply the most handsome man that she had ever seen, and with him she knew she would always be safe.  And her pups, though they were all hanyou, would be stronger than any taiyoukai that they came across.

“Mama will you tell us a story?”

“Yeah mama will you?”

Kagome looked over to find her now seven year old pups standing on the wall next to her.  She held her arms out for them and welcomed them on her lap as she leaned against the palace.  “What kind of stories do you want me to tell you?”

Kisa looked up at the sky as she thought.  “I know mama!  You can tell us about how you met papa and fell in love with each other!”

Misa started to rapidly shake her head up and down.  “Hai mama!  I really want to hear that story too!”

Kagome giggled.  “Sure thing.  Demo, if I start at the very beginning then I have to talk about Inuyasha.”

Kisa let out a small growl.  “Demo, this is how you and papa fell in love so I guess it will be alright.”

Misa nods.  “We really want to hear this story again mama.”

Kagome nods and gets comfortable.  “Well I will start at the beginning of the last adventure that I had with Inuyasha.”

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Kagome sat on the back of Kirara with Sango as they left the village this time.  She was still angry at Inuyasha for how he was acting toward her.  But she had a job to do.  Then she would cross over to her time and seal the well then wish the jewel way forever.

She still couldn’t believe that Inuyasha was acting like such a jerk toward her, and even Sango, Miroku, and Shippo!  She looked ahead and glared at the back of his head as he walked next to Miroku.  ‘Baka.  I bet he has been with Kikyo while I was gone.  He always acts like a jerk when he is with her.’

Sango sighed as she looked at Kagome over her shoulder.  She knew how she felt about Inuyasha but didn’t see why she was putting herself through all this.  “Kagome, why do you do this to yourself?”

Kagome was pulled from her thoughts when she heard Sango’s voice.  “What are you talking about Sango?”

“With Inuyasha.”

“I am not putting myself through anything with Inuyasha.”

Sango glared over her shoulder.  “You know what he does when you go home, the only reason why he is in the village when you get back is because he stays close enough to smell you when you come through the well.”

Kagome cast her eyes down.  “It is hard Sango.  Do you think you could just turn away from Miroku?”

Sango sighed.  “I know that it would be one of the most painful things that I would do, but if he is still obsessed with another woman, I would know he wouldn’t be true to me.  Just like Inuyasha will never be true to you because of Kikyo.”

“I know that Sango.  But what do I do?  I am not strong enough to fight off The Band Of Seven, Kagura, or anything else that Naraku sends after me to get the jewel shards.”

Sango smiled.  “I will talk to Miroku tonight.  He can stay with Inuyasha while we go off on our own for a little while.  Perhaps all he needs is a good dose of what he will miss if he isn’t with you all the time.”

Kagome smiled and hugged her friend.  “Oh Sango!”  Then she remembered, “Can we bring Shippo?  I know Inuyasha won’t treat him right.”

“Hai.”

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“Why are you talking about that baka koishii?”

Kagome looked up to find Sesshomaru standing in front of her.  Simply immaculate as usual and still mesmerizing.  “They asked for the story of how we fell in love koibito.  I couldn’t tell them no.”

Misa jumped up in his arms and smiled.  “Papa, mama can tell us this story right?”

Sesshomaru smiled at his one of his youngest pups.  Something he only did when he was alone with Kagome or his pups.  “Hai.  Demo, lets move this inside.”

He lifted both his pups in a single arm and then wrapped the other around Kagome as he jumped off the wall and headed for the palace.  “What brought this story on?”

Kisa reached over and went to her mother as she said, “Well papa, we have heard bits and pieces of this story when mama would be talking to Sakura about boys.  And now we want to hear it all.”

Misa was still holding onto her father.  “Hai.  We are not infants anymore papa.”

Sesshomaru looked from pup to pup and settled on Kagome.  “Humph.”

Kagome giggled.  “Really Sesshomaru.”

Kisa looked at her sister than back to her mother, and landed on her father.  “Can mama finish the story?”

Kagome snuggled her pup close.  “I am going to finish the story don’t worry.  It is time to eat right now and then we will all go back to our bedroom and finish the story.”

Sakura came up behind them, already out of the bath house braiding her hair.  “What story are you talking about imoutosan?”

Misa jumped from her father to her sister and said, “Mama is telling the whole story about how her and papa fell in love.”

Sakura gasped and gawked at her mother.  She had told her that story, but that was when she reached the age that she would be able to mate!  Misa and Kisa are no where near old enough for that!  “Mama!”

“I am going to cut those parts out.”

Kisa and Misa looked at each other then their mother.  “What parts mama?”

Kagome giggled again as they entered the dinning hall.  “Parts that you are too young for my little pups.”

“Mama!”

“Nope not until you are an adult, in about 73 years.”

Both pups paled.  They looked up at their father with pleading eyes.  “Papa!”

“Enough.”

“Hai papa.  Gomen nasai.”

Kagome took her place at his left side and smiled.  “You have always had that effect over all the pups haven’t you?”

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow at her.  “What are you talking about?”

“Even with Rin.”

“Huh?”

Kagome giggled as she watched her sons walk into the room.  “And them as well.”

Sesshomaru was truly confused.  “Miko what are you talking about?”

Kagome giggled as she reached over and laid a hand on his arm.  “The way that simply saying their name can stop them dead in their tracks.  Or one word orders can send them running to do it right then, or stop fighting or anything.  It has been like that since Rin barely came to your knee.”

Sesshomaru let a look of longing come over his amber eyes.  Rin.  She has been gone now for over seventy years.  Yet he still swears that he hears her training in the middle of the night out in the gardens.

Kagome sighed.  “Gomen koibito.  I know that you don’t like to talk about Rin.  I just thought that it was cute.”

Sesshomaru moved his hand so it laid on hers.  “Don’t be.  Rin’s memory will never die in this house.  Never.”

Katsuro sat down next to his father, Kentaro next to him.  “What that about Rin father?”

Sesshomaru nodded toward Kagome.  “Ask your mother.  She was babbling something about how I can keep you pups as well as Rin in line with a single word.”

Kagome used her free hand and slapped him in the chest.  “It is true!  Like just now when Kisa and Misa were going to try to beg you all you had to do was say ‘enough’ and then they stopped!”

Katsuro smiled at his mother.  “There is a simple reason for that mama.”

“And what is that reason?”

“None of us want to see him when he is truly angry.”

Kagome was lost now.  The fights that she would get into with Sesshomaru at times would break down walls or destroy half the gardens.  “You have seen him mad.  Or did you forget the fight that almost destroyed the Sakura’ trees last week?”

Sesshomaru smiled.  “No miko.  They are talking about truly angry.  Like I would be at Inuyasha or Naraku.”

Kagome went wide eyes.  “Oh I remember that.  Yeah, glad that I was already mated with you at that point.”

Sakura looked up and smiled.  “How long after Naraku and Inuyasha did you find out you were pregnant with Katsuro mama?”

Kagome sat back and had to think.  She never thought that she would see a 100 years old, much less 178 and still feel 16.  “That final battle, Naraku killed Kikyo, then Inuyasha when he attacked out of rage.  Your father used Tetsusaiga and Tenseiga together in a final ‘Dragon Strike’ and that killed him.  And it was about ten years later when I became pregnant with Katsuro.”

Katsuro gawked at his mother.  “Really, it took you that long?”

Kagome threw a pickle at him.  “Well it wasn’t like it was easy trying to defy logic sochi.  After all, all odds were against us with me being a miko and him a youkai.”

Sesshomaru gave his eldest son a glare then his mate.  “Not now.”

Kagome gasped and turned red when she remembered the twins next to her.  “Gomen girls.”

Misa giggled.  She turned to her brother, “Katsuro are you and Kentaro and Sakura going to come and hear the rest of the story about how mama and papa fell in love?”

Katsuro and Kentaro about choked on their food as the gaped at their mother. “You are telling them that story!  Mama!”

“Oh just like I told Sakura I am editing it for them until they are ready to hear it.”

Sesshomaru sighed.  “Enough.  Eat.”

Kagome smiled as just like magic all five of her pups bent their heads and shut up.  “See, just like magic.”

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Kagome sat in the middle of the huge bed that she shared with Sesshomaru, though tonight she had all five of her pups with her.  She smiled as she looked at them all.  Katsuro, Kentaro, and Sakura had already heard this story.  But Kisa and Misa were not about to let them get out of hearing it again.

She looked across the room at Sesshomaru as he sat in his chair.  “Not joining us on the bed Sesshomaru?  There is more than enough room.”

Sesshomaru only raised an eyebrow to her.  “Joking?”

Kagome stuck her tongue out at him and glared.  “Fine.”  She turned back to her pups and smiled.  “Well now.  Where was I before we had to eat.”

Misa piped up and said, “You were where Sango said that you and her and Uncle Shippo were going to leave and set out on your own.”

Kagome smiled.  “That’s right.  She said that she was going to talk to Miroku and then we would leave him and Inuyasha.”

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Miroku glared at her.  They just agreed that after Naraku was dead that they were to get married.  He didn’t want to let her and Kagome go out off on their own like this!  Not with out a man around.  “Sango, I am not sure that is such a good idea.”

Sango glared at him.  “Nani?  What do you want me to do Miroku.  She can’t stay with him like this.  I know that in a few days he will be back to his old self, and Kagome will forgive him.  But it will happen again and you know that.”

Miroku sighed.  She was right.  Inuyasha was playing with Kagome, almost like he was just keeping her around to be a ‘jewel detector’ for him as he has his trysts with Kikyo.  “You win.  Just stay close enough that you could send Kirara to get me if you get into something that you need my help and I will com running.”

“I promise koibito.”  Then she leaned up and kissed him quickly then ran back to camp.  She knew the perfect way to get Kagome away from Inuyasha.  And Shippo.  She flopped down next to Kagome with a smile.  “Come on Kagome.  We are going to the hot spring.  I want to go and Miroku won’t let me go by myself because he is too paranoid.”

Kagome smiled.  This was it.  She looked up at Inuyasha who sat in a tree next to where they made camp.  Almost ready to tell Sango that she changed her mind.  The distant longing in his eyes sent her over the edge again.  ‘He is thinking about Kikyo.’  “Alright Sango.  Lets go.”

Shippo jumped up on her shoulder with his best pout face on.  “Kagome you are not going to leave me behind are you?  I am just a kodomo after all.  Can I come?”

Kagome giggled and poked his nose.  “Hai.  You can come.”  Then she walked next to Sango as they walked away from Inuyasha and Miroku.  She knew that she would see Miroku again, and as for Inuyasha.  She hoped this worked.  She was so madly in love with him that she couldn’t stand it.  ‘Demo, Sango is right.  He isn’t over Kikyo yet.  It is hopeless.’

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Miroku sat and starred into the fire.  Waiting for his senses to loose Sango completely before he brought it up to Inuyasha.  They were far enough away from them that it was just a slight feel.  He glared up at Inuyasha.  “Baka Inuyasha.”

Inuyasha’s eyes flew open with a growl at the insult.  “What the hell was that for monk?”

“You don’t even realize that you can’t smell her anymore do you?”

“What are you talking about Miroku?”

“Kagome and Sango you dimwit.  They left!”

Inuyasha started to argue back, but then stopped when he realized that he couldn’t smell her anymore!  Kagome was gone!  He leapt up and ran to the hot spring to find her, but she was gone!  And he couldn’t smell her anymore!  There was no trail away or anything!  “He was right.  She really did leave.”

“Hai Inuyasha she left.  Along with Kirara, Sango and Shippo.  And it is your fault.”

“How the hell is it my fault?!”

“Your trysts with Kikyo.  Sango and I can’t stand to see the pain that she goes through when she comes back from her time and can tell that you have been with Kikyo.  Kami only knows what you do with the undead wench.”

“Watch your mouth Miroku.  Talking like that won’t be good for it.”

“What do you expect Inuyasha?  I am friends with Kagome.  She is like a little sister to me and all I see is her crying because you are still hung up on a miko that isn’t even really alive.”

“I am warning you Miroku.  Drop it and help me find them!”

“I won’t.  they wanted to leave because of the way that you treat Kagome Inuyasha.  It’s not right and you know it.  You both need some time apart from each other.  Especially Kagome.  She has stood by your side through anything and everything!  Demo, the only way you can think of repaying her is to hurt her!”

Inuyasha could only glare at Miroku.  “You don’t know what it is like Miroku.  To have been in love as Kikyo and I were in love, believe them to be dead, and then see them brought back.  It is not a real body, or a real life, but she is here.  How can you ask me to walk away from her?”

“If you love Kagome like you act like you do when Kikyo is not around it shouldn’t be that hard.”

“What if it was you and Sango?  What if Sango died and then come back after you met someone else.  Would you be able to turn her away and not see her anymore?”

“Hai.  I would.  I would not hurt someone that I am suppose to love like that.  Like you do to Kagome.  It would hurt like hell to turn away from Sango.  Weather she was undead or really alive.  But I would not hurt her, myself or another that way.  You should know that answer.”

Inuyasha smiled.  “Well I guess that makes sense.  Demo, I am confused over what to do.  I do love Kagome and want her at my side.  Demo, I still love Kikyo and want her by my side.  I don’t know what to do.”

Miroku sighed and sat down.  “Then give Kagome a few days to a few weeks away from her.  Let her get her head on clearly and let her make the best choice for you and her.  If she says she wants you still, then turn away from Kikyo.”

Inuyasha turned his back on Miroku.  ‘He thinks it is just that easy too.  He can say that he would turn away from Sango but he wouldn’t be able to.  Kagome leaving tells me what I must do.’  “I won’t be here when she comes back Miroku.”

“Nani?”

“I am going to Kikyo.  You can say anything you want to right now, but I know what it is like to see the love from years past and want it back, and the love now and want to keep it.  I can’t turn from Kikyo no matter what happens.  Keep her safe for me Miroku.  And I will see you when that final battle with Naraku comes.”  Then he bounded off.

Miroku sighed.  He knew where they were going to go.  If he reacted like this, Miroku was going to join them.  If he stayed, then he wasn’t going to go and they would spend two weeks apart.  To let Kagome think.  “Well Inuyasha you just threw away the best thing that you are ever going to have for someone who only wants to take you to hell with her.”

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Kagome sat in a small cave on the verge of tears.  She didn’t know what tonight would bring.  Would he come and try to find her and start the fight that he always did?  Or would he take this chance to run to Kikyo?

A figure coming toward them made her gasp.  When she saw who it was she dropped her face into her hands and cried.  “Baka Inuyasha!”

Sango felt a tear roll down one side of her cheek for her friend.  Inuyasha was nothing more to her than a hurtful bastard!  All the times that they shared meant nothing to her now.  “He isn’t worth it Kagome.  Let him….”

“Iie Sango.  Let her cry it out.  He doesn’t intend to ever come back to her.  He is gone for good.”

Kagome fell sideways on the ground and rolled so that her back was facing Sango and Miroku.  ‘Baka Inuyasha!  How could you do this to me you bastard!’

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Kagome stopped the story and raised an eyebrow at Sesshomaru.  “Oh you know that is part of the story so get over yourself.”

Sesshomaru only let out another low annoyed growl.  “Miko.”

“Youkai.  What are you going to do about it?  Tell your twins that they can’t hear the story?”

A glance at the pleading green and brown eyes made him sigh.  “Fine.”

Kisa vaulted out of he mother’s arms and to her father.  “Papa can I sit on your lap?”

Sesshomaru let a true smile play on his face.  “Hai koinu.”  Then he lifted her onto his lap and let her get comfortable.  “Continue miko.”

“Thank you for your great permission youkai-sama.”  She giggled when all she got in response was a growl.

Misa looked up at her mother.  “Well we know that he didn’t come back for you because you ended up mating with Papa.  How long after that did you and Papa fall in love?”

Kagome giggled.  “About another year.  I was almost seven teen when your papa and I fell in love and mated.  Right now in the story I am only 16 years old.”

“Is that baka in the story from now on?”

“At times.  Though not till closer to the end when your father defeated Naraku.  But he is referenced to from time to time.  A few times from your father.”

“Hmph.”

Kagome smiled as she readjusted herself a little more comfortably now that one of her twins was with her father.  “Well for a few weeks after that nothing really happened.  We helped slay some youkai for some villages.  And even got a few more pieces of the jewel.  But then something happened.”

“What happened mama?”

“That was when fate set into motion the actions that brought your father and I together.”

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Kagome sat and starred up at the moon again.  It has been three or four weeks since she left Inuyasha and he chose to run to Kikyo instead of come for her.  Whenever she thought about him, it still hurt her.  She just couldn’t understand why someone she was so loyal to, someone she loved with all her heart would hurt her as badly as Inuyasha did.

Sango sighed as she sat down next to Kagome.  She hated seeing her like this.  Since the day that they left and Miroku showed up without Inuyasha she hasn’t been the same Kagome that she use to be.  Her eyes were always filled with tears, and dimmed out.  “Kagome are you alright?”

Kagome smiled as she looked at Sango.  “It still hurts.  I know that it will for a long time, but I will be fine.  It will just take time for me to get over him.”

