Ch.7 Days go by

Over the next few weeks I received no new memories. But all the memories between the first night in my room with Sesshomaru, 'till the day they told me he was dead, came back to me at odd times of the day. I remembered them with perfect clarity.

One day I was sitting on the porch with Sesshomaru across from me. He was reading a book and I watched the sea's wave's crash against the sandy shore. Then the memory just flashed before my eyes. I remembered seeing how angry he was. I remembered his hand coming back and then he standing over me. Rin crying and pleading with him. The memory ended when he walked out the door. I blinked my eyes a few times to clear my vision and realized that I was crying. Looking over to Sesshomaru, I saw that he was watching me intently. His book forgotten.

"You hit me?" I said quietly, not necessarily a question or a statement. I said it quietly as if I could make the bad memory go away. He hung his head guilty and rose, dropping his book into his chair, to kneel before me. He laid his head in my lap and his arms encircled my waist.

"I am sorry," he whispered softly, "I've been sorry for that for a long time."

"No need. I already forgave you." I told him gently. We sat there for a while and I played with his silver locks as the sun set. Making the sea look as if it were made of glittering emeralds rather than shinning water.

Another day, I was walking on the beach. It was during the sunset and I held the hem of my skirt out of the water. I had had a memory come back to me almost every day. My last memory was of Sesshomaru and I walking through the woods and then the embarrassing moment with Sango. I heard Sesshomaru call my name and I turned to look at him. Suddenly I was walking under the Sakura trees. I remember thinking that I only had so much time with him. I realized that I was remembering the day before he left me for the war. We stopped at the koi pond and I leaned back against him and he held me. The memory stopped then and I shook my head. Sesshomaru stood before me now and the confusion I could read in his eyes, quickly cleared when he saw my disoriented state.

"Another one?" He asked me. I nodded my head. Sesshomaru pulled me into his arms and laid his cheek on the top of my head. He was use to the torrent of emotions that followed my memories. But I knew that that wouldn't happen this time. I pulled away a looked into his eyes. I loved the color of his eyes. Liquid gold or hard amber depending on his mood. I ran my fingertips over his cheek. Sesshomaru nuzzled my hand and leaned toward me. Our lips touched and the kiss was sweet. His lips were soft and gentle as he kissed me. It was a true lover's kiss. One that didn't need passion or fire. Just a sweet, simple kiss.

The next weeks saw me as a worried woman. The memories, even though that's all they were, frightened me. I now had all my memories. Clear up until I opened the door. My dreams always consisted of just that. Walking down a hallway, with only a simple, plane white door at the end. I know what I will find be hind it. Even though I don't want to, I always seem to walk towards it.

My hand touches the handle and then I wake up. I know what is behind the door, but I don't want to remember. Even though I am scared and I don't want to open the door, I can't let my memory be incomplete. I had that dream again last night. Only it was different. I cracked the door open this time and I heard screams. I know I am getting close to the last bit of my memory. All I have to do is open a door. Sounds simple doesn't it? Who would believe that opening a door could be this hard?

I turned on my side to see him still sleeping. I dressed in a short blue top with gold paisley designs on it. The shirt stopped at my belly button, folded over and tied with a golden sash that hung to my knees. I pulled on a pair of black gaucho's and black slippers. Pulling my hair up into a high pony tail, I slipped out and shut the door quietly behind me.

I hurried down to the stables. Tain already had Tenshi ready for me. I had taken to riding out with her every morning. Tain handed me up. Instead of hooking my leg around the pommel, I unlaced it and handed it to Tain. I didn't feel like riding like a lady today. I just wanted to ride. I kicked Tenshi into a trot and then after a while into a run. I rode through the gardens and down the beach. When I finally stopped I could barely see the house.

I knew I should go back, but the sun wasn't even half way up in the sky. I turned Tenshi around and continued the way I was going. I crossed into a meadow and saw a figure step out from the shadows. I tried to slow Tenshi down, but I couldn't. She spooked and I was thrown backward to the ground. When my back connected with the ground the air was forced from my lungs and my vision darkened. I saw the door. I knew that this time I would open the door, but I wasn't so sure hat I was ready to open it. My hand closed over the knob and I opened the door.

I saw Hakim and then Umi. I watched otherworldly as she ran to me. A dagger strapped to her chest. I watched as the blood flowed from my wounds. I heard Sesshomaru's anguished cries as he held m body. My vision cleared and some one was standing over me. It was the man I saw the day we left the palace. The brown haired, blue eyed man. I knew him from some where else though. When he took my hand to help me up I remembered. I knew this man, this deceitful, ugly man.

"Tiosain?!" I cried, "What are you doing here?" I asked more calmly. His face was confused for only a second and then he studied my face more closely.

'Izumi?" He asked me, the confusion clearing from his face. I nodded. "I have been looking for you for years!" his voice sounded different. It rubbed the wrong way against my skin.

"You have?" I asked confused. I had now idea why he would be looking for me, but I had a feeling that it would posse a problem.

"I realized, albet late, that I had made a mistake." Tiosain said as he took a step forward, "I left a perfectly good woman who loved me, for a woman who was used and could never really love me. I guess what I am asking is…" I broke him off.

"Tiosain, you can't just come back after almost six years and expect me to still be standing there waiting for you." I said all this slowly and with emphasis.

"Can't I?" he asked dangerously.

"No! You can't!", my voice raising," I am married now. I belong to someone and I have three beautiful children. You have no place here."

"So your parents just sold you off to him then?" He asked

"No. I tried to save his ward and he ended up saving us. I was care taker of his charge and then things just clicked." I smiled fondly as I remembered the look on Rin's face when she found out that I was to be her new mother.

"I see nothing marking you as his." Tiosain whispered as he took a step toward me.

"I am his Tiosain. I have on objections to that. I love him." I told him. He began to say some thing, but we heard a horse ride up. I turned to see Sesshomaru riding Shinto. He stopped and dismounted in one quick movement.

"I thought I'd join you on your ride this morning, but it seems you still rise early than I." Sesshomaru was unusually happy this morning, not that I minded. He strode over and kissed my cheek and then brushed his fingers over the spot. I smiled at him and his little show of possessiveness. He took my hand and turned toward Tiosain. "Who's your friend?" Sesshomaru asked. His light tone gone.

''He's not my friend.", I said, "Matter of fact he was just leaving." I looked pointedly at Tiosain. Sesshomaru smiled then, But it wasn't a good smile. It was the smile he gave to people he didn't like. It also spelled death for those who didn't take it's warning.

"Well, that's good," Sesshomaru switched to whisper and leaned low to my ear, " because I have a surprise for you." I smiled and then nodded at Tiosain. He had a look of blankness across his face. Sesshomaru lifted me onto Tenshi's saddle and then mounted Shinto. " Good-Day to you sir." Sesshomaru said curtly. Sesshomaru kicked Shinto into a slow gallop, I followed. I took great, great comfort in the thought that I knew I would never see Tiosain again. We reached the Beach house and the sun was almost at it's peak in the sky. I could see three tiny bodies sitting against the Sakura tree on the hill.

'till next time peeps! Sayonara.

p.s next chapter is last lemon