Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha, it's characters, or anything associated to the franchise. The copyrigth strictly goes to VIZ, Rumiko Takahashi, and their associates.

Chapter 3

Nozomi Arc
Dinner Guest

I love my mom's cooking. It tastes way better than my school food and she lets me help make it sometimes. She made macaroni and cheese the night he first came over.

"I wonder who that is," Mommy said as she stood up from the table. I put another spoon of food into my mouth as she walked to the door. Mommy's surprised voice made me curious. "What are you doing here?"

"I have a few questions."

I squealed in happiness as I heard Sesshomaru's voice. He came to visit! Hopping down from the table, I ran into the living room to see him and Mommy staring at each other.

"Fine," Mommy spoke first. "I guess there's no harm in that. Are you hungry? We were in the middle of dinner."

I saw him shake his head. He looks like a doggie when he shakes his head! I smiled and walked up to him and tugged on his leg. When he looked at me, I smiled. "Welcome home."

His eyes widened a bit at my welcome. I don't know why. "I think you mean 'welcome to our home,' sweetie." I heard Mommy say in the kitchen. I looked down and nodded. But I meant what I said.

Letting go of his leg I held my hand up to Sesshomaru. "Come in, please." He blinked before taking my hand-he has sharp nails-and I walked him to the couch. When he sat down I climbed up and sat next to him. I opened my mouth to speak when Mommy walked in and put me on the floor.

"You, missy, have to finish eating." She told me in her 'you know you should do it' voice. I nodded and ran into the kitchen, climbed onto my chair and began eating again.

"She is almost five." I heard Sesshomaru tell Mommy.

Mommy sighed. "Yes. Next month."

"She told me so."

I could hear Mommy's surprise. "When did you talk to her?"

"I visited her school after our...reunion."

I heard Mommy get up from her seat. "What right did you have to do that!? She doesn't know you!"

"She is my daughter, is she not?" Sesshomaru said 'stoically'. I heard that word at school and it sounds right to use it for him.

"...yes." Mommy answered. "But you were so set against it earlier today."

"She is human."

I took another bite of my macaroni as I listened. Mommy didn't say anything too quickly. I could see Mommy biting her lip in thought, in my mind. Mom always did that when she was troubled. Auntie Eri said it was because it was Mommy's natural 'charmer technique.' Whatever that means.

"It's my fault she is." I blinked. What was Mommy's fault? "My blood quelled the power of yours. It's not her fault."

I heard them whisper some things, but I couldn't hear them. I wonder what they were talking about now.

"You left." I turned in towards the living room when Sesshomaru spoke loud enough for me to hear again.

"I had no choice. The well dragged me through." Mommy said. "If...if I had the choice..."

"You denied me my child."

"How the hell was I supposed to find you?!" I jumped when Mommy yelled. "I didn't even know if you were still around five hundred years later! I denied you nothing! If you wanted to see me so badly, you would have searched for me, too, you know!"

They were quiet for a long time before Sesshomaru said, "I avoided you."

"Why?"

"It would have altered history if you met me, here, before Naraku's demise."

I heard Mommy sigh. "What about after?" When he didn't answer I heard Mommy do a scary laugh. "You hated me that much? You could have asked for me to revoke-"

"I could do no such thing." Sesshomaru cut Mommy off in a scary voice. "When this Sesshomaru took you, I had every intention to keep you, Priestess. To turn you away would go against everything I stand for."

"Even after all of these years?" I heard Mommy sigh again. "Even after the child I bore for you was a human?" They were talking about humans again. Was Sesshomaru an alien? He didn't look like the one on that movie...E.T. Maybe he had on a costume to look like everyone else?

"Human or not, this Sesshomaru's blood still flows through her veins. I will not be denied what is rightfully mine."

"It takes more than a blood-relation to be a child's father, Sesshomaru."

I turned around to finish eating and stopped when I heard Sesshomaru. "It is not polite to eavesdrop, child." I gulped and climbed down from my seat and walked into the living room. Sesshomaru's face was blank and Mommy's face was mad.

"Nozomi..." Mommy sighed loudly, "what am I going to do with you?"

