A/N: I'm very, very, very sorry for the long wait, everyone. Thank you for your patience. I'm not exactly happy with this chapter, but delaying the update any longer would not result in much improvement, I think. So, I hope it's to your enjoyment.

"This is Minako Atomo reporting live in front of the Yonnohoshi Hotel where Japan's elite have been filing in for the past twenty minutes. They are gathering for a special announcement to be made by Samuru Taisho, owner of the Silverline Company. No formal statement has been made to the public, but the rumor has it that he will be stepping down as head of Silvco to make way for his son, Sesshoumaru Taisho."

- - - -

Sesshoumaru stood beside his father as the rich and famous continued to enter the large ballroom, his eyes rapidly flickering about in search of the only one he wanted to be there.

With a small smile, Sesshoumaru recalled Kagome's elated reaction to his announcement in the car several nights before. Her pure joy had been accompanied by a beaming smile as she congratulated him. She had enthusiastically shown her support and promised to be there when the declaration was made.

"Are you ready?" Samuru inquired. He had noticed that Kagome had yet to arrive, and so had been prolonging the moment before stepping up to the podium on the slightly raised dais, but he could not delay much longer.

Sesshoumaru had yet to lay eyes on Kagome. He shook his head slightly in answer to his father's question. Where was she?

A slight commotion caught his attention and he turned his head just as Miroku burst through the crowd to stand winded before the two inu youkai. He panted from his weaving dash through the throngs of people. Cell phone still in hand, he spoke quickly in his worry. "Kagome… She's in the hospital wing at Shikon. She collapsed."

- - - -

"I'm fine," Kagome asserted hotly for the umpteenth time. "I have to go. Where is my cell phone?"

"But the doctor said you should stay in bed for the next twenty-four hours," the nurse protested.

"You may work for her, but she works for me. I'm leaving," Kagome stated as she prepared to remove herself from the hospital bed.

"Are you sure there's no one else we can call for you?" the nurse asked in one last feeble attempt to get her stay, or at least have someone else take her home. Sango was Kagome's emergency contact and was on her way, but she had yet to arrive.

Kagome opened her mouth to respond when her friend burst into the room. "Kagome, are you okay? What happened? Have you called Sesshoumaru?"

"No, I haven't called him." She could not pull him away from such an important occasion. "And I'm fine now. It was nothing. But I need to go. I'm already late."

Sango took Kagome's shoulders in an effort to guide her back against her pillow. "Kagome, I don't think—"

"No. I promised I'd be there," she persisted. Sitting forward and dislodging Sango's hold, she swung her legs over the side of the bed in preparation to stand. "Now let me…"

The words died on her lips as she spotted the tall figure in the doorway, dressed to the nines, the concern in his eyes evident only to her. He approached her slowly as his gaze roamed up and down her body, searching for signs of injury.

"How did you…?" Kagome began.

"I called Miroku," Sango informed her.

When Sesshoumaru stood directly in front of her, he asked, "How are you?"

"I'm fine," she said with quiet firmness, but all evidence of her earlier bite was gone. Her eyelids closed solemnly and her head dipped. "I'm sorry you were pulled away because of this."

Sesshoumaru bent forward until his forehead rested gently against hers, causing her to open her eyes in surprise. Some of his loose hair fell over his shoulders to form a thin silver curtain between them and the rest of the world. "Your wellbeing is much more important to me than any announcement ceremony." He waited until he saw understanding in her eyes before he leaned back. "Now, tell me what happened, and I will judge whether you are fit enough to leave tonight."

Kagome huffed, but then reluctantly said, "I had an asthma attack."

"You have asthma?" Sango inquired, surprised.

"I did when I was younger," Kagome explained. "But it hasn't bothered me since high school. I stopped carrying my medication with me once I graduated college. Today… I was foolish and ignored the warning signs. I won't do that again."

"Why would it return now?" Sesshoumaru questioned.