“I know.  I just don’t like seeing you so disconnected with me and Miroku.  Shippo thinks you have been possessed.”

Kagome smiled her first true smile in weeks.  “Shippo.  I bet he is taking this really hard isn’t he?”

“Hai.”

Kagome sighed.  She needed something to keep her mind off of Inuyasha.  “I need to do something to keep my mind off of Inuyasha and Kikyo.”

“What do you have in mind?”

Kagome cocked her head to the side.  She hadn’t thought about any ideas on what she could do.  ‘What can I do?  It has to be something that will take up a lot of time.’  Then she got it.  They didn’t have as much of the jewel that they use too.  But she did have a third of it.  She knew that Naraku would come searching for them.  “Come on Sango.”  Then she grabbed Sango’s hand and pulled her off toward Miroku.

Miroku smiled when he saw the hint of a sparkle in her eye as Kagome came up to him.  “Nani?”

“Do you know anyone that is pure of heart, not you or Mushin, that can help me get trained on my miko powers?”

Miroku gawked at her.  He always thought that she need to get trained on how to use her purification powers.  But he hadn’t expected it right now.  “Why can’t I teach you?  And Mushin wasn’t in the equation either.”

Kagome giggled slightly as she sat down across from him.  “You can’t teach me because you won’t push me as hard as I know I will need to be pushed.  And you are not exactly pure.”

“Yes I am.”

Sango laughed.  “Well then, lets go to Mt. Hakurei?”

Miroku gulped and dropped his head.  “Well then let me think, who do I know that is pure and would make a good teacher for Kagome?”

Sango sighed.  “What about Kaede?”

Kagome shook her head no.  “I love Kaede to death, but she is Kikyo’s little sister, and I know that Kikyo stops in to see her from time.  One person I don’t want to see right now.”

Miroku sighed.  There was only one other person he knew of that might be able to teach her how to use her powers, but he wasn’t thrilled about going to see her.  He hadn’t seen her since his father died.  “Well there is one.  But I don’t know how she is going to react to me bringing her someone to train.”

“Nani?”

He looked at Kagome and sighed.  “I haven’t been there to see her since I went with Mushin to tell her that my father died.”

Sango just starred down at him with an odd look.  “Who is she?”

Miroku sighed.  “My aunt.  She at one pint would have rivaled Kikyo in spiritual power.”

Kagome cocked her head to the side.  “Why haven’t you been there to see her Miroku?”

Shippo had been sitting next to Kagome and smiled up at her.  “He probably doesn’t want to go back to her because she is ugly.”

Miroku shook his head now.  “No my dear kitsune kodomo.  It is not that.  She is beautiful.  It is just, well she can be sort of scary sometimes.”

“You mean like Sango when you flirt with another girl?”

“Worse.”

Sango smiled.  “Well come on.  Lets get Kagome to her.  And I can’t wait to meet her.  Perhaps she can let me in on her secret.”  Then hopped on Kirara’s back.

Kagome giggled for the first time and did the same thing with Shippo.  “I just want to get busy doing something than thinking about him.”

Miroku sighed as he cast his eyes down and slowly climbed on Kirara as well.  He pointed toward the South East and said, “She is that way.”

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Rin ran a short distance in front of Sesshomaru and Jaken as she stopped at the patches of wild flowers that dotted the path they were on picking one of each.  She turned with a giggle and a smile to Sesshomaru.  “Lord Sesshomaru where are we going again?”

Jaken glared at the impudent child.  “If you can’t pay attention to where he says we are going then you don’t need to know you annoying child!”

Sesshomaru growled low at the imp.  “Jaken.”

“Gomen nasai Lord Sesshomaru.”

Sesshomaru turned his attention back to Rin.  “We are going to visit with my mother.”

Rin was instantly at his side opposite Jaken.  “What will I call her when I meet her My Lord?”

Jaken sucked in a wild breath, ready to tell her that she had best call her Honorable Mother or she would know what it was like to feel a youkai’s wrath, but was stopped short.  Sesshomaru side kicked and kicked him into a bush.

Sesshomaru let his hand rest on Rin’s head.  “You may call her My Lady Rin.”

“My Lady?”

“Hai.”

“Okay!  Does she like flowers Lord Sesshomaru?”

“Hai.”

Rin giggled again as she ran up ahead of them a short ways.  “Then I shall make her a bouquet of flowers to give her when we arrive!”

Sesshomaru smiled as he watched the child running around in front of him.  Already making plans to make his mother a bouquet of flowers to give her as a present when they arrive.  He looked around and inhaled deeply.  They should be there by nightfall.  Even moving at Rin’s slowed pace.

Rin was his breath of fresh air that he kept with him at all times.  Jaken hated it, but he didn’t care.  After the fight with Inuyasha when he finally used the Wind Scar he was injured and in a really foul mood.  Rin approached him without fear.  Offered him food a warm smile that instantly melted the ice around his heart.  To her at least.

As far as he was concerned she was the only ningen that he would ever acknowledge.  He let out a low growl when he heard Jaken break through his thoughts with the stupid comment.

Jaken looked up at Sesshomaru with worry in his eyes.  “Me Lord, how will Honorable Mother react to you having a ningen with you?  After all what your father did……”  He stopped when he was stomped into the ground.

Sesshomaru glared down at him with a clear annoyance shinning in his amber eyes.  “What otousan did and what I am doing are two different things.  I do not intend to mate with her when she comes of age as my father mated with a ningen himself.”

From his Earthen grave he dared ask his Lord another question.  “Then why do you keep her around?”

Sesshomaru looked up at where she was picking a blue rose with pure joy in her eyes.  “She keeps me calm.  She showed me no fear when I was injured by the Wind Scar and yet at the same time brought on a calm that I enjoy now.”

When he moved his foot Jaken sat up and looked at the little girl.  He didn’t understand.  But he would dare one more question.  “How long do you plan to keep her with us Lord Sesshomaru?”

Sesshomaru smiled at him on that one.  He would not like the answer.  “She is going to stay with us as long as she wants to stay.”

“Even if that means the rest of her ningen life?”

“Hai.”

Jaken could only gape at his Lord as he followed the frolicking, giggling girl down the path.  He came to when he was trampled on by A-Un.  He jumped up and ran up to catch up with his Lord still not understanding.

Sesshomaru stopped in the middle of the path.  He smelled Kagura.  “Rin get over here.”

Rin turned and saw his hand on Tokijin and ran to him and hid behind his right leg.  “Lord Sesshomaru?”

Before he could answer the foul scent that clouded his nose fell from the sky.  He hardened his glare at her.  “What business do you have here wind sorceress.”

Kagura held her fan up in front of her face as she hid her smile.  “Well you know what I am.  I do so wish that you would use my name though Sesshomaru.”

“Your business.”

Kagura glared as she raised her fan.  “Naraku wants the girl!  Dance of Blades!”

Sesshomaru reached down and scooped her up and jumped out of the way as A-Un lifted Jaken.  He landed on A-Un’s back and watched as Kagura came up on her feather.  “Why does he want Rin?”

“I don’t know.  I didn’t ask and I don’t care.  Dance of Blades!”

Sesshomaru dropped Rin on A-Un’s back and then sliced through the air with Tokijin.  “Rin, stay on A-Un.  A-Un get her out of here.”  Then he jumped at the feather and sliced it in two.  He and Kagura falling to the ground to fight.

A-Un turned and speed off in a different direction.  Only to be hit by a sudden gust of wind from behind that sent him and his two passengers flying to the ground.

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Kagome smiled as she walked through the woods.  She has been training now for three weeks, and was already a crack shot, she could do a barrier, and learned how to purify youkai with a single touch.  The only thing that she had left to learn was a fighting style with a katana.

And she was determined to master that as well as she has the other things she has already learned.  Mizuki was an excellent teacher and she always teased Miroku about how since they were there he was always on his best behavior.  Though she was sure that Mizuki and Sango got their talks in once in a while.

When she was alone and resting like this, she found that she thought less and less about Inuyasha.  And realized over time that it wasn’t that she was in love with him because of how he treated her.  Even though he treated her great at times.  She fell in love of how he could have been.  And who he could have been.  Not who he was and what he was when he got around Kikyo.  “I was in love with a dream.  And now that the dream is beyond my reach, I think I can get over him now.”

Then she turned and starred up at the sky when she heard a little girl screaming!  “Rin!”  She knew that dragon and little girl instantly.  “Hang on Rin!”  Then she started running through the forest, keeping her eyes on the sky.  She smiled when she got under the little girl and caught her with a thud to the ground.

She sat up with her and moved her hair from her face.  “Rin are you alright?”

“Kagome?”

“Hai.”

Rin smiled at her the let her worried chocolate eyes dart all around her.  “A-Un!  Master Jaken!  They were with me too Kagome!”

Kagome stood up with her and smiled when the two headed dragon limped out and brought both heads down to the little girl rubbing and sniffing.  Almost as if they were checking on her to make sure that she was okay.

Jaken was still shaking and frozen to the dragons tail.  But with a single flip of the tail sent him fling over his head to land on the ground with a thud.

Rin smiled and hugged the imp.  “Oh Master Jaken I am so glad that you are alright!  But what happened?  One minute we were flying away from Lord Sesshomaru and Kagura and then we were falling?”

Kagome felt the hairs stand up on her neck.  She picked the little girl and the imp up and sat them on the dragon.  She patted one of the necks and smiled.  “Gomen.”  Then she threw up a barrier just before a volley of wind blades would have killed them all.

She turned and glared at Kagura.  “What do you think you are doing Kagura?  This is low even for you.  She is just a child!”

Kagura glared at her.  But she knew that Inuyasha was with Kikyo.  “What do you think you can do all on your own.  I know that hanyou mutt is with her right now.  He won’t come and save you.”

Kagome pulled her bow out from behind her back and notched an arrow and took aim.  “I know who he is with.  I don’t need him anymore.  I am no longer in possession of great spiritual pressure and not know how to use it.  Who do you think did this barrier Kagura.”

“Really.  If my memory is right, you can’t hit the side of a mountain that is right in front of you!”

Kagome only smiled.  “You remember wrong.”  She took aim at Kagura’s fan.  She knew if she could get rid of that, she couldn’t use her wind.  Then she let go and watched as her purification power shattered her fan.

Kagura starred at the pieces of her fan that floated down to the ground.  She never carried an extra because to her knowledge the only miko that could have done that was on their side!

She turned a glare to the miko and child.  “Wench!  I will be back for the girl.  Mark my words.”  Then she pulled another feather from her hair and took off.

Kagome sighed as she let the barrier down.  She turned to Rin and smiled.  “Are you okay Rin?”

Rin smiled and then looked in the direction that she came from.  “Where is Lord Sesshomaru?  He should have been here by now chasing Kagura.”

Kagome looked and found that odd.  She was the only one who noticed that he did seem to care for Rin.  Everyone else thought that it was just a phase.  Miroku even said that perhaps he kept her with her for now trying to see why his father had a fascination with ningens.  But she knew that he cared.  In his own warped demented way he cared about the girl.

Rin turned back to Kagome and smiled.  “Kagome will you come with me to go and check on Lord Sesshomaru?”

Kagome half smiled and looked away.  “Rin, well, Sesshomaru and I don’t really get along.”

“But he won’t hurt you if he knows you saved me from Kagura.”

“I don’t know Rin.”

“Oh Kagome!  Douzo!”

Kagome looked up into the girls chocolate brown eyes and melted away.  “Come on lets go.”

Rin squealed and jumped off the dragon and took his reins and Kagome’s hand and took off as fast as she could.  “Come on then!  Come on!”

Kagome smiled as she tried to keep pace with the energetic little girl and dragon.  “Rin do you know where you are going?”

Rin stopped and turned to A-Un.  “Is Lord Sesshomaru this way A-Un?”  When both heads nodded she smiled.  “Yes.”  Then started dragging Kagome along with her again.

Kagome gasped when they reached the clearing where Sesshomaru was.  He was still fighting but it wasn’t the real Kagura!  He was inside a barrier and fighting a puppet!

Rin looked up at Kagome with question in her eyes.  “Why is she fighting with Lord Sesshomaru with her fan when you destroyed it Kagome?”

“It isn’t really her.  It is a puppet.  A puppet drawing on a the power of three jewel shards!”

Jaken ran toward the barrier.  “Lord Sesshomaru must be told!”  But when he hit the barrier it zapped him and sent him flying back to hit A-Un’s chest and fall to the ground.

Kagome walked up to it.  “It is a barrier made from Naraku.”

Rin gasped when a few of the blades of wind from the fake Kagura grazed Sesshomaru’s face and left leg.  That was when she also noticed all the other cuts that were bleeding.  “He is hurt Kagome.  Can’t we do anything to help him?”

Kagome saw more than just the cuts and blood on him.  He was worn out.  Almost like something was zapping his strength.  “The barrier!  Sesshomaru is using three times the amount of energy needed to do the most basic thing even breath!”

“If the barrier stays up he will die Kagome!  Can you break it!”

Kagome reached out and tried to touch the barrier.  That spot going from purple to pink and causing a ripple in the rest of it.  “I think I can Rin.  Will you have A-Un take me up in the air so I can soot at the fake Kagura and not his Sesshomaru?”

Rin nodded then they climbed up on A-Un and flew over the barrier.  Kagome taking aim with one arrow.  Another one in her mouth.  After she broke the barrier and killed the puppet, she would use the other to make a barrier around the jewel shards so any saimiyosho that were near couldn’t get it and take them back to Naraku.

“Here we go!”  Then she let them fly!

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Sesshomaru was breathing heavy as he landed and tried to block another volley of attacks from Kagura.  He dodged all but two of them.  Those grazed his face and his leg.  He growled and tried to call out his powers to transform but he couldn’t!  he didn’t have the energy to take his true form!

Then he saw a ripple of pink and purple behind Kagura.  It was a barrier!  ‘Curse you Naraku!’  But before he could act to try to take down Kagura he saw another ripple then the barrier shattered and a arrow struck Kagura in the chest.  Then another arrow followed three jewel shards to the ground.

He turned and found Inuyasha’s wench on his mount with Rin and Jaken.  “A-Un.”

He forced himself to stand and not show how weak he was at the moment.  He didn’t Inuyasha’s wench to know that he could become weakened by a barrier and for Rin.  He heard her telling a small ningen boy that her Lord was a Lord that was stronger than his and would be able to defeat him by flexing his fingers.

When his dragon landed Rin leapt off of him and ran to him.  He looked down at her and laid a hand on her head.  He then turned to the miko who was now sliding off of him.  “What are you doing with them miko?”

Rin smiled at Kagome then looked up at Sesshomaru.  “She saved us Lord Sesshomaru.  The real Kagura was waiting away from where you sent A-Un and me away from.  Kagome saved us from her!  And then she brought down the barrier that you were in.  You are bleeding My Lord are you alright.  And you are shaking.”

Sesshomaru moved his hand off her head and turned back to the miko who was kneeling down where the jewel shards were.  “Arigato for saving Rin.”

Kagome picked up the jewel shards and purified them then smiled back at Sesshomaru.  “It was nothing.  I would never let her get hurt.”

Rin looked up at Sesshomaru with her wide innocent eyes.  “Lord Sesshomaru, may Kagome travel with us?”

Jaken glared at the little girl.  “Baka kodomo!  She travels with Inuyasha!  Of course she can’t go with us.”

Rin glared back at the imp.  “Nu uh Master Jaken.  I was listening and you weren’t.  Kagome said that she didn’t need him and she wasn’t with him anymore!”

Kagome smiled as she cast her eyes down.  It still hurt her to know that he played her like he did.  But it didn’t hurt her as much as it did a few months ago.  She pulled out the necklace that she wore that had a third of the jewel on it.  She placed the other three in her hand with it and made a fist.  Pink light shined from her hand and then they were fused with it.

Sesshomaru turned his attention from the pint size argument at his feet and looked at the miko.  “Where is Inuyasha?”

Kagome met his gaze with a mix of anger, hate, and hurt in her depths.  “He chose to follow Kikyo and travel with her over me, Miroku, Sango and Shippo.”

“So you no longer travel with him?”

“Iie.  I won’t ever again either.”

“You ‘care’ for him?”

“I at one point thought that I was in love with him.  But now that I haven’t been with him for a few months, I can honestly say that I feel nothing for him in that way.”

“If I was to find him and attack him with the intent to kill would you meddle?”

Kagome sighed as she dropped her head.  If it was Miroku, or Sango, or some innocent ningen, hanyou or even weak youkai she would.  But no more for someone who doesn’t care about her at all.  “I won’t meddle in any of his fights anymore.  With you or anyone else.”

Sesshomaru sighed.  He could feel the pleading eyes of Rin on him.  Begging him to let her travel with them.  ‘She would be better protection for Rin.  But I won’t ask her to come.’  “Rin that is up to her.”

Rin turned and ran to Kagome.  “Douzo?”

“Rin I….”

“Oh please Kagome?!”

