"What do you mean?" Kagome had asked. The pure confusion, and even fear, had been apparent on her innocent face. "The jewel made me leave."

Then why did he think otherwise?

Sesshou turned in bed once more. He was too unsure to question her further and called an end to their night. Perhaps Shippou would have more success in the morning.

Why would the jewel make her leave? He kept thinking it over. He remembered the day she left, how she had been sucked inside a meido that pulled her into the depths of the jewel. She had been alone for maybe an hour, but for her, she had confessed, it convinced her years had passed.

So when she wished for it's disappearance, why did she disappear too?

She could have wished for something else, he knew. She could have wished to return home. She could have wished to be where she belonged, and thought wrong, ending up here instead of there.

Why didn't she remember? It irked him to think maybe the jewel had altered her memories in order to manipulate her into wishing something false.

Sesshou paused his train of thought to listen for her. She was asleep still, but it appeared she was a sleep talker. He should have guessed as much. He could hear her mumbling through the walls where she slept in the guest room. For someone who yaps all day, he shouldn't be surprised that she wouldn't shut up, even in her sleep.

He listened more aptly, picking up on words here and there. If he had to guess, he would say she was dreaming about pickle demons. Sesshou rolled his eyes. Her dreams are just as nonsense as her memories. He flared his aura to rouse her just enough to pull her from the strange dream and was rewarded with the sound of her rolling over and sighing in her sleep.

The turning of keys in the front door alerted Sesshou to Shippou's return. It was only four in the morning. Good, he thought, this gave him time to discuss his findings with the kit. He rose from bed and exited his bedroom, meeting the fox in the living room.

Entering from the hallway, Sesshou was greeted by the fox looking awed in the middle of the room. Shippou breathed deeply, relishing in the scent of his adoptive mother.

"Don't cry," Sesshou warned, crossing his arms over his bare chest. Normally he would be dressed in the full pajama set, but Kagome was wearing the top, leaving him in just the pants. "She is here, in your room."

"I won't." Shippou nodded, turning to his surrogate father. He would never admit it, much like Rin, but they thought of him as more than their guardian. Without his parents, without Kagome, and even without Inuyasha, he had turned to Sesshomaru. He and Rin had talked about it, just the two of them one night shortly before she married. They'd shared some sake and talked all night, reminiscing their real parents, and even their days of tracking Naraku. They were truly brother and sister. He missed her often, among others who had left.

"I need to discuss with you something before you see her." Sesshou situated himself on the loveseat, leaning back into the cool leather. Shippou sat on the couch, looking a little worn down. He guessed it had to do with his travels from America. Lately he had been working with the wolves to begin a US branch of YANA. If all went well, Koga's son would be the CEO of that branch.

Shippou leaned his elbows on his knees and bowed his head down in exhaustion. The ponytail of his red hair was loose and falling over one shoulder. His business suit was a little wrinkled from all the sitting in planes and cars, too. He just wanted a nap, but all that could wait. He needed his mother more.

"Kagome does not seem to remember her last day with us. She does not remember her wish," Sesshou waited to see if Shippou had any reaction. He only lifted his head to eye his father. "She knows only her time within the sacred jewel before a wish was made."

"Before Inuyasha retrieved her." Shippou verified.

"Yes." Sesshou nodded. Something still wasn't right. He didn't even know what transpired between Inuyasha and Kagome while they were both inside.

"And you need me to find out." It was more of a statement than a question. Of course he wanted to know. Nosy parents. "Inuyasha told me what happened when he arrived you know."

"You never said." Sesshou glared, almost offended that information was withheld.

"You never asked." Shippou glared back. Too tired to fight, he sighed. "He said he was in darkness too. He had to find her, and fight the demons inside the jewel. And when he got to her, she was so afraid, and he could hear her, see her," Shippou leaned back into the couch, relaxing back to look at the ceiling. "But she couldn't see him."

"Is Inuyasha the only person who would know her wish?" Sesshou leaned into the armrest, cradling his chin in his hands. Of course the only witness was dead.

"He said he was able to call out to her and she was brave once more. He reached her, and they hugged. She made her wish, and they were expelled into Kagome's time." Shippou recalled all he had been told. "He did say that she was saying something that didn't make sense before she could hear him."

"What was it?" Sesshou's interest piqued.

"She was saying, 'He told me I had to go back' and 'I trust him' or something along those lines." Shippou shrugged from his reclined position, "I think we both thought she meant Inuyasha, and that she had to get back out of the jewel." Sitting upright, he stretched, "It makes sense, you know? Because the jewel was trying to make her doubt him."

"It does." He agreed, but chose to keep his true opinion to himself. Kagome may have confused him many times over the course of their relationship, but when the time difference was taken away, he understood her fully. "You may wake her, if you'd like." Sesshou stood, "I will see you both in the morning."