Kagome shrugged. "My guess is the amount of stress I've been experiencing lately."

Sesshoumaru turned to the nurse. "She only requires rest at this point, correct?" When the woman nodded, Sesshoumaru stated, "Then I shall drive her home." Kagome appeared about to protest, but he continued before she could speak. "After we stop to make a brief appearance."

As his meaning registered, she smiled slowly and nodded in agreement. After a quick change of clothes, Sesshoumaru escorted Kagome to his car.

Sesshoumaru called his father to update him on Kagome's condition and to inform him that the couple was on their way. Once he hung up, Kagome inquired, "Was he upset that you left because of me?"

Sesshoumaru had to resist the urge to chuckle, recalling his father's reaction to the news that Kagome had been hospitalized. Go on, he had said, I'll stall making the announcement until I hear from you. If need be, we'll postpone the entire thing until a later date. You just make sure she is all right.

"Not at all," Sesshoumaru assured her.

When they arrived, Sesshoumaru led them through a back entrance that would bring them directly to the stage. Sesshoumaru could hear his father nearing the end of his speech. He stopped just out of sight to wait for his cue.

"And now," Samuru said. "I give you the new owner of the Silverline Company: my eldest son, Sesshoumaru."

The audience clapped and cheered as Sesshoumaru stepped forward, standing tall and impressive in his silver suit. He stopped and turned when Kagome did not follow. She remained hidden, her eyes shining brightly with pride and her smile even brighter.

Sesshoumaru held his hand out to her, wanting her to share this moment with him. Her eyes flicked from him to the viewers and back. Though there were no news reporters or video cameras, both knew that if she accepted his offer to stand beside him, it would announce to the public that they had a relationship that was more than professional.

It felt like forever for him, but only a few seconds passed before her hand reached out to join his. He brought her forward to stand with him in front of the podium where he gave a short speech, her pale gold dress an odd but appropriate match to his silver. When Kagome's eyes met Samuru's briefly, he nodded and smiled approvingly.

True to his word, Sesshoumaru drove her home shortly afterward, stopping only to pick up Shippo from Jakotsu and Bankotsu's home.

- - - -

Stepping out of the bus in front of Sesshoumaru's apartment building, Kagome grinned at the thought of surprising him and Rin with a visit. It had been a spontaneous thought, wanting to see him. Since it was the weekend, and Shippo had spent the night at her grandmother's house because she had had to work late the night before, Kagome had decided to act on that impulsive desire.

"Kagome, what are you doing here?"

Kagome spun to meet the confused face of Sango, who had her arm linked with Miroku's.

"Oh, I was just coming to visit Sesshoumaru."

"I see. Were you two going somewhere?" Sango inquired.

"No, I just… felt like seeing him." She gave a slightly nervous chuckle, realizing how silly it sounded when said out loud. "He doesn't know I'm coming."

Sango's eyes widened and Miroku grinned. "So, this is where Sesshoumaru lives, then," she said quietly. Kagome nodded mutely, an uncertain smile on her face.

"Well, we," Miroku began with a questioning look at Sango, who nodded, "were just on our way to lunch. Would you two care to join us?"

Kagome smiled brightly. "Sure! Just let me check with Sesshoumaru."

"We'll wait here." Miroku pointed to a nearby bench. Kagome nodded and entered the building. "So, you think he could be the one?" he asked his fiancé as they sat down.

"I don't know," Sango replied slowly. "But, this is the first time I think he actually might be."

- - - -

Kagome rang the doorbell. No answer. Knocking produced the same result. She gave a resigned sigh and turned to leave. Once the elevator doors opened, she nearly collided with Inuyasha.

"Hey, why're you here?" he asked, stepping out of the elevator.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that? You came all the way here just to pay a visit to your brother? And I thought you two didn't get along."

"That's putting it mildly," he muttered. "But Kikyo and I are going on vacation for a few days and I figured he'd want these before I left." He held up a thick black folder. "Just some reports and stuff. Anyway, his apartment's closer than the office, so I came here."

