Moving on

Disclaimer: Let's see… do I own any of this? Looks through story Other than Siri Higurashi… no. Absolutely nothing, so the lawyers can take a break.

A Figure strode steadily and calmly through a forest, giving off a confident and dangerous aura. Silver hair and gold eyes seemed to glow in the moonlight, making his appear surreal and ethereal, while the two swords at his waist let anyone would could see him know that he was dangerous.

Stopping shortly, he lifted his head and gently sniffed the air, mildly puzzled. He changed his direction, going into a darker section of the forest, curiosity taking hold, though his emotionless mask was still in place. While his face was indifferent, his eyes glinted slightly in confusion. What is someone doing here, alone?

After a short while, a small sound came to his ears: a soft whimper. His curiosity flared, making him continue at an unnoticeably faster pace. If didn't take him long to reach a clearing that was completely bare of all plant life, seemingly to reflect the mood of its one resident.

In the middle, knees against her chest with her arms around them, sat a girl. She must have felt him there, because she looked up, pain apparent in her tear-filled eyes. At the sight of her, something in his stomach clinched.

"S-Sesshomaru?" Recognition flashed in her eyes while he remained indifferent as he looked her over.

Bruises were forming on her neck and legs. Her clothes and hair were dirty and displaced, as if she had dressed in a hurry. She wore an indecent kimono of a strange cloth, the color of which was no longer apparent due to mud and dirt, made even more indecent by a tear in the skirt, appearing to be long enough that only a few threads held it together. On her left cheek were four cuts, seemingly made by the slap of a clawed hand.

Seeing that he was looking her over, she whimpered and curled into a tighter ball, causing him to blink in surprise. "Please… don't hurt me… not like him…"

Sesshomaru was by now thoroughly confused; he had made no move to suggest that he wished her harm her, especially when she was so obviously helpless. "This Sesshomaru will not harm you, onna." He watched as she relaxed slightly, lifting her face with a small smile.

That smile brought back a wave of memories crashing over the taiyoukai. Battles with his half-brother and nearly killing the miko that traveled with him, saving her once, fighting alongside her, a brilliant smile that rarely left her face, like Rin's.

He had respected the miko; she had not feared him when he came close to killing her before, and the fact that she would now after he did nothing troubled him. Not only did he respect her, Rin idolized her and had often asked the taiyoukai if they would see her again. What could have happened that she would become afraid of me suddenly? Surely Inuyasha should have protected her.

Recalling the name his half-brother had called out several times, he advanced toward her. Each time he took a step, she flinched, but she believed what he had told her: he would not harm her.

Sesshomaru crouched down in front of her and, almost too lightly to be felt, ran hand over her cheek, mindful of the cuts there. "Why do you cry, Kagome?" He gently wiped away her tears. And why does it pain me to see you do so? He knew that he held respect for her, but found it hard to believe that he would develop feelings for the human that held feelings for his half-brother; speaking of which, where was the mutt?

"In-Inuyasha…" Once he heard that, the taiyoukai had expected to hear that the fool hanyou had gone to the dead miko again, but a small part of him knew that he was wrong. "He… He… right in front of everyone…" She broke into sobs, clutching her midsection.

Sesshomaru nearly rolled his eyes, Why is the voice in your head always right? It looked as if his half-brother had done something truly terrible for the miko to have this reaction He kept his hand on her cheek to offer what little comfort he could without completely humiliating himself.

That's when he caught it; there was a slight difference in her scent, the reason he hadn't caught on to who she was immediately. He narrowed his eyes, trying to place the change. When he did, he openly portrayed shock. Not even he would… "Kagome, what did he do?" There was a dangerous edge to his voice, threatening the hanyou, and a slight warning to her.

Kagome sobbed again. "H-he… raped me, right in front of everyone, just to prove to Kouga that I was his." Sesshomaru put a little more effort into comforting the miko as his eyes hardened in anger at the hanyou. "Shippo tried to stop him, but Inuyasha… threw him into a tree."

Sesshomaru knew that she thought of the kit as a son, so she would blame herself if any real harm came him. He couldn't bring himself to tell her that she was pregnant yet; she had been through too much in the past few days.

"You may come with this Sesshomaru to the West; the fool wouldn't dare come that far." Yet, anyway. She nodded and calmed down considerably. He stood and waited for her to follow. I will ensure that your kit and your pup will remain safe.