Kagome looked down into her eyes.  They were clouding over with tears as she held her hands in a praying fashion.  ‘Why can’t I ever say no to kids.’  “Hai.  But only for a little while.  And I need to tell my friends so they don’t worry about me.”

Rin turned back to Sesshomaru who was sitting on the ground and leaning against a tree.  “Lord Sesshomaru, if her friends promise to help protect me and stay out of your fights with Inuyasha can the come too so Kagome can stay longer?”

Sesshomaru cracked his eyes.  He was still very weak.  And if Naraku was to show up now he would not be able to protect Rin.  He let out a sigh.  “Miko, where are your friends?”

“At a shrine not far from here.”

Sesshomaru let his eyes close.  “That is up to them Rin.  But know this miko.  If they agree, you have to make sure they stay out of fights between me and Inuyasha.”

Kagome smiled at him.  “That won’t be a problem.  When he turned away from me for Kikyo, they decided to hate him.”

“Tame.”

Rin pulled on Kagome and giggled.  “Well come on Kagome!”

Kagome laughed as she and the little girl climbed up on the dragon.  But before they took off she turned worried eyes to Sesshomaru.  “I know Sesshomaru.  Are you sure you will be alright?”

Sesshomaru opened his eyes and starred at her.  Shock in his eyes.  “I am fine.”

Rin smiled up at Kagome.  “If Lord Sesshomaru says that he is fine he will be fine.  Lets go and get your friends!”

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Kagome stopped the story as all eyes went back and forth between Kisa and Misa.  Low growls coming from both of them.  She sighed as she smiled.  “What is it?”

Kisa violently shook her head no.  “I don’t believe it.  Papa could never get hurt like that.  I don’t think I have seen anyone except Katsuro even come close to scratching papa!  Let alone hurting him that bad.”

Misa nodded in agreement.  “Papa is the strongest youkai that has ever lived.  No wind sorceress could ever hurt papa!”

Kagome giggled at her twins.  “Well why don’t you ask your father if it is true or not.”

Both twins looked up at him and in perfect unison asked, “Papa?”

Sesshomaru glared at the miko.  “Nani?”

“They won’t believe me.  And you know yourself that is a vital part of why we mated anyway.”

“Miko.”

“Tell them already so we can get on with the story youkai.”

Sesshomaru growled.  “Hai girls.  It is true.”

Misa turned up to her mother with question in her eyes.  “Did your friends agree to not interrupt in fights between papa and Inuyasha?”

“Well after some convincing on my side they did.”

Kisa was curled up in her father’s arms and had her head laying on his chest.  “How did papa getting hurt have anything to do with you two falling in love?”

Kagome smiled as she remembered.  They had some violent arguments at times.  But it was her standing her ground and showing how strong she was that brought out his youkai to mate with her.  “Well lets continue and you will find out okay.”

“Okay mama.”

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Sango only gaped at Kagome when she asked them to go with her to travel with Sesshomaru.  “Kagome you know who he is right?”

“Hai.”

Miroku spoke up this time and said, “You know that he has tried to kill you before as well right?”

“Hai.  I know that he is Inuyasha’s brother.  I know that he has tried to kill me, but the only times that he attacked me was when I got in-between him and Inuyasha.  As long as I don’t do that then he won’t have reason to hurt me or you two.”

Sango saw the worry in Kagome’s eyes.  “What is worrying you then?”

Kagome smiled back at Rin who sat on A-Un with a huge smile.  “I promised Rin that I would go with her and stay with her.  Long enough for Sesshomaru to fully heal at least.  She wants me to stay with them longer, but that means that you guys have to come with us.”

“What did Sesshomaru say?”

“So long as we don’t try to take Rin away from him and stay out of any fights that he may have with Inuyasha he doesn’t care.”

All eyes turned to the bushes as a frantic Jaken ran up to them.  “It is terrible!  I hate asking you this, but I need to save him!”

Kagome bonked him on the head. “Save who Jaken?”

“Lord Sesshomaru!”

“Nani?”

“He was weaker than he let you know when you left.  He is trying to fight them off but there are so many youkai that he is having trouble!  He can’t even use Tokijin!”

“Kagome?”

Kagome looked up at Rin and nodded.  “Sango, Miroku?”

Sango tossed Kirara up in the air and smiled as she and Miroku jumped on her with Shippo.  “Lets go.”

Kagome ran and jumped up on A-Un behind Rin and they all flew off.

Mizuki stayed inside pretending she was sleeping.  “Best of luck child with this one.”

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Sesshomaru was sweating and breathing heavy as he spun around again and used his whip to slash through another wave of low youkai.  They could sense that he was weak and injured and figured that they would take advantage.  “Not while I can move you won’t achieve your goal.”

“Hiraikotsu!”

Sesshomaru looked up to see the youkai slayer friend of the miko and the monk.  ‘If they are here where is Rin?’

Twin blasts from his pet send more of the youkai fleeing for safety.  He turned and looked up and found Rin’s worried eyes starring down at him.  ‘She will be safe.’  Then he passed out.

Rin screamed when she saw him fall over.  “Lord Sesshomaru!”

Miroku landed in front of the child and youkai lord.  “Wind Tunnel!”  And started to suck up the rest of the youkai that was left.

Kagome and Sango ran to Rin and Sesshomaru.  Sango helped Rin up and Kagome checked the vitals of Sesshomaru.  She sighed as she smiled up at Rin.  “He is weak.  Even for him it will take time to fully recover.  What he needs now is rest.”

“He isn’t dead?”

“Iie.”

“He isn’t going to die either?”

Kagome smiled up at the little girl and poked her on her nose.  “Iie.  He won’t die.  I promise.”  Then she turned to Sango.  “Help me get him on A-Un.  We need to get him out of the clearing.”

Jaken stepped between them and his Lord.  “It is bad enough that he lets the kodomo touch his person.  I won’t let a miko and youkai slayer touch him!”

Kagome glared at him and then looked at Sango.  But they both looked down when Rin rapped him on the head.

Rin couldn’t believe Jaken.  “Master Jaken they just saved Lord Sesshomaru’s life and are going to move him where he can be safe.  That barrier did more to him than you think it did!  Shut up and let them help!”

Miroku smiled as he watched the little girl hold the imp at bay as he came over to help the girls get Sesshomaru thrown over A-Un.  “I am sure that Mizuki will let us take him there to rest.”

Kagome nodded.  “Hai.  And no youkai would come close to there with Mizuki there.”

Rin was next to Kagome the whole time.  “Who is Mizuki?”

“She is Miroku’s aunt and a powerful miko who has been training me to use my miko powers.”

Jaken was on A-Un and took hold of the reins.  “I won’t let you take him to a place like that!”

Rin glared at him.  “Master Jaken!”

“No!”

A-Un turned and looked at his rider’s lifeless body slumped over his body.  He had only seen his rider like this one other time, when he was training with his father.  He would need a week to relax and rest to build up his strength again.  A place like a temple or shrine would promise that.  He rubbed Rin and let out a muffled roar.

Rin smiled.  “Arigato A-Un.”  Then she followed Kagome as they headed back to the shrine.

Jaken tried everything he could short of hitting the two headed dragon to turn around and stay away from the shrine.  But it was no use.  He was bound on going. “Why do none of you listen to me!  Lord Sesshomaru will be furious when he wakes up and finds himself in a shrine!”

Rin turned a glare on the imp.  “Really Master Jaken what would you have us do then?”

“Take him to Honorable Mother!”

Kagome looked back at him, “Honorable Mother?”

“She is Lord Sesshomaru’s mother and has the power to heal him completely!”  Then he gasped as he saw the gate to the shrine.  “A shrine with a miko is pure!  Lord Sesshomaru won’t live in there!”

Kagome turned around and rapped him on the head making him fly off A-Un.  “Would you shut up!  Kirara is a youkai and she was just fine in the shrine.  Baka imp!”

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Mizuki was already outside and making a soft bed for the injured youkai to rest on under the shad of her five Sakura trees.  When she heard the stomps of the dragon she smiled as she looked up.  “Bring him over here.  He will rest under the trees until his wounds heal and his strength returns.”

Kagome just starred at her as they made their way over to her.  “How did you know?”

“I had an informant come and tell me of what happened to Lord Sesshomaru.”

Rin looked up at the woman.  “You know him?”

“Iie.  But I know of him.  I have heard many stories about him.”

Jaken glared at her.  “And just who have you heard the stories from?”

“His mother.”

Jaken hardened his glare and pointed at her.  “That is a lie!  Honorable Mother would not tell a miko anything about her only son!”

“Jaken that will be enough out of you imp.”

All eyes turned to a beautiful female youkai exit the shrine.  Kagome was struck by her loveliness.  She had a single wavy sky blue stripe on each side of her face and a small maroon crescent moon on her forehead.  The resemblance to her was uncanny.  “You’re Sesshomaru’s mother?”

Kimi smiled at the ningen and nodded.  “Hai.  I am his mother.  He is in bad shape isn’t he.  I haven’t seen him in this bad of shape since he was an adolescent training with his father.”

All eyes turned to Rin as she let out a scream.

Kagome turned to her and asked, “What is it Rin?”

Rin looked like she was about to cry.  “When A-Un fell out of the sky I dropped the flowers!”

“Nani?”

Rin dropped her head and started crying.  “Lord Sesshomaru told me that we were going to visit his mother to see if she could help heal his arm that Inuyasha cut off.  I was so excited to meet her.”

She turned her tear filled eyes up to Kimi.  “I asked him if you liked flowers and he said you did.  I had a whole bouquet for you but I dropped them.  It even had blue roses!”

Kimi smiled down at the child.  She was a small ningen child that smelled strongly of her son.  She had heard rumors that a ningen traveled with her son, but didn’t think it would be a child.  Two taiyoukai were present and she was upset over flowers?  “You are the ningen I have heard of that travels with my sochi?”

“Hai My Lady.”

Kimi smiled.  ‘She has better manners than most youkai in my court!’  “Well child, when Sesshomaru is better and you come to my palace, I will let you make me a bouquet of flowers from my personal gardens.  And I have blue roses as well.”

“I can?!”

“Hai kodomo.  I promise.”

Mizuki then smiled at them all.  “Well why don’t we all have a seat and get to know each other?”

Kimi nods in agreement as she eyes the one in the odd clothing.  She was starring at Sesshomaru.  “He will be fine kodomo.  He just needs to rest.  He will sleep for four days at least and then will not be able to move properly for another four days.  Come and join us.”

Kagome didn’t take her eyes off of Sesshomaru.  “Demo, he has lost a lot of blood Lady Kimi.”

Kimi sighed as she smiled at the ningen girl.  ‘I can see now that I will have hanyou grandchildren.’  “Come child.  He will be fine.  Being youkai and not ningen or hanyou he will heal faster than Inuyasha would.”

Kagome nods her head.  “If you are sure.”  Then she moved to sit next to Sango in the group that was sitting under another tree.  Still glancing over at Sesshomaru.  She couldn’t help it, she had never seen him so injured before.

Kimi smiled at Kagome as she stole another glance at her son.  “Well I am to understand that you and your friends will be traveling with my son from now on?”

Kagome smiled as she felt Rin latch onto her arm.  “Well at for a while at least.”

Miroku looked over at Sesshomaru and then back at Kimi.  He could envision what his father looked like.  “My Lady how did you know we were coming hear?”

Kimi laughed and looked at Jaken.  “He screams so loudly when he doesn’t get his way that it wasn’t hard to hear as I flew over.”

Kagome raised her eyebrow as she looked at Kimi.  “You flew over?”

Kimi nods and then looks at her son.  “When I smelled his blood I fled my home without my guard.  I don’t care how old he gets, he is still my pup.  And the amount of blood that I smelled scared me.  The same as it did when he was barely to my hip and training with his father.”

Sango was next to speak.  “Why didn’t you stop in the clearing?”

Kimi smiled as she looked at the slayer.  “You showed up.  Between your skill with your weapon, his hand and a miko, my son would have been in good hands.  This was the closest place to take him so I cam here.”

Jaken had tears running down his eyes as he starred at Kimi.  “Honorable Mother how can you be here and approve Lord Sesshomaru being here at the same time?  Of all youkai I didn’t think you would befriend a ningen.”

Kagome and Rin leaned away from each other as Jaken went flying past them and through the wall in the shrine to slam into a huge tree.  Rin jumped up and ran to him.  “Master Jaken I think you made her mad!”

Everyone laughed as the little girl began tugging on the imp to free him from the tree.  Kimi smiled as she said, “She is so pure and innocent it is almost hard to imagine my son caring for someone like that.”

Kagome turned her eyes to Kimi and asked, “Why is that?”

Kimi again looked at her son.  “I grew unhappy with my mating to his father not long after he was born.  I stayed in the palace because Sesshomaru was close to his father at that time.  Once Sesshomaru was strong enough and big enough to come to me to see me when I sent for him or he wanted to, I left his father to the palace I live in now.  Not long after that is when he met Lady Izayoi.”

“Inuyasha’s mother.”

“Hai.  I knew I would be replaced and another pup would be born.  But Sesshomaru would inherit the Western Lands from his father for being the oldest no matter what.  So I was alright with that.  When he replaced me with a ningen, it infuriated me.  But there was little that I could do about it.  Then that hanyou was born.”

Kagome cast her eyes down.  She didn’t know much about the history between Inuyasha and Sesshomaru.  But she did know that both Inuyasha’s mother and father were dead.  Her eyes fluttered back up to the youkai when she went on.

“The night that Inuyasha was born, Inutaisho was in a fierce battle with Ryukotsusei.  He had not had time to recover from that fight when he fled to save the ningen and her pup.  He died fighting a ningen in a fire after he brought her back and let her flee with the pup.”

Kagome starred at Sesshomaru.  Had his father not died, then Sesshomaru and Inuyasha might have had a chance at having a good brotherly relationship.  “I understand now.”

Kimi gave her a quizzical look.  “Understand what?”

“Why they have always hated each other so much.”

“You know Inuyasha?”

“I traveled with Inuyasha for a long time searching for the shards of the Shikon No Tama.  Whenever we would run into Sesshomaru they would always get into a fight.  Sesshomaru made it clear that he hated Inuyasha and Inuyasha made it clear he hated Sesshomaru.  I understand why now.”

Miroku raised his eyebrows.  “Why is that Kagome?”

Kagome smiled as she turned to Miroku.  “Well just imagine it.  Your father and mother split up and are no longer together.  Your father then gets with someone you don’t think is worthy and they have a child your half brother.  But he dies saving that half brother.  Wouldn’t there be some bad blood between you and the half brother?”

Miroku smiled.  “You know I never looked at it like that.”

Kimi was amused and slightly confused.  “Well if you traveled with Inuyasha, then how is it that you are coming to travel with Sesshomaru?”

Rin threw her arms around Kagome’s neck and giggled.  “Lord Sesshomaru said that Kagome could travel with us for me because she saved me from Kagura.  And that her friends could come too as long as they didn’t get in the middle of fights with Inuyasha.”

Kimi saw the distant look in Kagome’s eyes.  “Kagome?”

“I once thought that I was in love with Inuyasha.  And that I could over look the bad habits and be happy.  But there was one thing that he kept doing that I couldn’t overlook.  No girl in her right mind could over look.”

“Another girl.”

“Hai.  He was in love with a miko named Kikyo about fifty years ago.  She pinned him to a tree and then died because of Naraku posing as Inuyasha to kill her.  Then I came along and released Inuyasha from the spell that held him to the tree.  Not long after Ursue brought Kikyo back from the dead and it was nothing but torment for me after that.”

Kimi knew that all too well.  The whole time that Inutaisho was stealing away into the night to meet with Izayoi and leaving her son alone in the palace.  “You said that you once thought that you were in love with him.  You are no longer with him?”

“Not for a few months now.  And in the time that I have been without him, I realized that it was just because he was the first guy that protected me.  He always came for me.  Even though he would turn and run to her as soon as I was safe.”

Kimi could see a lot of herself and some of Izayoi in this girl.  She smiled as she turned around again and starred at her son.  ‘He becomes more and more like his father the older he gets.  She just might be the one to call him out.  She is gentle and yet kind, yet there is something stubborn about her as well.’

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kagome stood in the middle of the shrine yard and took up a defensive pose.  She was practicing with her katana that Mizuki gave her with Sango.  “What am I doing wrong Sango?”

Sango smiled at her friend.  “You are thinking about what you need to move to make the move work.  Stop thinking about it so much and just do it.”

“I can’t do it if I don’t think about it!”

Sango thought for a second.  “When you are alone in a field and you got your bow and arrow and a youkai comes charging out of the woods at you what do you do?”

“Shoot it.”

“Do you think about all the steps that it takes to notch your arrow and fire it?”

“No it is just instinct.”

“Apply that here.  Don’t think about what you need to do.  Just watch my blade and let your body move for you.”

“I’ll try.”

Rin sat with Shippo on the side lines as they watched Kagome and Sango.  Shippo smiled.  “I think Kagome is doing really good.”

Rin nods.  “Hai.  She just needs to loosen up and not think about it like her friend says.”