"What you mean is, you forgot to give them to him yesterday, and he refused to let you leave until he got them," Kagome corrected, and grinned when Inuyasha groaned. "You probably didn't even have them ready yesterday, did you?" she accused.

"You're just as bad as him, sometimes," he complained. "So, is he home?"

"I don't think so. No one answered the door."

"Well, let's go check," he declared, walking past her.

"Sesshoumaru gave you copy of his key?" she asked, surprised.

Inuyasha scoffed. "'Course not," he said, placing the key into the lock and turning. "I made a copy of my dad's."

With a shake of her head, Kagome followed him inside. "So, Kikyo's here?"

"Yeah, just got here this morning."

"I'll have to say hello before you two leave," Kagome said into the silence of the empty apartment.

"Hey, Fluffy!" Inuyasha yelled. After a short pause, he shrugged. "Even if he hadn't sensed us earlier, he would've been out here after that."

"I take it you know from experience," Kagome said wryly.

"Yup." He looked around the empty room again. "Huh. I saw his car in the garage near where I parked mine, so I figured he'd be here. Guess he took the limo to work."

Kagome mentally chided herself. Of course Sesshoumaru would have more work as he made the transition to owner of Silvco. She had been foolish, not to consider he would be lacking in free time right now.

Seeing the disappointed look in Kagome's normally cheery eyes, Inuyasha sighed and then added, "Come on. I'll give you a ride to his office. I'm sure he'd rather have these papers sooner rather than later." He had a hard time understanding why Kagome liked his half brother so much. "Kikyo'll want to see you anyway."

Kagome raised an eyebrow. "Thanks, Inuyahsa. But Sango and Miroku are here with me, and there's no way we're all fitting into your car." He drove a custom-made, two-seater Cobra, after all.

Inuyasha disappeared down the hallway. When he returned, a wide, toothy grin was on his face and he had a mischievous glint in his eyes. He lifted a hand into the air and jingled the set of keys he held. "I've always wanted to drive his car," he said.

Kagome could not help but chuckle as she shook her head in mock helplessness.

- - - -

Sesshoumaru mentally grumbled to himself. He had wanted to spend today with Rin and, hopefully, Kagome and Shippo. Instead, he had to come into the office because Inuyasha had forgotten to get the reports together for him to review yesterday. He was also expecting a document from the London branch to arrive in the mail today, though that could have waited until Monday.

No sooner had he logged into his desktop than a knock sounded on his open door. He had informed his secretary to bring him the mail immediately, and then she could leave. She walked in with an uncertain look on her face, holding only a single manila envelope.

"Um, the mail hasn't arrived yet, and neither has your brother, but this was just dropped off for you downstairs."

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed on the indicative packet as he held out his hand. A month had not quite passed since he'd received the last report from Kagura. Perhaps it was not from her?

His secretary placed it in his grasp, and his eyes went immediately to the large red lettering that read 'IMPORTANT' stamped across the beige surface.

"You may go," he told his secretary.

"The mail hasn't arrived yet…" Her weak protest was cut off by a wave of his hand.

"I said you may go. I will see you on Monday."

The girl nodded before bowing hastily and leaving, shutting the door behind her without being told. Then she gathered up her belongings and exited the building.

Sesshoumaru tore open the top the before the click of the closing door could be heard. Inside was indeed one of Kagura's reports. The summary was in her words, but lacked the usual relaxed quality.

Yes, this report is early, but I thought you would want to know about this now. I could not reach you last night, so I wrote a report and had it delivered this morning instead.

Following the deaths of Kagome's mother and brother, several murders of prominent social figures occurred. The Higurashi case was moved low on the list of priorities as a result. Soon after, it was ruled an accident and the case closed all together.