Sango and Miroku sat beside Shippo's bedroll, worried and too angry at Inuyasha to go look for the hanyou. The kit had only woken up once and had asked about Kagome. When they hadn't answered, he had cried silently and fell back to sleep.

When Inuyasha had realized what he was doing, he was horrorstruck and tried to apologize, but she had been afraid of him, so he had left, with Kagome running to the opposite direction once she was able.

Miroku stood up abruptly. "We have company."

Sango reached for her hiraikotsu, but relaxed when Sesshomaru walked into the hut. "Lord Sesshomaru, my apologies, but Inuyasha isn't here." She saw a slight scowl come across his face, surprising her that he had showed anything other than indifference.

"That is lucky for him, if he was here, this Sesshomaru would have killed him by now." He turned to Shippo, who was still lying on the bedroll. "Stop pretending, kit; Kagome has been very worried about you."

Shippo's eyes opened slowly, surprising the monk and taijiya. "Is Okaa-san okay?" His voice was hoarse, proof that he had taken some damage from the impact with the tree. "Will she be alright?"

Sesshomaru nodded, looking thoughtful. "Hai she is fine, though she will permanently have a past of the hanyou with her, because this Sesshomaru doubts that she will give up her own child." He watched their reaction. Kagome's human companions were shocked, and the kit looked ashamed that he hadn't been able to protect her. "This Sesshomaru will be taking the kit to her, as well as train him to protect her when this Sesshomaru cannot." He picked up Shippo, who snuggled into a more comfortable position and made to leave. "Do not tell Inuyasha; he will find out only when Kagome is ready for him to know."

Then he was gone. The two looked at the door to the hut and spoke simultaneously. "Inuyasha is not going to like this."

"I won't like what?" The snarled question startled both of them as the hanyou came through the door Sesshomaru had just exited through. He looked around, worry and weariness apparent on his face. "Where are Kagome and Shippo?"

Sango moved first and hit Inuyasha over the head with hiraikotsu. "How could you lose control of your demon blood like that!? And just because of Kouga! You knew that Kagome loved you, what made this so different from all of the wolf's other visits?!" The taijiya was livid and looked ready to kill the hanyou in question.

"I don't know!" His cry stopped her tirade, but only because she could hear the despair in it. "I don't know what happened; one minute I'm fighting the wolf, the next…" He didn't need to elaborate, the moment when reason had returned to him had been obvious. "Where are they? I have to apologize."

Before Miroku could answer, Sango did, anger still evident in her voice, though not as strong as before. "We don't know; the moment Kagome was decent, she ran the opposite way you did, and when Shippo woke up, he ran after her, limping I might add."

Inuyasha let his ears droop, not sure what to do. "What happened to the wolf?"

The monk looked sympathetic as he answered. "I would imagine, still unconscious from when you threw him into a boulder."

Inuyasha nodded, but other did nothing, Sango's words still running through his head. Loved you…

"Okaa-san?" Shippo limped over to the miko's sleeping form. "Wake up." He shook her shoulder a little, causing her to groan.

"Shippo?" She opened her eyes to see her kit smiling at her and Sesshomaru standing behind him. She quickly pulled him into a hug, though she couldn't cry because she was completely out of tears, having wasted them all on the hanyou. "Are you alright?"

"Hai, no I am." The kitsune had noticed the soft pink glow enshrouding him and healing his wounds, whether or not the miko was conscious of it. "Okaa-san, anou…" He looked to Sesshomaru, who only nodded. At her quizzical look, he sighed and placed a paw on her stomach. "Sesshomaru is going to train me, so I can protect you… and my sister."

Both youkais watched as her face showed shock. "I'm… pregnant?" They nodded. She stared at the ground. "My mother is going to flip."

"Kagome-onee-san!" A little girl that Kagome had seen traveling with Sesshomaru, Rin, came running into the room, causing Kagome to smile at her innocence while really looking at her surroundings.

They were in an elegant room while she lay on the bed. It must have been in Sesshomaru's castle, because Jaken came in shortly after the young girl had jumped on the bed.

"Can we play today?" Kagome looked to Sesshomaru, who unnoticeably sighed.