Sango charged at Kagome the same way again.

Kagome took Sango’s suggestion of just watching her blade and let her body move.  She spun around in a circle and brought her katana up to block Sango’s and then again to block it another way.  And the same thing three more times.

Sango pulled her katana away from Kagome’s with a smile.  “See you did it that time.  You didn’t think about it.  You just moved to do what you knew had to be done to block my attacks.”

Kagome smiled as she sheathed her katana back.  “With some practice each day I should be as good as you one day.”

Sango smiled and shook her head.  “I don’t see why not.  If you improve on this like you have everything else.”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sesshomaru slowly slid his eyes open.  He could smell his mother’s scent there.  It was a few days old, but she had defiantly been there at one point after he passed out.  As he opened them further he found himself in a shrine.  ‘Bakas.  Why did they bring me to a place like this?’

When he tried to move he growled low.  He couldn’t move.  And if it was like he was when he was training with his father, he wouldn’t be able to move properly for at least a week.

The sound of women talking drew his attention to the right.  He turned his head slightly and watched and listened as the miko and her slayer friend practice with a blade.  ‘Baka.  She is too tense and letting her mind work too much.’

He found himself with a slight smile when she achieved the goal of the practice.  He quickly wiped it clear for his usual emotionless expression.  He scanned the area and found Rin sitting with the kitsune kit that traveled with the miko watching as well.  ‘She is safe.  That is the main thing.  Now I can rest.’

Jaken looked up and saw Sesshomaru closing his eyes.  He got so excited that he jumped up and down and screamed, “Lord Sesshomaru!  You are awake!  Thank goodness!”

Rin heard the imps yell and smiled as she jumped off A-Un and vaulted to his side.  “Are you feeling better Lord Sesshomaru?”

“Hai.”

Jaken turned a glare on the child.  “Of course he is you little….”

Kagome came up from behind the imp.  “I dare you to finish that.”

Jaken turned shaky eyes to the miko then back to his Lord.  “Lord Sesshomaru, the miko has been nothing but violent to your humble servant.  They even took the Staff Of Two Sculls from me.”

Kagome brought her hand down on his head and sent his face flying into the dirt.  “That’s right I did.  But only because you were going to use it to hit Rin with.”

Jaken cracked an eye and glared at the imp as he stood up.  “Jaken.”

“Hai?  What is it Me Lord?”

Sesshomaru mustered as much strength as he could and used his Poison Whip to strike the imp in the head and send him flying through the wall.  Ironically the same whole that Kimi had sent him through three days before that.

Kagome didn’t miss the grimace of pain that came and then quickly left Sesshomaru’s face.  “Try not to move so much Sesshomaru.  You need to rest and get your strength back.  I can handle the imp and Rin.”

Sesshomaru glared at the miko.  “Pain is nothing.”

“You still need to rest.”

“I will not do what a ningen tells me to.”

“I didn’t order you.  It is simply fact.  Even your mother told us that you would have to rest a few days to a week before you could move properly again.”

“Mind your own business ningen.”

“Fine.  Youkai.”

Sesshomaru’s eyes flew open and red as he growled at her bearing fang.  “Do not disrespect me miko.”

Kagome fell to her knees and glared back at him.  “The same goes for you youkai.”

Sesshomaru let his face start twist as he threatened the miko.

Kagome smiled at him and crossed her arms.  “Get over yourself and calm down.  You took it as a order.  And besides, Rin has grown quite fond of me and your mother.  Your mother and I have become close as well.”

Sesshomaru’s eyes returned to normal and they went wide in shock.  “You lie.  My mother would not make friends with a ningen miko.”

Kagome smiled as she relaxed.  “Well she has made friends with two actually.  Myself and Mizuki.  The miko that stays at this shrine.”

Sesshomaru could only stare at her.  “Okaasan is foolish.”

Rin started to ask him why she was foolish but was grabbed by Kagome.  When she turned and looked at her as they walked away she asked, “Why is Lady Kimi foolish when he takes care of me?”

Kagome led her into the shrine with a smile.  “Sesshomaru likes to act like he doesn’t like ningens.  That is all.  If he didn’t you wouldn’t be with him and he wouldn’t have agreed to let me, Sango and Miroku travel with him too.”

Rin smiled.  “That’s right.  Can I go play with Shippo now?  I promise not to bother Lord Sesshomaru?”

“Go.”

Kagome stood in the door and watched as Rin ran out to Shippo and they started to run around and play under the watchful gaze of a peaceful two headed dragon.

Mizuki came up next to her and watched the same thing.  “I felt the surge of power from Sesshomaru.  And yourself.”

“He thought that I was trying to order him around.  I wasn’t, and I am not going to make the same mistake with Inuyasha again.”

“Never back down to him.”

“I won’t.  At least not til he gets to where he wants to transform.”

“Even then don’t back down.”

“Nani?”

Mizuki smiled as she gazed over at Sesshomaru who was resting peacefully.  “I talked to Kimi before she left.  That is her message to you.  Never back down from him.”

“If he transforms I will be killed.”

“Iie.  She sees something in him that is much like his father.  You saved the one ningen that he has cared about.  He won’t hurt you.  You just need to trust us.”

Kagome smiled as she looked at Sesshomaru.  “I can see him caring about Rin.  And I have no reason not to trust you or his mother.  So I promise I won’t ever back down.”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Naraku paced back and forth in his study as he tried to figure out a way to get the brat from Sesshomaru.  And now he had to worry about another trained miko.  There were only a few shards that were spread out right now.  Kohaku had one in his back.  And Koga still had two of them in his legs.  And a few others that were scattered around the country.  And the third of the jewel that the wench Inuyasha was with is going to be even harder to get a hold of since she was with Sesshomaru now!

And even worse was the fact that she was now a trained miko and a cracked shot.  He sent out a few saimiyosho to spy on her and found her that she was not only trained in barriers, but how to break them, was a crack shot on arrows and was good and getting better with a katana.

Kanna watched as her creator paced back and forth.  “Naraku you could let Kohaku go and let him go back.  He could get in with them and then you can use the jewel shard to draw him back to your side.”

Naraku stopped and smiled.  “Kanna now I know why you stay with me and I disposed of Kagura.  Call Kohaku to me.”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kohaku entered the study of Naraku.  Forcing his eyes to look dull and dark and show no emotion.  But he had regained all memory and control of his mind and body all on his own.  Now he just had to wait for the perfect chance to get away from him and to his sister.  Even when Naraku was telling him through his mind and the jewel shard to do something he could resist.

He bowed and starred at the floor with his blank face.  “Hai.  Master Naraku.”

“Go to the shrine.  Get close to Sango.  Then you will kill them all.  And bring me the jewel shards.”

“Hai Master Naraku.”  ‘Over my dead body baka.’

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sango smiled as she sat on the roof of the shrine and watched as Rin once again ran to Kagome for protection from the imp.  Kagome certainly had more things to think about than Inuyasha now.  She already played mother to Shippo who was orphaned.  And now she is doing the same thing with Rin.

‘Though I don’t think she minds doing it at all.’  She was immersed in watching her friend with the child and imp that she didn’t hear the footsteps come up to the shrine.  Until she heard that familiar voice.

“Sister.”

Sango turned her head with a start and found tear filled eyes looking back up at her.  “Kohaku?”

“Hai.  It is me sister.”

Sango lunged off the roof but stopped short as she looked at her brother.  She wanted to pull him in a tight hug and never let him go, but she knew Naraku’s tricks.  “Why are you here Kohaku?”

Kohaku saw the mistress mixed with desperation in his sisters eyes.  Every since that day at the palace of the spider youkai, their lives were forever changed.  They lost all their friends and family.  And it was he who killed his father, and uncle.  And tried to kill Sango.

He cast his eyes down and dropped his weapon as he let his tears flow from his eyes.  “I know what you are thinking and you are right in a sense.  Naraku still believes that I am under his spell and his mindless puppet.  Well at least I am sure that he thought I was until now.”

“What do you mean thought that you were?”

“I regained my memory all on my own Sango.  I remember everything from the day that I went with you and father to kill the spider youkai at that palace.  I know what I did.  And for so long after that I can remember all the horrible things that I did.  All because of that bastard.  But I couldn’t show that I remembered anything because he always kept me and Kanna with him all the time.”

“So how did you get here?”

“Kanna actually.  She said that you would be so ready to see your brother back to normal that if he gave my memory back of that night but nothing else that I could get in here, get your trust and the trust of the group and then he would take me over again and have me kill you all.”

Sango stiffened.  She just looked at him as she waited.

Kohaku threw himself into her arms and cried.  “Gomen nasai daatebayo!  I didn’t mean to do all those things!  All those times that I tried to kill you, and Kagome, and Rin.  Even Inuyasha and Miroku I am so sorry sister!  I am so sorry!”

Sango let her own tears fall from her eyes.  She dropped her Hiraikotsu and wrapped them around her brother.  “It is alright Kohaku.  It is alright.  You’re back and that is all that matters.”

Kagome had stopped fighting with the imp and kicked him into the wall.  Now she and Rin stood there and watched and listened as brother and sister were once again reunited.  Kagome walked up to them, Rin hanging off her skirt, and smiled.  “Sango.”

Sango turned tear stained eyes to her friend.  “He is back this time.  It’s not like before.  He told me what he remembered.  Only my brother could remember what he has.”

“I ham happy for your Sango.  I really am.”

Rin peered out from behind Kagome.  The last time she saw Kohaku he had tried to kill her.  “So you are really a real good guy this time Kohaku?”

“Hai Rin.  I won’t be going back to Naraku.”

Rin smiled and ran to him giving him a hug.  “I am glad!  Now we can be friends!”

Kagome looked over at Sango with a smile and they both started laughing.  Kagome leaned over and nudged Sango in the side as Rin drug her new friend over to show him A-Un.  “You know Sango, you might just be looking at your future sister-in-law.”

“Nani!”

“They aren’t that far a part in age.”

“Don’t even joke about that Kagome.”

“Who said I was joking?”

“Kagome!”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sesshomaru glared behind his eyelids.  Another day or two and he would have full range of motion back.  He could move now, but he was stiff, by morning he would be able to walk normally again.  By the next day he would back to normal.  

But that wasn’t what was bothering him.  Inuyasha was close.  Watching.  Stalking.  Hunting.  ‘I wonder what he wants?’

“Sesshomaru?”

Sesshomaru cracked his eyes and looked up at the miko.  ‘Her.  She is too defiant for her own good.’  “Nani miko?”

Kagome crossed her arms and glared down at him.  “You know what, I wish just one time you would use my name.  You have heard Rin yell it enough in the last week that you have to know it by now.”

A low growl rumbled through him.  “I don’t have to know anything miko.”

“Well fine then  You don’t want to call me by my name I won’t use yours either.”

Sesshomaru opened his eyes with an annoyed glare.  “Sumi masen?”

“You heard me.  Where I come from if you want respect you show respect.”

“I am a taiyoukai lord.  I am above you.  I do not need to show you respect for you to show it to me.”

“You really are an ass aren’t you?”

“Watch your tongue!”

“I won’t!  Oh just forget it.  You are impossible.  I just wanted to tell you that I will be leaving for a few days.  Sango and Miroku are going to stay with you and Rin until I get back.”

Sesshomaru growled.  “Where are you going?”

Kagome sighed.  If she as going to travel with Sesshomaru for any length of time she had to tell him about her secret.  Even though the thought of Inuyasha following her scared her.  “Well you might as well know about it.”

“Know about what?”

Kagome sighed as she made her self comfortable leaning against the tree that he was opposite him.  “Well just douzo, listen with an open mind.”

“Hai.”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Inuyasha sat with Kikyo as they watched Kagome at the shrine.  Inuyasha couldn’t believe his luck!  She was going back to her time.  He could cross through the well, but his brother or anyone else couldn’t.  “This is perfect koishii.  Only the two of us can go through the well.  I can follow her to her time and then take the jewel and come back.  Without the part of the jewel that she has she won’t be able to get back.”

Kikyo couldn’t stop shaking.  And it wasn’t because of Inuyasha’s brother.  “I don’t think it will be as easy as you seem to think Inuyasha.”

“What are you talking about?”

“There is something different about her.  Something deadlier.  I wouldn’t tempt fate just yet.  Let them kill Naraku then we can kill them and take it.”

“What are you talking about Kikyo?  Kagome is surely still in love with me and I can use that to my advantage.”

“I don’t think so Inuyasha.  There is something different about her.”

“I will prove it.”  Then he jumped and landed in the middle of the shrine.  “Hey.”

Kagome just finished telling Sesshomaru about how she can travel through time in the well when Inuyasha showed up.  She sighed as she looked down.  ‘Now I have to wait for his reaction.’

“If you want me to believe that what you say is true now is your chance to prove it.”

Kagome turned startled eyes around to him.  When he turned worried eyes to her she felt it wash all over her.  ‘He is worried that I will interfere.  I don’t know if it is because it will hurt Rin that he won’t let me go with them or because he doesn’t want me hurt.’  “I understand.  May I do one thing first?”

“Hai.”

Kagome stood up and walked over to Inuyasha.  She looked up in his eyes and smiled.  “Inuyasha I am going to do something I know you have wanted done for so long.”

Inuyasha just starred at her and then put his arm around her waist.  “You knew I couldn’t stay away from you.  And when I smelled you with him I had to come to the rescue.”

Kagome shook her head now and reached up and pulled the beads off his neck then wiggled free from his grip.  Instantly letting a hand fly to her neck.  She pulled the necklace out and sighed as she let her third of the jewel fall back on her shirt.  “I just took away the last connection that we had.  The beads.”

Inuyasha saw the coldness in her eyes now.  “Kagome.”  Then he glared at her.  “Fine then give me the jewel!”  Then he lunged at her only to be blocked ba a barrier.  “What the hell?”

Kagome turned her back to him and walked off with her barrier still around her.  “I won’t let you have them Inuyasha.”

Inuyasha watched as she went back to where Sesshomaru was and stood behind him with her arms crossed.  “What did you do to her you bastard?”

Sesshomaru smiled to himself.  “You took your beads of subjugation from him.”

“Hai.  These are what let him pass through the well as well.”

“You are no longer connected.”

“That is the way that I want it.  May I take Rin with me?  I doubt she will let me leave her and with this on her she can pass through the well with me.”

Sesshomaru nodded then walked out to meet his brother.  “I didn’t do anything to her Inuyasha.  She finally realized what a worthless half-breed you were and severed all ties.”  Knowing that it would only infuriate his brother even more he turned to Kagome who was now walking into the shrine to get Rin.  “How long?”

Kagome turned a soft smile.  “Five days.”

“Take A-Un.  I will send him back on the fifth day.”

Kagome smiled.  “Hai.”

Inuyasha gawked at his brother.  “She told you?!”

Kagome held Rin in her arms as she left the temple with Miroku, Sango, Kohaku and Shippo in tow.  She didn’t even look at Inuyasha as she sat Rin on A-Un, already wearing the beads.

Inuyasha glared at her.  “You take them from me to give to that little brat!”

Kagome turned a cold glare at him.  “Shut up Inuyasha.”  Then she climbed on A-Un with Kohaku with her and Sango, Miroku and Shippo on Kirara and then they all took to the sky.

Inuyasha could only stare after them.  Then he turned on his brother.  “What did you do to my friends?  How have you brainwashed them?”

Sesshomaru pulled out Tokijin and smiled at his little brother.  “I didn’t do anything Inuyasha.  You drove them all away from you.”

“Liar!”

“She told me everything Inuyasha.”  Then he turned to face the right and let loose a dragon strike.

Inuyasha gasped and rushed off to get Kikyo out of the way.  When he got to her he turned and used a backlash wave and found himself instead clashing steel with Sesshomaru.  “Bastard!”

“I could smell her miko powers flaring.  I am no baka Inuyasha!”

Kikyo pulled out a poison bomb but gasped when Sesshomaru grabbed it from her and then jumped away from them.  She glared at him.  ‘What the hell is going on?’

Inuyasha growled at him.  “Look Sesshomaru I have no time to deal with you right now.”

“You think that you can catch them and get the jewel from Kagome and the beads from Rin.”

“Exactly.”

“I won’t let you.”

“Nani?”

The shock that registered on Inuyasha’s face was priceless to him.  “Rin has been under my protection for a year.  As far as the miko and her friends, well that is up to you.  Demo if Rin is involved I will stand between you and your prey.”

“She is nothing more than a ningen child.  Why do you care?  It aint like I am going to hurt her, just take the beads.”

“You won’t touch her filthy hanyou!”  Then he sliced through the air with Tokijin and then went to the sky on his cloud.  Quickly catching sight of Rin and Kagome.  ‘What is wrong with me?  Why does seeing her safe relax me as well?  And where is the feeling of anger coming from?  It isn’t mine.’

Kagome turned and gave him a questioning stare as he came up to them.  “I thought you would be fighting Inuyasha?”

“He did not come with the intention on fighting me.”

“He came for me and the jewel shards.”

“Hai.”