Kagome hired a private investigator—one of the best, in fact: a retired cop with countless connections, including many within the police department, and my old mentor. I met with him, and he told me that Kagome had not been satisfied with the outcome of the investigation and asked him to look into it. As far as he knew, her father was unaware that Kagome hired him. Sotu Higurashi had, in fact, not wanted a long, drawn-out inquiry into the tragedy.

My mentor acquired a copy of the police report. The car had been severely damaged, as had the bodies, so detecting foul play would have been difficult. But one key factor had gone unnoticed by the police. The skid marks, photographed at the scene, did not exactly match those of the Higurashis' car. Also, my mentor was able to obtain the wreckage that was the remains of the car. He found a few pieces of unknown origin that looked out of place. He took those parts to several auto mechanics and technology experts who were unable to help him. He finally found a disreputable ex-con who told him that he had parts of a device that would lock the steering wheel of a car by remote control.

When my mentor reported his findings, Kagome fired him. She was happy with the job he'd done, but worried for his safety should he dig any deeper. He doesn't know who was behind the murder of her mother and brother, but he suspects that Kagome does.

Sesshoumaru flipped through the attached documents briefly, but he could not focus on them. Instead, he was trying to wrap his mind around what he had just read. Kagome's mother and brother had been murdered. She knew that, and yet she did nothing? Why had they been killed? Was Kagome a target herself?

His thoughts were finally interrupted by the ringing of his cell phone.

- - - -

"Inuyasha, don't you think you should slow down? You're going a bit fast, even for you," Kikyo said, trying to keep her voice from belying her apprehension at their current speed.

Inuyasha's foot moved to the brake as they zoomed past another car. Pressing down, his expression became apprehensive when there was no immediate effect. "What the fuck?" Then, as he lifted his foot, the engine roared and their speed increased as if he had just stepped on the accelerator. "Shit!" His foot went again to the brake, and they stopped gaining speed. "What the fuck is happening?" He tried to yank the keys out, but they would not budge.

Inuyasha swerved to avoid rear-ending a car stopped at a red light, then again to avoid cross traffic. Fortunately, the time was between lunch hour and end-of-the-day rush hour traffic, so there were not too many other vehicles on the road.

"Inuyasha…" The fear in Kikyo's voice was palpable now.

"Inuyasha," Kagome said hastily. "I want to you to switch places with me. Let me drive."

"Now?" he asked incredulously. "This isn't the time…"

"Inuyasha," Kagome's firm voice caught at his fraying calm. "I'm asking you to trust me." A short moment later, he nodded.

Kikyo watched the road and kept one hand on the steering wheel, while Inuyasha kept his foot on the brake as he tried to move the rest of the body out of his seat. Kagome had to squeeze behind him trying to get into the driver's seat and preparing to replace Inuyasha's foot with her own.

Sango let out a small cry of fear when a car suddenly turned into their lane. Kikyo veered around, jolting Kagome and Inuyasha, whose foot slipped slightly, causing their speed to increase yet again. Miroku was on his cell phone with the police, but there was little they could do.

Finally, Kagome sat in the driver's seat, her foot on the pedal, and Inuyasha was somewhere in the back. Her hand moved as if of its own accord to shift the gear into neutral as her eyes stayed on the road. The engine made a clunking noise, but sounded no other protest. Her other hand, on the steering wheel, wove the car almost professionally past the other cars on the street. Experimentally, she gingerly lifted her foot off of the gas pedal. The engine revved, but the car did not speed up.

Without acceleration, they were losing momentum, but at a very slow rate.

Speeding through yet another red light and turning to avoid a collision with yet another car, Kagome cursed under her breath as a line of small children began crossing the street ahead of them.

"Hang on," was the only warning she gave to her panicked friends.

Kagome's hand again moved to the gear shift. With skilled swiftness, she began a sharp turn and shifted into reverse, then back into neutral, completing the move by setting the parking brake. The car skidded to a halt facing the opposite direction they had been traveling in just as the last child stepped back onto the sidewalk on the other side of the street.

