-Chapter One-

Slight Misunderstandings

[One Year later]

Kagome was bent over the dirt, her careful hands weeding out the choke weed from her herbs. Carefully she detangled the wrapped vine from the stocks and stem of her growing harvest. Her black hair was tied back into a tight bun and she was clad in her miko clothing. She had grown used to the free flowing legs and the tightness around her waist, but no matter how long she stays or hears it she can never get used to being called the Shikon Miko. To her it sounded wrong, and it felt like some part of her was missing. Slowly rising to her feet she took a look at her rather large garden. She was proud of it.

Looking up at the sky she fixed a strand of hair that had fallen loose and began to think about her family. Miroku and Sango were still living near in the village. At this point they were married and had a set of twins on the way. Shippou was still taking his lessons and classes. His main goal in life was to learn as much magic as possible to hopefully find a way to allow Kagome to live as long as he. Currently the small child was living back home with her. Kaede and Rin were always together. But that is where the happiness seems to end. The one person she thought she was meant to be with, the one person she missed the most, didn't keep his promise. Inuyasha told her how much he missed her, how much he loved her but when it came down to a mating he chickened out and told her he had changed his mind. This had broken her heart, but she'd have been lying if she said she wasn't sort of expecting it from him.

Kagome slowly turned from her garden and began to head back to the village, fresh herbs in hand. Once again there were children in need of her care, women complaining about child baring and men groaning about their pains from daily labors. Most of all what she saw as she was coming back was the woman her best friend was pursuing. It hurt to see but after a year or so the pain had finally stopped, and she finally felt happy for her friend. The only thing was that when he wasn't following her around like the pup he was, he was bothering her.

"Oi, Wench!" The devil's voice called from a tree to the side of her. She felt her shoulders slum a bit. She really didn't wish to speak to him at this point in the day, it was going to well.

"What is it, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked with a sigh. She shifted her basket on her hip slightly, her raven draped head looked up to the tree she knew he was in.

"Just wondering when your plannin' on makin' lunch." He said as he gracefully jumped from his little perch and landed with simple ease beside her.

"Why are you asking me and not Mimiko?" Kagome sighed.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Inuyasha growled, stepping in her path with his arms crossed. The look on the hanyou's face was less then amused.

"It means that you really shouldn't be asking your best friend to cook your food when you have an intended mate you should be asking!" With that being said she quickly walked around Inuyasha and wasting no time in getting back to the village. Listening carefully she found that she had evaded him for the moment but that moment wouldn't last much longer if his female didn't take her job seriously.

Once she set foot on the village ground she was bombarded by two small beings clinging to her ropes. One had a head of dark brown hair and stood to her stomach, the other was smaller, had a messy head of orange and both were crying. The look on their faces pulled at her heart strings and kicked her motherly instincts in gear.

"Oh Rin, Shippo whats wrong?" She asked patting Rin's head and getting to the two's level. The little girl's eyes welled with unshed tears.

"Mama!" Shippo squeaked and quickly jumped to her shoulder. This simple act made her sigh with frustration, she was seriously thinking of taking her family and moving somewhere else. If it wasn't the children it was the adults.

"Who is picking on you two now?" Lately the village kids have been rude to the two of them calling Rin horrible names and picking on Shippo for being a small youkai. It seemed they only got worse with each passing day. One time they even went so far as to gang up on the three of them and if it hadn't been for Inuyasha she feared bodily harm.

"Who indeed, children." A smooth voice male voice asked just behind Kagome, sending a wave of shivers down her spine. She could already tell from the feeling of his youki who it was so she didn't bother turning around. "Good Day Sesshomaru" She said and tried to move but Rin made it hard. The girl had a hold of her miko garb. All she needed to do know was wait...

"LORD Sesshomaru!" She screamed finally and left the miko's side in favor of his. Once free Kagome went back to trying to get away from Inuyasha's demands and ran to her own hut. Shippo holding on as if his life depended on it.

