Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

Chapter 10. The Distressed Man and the Confused Woman

...

"Mr. Takahashi, your brother's here."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, "Sesshomaru? Tell him, I'm not seeing anyone unless he had made an appointment."

"Why, Inuyasha. I didn't knew I had to make an appointment to see my own brother." Came Sesshomaru's cold voice as he entered the room without alarm.

"Sesshomaru! Did I tell you to get in?" Inuyasha gritted his teeth.

"Stop being such a dumb head, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha growled at his brother. "What the hell do you want with me?"

"I just came to tell you that I got a call from father. He wanted us to go Sapporo and meet up with the owner of Hikari hospital, and see whether it might be a good place to invested our stocks to, "explained Sesshomaru, but seeing the lack of interest from Inuyasha, he added, "And that because of your stupidity breaking your contract with the Tama Corp owner."

"How can I worked with him, when his daughter was the cause that Kagome's gone, Sesshomaru?" Inuyasha muttered angrily.

Sesshomaru sighed. "Perhaps you could think better if you started to forget that burdensome woman."

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed dangerously, "You have no right calling Kagome like that."

"Oh do I?" retorted Sesshomaru, "Inuyasha, ever since her disappearance, everything stumbling out of control. Remember last year when I had to lend you almost half of my bonds to save your business? Seriously Inuyasha. Stop disgracing our father's name."

"Sesshomaru…" Inuyasha snarled dangerously, "You better leave soon."

But Sesshomaru continued to cornered him, "You really need to snap out of it, brother. Admit it. You yourself knew well that she wouldn't survive after five months."

"Sesshomaru!" The Shikon Corp owner raised his voice, "Leave now before I called my guard. I do not wish to make such a commotion in my office."

"Fine," answered his half brother, "But don't expect me to come to your rescue when you doomed your own life even further." With that, he left the room, leaving Inuyasha in his own frustrations.

.

.

"Mama, look at what I drew today in my art class!" Five-year-old Kyouta Sato ran to his mother side.

The raven-haired woman smiled, "What is it honey?"

"Look! It's Papa, you, and I!"

Sachiko Sato looked carefully at her son's drawings. "It looks great, Kyouta. You're very smart. She said as she stroked his hair gently.

"Yes! And that because my Mama is smart too!" He said enthusiastically.

"And how about your Papa?" came the deep and masculine voice of Akihiko Sato. "Papa!" Kyouta squealed.

"Hello baby," he said lovingly, "How are you and your beautiful Mama today?"

"We're good, Papa, I just showed Mama my drawings."

"Oh? Can I see it too, then?" asked the brown haired man.

"Sure!"

Akihiko examined his son's drawing carefully. He was about to compliment his son when suddenly he realized that Kyouta had colored the eyes of the woman he called "mother" as blue. Sachiko real eyes' color.

'No… it can't be that he remembered… Kyouta was only two when Sachiko died!'

Glancing at the woman beside him worriedly, he silently sighed in relief. 'Looks like she didn't notice it…'

Flashback

'Sachiko… Sato… Then… I'm married to you, Mr. Sato?"

Akihiko gulped. 'God, for the sake of my son, please forgive me this one time…'

The day Kagome saved his son from his fate, Akihiko knew that his meeting with this woman was not without reason. She was there so his son could live, and he was there so she could live too. He just wanted a good mother figure for his little son…

"Yes." He breathed.

"….."

"Sachiko?"

"Then… Why am I here? And why can't I remember anything?" Kagome frowned.

"That's because… Because you saved our son from the car crash…." Akihiko tried to sound as casual possible.

"Really? So…. We have a son?" asked Kagome, bewildered.

"Yes… He's four by this year."

"Can I… Can I see him?" the raven-haired woman asked carefully.

"Of- of course…"

Akihiko went out to get his son. 'What do I do now? How do I tell Kyouta?'

Taking his son from the childcare, he squatted down so that he'll meet eye to eye with him.

"Kyou," he began very carefully, "You see… Mama's back."

Kyouta's eyes widened. "You mean Mama's back from the far land?"

Akihiko grimaced. The whole two years, all Kyouta ever knew was only that his mother had gone far away… and probably could never got back.

"Yes…" He breathed, "However, Mama was too happy there, that she almost forgot about us. So we gotta make Mama even happier with us to make her remember us again, deal?"

Kyouta looked at his father's eyes. "Yes!" he answered happily.

End flashback

'That was probably the biggest sin I've committed… But that's alright,' he glanced at his son, than his wife, 'For this, I would gladly give anything…'

His train of thoughts was broken when he heard his son suddenly gasped. "Oh no! I promised Tatsuya-Kun that I'm going to his house today! Papa, please take me?" he gave his father his best puppy dog eyes.

"Uhh… Well. See you later Sachiko!" Akihiko said as his very eager son pulled his sleeves. That's Kyouta to you, everything he wanted, he got it.

The raven-haired woman chuckled, "Bye, you two!"

.

.

"Inuyasha, got up. We're here already."

"Huh…" Inuyasha rubbed his eyes.

"The plane had landed. Now get your lazy ass off the seat." The older Takahashi scolded.

"Alright alright. Geez. No need to be so grouchy Sesshomaru." He complained.