I ignored Mommy and walked up to Sesshomaru and stood in front of him. His eyes looked like mine and I smiled. I liked it when he didn't look scary. "Will you be my daddy, Mister Sesshomaru?"

Sesshomaru looked at Mom and I looked at her, too. She was trying not to cry and her hands were balled up. Mommy always cried when she was mad. I do, too. Why was Mom mad, though? Was it because I asked Sesshomaru to be my daddy? I felt Sesshomaru's hand on my head and I looked back at him.

"Another day, little one." He said. I smiled as I looked at his eyes. They were like the man's eyes from my dream. For a second, he really was my daddy.

"I think it's time for you to go, Sesshomaru," Mommy said as she picked me up. I looked at Sesshomaru sadly as he stood up and left. Mom locked the door and we went to my room so I could go to bed.

After brushing my teeth-the toothpaste tastes nasty, but my toothbrush plays music!-Mommy tucked me in. "Why can't Mister Sesshomaru be my daddy?"

When Mommy looked at me I wished I didn't ask. She looked sadder than ever. She smiled, but her eyes were very sad. "Because Mister Sesshomaru doesn't understand you. Once he understands, if he ever understands, then he can..." Mommy's face told me the rest, though. '...if he tries.'

I kissed her goodnight, she turned out the light and I sighed. If Sesshomaru didn't understand then I'd make him understand! Mommy worries so much; I wanted to help stop her worry. If I could make Sesshomaru my daddy, she would worry less. Smiling at the thought, I fell asleep.

-

"KAGOME!" A man with dog ears yelled as he ran towards Kagome.

The priestess was hovering over an injured monk, a bow's string singing as its recently freed arrow sailed through the skies, as a demon slayer ran up to tend to his wounds. Blood littered the ground as demons fell left and right at the group's hand.

"Over here, InuYasha!" Kagome called as she loaded her bow again. Her eyes scanned the fresh graveyard for another target. The dog-eared man landed next to her, his sword out at the ready.

"Come on," He said turning so she could climb onto his back, "Sesshomaru and Koga are already fighting him." Nodding, Kagome settled herself on InuYasha's back and winced as he tousled her around in order to get a better grip of her. "Are you injured, Kagome?"

Kagome shook her head, "no, I'm fine. Just a slight pain in my stomach. Probably from eating too much, too fast this morning. Let's go." InuYasha took off through the forest, leaving their monk friend in the care of their other companion.

"That bastard better save some of Naraku for me to beat on," InuYasha muttered into the wind. As he caught a glimpse of white, InuYasha's pace sped up. "Hey!"

"About time you caught up, mutt," a wolf demon snorted. InuYasha shot the wolf a glare as Kagome climbed off his back. When she fell to her knees, both men looked at her with concern. "Are you alright, Kagome?"

"I thought you said you were fine!" InuYasha panicked.

"She is."

Kagome turned to see the white figure InuYasha had tracked a moment ago. "Lord Sesshomaru." The demon lord grasped her wrist and lifted her to her feet.

"Can you fight?" Kagome nodded at his question and readied her bow. Seeing Kagome's eagerness for battle, InuYasha and the wolf jumped into the fight with the creature before them as he attempted escape. Kagome paused in notching her arrow as another sharp pain flew through her stomach. "Are you well?"

Jaw clenched, Kagome notched her arrow and aimed it at the large creature called Naraku. "Will everyone stop asking me that?!" As her arrow flew Sesshomaru chased it parallel to the ground, his sword drawn and ready for the kill.

No one noticed the priestess as she fell to her knees once more, gripping her stomach in agony.

-

A/N: Thank you for your support, everyone! This one's an even longer chapter! I'm getting better! Anyway, some people think I make the details too simplisitc for the story. I'm working on that, I promise! But you also have to consider, the story's coming from a 4-year-old's point of view. They don't take in too much of their surroundings if they're focused on something. As shown earlier in the chapter, Nozomi even lost interest in her food after a while. Children tend to have a one-track mind.

The next chapter should be out soon! Also, I apologize for the wait...and the rather short chapter. :( The school term is nearing a close for me so I'm at a tight end when it comes to time management. I currently have four projects due within the week....plus regular homework. Gotta love college, right? 8D