Cold, gold and calculating, that is the best way to describe the eyes that trailed after Kagome's retreating form. This young thing had spiked his interest long ago but he never felt the need to dwell on such things. It was a slight interest at best. His eyes shifted as she ran into her hut, to the small child clinging to his tall form. In the back of his mind he was wondering why the Miko felt the need to keep her family and his ward in such a place. After all, it wasn't really Keade he left the girl with, it was Kagome. Simply for her mothering instincts.

"Are you well, Rin ?" He asked soft but firmly. His voice giving nothing away.

"Yes Milord! Rin.. I mean.. I have been good! Kagome-mama teaches me daily and even lets me sleep in her hut!" She exclaimed with a wide smile. The girl's fear from the children now completely gone. Looking at her, Sesshomaru took note that her kimono once again had become too short for the small girl. It would not be long til he would need to get her another new one. This time, however, he thought, he'd may as well get Kagome one as well. Simply for her services. Yet upon hearing her call Kagome 'mama' he raised a brow.

"Kagome-mama?" He inquired of the young girl. He wondered when and why his ward felt the need to cal the young miko by such a title. It did displease him slightly.

"Yes. Shippo calls her his mom and I wanted to have one too! So Kagome-mama said I could call her that..." She was excited at first til she noticed a strange look in the cold taiyoukai's eye. It was a glint that she could not feel happy or sad about. It was simply there, just behind the coldness in his eyes. Rin felt her face drop slightly with wonder.

"I will speak to the miko." With that he walked past Rin. Something in his chest felt like it had just been stabbed. His adopted daughter had called a woman he had no feelings for, or desire for, her mother. It angered him. Rin was his, not the miko's and he was going to make that perfectly clear to her. Even if he had to inflict harm to her person.

Upon reaching her hut in no time at all he frowned. Her scent was a bit distressed and he quickly pushed the displeasure of his own down. He stood tall, dressed as he always had and carried himself just the same.

"Miko.." He said in a loud semi-threatening tone. he waited for a few seconds, gracing her with that much time to respond. He was a patient man, but he demanded his commands and inquiry took top burner. Soon a bit of shuffling around was heard from inside and Kagome peeked her head out. When she saw who had called fro her she seemed to relax.

"Oh Lord Sesshomaru. Is there somethin-"

"Think before you ask this Sesshomaru such a question, miko." His tone got deeper and a bit smoother as he addressed the small creature before him. She irritated him to no end.

"Umm.. I am not su-"

"Think harder, what have you done that could displease me?"

"Sesshoma-"

"Use my proper tittle, wench. I am not a friend nor a lover. Use the title I deserve." His patients with her was wearing thin.

"Lord Sesshomaru. I can't think of a single thing I have done to upset you.." Kagome's voice was innocent and sweet as she addressed him.

"Then I shall tell you what you have done, seeing as you are either to stupid to see an error or to human to know when one needs addressing." He growled his hands in his sleeves. "My young ward has taken to you yes?"

Kagome nods.

"And you have taken to her?"

Kagome gives him a funny look before nodding again.

"And you felt the need to allow her to call you her mother?"

"I am sorry Lord Sesshomaru. I didn't think you'd react like this. The little girl needs a mother figure... and I thought that because you are gay you really wouldn't mind if I took the job.." She said as innocently as ever and quickly a loud roaring laughter burst out behind the hut. The source being the very person she tried to run from.

Sesshomaru, however was not understanding what his happiness had to do with anything.

"Miko, what does this Sesshomaru's happiness have to do with my ward? And Why did you use it in such a way?" He demanded. After his question left his mouth he noticed the Miko's face redden.

"Oh forgive me. In the way I used 'gay' Lord Sesshomaru was to refer to your taste in lovers."

At this he quirked a brow.

"You do like men do you not?" Her tone was far to innocent to be asking such a question! His eyes widened and he felt the sudden need to kill to woman who stood before him.