All eyes turned to Rin who turned and threw her arms around Kagome, nearly smacking Kohaku in the head.  “NO!  Kagome you can’t go back with Inuyasha!  You can’t leave me and Lord Sesshomaru!”

Kagome smiled as she hugged the little girl.  “Don’t worry Rin.  I won’t go anywhere.  I am here to stay.”  Then her eyes went wide when she felt a huge feeling of relief.  ‘Where is that coming from?’

Sesshomaru moved on ahead.  He felt the sudden sense of fear and could see the fear that leapt into the miko’s eyes.  ‘Why do I feel what she does?’

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Misa started pulling on her mother’s arm with wide eyes.  “I know what was going on mama!”

“Honto ni?  What was that?”

“I heard you talking to Sakura about this one.”

“Then enlighten me child.”

“You and papa were starting the mating process.  That is what happens first right?  You told Sakura that when she meets the person she will mate with she will feel his feelings and he will feel hers.”

Kagome smiled.  All her pups were to smart for their own good.  She looked over and out the window with a sigh.  “Well for right now my smart little pup.  It is time for you to go to bed.  It is way past your bedtime and mama need some sleep so I can finish the story tomorrow.”

Kisa latched onto her father’s haori.  “Mama!”

“Bed.”

Kagome smiled as her twins let their head fall down and their ears flatten in disappointment.  Then she remembered what time of month it was.  She was amazed and thrilled that all her pups were ningen on the same night of each month.  It was that one night a month that she and Sesshomaru stayed up all night with them, then the whole pack would sleep the rest of the day and the next night.

She pulled Misa up in her arms and kissed her head.  “Look at it this way, tomorrow night we will all be in here together and all night long anyway.”

Misa just gave her mother an odd glance.  “Nani?  Why?”

“It is your ningen night tomorrow night.”

She had to giggle as she fell back on the bed with a smile when she heard five slow grumbles come from her pups.  “Get over it.  Until you are mated that is the way it goes.  And even after you Katsuro and Kentaro are mated, you will just have to bring your mates with you.  I won’t let this go and that is final.  Do any of you want to see me angry?”

All five pups just stared at her.  Her powers were starting to flare and they knew what she could do.  Never seen it, but Katsuro, Kentaro and Sakura knew from talking to Rin and Sango what she was capable of.  They all just bowed their heads.  “We get it mama don’t worry.”

Sakura smiled as she walked behind the boys but the stopped and pinned her ears to her head.

“Don’t think that you girls are out of that.  Mated or not all of you are going to be in here with me and your father on your ningen night until the day that your father and I die.  And that isn’t for a long time yet to come.”

Sesshomaru smiled as he watched his mate flop down on the bed in a mess of giggles at the looks his daughters were giving her.  Once they were alone he smiled as he walked to the bed.  “You have your way of getting the job done.”

“I wish I had the one word power like you do.”

“I think yours is more intimidating.”

“How do you figure?”

“You take so long to get your threat out that they do what you say to keep from hearing the rest of it.”

Kagome glared and growled at him then threw a pillow at him.  “Sorry I am not as demonic as you are.”

Sesshomaru growled at her as he instantly grabbed her arms and pinned her to the bed beneath him.  “You are worse than demonic.”

Kagome giggled as he kissed her nose.  “What is worse than demonic?”

“You are bewitching.”

“No I am not.”

“I am the proof of that.”

Kagome wiggled her arms free and then wrapped them around his neck and pulled his mouth down to hers in a gentle kiss.  “Tell me this theory.”

“And a vixen.”

“I will admit to that one.  But how are you proof that I am bewitching?”

“I hated all ningens and hanyous until you and Rin.  You and Rin stole my heart and soul.  You called out my inner youkai to make it claim you as my mate.  And the pups are my world.  Bewitching.”

Kagome giggled as she kissed him again.  “I think I rather feel like being a vixen.”

Sesshomaru growled as he seared her mouth with his.  “Koishii.”

“Youkai.”

Kagome giggled as he leaned down and nipped at her neck with his fangs.  “Sesshomaru.”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sesshomaru lay next to his mate with a smile.  She was sound asleep now.  He concentrated on listening.  His pups were all sound asleep as well.  Katsuro was right next to them on the left.  Sakura on the right.  Kentaro was across the room from Katsuro’s.  Misa and Kisa shared a room across Sakura.  They were all sleeping.  The sound of their heartbeats mixed with Kagome’s was the most soothing sound.

His eyes faded as he thought about the heartbeat that he longed to hear at least one more time.  Rin.  She had mated with Kohaku and he moved into the palace with her, yet no pups were born between them.  And now his Rin was gone.

He smiled again as he heard Kagome talking in her sleep.  ‘Even in her sleep she fights with me!’

:::::START DREAM:::::

“Would you just shut up you stupid little imp!  No one wants to hear you stupid!”

Jaken glared up at her.  Every since they started traveling with him and Lord Sesshomaru there has been nothing but trouble.  Sesshomaru stayed gone most of the time and he couldn’t take it!

“What do you know about anything you stupid ningen girl!”

Kagome glared at the imp.  She so wanted to tell him about the conversation that she had with Sesshomaru the night before but until she decided or not she couldn’t!  But she had decided.  The last three months with him were everything she dreamed that they would be.  Simply perfect.  With the occasional fight.  

The feeling of annoyance wafted over her and she smiled at the imp.  “I think you are going to be put in your place Jaken.”

“That’s Master Jaken!”

“Jaken.”

The firm and low voice of his Lord made the imp freeze.  “Hai Me Lord?”

“Enough.”  Then he kicked the imp sending him flying into a creek.  He glared at him the turned to Kagome.  The feeling of peace and ease was radiating off of her.  And something else that he didn’t know when he looked at her.  “Kagome?”

“Can we go somewhere private?”

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow.  “Nani?”

“I need to talk to you in private.”

“Hai.”  Then he swept an arm around her waist and flew off on his cloud.

Rin was almost there when she saw Sesshomaru and Kagome flying away.  She knew that there was something going on between them, but she couldn’t figure it out.  ‘I wonder if they are going to mate?’  She turned to Sango with her wide questioning gaze.  “Sango, are Sesshomaru and Kagome mating?”

Sango tripped and dropped the fire wood that she had in her arms on Kohaku’s head.  “Gomen otoutosan.  Rin what are you talking about?”

“They go off alone.  Kagome knows that he is coming back before we even see him.  And he is as protective over her as he is me.”

Sango didn’t know what to say to the little girl.  She knew what Kagome was going to say to Sesshomaru tonight.  When they com back it will be official and they will be mated with each other.  “I don’t know Rin you need to talk to Kagome and Sesshomaru about that later on.”

Rin shrugged her shoulders and ran off toward A-Un.

Kohaku glared at his sister.  “Man sister you need to watch it!”

“Oh get over it.  If you take training from Sesshomaru me dropping some wood on your head won’t hurt you.”

“My life isn’t connect through the jewel shard remember.  Kagome pulled it out and if you dropped them……..”

“Put a sock in it!”  Sango then smacked him in the back of the head.  “I don’t want to hear it anymore.”

“Now you sound like Kagome.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

“I don’t know.”

Sango smiled an evil smile at her brother.  “Go watch over Rin while Kagome and Sesshomaru are gone.  Or I will tell Kagome about that little remark.”

“NO!”  Then he ran off toward Rin hollering her name.

Sango couldn’t help but smile as she watched him running after the small girl and having trouble keeping up with her.  She still remembered when that day happened.  While Kagome and Rin were in Kagome’s time.  Kohaku asked Sesshomaru if he would bring him back after she removed the jewel shard.  

Something about the look in her brother’s eye.  Or the way he asked.  Or how he promised to always protect Rin when he wasn’t around moved him.  He agreed.  Sango was so nervous when she extracted the jewel shard.  Her brother crumpled to the ground in a heap.  Instantly dead.

But he kept his word and used Tenseiga and brought him back.  And for that she would always be grateful.  Without the jewel shard and with his memory back, Naraku won’t be able to take him over again and take her brother from him.

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Kagome snuggled into Sesshomaru’s embrace with a content sigh.  She never wanted to loose this feeling.  Once they were in the air she looked up at him with wondering eyes.  “You are sure you won’t regret mating with a ningen Sesshomaru?”

“Hai.”

“Even if our children are hanyou?”

“My children will be hanyou, but they will make Inuyasha look like a ningen infant.”

Kagome giggled at that one.  “You know they are going to be my children too.”

Sesshomaru jerked his head down and looked at her.  “Nani?  ‘Are going to be’?”

“That’s right.”

“Does that mean?”

Kagome smiled as she reached up and grabbed his hair on each side of his face and pulled his lips down to her in a gentle kiss.  “That is my answer.”

Sesshomaru growled as he seared her mouth and touched down in a clearing.  “You are sure?”

“I have no regrets if you don’t.”

Sesshomaru sat her down on her feet next to a tree and then placed his hands on either side of her head as he starred down into her brown eyes.  “You are sure that you want to do this?”

Kagome reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.  “I want nothing more Sesshomaru.”

Sesshomaru moved his hands to her waist and crushed her body to his with a growl.  Then just as fast pushed her back against the tree.

Kagome looked up at him with her eyes starting to tear up.  “Sesshomaru?”

“Once I start I won’t be able to stop.”

Kagome smiled and growled at him.  “I know that.”

Sesshomaru swept her up in his arms and then fell to the ground with her beneath a Sakura tree.  His mouth searing hers as his tongue darted in her mouth to battle with hers.  His hands instantly roving over her body.

Kagome returned his kiss with everything that she had.  She didn’t know what was going on in her body, but there was something that she wanted.  And she knew that Sesshomaru was the only one who had what it was.

Sesshomaru growled as he nipped at her neck.  He wasn’t going to expose her too much to prying eyes that might be around.  He slid his hand under her skirt and growled as her pulse quickened.  “I will be gentle with you koishii.”

“I know that koibito.  I know.”

:::::END DREAM:::::

“Mama!  Wake up!”

Kagome jumped up to a sitting position instantly when both her twins jumped on her bed with a scream.  “Don’t you two know how to sleep in?”

“Nope.  Besides mama you are going to finish the story today remember.”

“Tonight.  I have to get some work done today.”

“Mama!”

Kagome yawned as she stretched and then smiled at her pups.  “Why don’t you go and see Sakura.  She knows the story.”  When she saw the gleam in her pups eyes she giggled.  “Sakura will keep it rated for your ages also.”

Misa sighed.  “It was a hope at least.”

Kisa sighed as well.  “Demo, mama we want you to tell us.”

Kagome stood up and walked over to the closet to get dressed.  “I will finish it but I just have to get some work today.  Go and find Kenshin.  He will give you a lesson while I am getting my work done and then if there is time I will tell you some more before dinner.”

“Hai mama.”

Kagome watched with a smile as her two youngest pups walked out of the door with low ears and faces.  ‘They will be fine.  I am just about to the end of the story anyway.’

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Sesshomaru looked up with a smirk as Kagome entered their joint study.  “Going to go through your reports finally?”

“Oh skip it.  That was the latest that I stayed up in a month.  And we stay up all night tonight as well.”

“You will have your ‘story’ to finish to keep you awake with them tonight.”

Kagome smiled as she sat down across the room from him.  “Hai.  And then a full twenty four hours to sleep un-interrupted.  Perhaps I can finish my dream?”

“Nani?”

“I was to the best part of a great dream when Kisa and Misa came in jumping on the bed as always.”

“Honto ni.”

“Hai.”

“And what were you dreaming about miko?”

“Well youkai, I was dreaming about that day in the clearing when we made everything official.”  She had to giggle when the lust hazed his eyes.  “Don’t even think about it.  I am sure that the twins are close by and the second I leave this room they will be on me.”

“We don’t have to leave the room koishii.”

“You had fun last night.  You can wait one more night.”  Then she picked up a report and began to go over it.  Giggling at the growl that came from the opposite side of the room.

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Kentaro and Katsuro were practicing out in the gardens when they smelled their little sisters coming.  Without even looking at them Katsuro smiled.  “Mama kept to her ‘got to get work done’ huh?”

Kisa and Misa sat down under their favorite tree with down cast eyes and flattened ears.  “Hai.  How long does it take mama to ‘get some work done’ onisan?”

Kentaro and Katsuro both stopped sparing to sit next to their youngest sisters.  Kentaro smiled as he flopped down on his back.  “Well it depends on how many days mama stayed away from their studies.”

“Nani?”

“If she has been away for just a day or two, she will be done by the afternoon.  If it has been three to five days by dinner, if she has been gone six or more, she will be there until dusk.”

Both girls sighed and let their ears fall even further.

Katsuro smiled.  “She’s been with you girls all week hasn’t she?”  When both heads nodded he laughed.  “Well just remember what tonight is.  You will have mama all to yourself, no interruptions at all, all night long.”

He smiled as both his sister’s ears perked up.  Kisa looked up at him with pleading eyes.  “Well that makes us feel better so will you help me and Misa train onisan?”

Misa had the same eyes on Kentaro.  He sighs as he jumps up and pulls Misa up with him.  Katsuro doing the same with Kisa.  He looks at his older brother with a smile.  “I am glad that we were pups along with Sakura and didn’t fall for those eyes.”

Katsuro nods as he walks over and gets four practice blades.  “Hai.  These two can get us every time with those eyes.”

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Sakura sat up in a tree near by and watched her brothers with her sisters.  It was cute to watch her brothers with the twins.  Though right now she preferred to be alone.  She could feel that her body was already starting to do it’s change.  And it was only mid morning.  By the time the sun set behind the palace, her auburn hair, sakura stripes and green eyes would be gone.  

She would then look dead on her mother.  So would Misa and Kisa.  If it wasn’t bad enough that she did have that one night of weakness, her father and mother still treated her as a adult like they did as a six month old pup!  

She stood up and bounded off to where the blue roses were planted in the garden at the far wall.  That was where Rin and Kohaku were buried.  And she could smell her grandmother there now as well.

When she landed she smiled at her grandmother who sat in a swing that Kagome had made for her.  “Konnichi wa obaasan.”

Kimi looked up with a smile at her grand-daughter.  “Sakura.  It is good to see you child.  Demo, what brings you here with that look in your eyes?”

“It is that night.”

“I see.”

“Will mama and papa ever stop treating me like I am a pup whenever this time of the month comes around?”

“Iie.  That I doubt that they will ever do.”

“It drives me crazy obaasan.”

Kimi smiled at her beautiful grand-daughter.  Hanyou or not she was the image of loveliness.  “You just have to get use to it koibito.”

Sakura smiled.  “I guess so.  Well at least tonight mama won’t have time to play her jokes like she usually does.”

“Nani?”

“Misa and Kisa have her telling the story about her and papa ‘fell in love’.”

“She isn’t!”

Sakura giggled as she leaned over and laid her head in her grandmother’s lap.  “Iie.  She is going to stop before that point.  I though the same thing though.  And papa.”

“I can’t imagine your father letting her go to that point.  Not yet anyway.  The day will come when they will hear all about it though.  Just like it did with you.”

“I know.”

Kimi smiled and ran her hands through Sakura’s hair as she reached over and plucked the blue rose from it’s bush.  Her mind going to Rin and how she use to take such special care of these bushes.  Now Sakura did the same thing.  “You know, Rin always loved your ningen nights.”

“I don’t understand why she did.”

“It gave her the chance to spend time with her entire pack without one of you pups running off.”

“Honto ni?”

“Hai.  I remember just how protective she and Kohaku both were of you when you were first born.  There was one night when your father had to leave the palace and go to the Eastern Court for a night.  He hated it.  Leaving your mother, Katsuro, and Rin alone like that.  As fate would have it, Rin had already mated with Kohaku and moved him in the palace.”

“What happened obaasan?”

“Well a small group of very low youkai decided that they were going to try to kill all the ningens in your father’s life.  To try to give him a chance to mate with a youkai and have a youkai heir.  You were barely three days old at the time.  Your mother was in no condition to do anything.  The youkai rushed across the grounds and burst through the side of your parents bedroom.  They hoped to surprise everyone that was there.  But their surprise was in the form of Rin and Kohaku.”

“I remember this story now.  One of the youkai said that since I wasn’t ningen on that night that I must have had more power than Katsuro and said he would take me and mate with me when I reached age.”

“Hai.  Rin fell back and stood in front of you and your mother and Kohaku fought with all the fury of your father against that youkai.  Killing him.”

“And even though they saved us all, mama was mad about the youkai blood getting all over everything.  Rin told me that one night.”

“But Rin was no exception to your ningen night.  Nor Kohaku.  Do you think they would want to hear you complain about it?  Even after Kohaku died Rin was always in there with you up until her end.”

“Your right obaasan.  Rin would be lecturing me right now about how precious it is to spend time with your pack like that.  Even if it is once a month.”

“That’s right.”

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Kagome stretched her arms as she carried the two pots of strong tea into the room.  She knew that she would need them tonight after being up so late the night before.  She placed the tea on the table and then turned with her hand held out as her twins came racing in the room.  “Hold it!  No jumping on mama right now.  Mama’s back is sore from spending all day at that darn desk.”

