Author's Note: Yay! This story is finally starting to come underway. Phew. Don't worry; Sesshy-chan will redeem himself in this story. But is Kag ready to forgive him? . Here's chapter one!

Disclaimer: I definitely own Inuyasha. Wow, me stuck in fantasy land.

He gritted his teeth. The phone rang just as he was concentrating. Who would dare to call him right in the middle of such an important brainstorm? He could hear his secretary picking up the phone its cradle and answer it cheerfully.

"Moshi moshi, this is Sesshoumaru Tareka's office. How may I help you?" Her voice sounded way too happy for Sesshoumaru's liking. The person on the other line had better be pretty damn important…

"Inuyasha!" His secretary giggled. Sesshoumaru could feel a migraine coming on. Anyone who said his half brother's name in such a demented manner would definitely not get a vacation this year.

Cynthia peeked into her boss's office. "Sesshoumaru-sama, it's your brother."

Sesshoumaru accepted the phone she held in her hand and curtly reminded her: "Half brother. Take care to remember that."

Why was that girl still smiling? Sesshoumaru wondered, watching Cynthia good naturedly returning back to her desk.

"What do you want?" Sesshoumaru growled into the phone receiver.

"No need to get hostile big bro!" His half brother's loud and annoying voice connected itself with Sesshoumaru's eardrum.

"Some of us have jobs, Inuyasha." Sesshoumaru retorted, glancing at his watch. Damn, he was going to be here until midnight.

"Feh, you got it easy. College really sucks."

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Sesshoumaru sighed. "All right, why did you call?"

"Can't I call just to hear my favorite brother's voice?" Inuyasha joked.

"Somehow this Sesshoumaru truly doubts that.

"Fine, fine. I'm engaged."

"Congratulations, who is this girl that you knocked up?"

"Hey! Why do you always assume the worst of everybody?"

Sesshoumaru rubbed his temples, "Well, how does this concern me?"

"Well, I'm bringing her home to meet the parents this weekend. How about you come too?"

Sesshoumaru smirked, "Ah, so you don't want to be alone when Father gets wind of this."

He could feel Inuyasha fidgeting uncomfortably.

"That's not the reason; I'm not scared of Dad. What ever happened to family support Sesshy-chan?" Inuyasha insisted stubbornly.

Sesshoumaru sighed once again. "Fine, I'll come. What time?"

As he glanced at his childhood home before him, Sesshoumaru could not remember how his brother had convinced him to come. There was a load of paperwork still left on his desk. Didn't Inuyasha have any common sense?

Oh right. He didn't. Sesshoumaru shook his head in disgust over his younger brother's antics and rang the doorbell.

"Master Sesshoumaru!" The servant bowed in from of him. Sesshoumaru stiffly inclined his head in acknowledgment before entering into the foyer.

"Sesshy!" Came an excited squeal, Sesshoumaru saw his little half sister racing towards him. She traipsed down the hall and attached herself to his leg. Sesshoumaru gently attempted to pry her off of him.

She pouted, "Sesshy, I missed you. You don't come home that often anymore!" Sesshoumaru stared at the little girl, unwilling admitting to himself that this small creature was his one weakness.

Before he could respond to her, he heard a voice coming from behind them. "Rin, get off your brother's leg. I'm sure he doesn't appreciate you latching yourself onto him whenever he comes over."

Rin obediently let go and pulled at Sesshoumaru's hand instead. "But daddy," She implored, "I never get to see Sesshy-chan!"

"Sesshoumaru, is that you?" A woman appeared at the head of the staircase. She gracefully walked down the marble stairs before taking Sesshoumaru into her arms.

"Stepmother." Sesshoumaru bowed his head politely in greeting.

"Do you have any idea what your brother has been up to?" His father questioned him. "He said he had something very important to say. I hope he doesn't wish to drop out of college and back pack across Europe for year." His father finished, sounding rather irritated.

Sesshoumaru stifled his chortle. That had been his brother's last "important" announcement. The reactions of his parents had been rather, well, interesting.

As if right on cue, the front door opened. Inuyasha walked in, an arm nonchalantly around a girl that looked about twenty.

His brother looked the same: scruffy and annoying. Sesshoumaru glanced over the girl. She had shoulder length dark hair with a set of beautiful large eyes. Where had he seen those eyes before? The girl was smiling nervously as she took in the ornate setting before him. Inuyasha looked a bit uncomfortable as he saw his family glancing surprisingly at the two of them. He laughed a little uncomfortably as took his hands off of the girl's shoulder.

"Uh…Mom, Dad. This is my fiancé---Kagome."

Sesshoumaru felt as if the wind was knocked out of him. "Uh, I have to go use the washroom." He muttered and almost ran to the safety of his old room as soon as he was out of view.

"Kagome." He whispered to himself. "That was probably a very common name. It wasn't even like the girl was named Kliekolva or something. Almost instinctively, he reached into his pants pocket and pulled out that little silver charm.

K A G O M E

The six letters had combined to create a name. Sesshoumaru wondered why he kept this little trinket all these years. She was just a random little girl on the street.

But deep inside his heart, he knew why he kept that. Guilt. An emotion that had actually created many sleepless nights. Moments when her tear streaked face kept replaying in his memory. There was always no sound; her screams seemed so surreal. Her pain unable to be described.

But, as Sesshoumaru tried to convince himself. That girl downstairs couldn't possibly be her. The girl he saw was so small and young, she couldn't possibly be older than seventeen now. His brother was a lot of things, but Sesshoumaru was almost certain he wasn't a pedophile.

Taking another deep breath, Sesshoumaru left the sanctuary of his old room and reappeared in the parlor.

"You're in college, Inuyasha. You're too young to get married now, don't you have any brains?" Sesshoumaru could hear his father's voice chastising his younger brother.

His younger brother was glaring at his father. "Dad, marriage has nothing to do with age. Kagome and I have known each other for three months and I---"

"Good for you," Inutaisho said sarcastically to the girl, "You outlasted all his other girlfriends."

Inuyasha flushed, "Dad, do not say that to Kagome."

Inutaisho glared at his younger son. "Oh, pray tell, what should I tell her? Lies to make it seem like you would really be faithful to her?"

Izayoi placed a hand on her husband's arm. "Inutaisho, I'm sure the kids are in love. Let's not make too big a deal out of this. All right, love?"

"Rin thinks it's a good idea!" The little girl beamed up at Kagome, "Can I be your flower girl?"

Kagome smiled and nodded in agreement before turning to Sesshoumaru, "Are you Inuyasha's brother? I have heard much about you."

Her voice.

"An orphanage?"

"I look forward to getting to know you." She smiled and stuck out her hand to shake his.

Her hand reached out timidly, hoping some food or a few coins would be dropped in.

Seeing no reaction from this prominent looking man, she smiled. "Something wrong, Sesshoumaru?"

"Why did you do this?"

Sesshoumaru shook his head to clear his thoughts of the past. Reaching to shake her hand, he saw a little smile making its way onto her pretty face.

Was it his imagination or did she slip something into the palm of his hand?