Hi, this chapter was supposed to be another short one but ended up being one of my longest! I will still try to get another out early next week, but no promises. My muse is a little worn out.

This chapter is dedicated to Theresa Mary Walker, my almost mother and one of the most incredible people I have ever met. She may not be with us in body, but always in spirit.

Rest in peace. We love you.

This chapter is also dedicated to Becca because I love her for reading this….and I promised. Love you Beck XD.

Secrets by Good Charlotte

Chapter 10: Secrets

Sango stood up at the sharp knock on her door. Who would that be at this hour? Probably Kagome, she was always forgetting her key.

"I don't know Kagome….when you said you would be home early, I thought you meant about ten," Sango said, opening the door, "You've only been gone about twenty minutes….." Sango trailed off and paled as she saw who was on the other side of the door.

"Sesshoumaru?" she whispered, suddenly frightened,"what's wrong with Kagome?"

Sesshoumaru said nothing, simply swept past Sango into the flat, cradling an unconscious Kagome in his arms like a child. He lay her gently down onto the sofa before spinning to look at Sango, a wild look in his eyes.

"What's wrong with Kagome," Sango repeated gently while shutting the door, knowing that too much pressure could throw Sesshoumaru into a rage.

Sesshoumaru didn't reply for a moment, just ran his hands through his magically shortened hair in a rare display of emotion.

"It's my fault," he said eventually, in a desperate voice Sango would never usually associate with her usually stoic landlord, "I knew what would happen if I touched the bracelet, but it never occurred to me…."

He slumped, defeated, into one of the armchairs. Sango ignored him and looked at her best friend, taking in the claws, longer hair and the star tattoo creeping up her neckline. Her face paled as comprehension dawned.

"Oh, shit!" she gasped, turning her stricken eyes to Sesshoumaru, "what do we do?"

"There's not a lot we can do," he said darkly, "moving her now would just make her more vulnerable to attack. We just have to reattach the shikon no tama and hope that no one noticed the power surge."

"Sesshoumaru," Sango said softly, "are you sure this is what you want? I mean you've waited more than five years for her….. surely if she's back to normal now….."

Sesshoumaru shook his head, "it doesn't matter what I want. If my desire to have her back the way she was put her in danger then the last five years would have been for nothing. She has to come first."

Sango's eyes pricked with tears. She had always known that Sesshoumaru was the one for her best friend, even when they had been children together back in the demon realm. Kagome had always been the only one that Sesshoumaru would truly open up to, the only one he showed his real feelings to. It had made her the envy of many, bringing her many rewards….but also many problems. Sango could remember Kagome coming back home once covered in bruises; Sesshoumaru and his father had fought over something and Sesshoumaru had locked himself in his rooms, refusing to see even his mother. Kagome had been the only one not to grant the prince of the West his privacy. She had banged on his doors for hours and, when that hadn't worked, she had climbed onto his balcony from her guest suit next door and invaded his rooms that way. No one but Kagome and Sesshoumaru knew exactly what happened next but, after a few minutes of screaming, crashes and the occasional yelp of pain, they had emerged, Kagome looking determined and Sesshoumaru looking resigned to his fate. It wasn't until the next day that the bruises appeared….and the beautiful bouquet of flowers with a note that simply said

I'm sorry and I appreciate it

-S.

Sango had asked Kagome what Sesshoumaru was apologizing for and Kagome had simply said,

"Nothing. He doesn't need to apologize. I was just being his friend."

Sango would never understand the mystical bond between them, but what she did understand was that Kagome was the only person Sesshoumaru had ever really connected with. She couldn't begin to imagine what it felt like to lose that connection. Sango had a hard enough time contenting herself with the cheap human copy she lived with when she could remember the amazing, intricate person that she had used to know. Something about Kagome Higurashi, the human, was only two dimensional.

Sango sighed, flopped down onto the remaining loveseat and curled up into a ball.

"So," she said eventually," you've probably spent more time with her since she moved back in than I have. How is she?"

Sesshoumaru looked up, "she's fine, really. Although she has been having nightmares. Apparently even losing her memory can't stop her being a princess."

Sango sat up straighter.

"What sort of nightmares?"

Sesshoumaru winced, "she saw Mizuki being tortured for information. I didn't realize the significance of her dream until Souske contacted me, telling me about her disappearance. It makes sense; they were always close."

Sango suddenly narrowed her eyes in thought, "didn't Lord Souske say that she would have no connection to the demon realm while she is in hiding? Surely her dreams should have stopped too?"

Sesshoumaru shrugged, "Maybe. But she does like to bend the rules…." He said softly, giving Kagome a tender look that was reserved just for her.

"It doesn't make sense. She hasn't had any kind of nightmare for the last five years. For them to start now….. well it seems like a bit of a coincidence. Maybe being around you has woken her up? And if that's true, you can't trap her again, it would only do her harm."

Sesshoumaru looked at Sango with a mixture of shock and grudging respect.

"Somehow you always manage to surprise me, Sango. You're right, of course, we can't reattach the shikon. So what do we do?" Sesshoumaru said, almost humbly.

"There's not much we can do," Sango said, unknowingly mimicking Sesshoumaru's earlier words, "you have to hide her. Take her to the Taisho Manor, it has the best wards to disguise her presence and Naraku won't expect her to be there, not after five years."

Sesshoumaru nodded.

"Then time is short. I'll take her now; will you get word to Souske?"

Sango smiled in relief and nodded.

"Do you want me to come or….?"

Sesshoumaru shook his head and bent to scoop the still unconscious Kagome into his arms.

"If Naraku is having us watched then life has to continue as normal. Let Inuyasha and Kouga know where she is, but no one else. Tell your work colleagues she is on holiday or something."

Sango agreed and opened the front door to let Sesshoumaru out. As he was about to enter the lift she called out to him.

"Sesshoumaru!"

He turned, Kagome cradled carefully to his chest.

"Take care of her, ok?"

Sango felt tears prick in her eyes as Sesshoumaru nodded in acknowledgement and the lift doors enclosed two of the most important people in her life.