"You may play with Kagome tomorrow, Rin; today she needs rest, and a tour of the castle. You may play with Shippo, if you so wish." A nod form Kagome ensured that what he said was true. Immediately, Rin squealed and grabbed Shippo's hand and ran out, a grumbling Jaken following.

Sesshomaru turned to Kagome, who visibly needed rest. "This Sesshomaru will send a servant up with a tray of food for you, and be sure to eat it all; you're eating for two now." Kagome smiled at him, brighter than the first one, but still sad.

"Arigatou, Sesshomaru." He nodded and turned to leave.

The months that followed were filled with chaos.

Sesshomaru paced the hall. Kagome was in labor, after seven months. This was going to be a miracle if the child survived for long.

A scream from Kagome made him pause. Shippo and Rin were sitting against the wall behind him, holding each other's hands and were, for once, silent. Sesshomaru's little group had come to think of each other as family in some way. Shippo and Rin called Kagome okaa-san, and, surprisingly, Sesshomaru otou-san. He and Kagome had become extremely close, and he would often start fake rumors of the miko's location to keep the hanyou and the ookami from truly finding her.

A servant ran past him and into the birthing room, cloths in hand. All three of them watched with worry in their eyes, though only Kagome would be able to see the worry in Sesshomaru's. Shippo's training was going well, and Kagome often came and trained with them, but none of that matter in her labor. The taiyoukai growled deep in his throat and continued pacing.

Everyone who came to the castle could see that Kagome being there had brought out the good in the taiyoukai, and were glad for it, even the other demon lords.

Silence suddenly filled the hallway, causing those waiting outside the room, servants and soldiers as well, considering they had grown fond of the kind miko who was starting to melt their lord's icy heart, to worry. A small cry came from the room, letting everyone breathe a sigh of relief. It was the baby girl.

A nurse came out of the room, only to be questioned by the anxious children. "Lady Kagome will be just fine, but I'm afraid you won't be able to see her until tomorrow. Lord Sesshomaru, could I speak with you privately, please?"

He nodded and sent the children, who had taken to sleeping beside each other in one room or another, to bed. "What is it?"

The nurse sighed, apparently steeling herself to give him the information. "The child is healthy, amazingly, but giving birth so soon and at such a young age has put a large strain on Lady Kagome's body." The young youkai was nervous that the lord would become frustrated and would need to take out his irritation on something.

"Will she recover?" He seemed contemplative, but inside he was really a wreck.

"Eventually, but it will take time. It would be best if she not undergo any stress, emotionally, physically or mentally, until she is completely recovered." She looked back at the door. "It's possible that she will not be able to bare children again; the hanyou really did a number on her."

For some reason, this made his insides clench. "Very well. You are dismissed." The nurse bowed and walked away. When she was out of sight, the taiyoukai crossed the hall to Kagome's door. He hesitated for the slightest second before entering the room.

Kagome lay propped up on the bed, looking extremely tired. She held a bundle of sky blue cloth in her arms, cradling it and smiling down at it. She managed a weak smile as she looked up at him. "Hey." Sesshomaru nearly flinched at the hoarseness of her voice, but he nodded instead.

He strode over to where she lay as she looked back down at the bundle. "Do you want to see her?" Trustingly, she held the bundle out to him.

When he took her, he was relieved to see that she took most of her features from her mother; black hair with only a few silver strands to show her youkai heritage, and deep blue eyes that stared up at him curiously. However, there was a calmness around her that reminded the taiyoukai of himself.

"She has your eyes." He could see Kagome smile fondly at the two of them. He cracked a smile down at the child before handing her back to Kagome, who immediately started to rock the girl a little.

"I guess you're right; strange thing is, she reminds me more of you than Inuyasha." She said his name easily now, but there was no love there anymore. She yawned widely. "Could you send a nurse in to watch Siri while I rest?"

Nodding, he turned to leave. "Oh, and Sesshomaru?" He paused and looked back at her questioningly. "You can tell Inuyasha now, but I want a full report on his reaction. Just don't let him come here." He smirked and nodded once more before he left.

Inuyasha was sulking in the Goshimboku as Miroku, Kirara and Sango sat beneath it. It had been seven long months since he had… done that to Kagome, and he still hadn't lost hope that she would come back to him, smiling, but Sango's words still haunted him, coming in the form of nightmares.