"Holy shit," was the first words spoken by anyone, and they came from Inuyasha's mouth as everyone exited the car. "What the fuck just happened?" he demanded of no one in particular.

"Calm down, Inuyasha," Kikyo said, though her own voice was a little too high, too loud. "Is everyone okay?"

Each person eventually responded in the affirmative. Sirens could be heard in the distance.

Sango moved over to Kagome and hugged her tightly. "Thanks, Kagome. You saved us," she said as a few tears leaked from beneath her closed eyelids. Kagome returned the hug before helping Miroku guide Sango back into his arms. He remained silent, but his eyes would shift from the car, to Kagome, and back again. Kikyo also sought solace with her fiancé, whose cursing had died down to a low grumble. And Kagome could not suppress the smallest twinge of loneliness while watching them.

The police arrived soon after and Kagome, being the most composed, gave them the information they needed and explained what happened as best she could. A tow truck was called in to take the car to a crime lab. After taking statements from the others, they were offered rides to wherever they needed to go.

"My apartment is closest," Sango spoke up. "Why don't we just all go there?"

The other's agreed readily enough. Sango gave the police her address and the two couples got into the back of a police car.

"Kagome, aren't you coming?" Miroku asked.

"I think I'll walk. I need some fresh air," she said with a forced reassuring smile. "I'll meet you guys there in a little while."

Her friends watched as she gave a feeble wave and began walking at a steady pace down the sidewalk. They could not really blame her for wanting a moment to herself to calm her undoubtedly ragged nerves. They just hoped she would be okay.

Sango reached a decision. "Inuyasha," she said, still watching Kagome's retreating back. She cleared her throat, her own still-ebbing fear betrayed by the slight tremor in her voice. "Call your brother. Ask him to meet us at my apartment."

Not in the mood to argue, Inuyasha pulled out his cell phone. "All right. Don't see why he would come, though."

"Tell him it's about Kagome."

- - - -

The moment Kagome turned the corner, she slumped against the wall as if the weight of what had just occurred abruptly came crashing down upon her, all at once and without warning.

They had almost died. They could have killed innocent bystanders. It was obvious the car had been tampered with. Someone—and she had a very good idea who—had wanted to hurt them…

No. Her heart skipped a beat. Not them. Sesshoumaru. They were in Sesshoumaru's car. She brought a hand up to cover half of her face. It was her fault. Kagome's other hand rose to hide the rest of her face in an almost pitiful attempt to deny what she knew to be true. This had happened because she had not heeded the warning letter. What if it had been Sesshoumaru and Rin in the car, instead of her and her friends? Kagome felt her stomach twist as violent images flashed against her closed eyelids. She felt sick.

Forcing herself to take a deep breath, Kagome straightened. She couldn't associate with Sesshoumaru anymore. It would be safer for everyone if she didn't. This time, she could not be selfish and ignore the warning. She sighed and began making her way to Sango's. If she took too long, her friends would begin to worry.

- - - -

Sesshoumaru watched as the hanyou squirmed under his death glare. After receiving a call, during which he had only been told that there had been a "problem with his car" and that "Sango wanted to tell him something about Kagome," Sesshoumaru had borrowed a company car to drive like mad to Sango's apartment for some answers. When he arrived, Kagome was not there yet, and he was hesitantly told the story of their "car trouble."

Sesshoumaru had reached the conclusion that if his idiot half brother had not entered his apartment, taken his car keys or driven his car—all without his permission—then Kagome's life never would have been endangered. And now they did not know exactly where she was because they had let her go off on her own.

After hearing the story from Inuyasha and Miroku, with the occasional input from the two women, Sesshoumaru called the police to ensure that the investigation was put on high priority and that he was kept up-to-date on its progress. For the moment, he suppressed thoughts of how eerily similar the incident was to that of Kagome's family in favor of planning what he would do to the perpetrators.