Misa and Kisa giggled as they jumped on the bed.  “That’s alright mama.  We spent the day with Katsuro and Kentaro practicing.”

“Honto ni?  How did you manage that one?”

Katsuro and Kentaro were the next to come in.  Katsuro frowned at his mother.  “How do they always get all of us mama?”

“That look.”

“Hai.  That look.”

Sakura was next in with a smile that faded.  She moved to sit in the spot that she always sat every month.  Her eyes looked up at the full moon.  The first night of the full moon in every month was their ningen night.  Then she realized the date.  “He is at the roses isn’t he mama?”

Kagome raised an eyebrow at her eldest daughter.  She should have known that by smell.  Then she realized just how little sunlight was coming in the bedroom.  “Hai.  It is that date.  He will be in before you all turn ningen with a vase of blue and red roses.”

Misa ran to the window and looked out the window to see her father and grandmother standing by the roses.  “Mama, I know he does it every ear on this date, weather we are ningen or night we spend the night up in here with you and him.  Demo, why?”

Kisa was there next to her sister with the same question in her eyes as she starred at her father and grandmother.

Kagome let her smile fade as she sat down on the edge of the bed and starred at the corner where Rin always sat on the ningen night.  “You were far from being born at the time.  By this time your father and I didn’t think that I could have any more pups.  Katsuro, Kentaro and Sakura were all hanyou at the time.  Rin got up in the middle of the night at her old age of near 80 and made it to the gardens and sat down next to Kohaku’s grave.  She plucked a single red rose and a single blue rose.  She fell asleep and never woke up.”

Sesshomaru walked into the room with the vase full of red and blue roses.  He sat them on the table that he had sat at the end of the bed before he went to the garden.  He let a smile play on his face even though his eyes had a longing that they only had when he thought of Rin.  “When I woke up and she wasn’t in her room I was worried.  Your mother woke up because of it and we tracked her scent to the gardens.  Her heart wasn’t beating anymore.  And in her hand she held a blue and red rose.  The blue was her and the red was for Kohaku.”

Sakura walked over and scooped up both her sisters with a smile.  “Papa brings the roses each ningen night to represent Rin and Kohaku.”

Kisa smiled as she wiggled free from her sister and ran to where her father now sat by the tea and climbed up in his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled.  “It is okay papa.”

Kagome smiled as she settled in with Misa.  “Aww that is just too cute!”  She couldn’t help but let out a burst of laughter when all she got were two low growls.  “Like father like daughter.”

Sesshomaru glared at her.  “Just start the last part of your story miko.”

Kagome watched with a smile as Kisa went from her hanyou form to her ningen form.  She looked around the room with watery eyes.  They were only missing two, but she knew they were here in spirit.  “Well then Misa, can you tell me where I was last?”

“You were on your way to go to your time with Rin.  Right after you took the beads from Inuyasha.”

Kagome nods.  “Ah that’s right.  Before we went to the well we had to go and tell Kaede that your father was going to hang around the well and why.  So she didn’t think that he was there to kill everyone.”

“Mama!”

“I mean it!  Back then your father had a bad reputation for hating ningens.”

“But why did he mate you?”

Sesshomaru smiled.  “I can answer that one miko.”

“Then go ahead.  Keep it rated.”

“I mated with your mother because of how defiant and bewitching she was.  She had a way of drawing many to her.  Like one oukami.”

“Don’t start on that one.”

“Why?”

“Because it was handled and now he is with Ayame and she is having twins again.  Once he saw my eyes as I told him that I wanted you and not him Koga was just fine with it.”

“Humph.”

“Humph nothing.  Can I get on with the story?”

“Go.”

“Arigato might youkai.”

“Mama!”

Kagome shut her eyes as all her pups yelled her name.  “Alright alright!  I will start when we got to the well.  How about that?”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“So this is how you get to your ‘time’ Kagome?”  Rin was starring down into the well with wide eyes.  She didn’t understand how anyone can be from any time but the present.

Kagome smiled as she stood next to her and nodded.  “Hai.  This will take us to a world different from the one you know.”

“How different?”

“Very different.  Are you sure you want to go?”

“Hai!  You said that I will get to meet your mama, ojiisan and otoutosan.”

“That’s right.”

Sesshomaru stood just behind them.  He had no intentions on leaving this well before they returned.  It was still strange that he found himself worried about the miko as well as Rin.  “Kagome.”

Kagome’s eyes went wide when she felt worry wash over her at the same time she heard Sesshomaru use her name for the first time.  She turned to him with wide eyes.  The worry was in his eyes.  And when her eyes met his it just intensified.  ‘I wonder why I can feel the same thing I see in his eyes?’  “Hai?”

“Bring her back.”

‘That’s it.  It is because Rin is going with me.  He is worried about her.  Then why does that bother me like it does?’  “I will.  Safe and sound.”  Then she spun around away from his eyes.

Sesshomaru was un-nerved by this sudden surge of pain that course through him.  The instant that it flew into the miko’s eyes.  And he couldn’t help this overpowering feeling that told him that it was his fault for her pain!  ‘Why do I even care.  She is not the one that I care about.  It is Rin.’

Kagome smiled as she sat down and threw her legs inside the well as Rin did the same thing.  She put her arm around the child.  “Are you scared?”

“I am with you and Lord Sesshomaru is here.  I could never be scared!”  

Kagome giggled.  “Then lets go.”  And she pushed off jumping into the well.

Sesshomaru stepped up and watched with wide eyes as both Kagome and Rin vanished into a blue light and their scent also vanished.  “They better come back.”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rin giggled when she saw the blue light surround her.  “I did it Kagome!  I went through to your time!”

“I knew you would with those beads on you.”

Rin giggled as they touched down and then looked around her.  “It is dark in your time?”

“Iie.  The well has a building built around it in my time.  See?”  Then she pointed up to the ceiling.

Rin looked up and went wide eyed.  “Wow.”

Kagome pointed to the latter.  “Clime on up Rin.  This is how I have to get in and out of the well on this side.”

“How will we get out when we go back to Lord Sesshomaru?”

Kagome sighed.  “I will have to pack another latter so that we can get out that way in your time too.”

Rin was even with Kagome’s eyes now.  “Or Sesshomaru can help us out.”

“He might you, but I don’t know about me.  But that is a different story.  Up you go.”

Rin shrugged her shoulders and went on up the latter.  “I am hungry Kagome.”

“My mom will make you something special.  She has only ever seen Inuyasha.  I think she will like seeing you with me.”

“Is your mama nice?”

“Very nice.”

When they were finally out Kagome took Rin’s hand and led her up the steps.  “Before I open the door Rin I want you to know that it is going to be nothing like the time we just came from.  So douzo, stay close to me.”

“I promise.”

“Tame.”

Then she opened the door to a world totally different from the one that Rin would have been use too.  She smiled as she walked out with her and looked around.  This was home.  But she felt like she left something back in the Feudal Era.  But it didn’t have anything to do with Inuyasha.  And that is what scared her.  It was Sesshomaru.

Rin pulled on her arm and pointed with scared eyes.  “Kagome!  Everything turned to stone!”

Kagome scooped the little girl up and carried her as she walked toward her house.  “It is alright Rin.  This is how my time looks.  We are now 500 years in the future.”

“Honto ni!?!?”

“Hai.”

Kagome walked in the door of her house and dropped her bag as she kicked her shoes off.  “Mama!  I’m home and I brought someone new home with me!”

Sora walked out of the kitchen to find her daughter coming toward her with a little girl in her arms.  She smiled at the little girl.  “Konnichi wa little one.  Ogenki desu ka?”

Rin hid her face in Kagome’s neck.  “I am fine.”

“Well this isn’t normal.”

“Nani?”

Kagome looked at her mom as she walked on past her and into the kitchen.  “This is Rin.  Remember the little girl I told you traveled with Sesshomaru, Inuyasha’s brother?”

“Hai.”

“This is her.”

Sora smiled at the little girl as Kagome sat her down in a chair.  She went to the fridge and opened the freezer.  “Rin, would you like to try something called Ice Cream?”

“How do I try it?”

“You eat it.”

“Sure!”

Kagome stood back and watched as her mother showed Rin how to eat ice cream.  “What do you think of it Rin?”

Rin licked her lips as she looked up at Kagome.  “I love it!  I wish Lord Sesshomaru could taste it!”

“Perhaps we can take some back to him.”

“Yay!”

Sora stood up and walked over to stand next to her daughter.  “What about him?”

“Not going to happen mama.  He chose the other girl.”

“Then why do I still see love in your eyes?”

“I hate to admit it mama, but it isn’t for him but his brother.”

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Sesshomaru leaned against a tree with his eyes closed.  He was in the woods but he could see the well.  And he could smell Kikyo and Inuyasha nearby.  He could tell by their scent that they wanted to get to the well.  He didn’t know if they wanted to put a spell on it to stop Kagome from coming back, or to see if Inuyasha could still go through.  ‘Whatever it is they will not do it so long as I am here.’

His eyes opened when he heard footsteps coming toward him.  It was Kohaku.  “Nani.”

Kohaku had to sneak away from Sango to be able to come out here to ask him this.  “I would like to ask you something if I may Lord Sesshomaru.”

“Ask.”

“You are aware that my memory has come back and that I will not return to Naraku correct?”

“Hai.”

“I will always be a target for Naraku.  And with as much time as I spend with Rin that could result in a bad thing.”

“Spit it out.”

“I want to remove the jewel shard from my back.  The only problem is that as soon as it leaves my body, I will die.”

“You wish for me to bring you back afterwards like I did for Rin when wolves killed her.”

“Hai.”

Sesshomaru glared at the boy.  He could see that he was terrified.  Pure terror was in his eyes, and he didn’t know if it was because he was worried that he would say no or what it was.  But the boy did have a point.  Rin adored him for whatever reason and if Naraku was to reclaim Kohaku through the jewel shard in his back, or killed him to get it, it would devastate Rin.

“How do you plan to remove it?”

“Sango and Kaede will remove it.  I haven’t told them what my plan is yet.  No offence Lord Sesshomaru, but until recently you have not had a very good past record of helping ningens.  I wanted to know if you would bring me back before I went to them.”

“I will not leave this spot.  I will stay where I can see the well.  Inuyasha and the dead miko are always nearby waiting on me to leave.  I will do as you ask.  It will ensure Rin’s safety.  But here.”

Kohaku wanted to try to show how old he was.  And that he would not be bringing a child back to life to help protect Rin.  “Arigato Lord Sesshomaru.  I will go and get them and bring them back.”

Sesshomaru let his eyes slide closed again.  His nose keeping track of where Inuyasha and Kikyo were.

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Kikyo could sense Sesshomaru.  He knew where they were and no doubt had an idea or two as to why they were there.  But he would only be part right.  She was going to send Kagome back in the well when she came back to this time, then seal it so that she couldn’t get back.

But not until after she got the part of the jewel that Kagome wears around her neck.  She glared in the direction of the well.  “Inuyasha we have to get your brother from the well.  It has been two days since she has went through the well.  And even you said she only stays gone for three days at a time when she goes.”

“I know.  I know.  I don’t know why he isn’t leaving the well.  For him to sit and wait on Kagome and the brat like this isn’t like him.”

“Your brother has changed a lot in the two weeks that he spent at that shrine with her.”

“I know.  I don’t know what to do about it.”

Kikyo flopped down on the ground and looked up at Inuyasha.  “And with him having Tenseiga you can’t just go and kill him.”

“I know.  That damn sword saves his life every time I think I am gong to achieve my goal of killing the bastard that damn thing ships him off somewhere.”

Kikyo saw the anger and rage that was in his eyes.  She smiled as she stood up and walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around him.  She laid her head on his back, cushioned by his thick white hair and sighs.  “Don’t worry about it Inuyasha.  All of the jewel shards are accounted for.  Naraku has most of them.  Koga has two of them.  Kohaku has one.  And Kagome has the rest of them.”

“Yeah well wolf boy will be easy enough to get rid off and get his jewel shards with your help.  Kohaku, that is going to be a different story.”

“Nani?”

Inuyasha sighed.  “Sango.  Miroku.  Kirara.  Kagome.”

“What do they have to do with anything?”

“The jewel shard in Kohaku’s back is what keeps him alive.  Once it is removed then he will die.”

Kikyo smiled her usual wicked smile.  “I know how they must feel.  At one time if someone told me they were going to take the one thing that kept Kaede alive I would have fought to the end.  Demo, we must take that jewel shard when it is time.  Without the completed jewel we will not achieve our goal.”

“I know Kikyo.  Demo, there is nothing that we can do right now.  If Kagome isn’t back by tomorrow morning it will be one of the few times that she stays longer.  If she doesn’t come back, then we will go ahead and go find Naraku.”

“Hai.”

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Sango gaped at Kohaku.  “You did what?!”

“I asked him to bring me back after you or Lady Kaede removed the jewel shard from my back.”

“What did he say?”

“He said he would.  But that you had to remove it at the well.  That he wasn’t going to leave the well until Kagome and Rin came home.”

Sango just starred at him.  She didn’t know if Sesshomaru could be trusted yet or not.  And she certainly wasn’t going to trust him with her brother’s life.  “Kohaku why do you even want to do it?  I mean you are alive and that is all that matters right?”

Kohaku glared at his sister.  He was in no hurry, but did want to get married one day and have a child of his own.  That was something that he could never do so long as the jewel shard was in his back.  He would always be a target for someone who wants to take his shard, Koga’s shards and then what Kagome gets from Naraku.  “Sango I will not be a target for any ningen, hanyou or youkai that wants to take the jewel after Naraku.  I want a family at some point in my life.  If the jewel shard is still in my back, what if one day I am finally killed by someone or something that wants it.  What good will I be to a family then!”

“But I don’t want to trust Sesshomaru with your life Kohaku.”

“Nani?”

“He has not had the best track record, and was going to kill you once already.”

“When I was under Naraku’s control.”

“That’s besides the point.”

“No it isn’t Sango.  If I have to I will go to him and remove it myself.  He gave his word that he would bring me back.  Weather it is because he isn’t as bad as you think or because he doesn’t want to upset Rin when she gets back I don’t know.  But he gave his word.”

“Demo,”

“Look at it this way Sango.  He is a taiyoukai.  He is royalty in the youkai world.  The one thing that they always, always frown on is not keeping his word.  He gave his word, and that is enough for me.  Now are you going to help me or not?”

Sango sighed as she stood up and headed for the door.  “I hope you’re right Kohaku.  I hope you’re right.  Come on.”

Kaede smiled as she started to get up.  “Where is he?”

Kohaku smiled and ran out the door.  “He is just inside the woods by the well.”

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Sesshomaru opened his eyes when the boy, youkai slayer and miko were coming.  He stood up and walked out into the clearing, meeting them right in front of the well.  He saw the doubt in the slayers eyes and glared at her.  “When I give my word to something, nothing will stop me from doing it.”

“I know you don’t understand this Sesshomaru, but he is my brother.  I worry about him no matter if it was you or Kagome saying it.”

“Humph.  Remove it.”

Kohaku let his kimono top down and laid down on his stomach.  On the way there he pointed to his back where he knew it was.  He could feel it inside his body.  “I’m ready.”

Kaede readied her knife and looked at Sango who was in near tears by now.  “He will be fine.”  Then she cut a rather deep X in the spot that Kohaku had indicated.  When all he did was grind his teeth together she looked up at Sesshomaru.  It was clear to at least her that this boy had something that he wanted to prove to the youkai.

Kohaku ground his teeth together and kept his eyes fixed in a glare at a tree.  He wasn’t going to show how badly this hurt.  ‘I have to show him I am strong.  He agreed to bring me back, I don’t want him to think he did it for nothing!’

Sango let the tears fall from her eyes as she watched Kaede search around inside her brother’s back for the jewel shard.  ‘Oh Kohaku.  I hope you’re right and we can trust him.’

Sesshomaru starred down at the boy.  He could see the pain flashing through his eyes.  ‘Ningens feel pain so easily.  Demo, he won’t show what his eyes tell me he feels.  Omoshiro.’

Kaede’s eyes went wide when she found the jewel in his back.  “I found it Kohaku.  Are you certain you want to do this?  It is not too late to change your mind.”

Kohaku nods his head yes.  “Hai I am sure.”

Kaede sighed as she closed her eyes and pulled the jewel from his back.

Sango felt her heart shatter when her brother’s body relaxed and the life drained from his eyes.  He was really dead this time.  But she turned wide arms when she heard Sesshomaru un-sheath Tenseiga.  “Sesshomaru.”

Sesshomaru held out Tenseiga over the boys body.  The creatures from the underworld already showing up to take his soul with them.  In two mighty sweeps of his arm, they were all dead.  Then without a word he turned around and went back to his spot in the woods to wait for Rin and Kagome.

Sango starred at her brother as she watched the wound on his back heal.  Once it was healed she sighed as tears again rushed from her eyes when he shot up to a sitting position with a gasp of air.  “Kohaku!”

Kohaku looked up about the time that his sister flattened him on the ground.  “Sister!”

