Sorry it's taken so long, but here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoy it!
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"If I take the shackle off, you won't be able to attack me, but it should let your demon regenerating powers take effect so you'll be healed. You can't attack Shippo either." Kagome added.
"Can I go cook dinner Kagome?" Shippo asked, eager to be far away from Sesshomaru once his shackle came off.
"Sure. But wait…I never took your shackles off, did I? I'm such an idiot. You should have said something." Kagome told Shippo, pulling out the key that Shippo's previous owner had given her. She took his shackles off and he rubbed his wrists appreciatively.
"Thanks Kagome. I'll make something special. But it's going to be a surprise, so no peeking into the kitchen, okay?" Shippo made her promise.
"Okay Shippo. I need to talk to Sesshomaru now." Kagome said. She affectionately kissed the top of his head.
Shippo walked out of her mother's bedroom, which was where Sesshomaru was staying, and went into the kitchen. Kagome turned to look at Sesshomaru. He was standing there, his one armed wrapped around his chest, since he was still missing an arm. She noted that he didn't have a shirt on and his pants were very ragged. Scars and wounds and disfigurations from the punishments of being an unruly slave marred his once beautifully pale smooth skin.
"Sesshomaru, let me take your shackle off. Please don't struggle. We can talk until Shippo makes us some food." Kagome said. Sesshomaru just stared at her blankly. She undid his shackle and let it clatter to the floor.
"You still have an amazing poker face." Kagome said after a long pause.
"If you had said that the last time we met, I wouldn't have understood it." Sesshomaru commented.
"True. Shall we reminisce? What happened to Rin and Jaken?" Kagome asked. She registered the flash of pain in Sesshomaru's eyes.
"I'm not sure. I was captured while trying to save Rin, so the slave traders took her. But they said they would leave her at some village. Jaken was left back at the campsite, but it couldn't have been too long before he was slaughtered or captured without my protection." Sesshomaru told her.
"I could do some research, see if I can find her." Kagome offered.
Sesshomaru's eyes now looked sorrowful and full of longing. "Could you? I could know what happened to her?" he wondered, sounding so hopeful.
Kagome saw this and knew that this had to be part of his rehabilitation. "I'll do my best. Rin was a special girl, I'm sure she left some mark on history." Kagome replied confidently.
Sesshomaru sighed. He felt weaker than even slavery had made him. He was relying on this woman for comfort. She had gotten past his cold exterior and glimpsed some of his heart. No one was supposed to witness his heart's existence. Only Rin…
"You look like you have lots of thinking to do. I'll give you some space." Kagome said, walking out of the room.
"Dinner is ready!" Shippo called.
Kagome poked her head back in. "Aren't you coming? You look half starved. I know Shippo was when I first found him."
Sesshomaru nodded and followed her into the kitchen, which had the most pleasant and appealing aromas hovering in the air. Shippo was pouring some sort of noodle soup into three bowls.
"Dig in!" he encouraged them, setting a bowl in front of each of them and starting to eat his own.
Kagome let out an almost inaudible gasp. Then the two demons could smell salt from the tears that were silently rolling down her face. "This is ramen. Inuyasha loved ramen…"
Shippo looked guilty. "I thought it would cheer you up. I can make something else for you." he offered.
"No, I just have missed Inuyasha so much since…" she trailed off again.
"It's none of my business, but I would like to say that I know Inuyasha is alive and…well…alive anyway." Sesshomaru said.
Kagome's eyes got big. "You've seen him? When?!" she implored.
"The last time my owner tried to sell me, before this time, I saw him. He was in a very small cage and he seemed to have lost the ability to speak. I reached out to him and he recoiled. He showed signs of regular severe abuse. I think he might be beyond help." Sesshomaru told her. Shippo glared at him as Kagome sobbed harder.
"I d-d-don't care how m-m-m-much he's changed. He's still Inuyasha, and I can s-still get through to him. I'll do whatever it takes to help him once I find him." Kagome vowed. She had stopped crying and now had a determined look on her face.
"Well you'll have lots of work to do." Sesshomaru warned her.
"Until then I still have work to do. You're my work now Sesshomaru." Kagome reminded him, wiping her eyes.
"I'm fine." Sesshomaru insisted stubbornly.
"But you aren't your old self. I want to see the old Sesshomaru only a little less arrogant, a little less casually homicidal, and a little less mean. Think it's something that we can achieve?" Kagome asked.
"Possibly. Depends how casually I'm allowed to be homicidal." Sesshomaru replied seriously.
Kagome gave him a reproving look. "I can't set you free until I'm sure you won't hunt down your old masters and kill them slowly and painfully. Even though they deserve that and more." Kagome allowed.
"So if I kill them quickly…?" Sesshomaru wondered.
"No. Life has to be respected." Kagome replied. They had been eating as they talked, and now Kagome was done.
"I'll do the dishes Kagome." Shippo volunteered.
"Only tonight, and only because I'm so tired. I'm doing them tomorrow night, and the cooking as well." Kagome insisted.
"But I like to cook!" Shippo protested.
"Well then if you cook, I'll clean up." Kagome decided. "Sesshomaru, Shippo, you can keep eating until you're full, but I'm going to shower and hit the hay." She left the kitchen yawning and stretching.
"Did you have to tell her that Inuyasha was in such terrible shape?! You nearly broke her heart. She cares about him so much, she would die for him." Shippo told Sesshomaru.
"I know she would. But I wasn't going to lie to her." Sesshomaru replied.
"I suppose lying wouldn't achieve much. But you could have left out your opinion about his condition. I saw Inuyasha after he first got his spirit broken. I think with some hard work, she could get through to him. She melted right through you right?" Shippo asked with a cunning grin.
"You little spy, you were listening!" Sesshomaru realized furiously.
He made a move to reach for Shippo, but before he could, Shippo said, "Wait. I understand. Rin seemed like a very nice girl. From what I saw of her, she was sweet. She would have to be to contrast your sour."
"I'm not sour, I'm have a hardened heart. There is a difference." Sesshomaru informed him huffily.
"Okay, if you say so." Shippo shrugged. "Anyway, I'll help Kagome look for Rin."
"…I suppose I should thank you. But, I don't think I will." Sesshomaru said, sounding very snobby, like his old self.
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Done at last! I hope you like it. And I plan for the next chapter to be the story of what happened to Rin after Sesshomaru was captured.