Thinking that Inuyasha looked like he was about to be attacked by his older brother, Sango cleared her throat to gain his attention. "Um, Sesshoumaru?" When his murderous eyes were trained on her, she was no longer certain that she wanted to do something that could make him even angrier. But she would do what she thought best for Kagome. "There's something I'd like to show you. If you'd come this way…" she said as she moved toward a different room down the hall.

Sesshoumaru followed her into what must have been a spare bedroom, judging by its unlived-in feel. She indicated for him to take a seat on the bed before she moved to the closet and took out what appeared to be a shoebox.

When she turned to face him, her eyes did not meet his, and instead seemed to search the room for some hint as to how to begin. Finally she said, "Have you… you've noticed that Kagome keeps people at a distance, right? I mean, she's very friendly and social, but she doesn't let anyone get too close. Well, there's a reason for that." She took a deep breath and met his eyes for the first time. "Someone… someone is…after Kagome. We don't know who, and we don't really know why, either." She kneeled in front of him and placed the box on the floor. "What we do know is that he's powerful and dangerous," she continued as she removed the lid, revealing a stack of white envelopes. "Shortly after H&H became famous, she got the first one," Sango continued, picking one from the stack and handing it to him to open.

Inside was a letter. It was plain, black ink on white paper. But it was the contents, not the appearance, that chilled the very marrow of his bones.

To my dearest Kagome,

I've been watching you for a while. Your friends and family as well, but mostly you. I suppose you could call me a fan, for now, anyway. But eventually we'll be much, much more to each other. Someday, when I reveal myself, you shall give yourself to me.

Until then, behave yourself. I'll be watching. You'll hear from me again. And don't bother to inform the police. They won't be able to do anything. You'll only end up losing everything you hold dear. You want to protect that kit of yours, don't you?

This will be our little secret. You might even call it a secret engagement.

It was unsigned and had no distinguishing features whatsoever.

"What is this?" he demanded, his voice causing a chill to run down Sango's spine.

"Exactly what it looks like: a threat."

"Tell me more."

She nodded. "She gets them irregularly. Sometimes months, sometimes weeks, and occasionally days apart. They're always delivered to her house, but not mailed. As you can see, there's no postage or address on the envelopes. She's tried moving several times, but they always find her, so she finally gave up. It wasn't helping, and the constant change wasn't fair to Shippo. The dates," she pointing to the light pencil markings on the envelope, "were written by Kagome. At first she kept this to herself. She finally told me after the fifth letter and asked me to keep them, in case… in case something happened, so I could take them to the police." She took a shaking breath. "He is watching. He'll sometimes include some small detail to prove that he is, such as a remark on a piece of jewelry she was wearing at a certain place, or quote something she said, or something like that."

"Who else knows?" he asked, his claws digging into the bedding in an attempt to reign in his anger.

"Now that her father is dead, only I do."

"Her father knew? And he did nothing?"

Sango shook her head. "Against Kagome's will, he looked into the matter. If he ever found out anything, I wasn't privy to the information."

"And you have no idea what he is after?"

"The only hint we have is that he doesn't like her to get close to males. She always gets a letter when a new guy shows up in her life, especially when he wants a serious relationship. That, and the fact that he keeps mentioning an 'engagement.'"

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed. "So she received a letter about me."

It was not a question, but Sango replied anyway. "Yes," she said, plucking another envelope from the pile and handing it to him. Sango saw the spark in his eyes as he read the threat to Rin's wellbeing. "Around that time she must have tried to cease contact with you, right?"

He glanced at the date written on the envelope and recalled that that had been about the time Kagome began avoiding him—until he had finally caught up to her on her walk with the dogs. He also recalled the words of promise he had spoken that day.

Though he said nothing, Sango continued as if he had answered in the affirmative. "After getting a warning letter, she always does that. You're the first one that has stayed with her despite that—the first one she's let stay with her. That's why I'm telling you all this. I was hoping you could look after her, too."