“Oh Kohaku!  Now I know that I will never loose you again!”

Kohaku still tried to fidget free from his sister, but her hold was like that of a sumo wrestler!  Finally he just abided his fate and let his sister hold him and cry as much as she wanted to.

He looked up and saw the smile that was on Sesshomaru’s face but vanished when he saw him looking.  ‘I know you have a soft side.  You must, or Rin wouldn’t be with you.  Weather you show it or not, I am forever in your debt.

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Rin clung to Kagome with shaking hands as she walked through the ‘store’ with her.  She couldn’t get over the things that are different from her ‘time’ and Kagome’s.  Kagome’s time was so confusing and scary.  “Kagome, I think next time you come home, I will stay with Lord Sesshomaru.”

“It’s okay Rin.  Something like this has to be scary for you.  Next time you stay with Sesshomaru.”

“Why don’t you call him Lord Sesshomaru?”

“Well because every since I met Inuyasha and started traveling with him, he was always just Sesshomaru when we talked about him.  So that is what he is to me.”

“Oh okay.”

“Kagome!”

Kagome turned around with wide eyes when she saw Eri coming towards her.  “Hey.  Where are the other’s?”

Eri starred at the little girl that clung to Kagome’s leg as she walked up to them.  “They didn’t want to come.  Said they had stuff they had to do at home.  Kagome who is she?”

Kagome had figured out that she would call her a cousin if anyone asked her who she was.  “She is my cousin.”

“I didn’t think that your mother had any brothers or sisters.”

“On my dad’s side.”

“Oh.  So what are you two doing?”

“Going shopping for some supplies.”

“For what.”

Rin smiled as she looked up at the girl talking to Kagome.  “She is taking me camping!”

Eri raised an eyebrow at her friend.  “What about the tests next week?  We have tests in Math, History and Science.”

Kagome gasped and sunk to the floor.  “I totally forgot about those.”

“I told you three days ago Kagome.”

“I know.”

“Besides with how sick you have been lately do you really think you need to be taking a little girl camping?”

Kagome sank even lower as she tried to think of something to say.  “Well she wanted to come and visit us, and my doctor thinks that some time out in the fresh air away from the city and at a hot spring resort might do me some good.”

“Nani?  You are going to a hot spring resort by a doctor’s orders!”

“Hai.”

“I wanna come!”

“Well you see that isn’t really possible.”

“Huh?”

Kagome was on her feet now with a smile and sparkles in her eyes.  “You see, the guy who runs this hot spring, he is very picky about who he lets come and stay there.  Usually only people who are refered there by a doctor.”

“Then how can your cousin go?”

“I can go because he is……”

“Her father knows him and they are alright friends.  But I really need to hurry and finish getting the bandages and stuff like that.  She can be sort of clumsy in the woods.  I will call you the instant that I get home!”

Eri stood there and watched her friend walk off in a hurry with the little girl dragging behind her.  “Since we started Junior High she has started acting so weird.”

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Kagome ducked into a pharmacy to get the badages and stuff like that, that she knew she would need.  Especially with Rin, Kohaku and Shippo!  ‘Oh man, I can’t wait until we kill Naraku and I can wish the jewel away.  I am tired of trying to keep up with the lies that grandpa tells them all.’

“Kagome why didn’t you tell her about Lord Sesshomaru?”

“No one in this time except my mom, brother and grandpa know that I go through the well.”

“Why not?”

Kagome smiled as she paid and then left the store holding her hand.  One more stop to make, the grocery store.  “Well, in your time Rin, mikos and youkais and hanyous and monks and spells and magic are all things that you see every day.”

“Hai.”

“Well in this time, that is all myth, legend, and not real.”

“But you know it is real so why don’t you tell them?”

“Because they would think that there was something wrong with me.  They would lock me up in a room and I would not be aloud out so they could see if I was sick or not.”

“That’s mean.”

“That’s why it is our secret okay?”

“Right!”

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Sesshomaru let his eyes fly open when he smelled Kagome and Rin in the well.  In a instant he was in the well with them.  “You were gone too long.”

Kagome jumped and screamed as she turned to face him.  “I told you that I was going to be there for seven days.”

“Humph.”  He reached down and scooped up Rin and put her on his back to hold onto his neck and then grabbed Kagome by the waist and jumped from the well.

Kagome felt her heart skip and knew her face turned red as she latched onto his arm with a gasp.  ‘What is happening to me?  I need to talk to Sango.’

Sesshomaru had to force himself to let the miko down when he landed outside the well.  He didn’t even look at her as she turned and headed for the village.  ‘Why a ningen?’

Rin still held onto his neck with a death grip.  “Oh Lord Sesshomaru I missed you so much!”

“Honto ni.”

“Hai.  Kagome’s world is so different and scary at times.  But she took really good care of me.  Her mom made me food, and her brother showed me what he called a ‘video game’ and how to play it.  She even bought me some paper and funny paint brushes that she said were crayons so I can make paintings.  And books to help me learn how to read and write…..”

“Rin.”

“Rin shut her eyes with a gasp.  “Gomen nasai Lord Sesshomaru.”

Sesshomaru started to let a smile play on his face but it was replaced with a look of rage.  “Rin go to the village.”

“Lord Sesshomaru?”

“Now.”

“Hai.”  Rin jumped down and took off running for the village.

Sesshomaru turned around and glared at his brother and the undead wench.  “You sneak around in the shadows until they come back and then you show yourselves.  What games are you playing at?”

Inuyasha held onto Kikyo with a death grip and only offered his brother a glare.  “Simple.  We have something want to talk to you about Sesshomaru.”

“What could you have to say that could possibly interest me?”

Kikyo moved to stand right in front of Inuyasha.  She smiled.  “After Naraku is dead if you take the jewel from Kagome and let me fuse it with the ones that Naraku has, then we will get what we want and you can have what you want.”

“What is it that you think I want that the jewel can give me?”

“That runt you let travel with you can be stunted as far as aging goes.  Kikyo can use the jewel to make so that once she reaches the age that she is a adult, she wont’ age anymore.  And from that point on her life will be linked with yours.  You will have the brat with you until the day you die.”

Sesshomaru glared.  “And what will you get out of it?”

“I will be a youkai, and so will Kikyo.  So that we can be together for eternity as well.”

Sesshomaru growled.  The thought of having Rin by his side forever was appealing to him.  But he would die before he saw the day that Inuyasha became a full fledged youkai.

During the five days that Kagome was gone with Rin he had the time to reflect on what has been happening with him as of late.  He knew he was going through the same thing that his father did.  And he didn’t like it, but knew he was stuck with it.  “And if I give you the part of the jewel that she has, what will become of her?”

Kikyo glared at him.  She has seen that look in the eyes of countless youkai.  Nothing had been decided yet, and he is still fighting it, but he wants to claim her as his mate.  “Simple.  Kagome is not of this time.  She does not belong here.  She will be given the choice of going home then I will seal the well so she can never come back, or she will die.”

Inuyasha pulled Tetsusaiga and blocked Tokijin as he glared at his brother.  “Nani?  I thought you would agree to it Sesshomaru!  It is pointless for me and you to try to kill each other.  Tetsusaiga’s sheath and Tenseiga protect us from the other.”

“I will find a way to kill you one day.  Rin and Kagome are both under my protection.  Stay away from them.”

Kikyo glared at him.  “Why not?  It is a opportunity you can not pass up!”

Sesshomaru gave a hard shove and shoved them both back through a tree.  “Know this Inuyasha.  You will not get the jewel.  I don’t care who else has it so long as it is not you.”

“You can’t be with her all the time you know.”

“I warn you now Inuyasha.  Stay away from her.”

Inuyasha glared and growled.  “You bastard!”

Kikyo could sense Sesshomaru’s inner youkai trying to come out.  If it wasn’t for his sense of pride fighting it, he would have already claimed Kagome as his mate.  ‘This is not good.  Is youkai thinks that it needs to come out and defend his mate!’  Kikyo stood up and turned around to look into Inuyasha’s eyes.

“Come Inuyasha.  We will figure out another way.”

“Kikyo?”

“Douzo!”

Inuyasha sighed as he twisted around putting her on his back then shot his brother a glare.  “Don’t worry about anything Sesshomaru.  I know how to get her away from you so I can get the jewel and Kikyo can deal with her.”  Then he bounded off.

Sesshomaru heaved as he tried to calm down.  “Inuyasha you will die before you touch her.”

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Kagome giggled as Shippo jumped from her lap and pulled out his set of crayons and coloring books.  She sighed when she thought about it.  She has been a surrogate mother to Shippo since he started traveling with them.  And now she was doing the same thing with Rin.

“Kagome!  Kagome!”

Kagome jerked her head around to find Rin running into the hut.  She caught her as she lunged herself into her arms.  ‘Well this is odd.  All she could do at home was talk about Sesshomaru.  I didn’t think she would let go of him for a week.’  “Rin?”

“Lord Sesshomaru is fighting.”

“Nani?  Who?”

Rin held on tight to Kagome.  For the first time in her life she was torn.  If Kagome left and didn’t travel with her and Lord Sesshomaru anymore, she knew she couldn’t leave him.  But she didn’t want to loose Kagome either.  “Inuyasha.”

Kagome started to become nervous when she felt the death grip the little girl had on her.  But when she said Inuyasha’s name she sighed and laid her hand on the girls back.  “Don’t worry so much.  You know that Sesshomaru can take care of himself.”

“It’s not Lord Sesshomaru I am worried about.”

Kagome raised an eyebrow.  “Nothing is going to happen to you either.”

“I don’t want you to ever stop traveling with us Kagome!  Douzo!  I am begging you not to go back with Inuyasha or anyone else!”

Kagome giggled as she rubbed the girls back.  “Well, I will stay with you for as long as I can.  That is all that I can promise right now Rin.”

Rin looked up at her with tear filled eyes, but she smiled.  “Arigato.”

Almost instantly she was laughing again and turned around and jumped through the door.  Kagome looked up and raised her eyebrows when she felt relief and annoyence wash over her.  She hadn’t felt anything like this when she was in her time, now that she is back here it is happening again.  And only around Sesshomaru.  ‘I got to talk to Sango.’

Shippo ran to the door and saw Rin giggling as she started talking about all the things that she saw with Kagome.  “I wonder why it is that she adores him so much.  Excpet for the past three weeks he has always tried to kill us.”

Kagome smiled.  “I don’t know Shippo.  Sometimes all it takes is one person to change someones mind about something.”

“So you think that Sesshomaru really would start liking ningens now?”

“I wouldn’t go that far.”

“But he looks after her and protects her.  Why wouldn’t he others?”

Miroku laughed.  “It is hard to explain Shippo.  But I promise to go into full detail when you are old enough.”

“Whatever you say.”

Kagome joined the rest of the house in laughing.  Then her head snapped up.  “Oh no.”

Sango stopped laughing and turned to Kagome.  “Did you remember that you forgot your school books again?”

Kagome jumped up and ran to the door.  “Oh no it’s nothing like that.  I left them at home on purpose.  Koga is coming.”

Miroku raised an eyebrow.  “Demo, with Inuyasha no longer here why is that a problem?”

Kagome starred out the door.  “Because.  Rin told me that she lived alone in a village and abused by the whole thing.  Her house was a hut next to the lake.  One day a bunch of wolves came and killed everyone.  Lead by one that was a youkai.”

“Koga.”

“Remember when we first met him, that was when Rin and Sesshomaru started traveling together.  Koga’s wolves killed Rin.”

Sango and Miroku were on their feet and following Kagome out the door and for Sesshomaru.  Kagome turned and glared at Shippo.  “Stay here with Kaede!”

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Koga ran as fast as he could.  One if his pack came back from going to check on Kagome for him and returned with news that was disturbing for him.  Inuyasha wasn’t with her anymore.  Just the slayer and monk and kit.  That meant that she was vulnerable!

‘Damn you Inuyasha!  Why did you leave her for that wench!  You are leaving her unprotected!’

But that wasn’t the least of his worries.  His scout told him that there was another youkai there.  Probably some relation with Inuyasha.  There was only one youkai in the world that smelled like he was related to that mutt.  Sesshomaru!

Sesshomaru had tried on many occasions to kill Kagome!  “I am coming Kagome!”

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Sesshomaru acted as if he ignored the little girl that was at his side, but in reality he hung on every word.  After five days of not hearing her voice he realized now that he sorely missed it.  But then he caught the scent of something else that he didn’t like.  Koga.  The same wolf who let his pack kill the girl that now meant so much to him.

“Rin.”

“Hai Lord Sesshomaru?”

“Stay behind me.”

Rin gulped and jumped behind his legs.  When she peeked out she gasped when she saw the whirlwind.  It was him.  The wolf who attacked the other wolf in her village.  The one who let his underlings kill her and the entire village!  She pulled her head back behind Sesshomaru and latched onto him with a death grip as she trembled.  

Sesshomaru felt the rage soaring through him at the smell of her fear.  He set his face to it’s usual glare as the wolf came into view.  “Why are you here?”

Koga crossed his arms and glared at him.  “I could ask you the same thing.”

“Nain?”

“I know who you are Sesshomaru.  I also know that on countless occasions you tried to kill Kagome.  Inuyasha runs off with that wench and now you think you can move in and kill her!  Not with me around!”

Sesshomaru didn’t move a inch.  “Baka you know nothing.  She and her companions were only my targets when they tried to interfere in my fights with Inuyasha.  Now that he is no longer with them, I have no fued with them.”

“Then why are you hear?”

“Go away wolf.  You are not needed here.”

“I came to protect my woman Kagome!”

“She does not bear your scent.”

Koga gasped and glared at him.  “What does that have to do with me coming to protect her?!”

“The fact that she is no longer in need of ‘your’ protection.  And as far as I know, you are not her mate.”

“Nani?  What would you know about it!?  I‘m here now so you can just leave.”

“Baka.  If she was ‘your woman’ then when she left Inuyasha she would have went to you, not just struck out on her own.  And besides, if I did leave, she would end up going with me.”

“How do you figure that one?”

“I won’t leave Rin.  I am sure you know her.”

“What does the kid have to do with Kagome going with you over me?”

“She promised Rin to travel with her, to travel with Rin she travels with me.  That puts her under my protection.  You are not needed.”

Koga clenched his fists together and growled at the inu youkai.  “You know, I thought that I could trust dog boy with Kagome.  But he ran off and now I am suppose to trust his older brother?  I don’t think so!  Kagome is going with me and there will be nothing……”

“Koga!”

Koga turned startled eyes to a mad miko and a terrified child hanging onto her skirt.  “Kagome, thank Kami you are safe.  Don’t worry Kagome, I came here to protect you from him.  You’re safe now.”

Rin glared up at him.  “Kagome isn’t going with you.”

“Afraid so child.”

“NO!  Kagome!”

Kagome was almost toppled backwards when Rin put all her strength into grabbing one of her legs.  She reached down and patter her head as she sighed.  “Koga this has to stop.”

“Nani?”

“I never have been your woman.  I have never had any intentions on becoming your mate and living with you.  That is all just a dream that you had.”

“Kagome what are you saying?  You mean you don’t feel the connection between us?”

“I know that when you first met me you kidnapped me.  Was going to use me as your jewel detector and then had every intention on killing me and eating me.  Until I risked my life to get Shippo away from your wolves.”

“Demo Kagome I….”

“I don’t want to hear it anymore Koga.  I want to be your friend, but not your woman or your mate.  How you come to terms with that is your own business.  But I have to ask you for one more thing.”

Koga had his eyes closed as he leaned down and pulled the jewel shards from his legs.  He came in a hurry to protect her from Sesshomaru only to find that she wasn’t in danger.  And to hear this cold hard truth that he never wanted to hear in the first place.  “You want these huh.  Here.”

Kagome took the jewel shards then sighed as her own tears started to fall.  “Koga I want you to be happy.  Ayame is a good person.  I think she would be a perfect match for you.  Demo, promise me that we will stay friends?”

Koga turned a tearful glare at the back of the head of the inu youkai that was near them.  “I promise.  But I got to go for now.”  Then he took off.  His tears falling like the rain.  He had never known what it was like to love someone until Kagome.  And now that she was gone he didn’t know what to do.”

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“Mama!”

Kagome looked down at Misa with wide eyes.  “Nani?”

“Just how many males before papa wanted you to become their mate?”

Kagome blushed when she thought about it.  She only had two humans and a demon want to mate with her before she decided on Sesshomaru.  “I think three.”

“Three!”

Sesshomaru ‘humphed’ then smiled at his twin that was with her mother.  “None of them would have been able to handle your mother anyway.”

Kagome glared.  “Oh and you can.  Oh aren’t you just the great youkai that can deal with the ningen miko.”

“I can hardly handle you miko.  That is how I know they would never have been able to handle you.”

“Ha ha funny.  Bastard.”

“Mama!”

Kagome slammed her eyes shut at the three yells from her eldest pups.  “Gomen.  Gomen.  Gomen.  Geeze!”

“Just continue with the story miko.”

“Yes Great Lord.”