"Here is room 521, your room," said the waiter to Inuyasha as he handed him the key, 'And here is 520, your room, " he said to Sesshomaru, "Your room is on the fifth floor. Enjoy your stay!"

"Thanks." The two brothers muttered quickly as they made their way to their rooms. Inuyasha being Inuyasha…. And well, Sesshomaru being Sesshomaru, they refused to stay in one bedroom together.

"It just sounded so wrong if I share a room with this unstable guy." Sesshomaru said earlier.

As they arrived in front of their rooms, Sesshomaru said, "Inuyasha. Don't forget to wake up early tomorrow. Remember, the meeting was on 9. Don't be late, or I…."

"Yeah, I know, I know," Inuyasha answered, uninterested, "I'm sleepy. Good night. Sesshomaru."

SLAM.

Sesshomaru rolled his eyes at his brother's antics, "What a spoiled guy." He muttered before he went to his own room.

.

.

"I'm gonna be late I'm gonna be lateeee!" Akihiko was running like mad outside and inside his working room, "Shit, now where do I left that papers?" he continued to search around, "Oh there it is!"

Kagome Takahashi, or Sachiko Sato, as how he called her came out from the room just in time to see her husband fussed around.

"Akihiko? What are you doing?" She asked confusedly.

"Ah, Sachi! I forgot I got a meeting today with the Shikon Corp owner… Can you help me a bit for a while here?" He pointed to his tie.

"Sure." Kagome went to her "husband's" side and help him with his tie.

'This is so strange,' She thought. 'Every time I helped Akihiko with his tie, I can't help this nagging feeling inside of me… As if... as if this is not how things are supposed to be…'

"There you go Akihiko," said Kagome, "Good luck with the meeting."

"Thanks, Sachiko." Akihiko said as he planted a kiss on his wife's left cheek.

Kagome flinched slightly at the touch. 'What the hell happened with me? Snap out of it, Sachiko! He's your husband isn't he?'

.

.

"This is stupid, Sesshomaru. That Akihiko guy haven't even arrived yet." complained Inuyasha.

Sesshomaru just sighed. "Will you just shut up for a while Inuyasha? I'm started to get sick with your constant rumbling."

"Oh if I made you sick then how about I leave now!" snapped Inuyasha.

Sesshomaru was about to retorted back when suddenly a man came running inside the room.

"Ah! I'm so-rry gentlemen" the man panted, "I got to look for my files this morning… Once again I'm really sorry to make you waiting!" He bowed his head down.

"Oh, it's not a problem, Mr. Sato, we just got here."

Inuyasha just scoffed.

"Attitude, Inuyasha." Whispered Sesshomaru dangerously.

The meeting lasted for about two hours, and when Inuyasha and Sesshomaru was about to leave, Akihiko stopped them and said, "For my apology for being late today… How about I invite you guys for a dinner in my house tonight? Well- I mean, if we were to get a partnership…. Getting to know each other first would be a good idea, right?"

"I feel most honored for your offer, Mr. Sato," Sesshomaru said politely, "But wouldn't we bother your family?"

"Oh no! My wife would be very happy to meet my guests. Besides, there are only me, her, and our six-year-old son in the house… So, don't worry…" Said the hospital owner reassuringly.

"Well then, thank you Mr. Sato. We'll come." Answered Sesshomaru.

"Good. See you at seven, then?"

"Alright."

"Keh. I'm not coming, Sesshomaru." Said Inuyasha stubbornly.

"Inuyasha, stop being a fool and get ready already."

"I said, I'm. Not. Coming. And that's final." The Shikon Corp owner crossed his arms.

Sesshomaru sighed, "When are you going to move on, Inuyasha?"

"What?"

"Being such a bitter person won't help you bring her back. Do you think she wanted you to be like this?" and with that, Sesshomaru left.

'I am…. a bitter person? Am I?' Inuyasha asked to himself.

"Hmm… the foods smell delicious, Sachi." Complimented Akihiko.

Kagome smiled. "Thank you, Akihiko. So when are your guests gonna come?"

"I believe that they are going to-"

DING DONG

"Oh there they are!"

The hospital owner rushed to opened the door for his guests, but when he saw the lack of the younger Takahashi, he frowned, "Your brother ain't coming?"

"Unfortunately, Mr. Sato, he got a headache and right now he's resting in the hotel room… Hope you don't mind I came here by myself. " Answered Sesshomaru, 'Inuyasha,' he thought to himself, 'You owe me big deal in saving your dignity.'

"Oh no! Of course not, I guess it can't be helped if he got sick… Well come in come in!"

Sesshomaru carefully made his way to the house. The house was wonderfully decorated with classical paintings and statues. 'Mr. Sato and his wife must be an artistic person…' he mused.

"And here is our dining room… Sachi!" he called to his wife.

"I'm coming, Akihiko!"

Sesshomaru froze. That voice. It couldn't be? No, he thought to himself. 'I'm just hallucinating and hearing things, because Inuyasha's stupidity had gotten into me.'

"Is this our guest?" came the soft voice of the raven-haired woman.

Sesshomaru turned his gaze to the owner of the voice, and his eyes widened at the sight before them.

End Chapter

A/N: Such a cliffy, I knew. I'll try to update the next chapter very soon.