He was too afraid to go to her time to tell her mother that she was missing, and Kagome's scent hadn't come near the well for over eight months, so he knew she wasn't there. His ears would droop whenever he though of how worried her mother must be.

A scent in the air made him jolt up and grin a little sadistically. "Sesshomaru-teme!" Now I can finally relieve some of this stress by beating his sorry ass! He jumped out of the tree, not noticing the worried looks his companions exchanged.

Running through the forest, he came to a clearing filled with various wildflowers. He paused when he heard two childlike voices, one that was slightly familiar. "Otou-san! Do you think Okaa-san will like these?" Shippo, but that means… Kagome!

He ran a little farther but stopped cold as his blood seemed to freeze at the sight before him. Shippo and that girl that followed Sesshomaru around were holding up handfuls of flowers to Sesshomaru, who was smiling at them!

The past months had been good to the kit; now he was as tall as Sesshomaru waist instead of his shin, and he looked a few years older, though he still held that boyish, slightly mischievous grin. Sango and Miroku had come up behind the hanyou and were staring at their former companion.

Shippo took notice of them with slightly confused eyes. If wasn't openly hostile, but the hanyou winced and the neutral look in the kitsune's eyes. "Oi! Shippo! Where's Kagome?"

The taiyoukai's face lost its content smile, though he was smirking ever-so-slightly. Shippo answered in a bland and slightly bored voice. "Home."

"What do you mean home? She hasn't come near the well! And why are you calling him 'otou-san?'" There was hurt and betrayal in the hanyou's voice, but Shippo's and Sesshomaru's expressions never changed. Rin stood behind her father with a confused look on her face.

Looking up at Sesshomaru, Shippo took Rin's hand. "Rin and I are going to pick more flowers for Okaa-san. We'll stay near Ah-Un and call if we're in trouble." After receiving an affirmative nod, he began to pull the girl towards the two-headed dragon.

Sesshomaru turned back to face his half-brother. "If you don't close your mouth, you'll begin to catch flies, otouto." He smirked as the hanyou's mouth snapped shut. The monk and the taijiya were making their way toward Shippo, most likely to get news on their sister-like friend.

Inuyasha scowled. "Teme, what did you do to them? Shippo has been brainwashed and who knows what you've done to Kagome!" His grip on his father's fang tightened in fury.

"This Sesshomaru has done nothing, Inuyasha, aside from teaching the kit to protect himself and the people he cares for and given Kagome a safe place to give birth to her daughter." The taiyoukai inwardly smirked as Inuyasha's face took on a look of pure shock.

They both heard the squeal from the taijiya when she heard about Siri, hurting their ears slightly. The hanyou was staring at the ground, yet not seeing it at all. "Kagome… had our child…"

When the words reached Sesshomaru's ears, he frowned and anger hardened his eyes. "No." This statement brought Inuyasha from his thoughts and caught the others' attention. "You may have sired the girl, but she is not your daughter."

"What are you talking about?!" The hanyou was enraged, but was over three times more scared. "How can she not be my daughter!?"

Sesshomaru smirked at his half-brother's discomfort. "If you must know, this Sesshomaru performed an adoption ceremony for all three children the night Siri was born. If you still do not understand, this Sesshomaru is now the otou-san to Rin, Shippo, and Siri."

Inuyasha felt like he had just taken a hit in the gut. The baby he had wanted with Kagome, now belonged to the one youkai that he had wanted to keep his friends away from the most, Sesshomaru, and the one he considered a brother to the same youkai, Sesshomaru. "That can't be true; Kagome wouldn't let – "

"Kagome was the one to suggest it." The pain in Inuyasha's face doubled as he listened to Sesshomaru state facts. "Rin, Shippo; come here so we may prove to the hanyou that what this Sesshomaru said is true so he may inform her family."

The two children ran over to their adoptive father, the others following more slowly. Sesshomaru kneeled down in front of the kitsune and lifted his bangs. Inuyasha felt another punch to his stomach as he saw the crescent moon on the kit's forehead, and if he looked closer, he could see the same thing on the human girl's.

The two humans looked at the hanyou with sympathy, but knew that he brought this upon himself.

Sesshomaru stood and called to Ah-Un before turning back to the children. "Ride Ah-Un and return to the palace; this Sesshomaru will inform her family." They nodded simultaneously and climbed on top of the dragon.