Something in his mind clicked. "She doesn't know you're telling me all of this, does she?"

- - - -

When Kagome knocked on Sango's door, she was not expecting Sesshoumaru to open it.

"Sesshoumaru? What—"

"Come, we're leaving," he said, taking her elbow and leading her back to the elevator and outside to his car.

The entire drive was tensely silent. Sesshoumaru seemed upset about something. His hands gripped the steering wheel so tight that his knuckles were white. If it was because of what happened to his car, surely he knew that she could pay for it, or even a whole new car if he wanted. There had to be another reason. Whatever it was, she did not want him to unleash that anger while he was driving, so she remained quiet and complacent.

Meanwhile, Sesshoumaru was debating with himself about what to say. Sango's last words repeated over and over in his mind.

Sango shook her head in the negative. "No, and it's up to you whether you want to confront her about it now or wait for her to tell you on her own."

He drove them to his apartment. They were in the elevator when he finally broke the silence. "Are you going to tell me what happened?"

"Look, I'm sorry about your car," she began, "but I shouldn't even be here—"

"I don't give a damn about the car," he interjected hotly. She was doing it again, pushing him away, thinking that was best. "You could have been seriously hurt or even killed. You were lucky."

His words triggered an onslaught of flashbacks, and feelings along with it. "I-I took a defensive driving class after…" she protested softly, bowing her head so that her bangs shadowed her eyes. "I knew what I was doing…"

"Maybe this time, but what if something like this happens again? What if it's not a car next time? How can you be so calm—" He stopped abruptly, noticing that she was trembling ever-so-slightly. Immediately, he realized his mistake. She was afraid. That experience had scared her half to death, just as it had him.

He stepped toward her slowly and gently placed his hands on her shaking shoulders. "I'm sorry. But when I heard you were in a car accident, you had me very worried." Bending down to place his lips by her ear, so close that his cheek brushed her against her hair, he whispered, "After all, I did say that I would protect you."

She launched herself against him suddenly, her hands fisting in the back of his shirt as he felt her tears wet the front. His arms wrapped around her small form. She had had to stand strong on her own for so long…

What was it about Sesshoumaru that made her feel that it was okay to be weak sometimes?

"I'm here for you from now on," he murmured against her hair as the elevator doors opened on his floor. "I'm not going anywhere."

A/N: I apologize again for the painfully extended wait. Thank you to my supportive reviewers addicted2reviews, dreaming-twilight, localsamurai, SaBrIeL ofthe MoOn, HallucinatingDreams, NekoYasha101, GinaBristow, LynGreenTea, LynGreenTea, Youkai Sesshomarulover, youkai goddess, Darlelf, animegurl088, anime-lover-forever2007, Suki Izumi, Wilby711, Setsuna Bu, animebook fan, Dana Daidouji, TheDevilsDaughter2010, InuKag91, chibilee, jem89, Kagome Assassinater, Sapphire Godess of Pain and Darkness, shadowcat1028, Thoughts13 (Thanks for making an exception!), Naien (Wow! Thanks!), DaRkSKaterGirl, Togu, The Squabbit, Amisha the Elemental Sorceress, Random Reviewer, c hicks, A-te Louise, hermonine, Angel Flame-Mary, fearsomdiety, Amin Vanima Mellonea, read-n-review, hAzEl.EyEd.GiRl, LeafeKnight7, i.swear.to.drunk.im.not.god, nanamihikari, BluesDaughter, Lady Silverhawk, Sessy Lover and TurtleHugs! I really do appreciate your encouraging comments!

Q: How old am I?

A: 18.

Q: Why isn't Inuyasha's mother named Izayoi?

A: Honestly, I think I just got carried away when I was researching for the names of Kagome's father, the last names of other characters, etc. One meaning for Inari is "successful one."

Q: Do Kagome and Naraku have a past relationship?

A: No, they've never been close. Even Kagome's father disliked him and disapproved of contact between the two.