The collective growls of all five of her pups and her mate made her sigh.  “Fine!  Where was I again?”

Kisa sighed her own sigh.  “Koga just left.”

“Oh yeah.”

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Kagome looked down at Rin and tried to smile through the tears.  “Rin, go on back to the village.  Shippo has a head start on your with his coloring.  And he said that when you get back there he wanted to show you how to use them.”

Rin didn’t look up or let go.  “Are you going to leave us and go with him?”

“Never.”

“Arigato.”  Then she let go and ran toward the village, laughter now escaping her young body.  

Kagome sighed as she watched her running away.  In more ways than one that child was worming her way into her heart and she knew she never wanted to leave her.  “Sesshomaru.”

“Hai.”

“What will you do once Naraku is gone?”

“Nani?”

“What will you do once Naraku is gone?”

“Go back to my palace and tend to the affairs I face as the Western Lord.”

“Will Rin go back with you?”

“Of course.”

Kagome sighed.  “She is going to be something I am going to miss greatly when I leave.”

“Nani?”

“After Naraku is gone, without Inuyasha.  Well I don’t have anything holding me here really.  Rin will be with you and Sango and Miroku will be starting their own life and having kids.  The only thing I will have left to do is to go home.  With memories of another time.”

She dropped her head and started to go back to the village when she felt fear wash over her followed by desperation.  She stopped and sighed.  “Why is that happening Sesshomaru?”

Sesshomaru turned and looked at her.  “Why is what happening?”

“When you are not here I don’t get any strange feelings.  Demo, when you are around, I get sudden waves of feelings that are not mine.  When I look at you I see the hints of the same feelings I feel in your eyes.  What is going on?”

Sesshomaru sighed as he walked up behind her.  “It is complicated.”

“My life is one big complication.  When I am in this time I have to try to remember it.  I already stand out enough because of my clothes, I don’t need to stand out more because of the way that I talk.  I know complicated.  Try me.”

Sesshomaru snagged her around her waist and then flew instantly into the sky on his cloud.  “Not here.”

Kagome grabbed onto his arm with a death grip and a gasp.  “Oh man I don’t think this is such a good idea Sesshomaru.”

“Why not?”

“I HATE HEIGHTS!”

Sesshomaru smiled as he flew faster.  He landed on a mountain cliff that overlooked the village and let her go.  

Kagome looked out at the village with a gasp.  “Wow!  It looks so small from up here.”

“There is a bond forming.”

Kagome turned a raised eyebrow to him.  “Bond?  What are you talking about.”

“The complication.”

“Oh!  Bond?  Between us?”

“Hai.”

“But wouldn’t that be a good thing?”

“For you.  Not me.”

“I don’t get it.”

Sesshomaru stepped up to the edge of the cliff and starred down at the village that housed his Rin at the moment.  “The bond of a inu youkai is what is going on with us.  I have tried to fight it but I can’t.”

“Sesshomaru you know if you weren’t talking in circles I bet that I would understand you better.”

“My youkai is coming out.  Whenever you are around me.  I feel your emotions the same way that you feel mine.  Without us even knowing it, the fights and arguments that we had at the shrine then the five days apart proved it.  We are both being drawn into a mating.”

Kagome sunk down to the ground with a look on her face that he hadn’t seen before.  But wonder was the emotion he was getting from her.  ‘What will happen now?’

Kagome thought about it for a moment.  It made sense.  Sango had told her that part of her training was to teach her how to know when she was dealing with a mated pair of youkai.  And now that she thought about it, it all fit.

She found herself thinking about him and missing him every time she looked at Rin when she was home.  She was more excited to come back and see him than Rin was, well inside at least.  She had no problems telling her mother that the smile she wore was because of Sesshomaru.  Not Inuyasha.

She lowered her head and sighed.  “What do we do about it then?”

“Nani?”  Sesshomaru went wide eyed and starred down at her.

“Well, ningens don’t call it ‘mating’ but we do call it getting married to each other.  Mating, is it the same basic thing?”

“I don’t know what you mean by ‘married’.”

Kagome looked down at the village with a half smile.  “Sango and Miroku.  They are in love with each other.  Miroku may look at other women, but his heart and hands are only for Sango.  When they get married, it is making that promise to stay with only each other until they die.  Mating is it the same thing?”

“In a sense.  Mating is just simply done.  The bond that forms allows the other to sense their mates emotions and presence.  Fidelity is always there.  In ‘getting married’, is that a done deal?  Once it is done it can never be undone?”

“Iie.  You can always have it undone.  It is called divorce.”

“That is in opposite to us.”

“Huh?”

“When a inu youkai mates, it is for life.”

Kagome turned questioning eyes up to him.  She knew it was touchy for him, but she had to ask.  “Demo, then why are you and Inuyasha…..”

“Because there was no bond formed between my father and my mother.  My father and mother was a case purely of passion.  No talk of mating at all.  He only stuck around because I was born from that one night of passion.  However, with Izayoi, he was drawn into a mating with her.”

“And that is how Inuyasha came to be.”

“Hai.”

“Do I have a choice?”

“Hai.  Demo, anata must make it soon.”

“Huh?”

“The longer you wait, the more my youkai comes out to claim you as mine.  If you wait too long, I won’t be able to find another to mate with.”

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Sango looked up and found the deep emotion that shone in both Kagome’s eyes and Sesshomaru’s eyes.  She smiled at them then looked up and out the window.  It was still early in the evening, and there was a spring that wasn’t far from the village.  “Kagome, want to go and wash with me?”

Kagome looked up and blinked.  “Sure.”

“Can I come with you?”

“Me too!”

The two women smiled at the little girl and the kit and nodded.  Kagome looked at Sesshomaru who nodded and turned his head.  She could feel the confusion that was flowing off of him and didn’t know what to do about it.  Mating with him would give her the excuse she wanted desperately to be able to stay in the past with Rin, Sango, Miroku, and Shippo.  But would she be happy.

He was a taiyoukai after all and she didn’t know how he was handling the prospect of being mated to a ningen.  She turned a smile back on Rin and giggled. “Come on.  You can use the extra floatie that I brought back for Shippo one time.”

She smiled as Shippo and Rin ran ahead of them, Shippo leading the way, giggling and talking play fighting on who was the better swimmer.  “They act just like brother and sister sometimes don’t they Sango?”

Sango nodded.  “Hai.  Demo, I want to know what is going on between you and Sesshomaru.  And don’t you dare say nothing Kagome.  You should know by now that I know you better than anyone.”

Kagome sighed and dropped her head.  “I am confused so bad Sango.”

“Because you are falling in love with Inuyasha’s brother?”

“Iie.  That is a given.  I am sure that even Shippo and Rin have noticed that one.”

“Then what?”

“Sesshomaru took me to that mountain there and landed on a cliff that overlooked the village.  He told me that what is going on between me and him is that we are being drug into a bond.”

Sango gasped and starred at her friend as they approached the pool of water.  “Kagome, this is serious.”

“I know Sango.”

“What are you going to do Kagome?”

“I don’t know Sango.  Part of me is screaming to go for it.  But another part of me is telling me not to be a fool.  He has tried to kill me after all.”

“But he has done nothing but worry about you while you were gone.  And has said that he will protect you.”

“I know.  But somehow I think it is more because of how I am with Rin than it is anything else.”

“He wants to claim you as his mate Kagome.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because I was trained to see these signs remember Kagome?  He is fighting it for I think two reasons.  He doesn’t know what you are going to think about it and because of his father.  If you remember his father died defending his ningen mate and hanyou son.”

“I know Sango.  I know.  Demo, I don’t think that he is fighting it because of his father.  When he was telling about what was going on he was scared to death.  I brought up his father and that didn’t effect him.  When I looked at him, he was starring at me odd.  Like Miroku did with you when he first told you that he loved you.”

Sango joined Kagome in stripping her clothes, then walked into the water with her.  “Kagome, just be careful.  Remember what happened to Inuyasha.  Don’t jump into this without first making sure that it is something that you want.”

“I know Sango.  I know.”

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“Mama, was you and Sango taking a bath the parts that you were suppose to edit?  I don’t see anything wrong with that?”

Kagome poked Misa on the nose with a smile.  “Good try pup.  Demo, nope those are not the parts.  And you are not going to hear about those for another seventy or so years.”

“Mama!”

“Enough.”

“Gomen papa.”

Kagome shook her head with a smile.  “Sometimes I wonder if I mated a youkai or a magician.”

“Miko.”

“Youkai.”

“Finish the story.”

“Fine Master.”

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Inuyasha and Kikyo stalked after Kagome and Sesshomaru.  Careful to stay just beyond Sesshomaru’s nose.  They would help in the killing of Naraku, and then when Sesshomaru and Kagome were weak they would steal in and take the jewel, and kill them both.

Inuyasha wasn’t at all happy with what he was feeling either.  He didn’t love Kagome like she wanted him to love her.  And he doubted that he could have ever loved her like that.  Weather or not Kikyo came back or not.  But there was a tension in the air and it centered around Sesshomaru and Kagome.  

Kikyo opened her eyes and looked up at Inuyasha.  “Stop thinking about them.  It doesn’t matter if they mate or not.  The end result will be the same.  They will both die and we will have eternal life.”

“I just can’t help but think that if they do mate it could be very bad for us.”

“Nonsense.”

“I suppose you’re right.”

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“Miko you are not telling the story about how we killed Naraku.  The part of the story that you are stopping at isn’t that far off and that is  your goal.  Enough with that baka.”

Kagome thought for a second.  He was right this time.  She didn’t see him again until the battle with Naraku.  “I guess you’re right.”

“On with it.”

“Fine!  Well, for the next couple of weeks, your father and I tried to act like nothing was going on between us.  But we were being pulled closer and closer to each other.  He started training Kohaku, and I noticed that I could feel them coming back before they got back.  We started sneaking off away from the group, just to fly around in the sky to give me a break so I didn’t go insane.”

“Why would you have gone insane mama?”

“Well Kisa, Rin, Kohaku and your Uncle Shippo.  They were either fighting with each other, or making such a racket playing that it was maddening to me.”

Misa growled at her sister.  “Mama, how long after papa told you about the bond did you decide to mate with him?”

“Three months.  But except for the occasional fight it was all the same.  Traveling looking for Naraku and falling in love with each other.”

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Sesshomaru sat against a tree and watched as Rin and Kagome caught some fish with their hands.  Sango and Miroku were sitting on the bank laughing at Jaken as he tried to outdo the ningen girls that were teasing  him.  They did know how to fish better than he did though.  His eyes rested on Kagome.  When they would steal away from the rest of the group, they shared embraces and a few kisses here and there.

Demo, she had never said if she wanted to mate with him or not.  And he knew that he was already lost to her.  And she had even melted his ice block of a heart and made him fall in love with her.  ‘I need to know what she is doing!’

Kagome smiled at Sango.  “Rin, why don’t you go over there with Sango.  I think we have enough fish for a few nights.”

“Where are you going Kagome?”

“I think that I am going to have Sesshomaru take me to find an apple tree.  Want some?”

“Can I come?”

“I need you to help Sango koibito.”

“With what?”

“Picking on Kohaku.”

Rin giggled and ran from the water.  “I promise to do a good job!”

Jaken had been sleeping by the water’s edge and was woke up when Rin splashed him as she ran past!  “You stupid girl watch what you are doing!  You got me all wet!

Kagome stomped up to the imp with a glare on her face.  She didn‘t like it when he would yell at Rin like that and knew that Sesshomaru hated it just as much as she did.  “Would you just shut up you stupid little imp!  No one wants to hear you stupid!”

Jaken glared up at her.  Every since they started traveling with him and Lord Sesshomaru there has been nothing but trouble.  Sesshomaru stayed gone most of the time and he couldn’t take it!

“What do you know about anything you stupid ningen girl!”

Kagome glared at the imp.  She so wanted to tell him about the conversation that she had with Sesshomaru the night before but until she decided or not she couldn’t!  But she had decided.  The last three months with him were everything she dreamed that they would be.  Simply perfect.  With the occasional fight.  

The feeling of annoyance wafted over her and she smiled at the imp.  “I think you are going to be put in your place Jaken.”

“That’s Master Jaken!”

“Jaken.”

The firm and low voice of his Lord made the imp freeze.  “Hai Me Lord?”

“Enough.”  Then he kicked the imp sending him flying into a creek.  He glared at him the turned to Kagome.  The feeling of peace and ease was radiating off of her.  And something else that he didn’t know when he looked at her.  “Kagome?”

“Can we go somewhere private?”

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow.  “Nani?”

“I need to talk to you in private.”

“Hai.”  Then he swept an arm around her waist and flew off on his cloud.

Rin was almost there when she saw Sesshomaru and Kagome flying away.  She knew that there was something going on between them, but she couldn’t figure it out.  ‘I wonder if they are going to mate?’  She turned to Sango with her wide questioning gaze.  “Sango, are Sesshomaru and Kagome mating?”

Sango tripped and dropped the fire wood that she had in her arms on Kohaku’s head.  “Gomen otoutosan.  Rin what are you talking about?”

“They go off alone.  Kagome knows that he is coming back before we even see him.  And he is as protective over her as he is me.”

Sango didn’t know what to say to the little girl.  She knew what Kagome was going to say to Sesshomaru tonight.  When they com back it will be official and they will be mated with each other.  “I don’t know Rin you need to talk to Kagome and Sesshomaru about that later on.”

Rin shrugged her shoulders and ran off toward A-Un.

Kohaku glared at his sister.  “Man sister you need to watch it!”

“Oh get over it.  If you take training from Sesshomaru me dropping some wood on your head won’t hurt you.”

“My life isn’t connect through the jewel shard remember.  Kagome pulled it out and if you dropped them……..”

“Put a sock in it!”  Sango then smacked him in the back of the head.  “I don’t want to hear it anymore.”

“Now you sound like Kagome.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

“I don’t know.”

Sango smiled an evil smile at her brother.  “Go watch over Rin while Kagome and Sesshomaru are gone.  Or I will tell Kagome about that little remark.”

“NO!”  Then he ran off toward Rin hollering her name.

Sango couldn’t help but smile as she watched him running after the small girl and having trouble keeping up with her.  She still remembered when that day happened.  While Kagome and Rin were in Kagome’s time.  Kohaku asked Sesshomaru if he would bring him back after she removed the jewel shard.  

Something about the look in her brother’s eye.  Or the way he asked.  Or how he promised to always protect Rin when he wasn’t around moved him.  He agreed.  Sango was so nervous when she extracted the jewel shard.  Her brother crumpled to the ground in a heap.  Instantly dead.

But he kept his word and used Tenseiga and brought him back.  And for that she would always be grateful.  Without the jewel shard and with his memory back, Naraku won’t be able to take him over again and take her brother from him.

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Kagome snuggled into Sesshomaru’s embrace with a content sigh.  She never wanted to loose this feeling.  Once they were in the air she looked up at him with wondering eyes.  “You are sure you won’t regret mating with a ningen Sesshomaru?”

“Hai.”

“Even if our children are hanyou?”

“My children will be hanyou, but they will make Inuyasha look like a ningen infant.”

Kagome giggled at that one.  “You know they are going to be my children too.”

Sesshomaru jerked his head down and looked at her.  “Nani?  ‘Are going to be’?”

“That’s right.”

“Does that mean?”

Kagome smiled as she reached up and grabbed his hair on each side of his face and pulled his lips down to her in a gentle kiss.  “That is my answer.”

Sesshomaru growled as he seared her mouth and touched down in a clearing.  “You are sure?”

“I have no regrets if you don’t.”

Sesshomaru sat her down on her feet next to a tree and then placed his hands on either side of her head as he starred down into her brown eyes.  “You are sure that you want to do this?”

Kagome reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.  “I want nothing more Sesshomaru.”

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“And that is the story on how your father and I fell in love and mated with each other.”

She gasped and smiled as she watched the pulsing around the room.  She finished at dawn.  Just like she had hoped that she would.  Now they would all spend the day, and night sleeping.  “Well now that we are all back to normal, I am kicking you all out.  I need sleep.”

Katsuro and Kentaro each picked up a twin and then followed Sakura out of the room.  “Night mama.  Father.”

“Bye my pups.  Ashiteru.”

Sesshomaru stood and went to the bed, laying down next to her.  “See.  Now you won’t have to go through the whole story when they are older.  But you could have left out Koga and some of that baka Inuyasha.”

Kagome laid down and snuggled into his embrace.  “I could have, but I didn’t want too.”

“Nani?”

Kagome giggled as she reached up and ran a hand over one stripe on his face.  “I love hearing you growl.”

“You don’t have to bring up that baka to hear me growl koishii.”

“I know.  Sesshomaru.”

“Hai.”

Kagome leaned up and gently kissed his lips.  “Ashiteru.”

Sesshomaru seared her mouth with his.  When he pulled his head back he tucked her under his chin and laid down with her, holding her close.  In the slightest of a whisper he smiled and said, “Ashiteru koishii.”

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Terms used in this story can be found on my website and in the gallery on DA.  The Link to both are in my profile/Journal.