As they flew away, the taiyoukai walked past the stunned hanyou. Without giving him a second glance, Sesshomaru walked in the direction of the well.

"You can't get through; only Kagome and I can." Inuyasha was hoping that he would still be needed by and connected to the miko in some way, even if it was just visiting her family.

"This Sesshomaru begs to differ, otouto; did you really think Kagome would go this long without having some contact with her family?" He paused to smirk over his shoulder before continuing into the forest.

Inuyasha waited until Sesshomaru was out of sight before falling to his knees, head bowed, and shoulders shaking slightly. What have I done? How could I have let this happen?

A hand was placed on his shoulder. He started and looked up to see none other than Sesshomaru. "She doesn't hold any feelings for you, but she can't hold a grudge for long; you should know that." The brothers gave each other a small smile before the elder turned around again.

Kagome called for whomever had knocked at her door to come in wearily. Siri was asleep in her arms so she felt content.

Sesshomaru closed the door softly behind him and strode over to the bed. "How are you feeling?" She smiled faintly, showing her weariness.

"Fine, arigatou." She hesitated before asking a question and looked down at her daughter who now had a crescent moon adorning her forehead under her dark bangs. "How- how did they take it?"

The taiyoukai smiled softly. "The humans took it very well; my ears are still ringing from the taijiya's squeal." He paused to listen to her laughter, so pure and musical, even in her tired state, so full of life. "My otouto took it hard however." The miko frowned slightly and nodded, a little distressed that he was upset. Sesshomaru placed a hand on her shoulder, just like he had done to Inuyasha, in a comforting manner. "Don't worry; he'll get over it."

She smiled brightly, causing him to smile back. He brushed a few stray hairs from Siri's face, drawing the miko's attention back to the baby. Kagome smiled lovingly at her child and glanced at Sesshomaru, seeing him smiling as well.

Sesshomaru let her bathe in the beauty of her… their daughter, before pushing the hair out of her own face. Kagome looked up at him questioningly. "Sesshomaru?" Her breathe caught slightly as his head began to lower, closer to hers.

The taiyoukai cupped her cheek as he bent down to gently capture her lips. The kiss wasn't rushed, or demanding, just a sign that he would be there for her and the baby. She felt the hope rising that it was also a sign of his love for her. He pulled back slowly, savoring the lingering taste of her on his lips. When he gazed into her half-lidded eyes, he saw that they were slightly clouded; so she enjoyed it just as much as he did.

He smiled as her eyes cleared and she grinned mischievously at him. "Why, milord Sesshomaru, I do believe you are trying to seduce me." He growled lowly and playfully scowled down at her.

"This Sesshomaru does not need to seduce you, Lady Miko, for you are practically begging at my feet." Kagome threw her head back in laughter, amazed that the Lord Sesshomaru was actually making a joke. She smiled up at him happily, only a little surprised when he smiled back. "I think that the children should have a proper set of parents, don't you?" There was still a hint of humor in his voice, but it held seriousness as well.

Kagome froze slightly before turning serious as well. "What are you implying, Sesshomaru?" She had a good idea what, but wanted to make sure before actually agreeing.

Sesshomaru rolled his eyes slightly before looking straight into her deep blue ones. "I am implying, Kagome Higurashi, that I plan to court you and eventually take you as my mate." Kagome sat still for a moment before, mindful of the child in her lap, throwing her arms around him.

"I would be honored." Salty tears streamed down her face as she smiled. He hugged her back for a moment then pulled away to wipe away her tears. He gave her a smile, one which she promptly returned. They sat enjoying each other's company and relaxing in their daughter's calming aura that she apparently inherited from her mother.

Placing a soft kiss on her forehead, Sesshomaru stood up. "You should get some rest, after all, tomorrow is your first day out of bed, and we all know how much you have been looking forward to that." Kagome smiled up at him and watched him walk to the door.

"Sesshomaru?" He paused to look back at her. She looked at him for a moment and smiled brighter. "I love you."

The taiyoukai smirked and nodded. "I love you as well." He watched as she settled down to rest, and began to wonder. What on Earth did I do to deserve someone like you, Kagome? He left the room, smiling, and, for once, not caring if anyone saw him expressing this much emotion.

AN: I know, crappy ending, but whatever. Not too good in my opinion, but I'll let you guys tell me what you thought of it. Thanks for reading and review please!