Chapter 12

...

When Sesshoumaru returned hom from a day of work he found that his whole apartment was full of flowers. The scent had hit him like a wall as soon as he had opened the door. There were bouquets, vases, and baskets full of varieties of flowers in multiple colors and sizes.

"What is this?" he hissed at the woman standing in the room. Mrs. Matsu was the part time nanny. She picked Rin up from school and stayed with her here until he arrived home, cleaned the apartment, and on occasion when Sesshoumaru had late nights cooked dinner.

"These flowers were delivered for you. They wouldn't stop bringing them in." She held a piece of paper and envelope out to him. "Here's the receipt and the card that came with it."

He snatched it from her hands.

"Look at all the flowers! You could make a bed out of them! Is that what they mean when they say flower bed Sesshoumaru?" Rin asked.

Sesshoumaru ignored her and took the card out of the envelope to read.

Dear Sesshoumaru,

I sincerely hope you enjoy your purchase. I was unsure of how much to buy with that blank check and after that dirty tatic to get me to come to the fair. But I think this is enough don't you?

Yours Truly,

Kagome H.

P.S. Payback's a bitch.

Unbelievable, he thought.

Sesshoumaru was greatly regretting his actions. He had already promised to go over and talk to Inuyasha today, so he would also demand she have these returned.

He looked at the Mrs. Matsu. "I have an errand to run, I'll be back. Be good Rin."

"Okay!" Rin called. "Mrs. Matsu can you help me build a bed made of flowers?

...

Kagome had decided to take a nap on the couch to relax after reading the card that had been sent to her. She had thrown it in the trash as soon as she had read it. It had been stuck in her mail box instead of mailed. No return address or even her address. Which meant it had been personally delivered to where she lived, that was the worst part.

She also remembered Sesshoumaru was coming over soon to talk with Inuyasha. Well if he was going to follow his promise to come anyways.

I'll need all my strength to zap those two apart, Kagome sighed.

This plan had back fired on her big time since the one most drained of energy after this visit would be her.

Kagome sighed again and laid on her side. Despite all her stress and concerns, she was soon asleep.

...

"The human female is sleeping now," the demonness said. "Would you like me to begin Naraku?"

"Yes," he answered. "Please do."

"Alright. Once I have her under my spell I'll touch you and send you into the dream as well. You can't touch her or cause her physical harm," she stated. "There is a limit to these things."

"That is fine," he retorted. All he needed to do was scare her and feel her fear. Naraku smirked. He knew the time spent to find this demonness and the amount he paid her would be worth it.

This will be an oh so sweet punishment, he thought.

The demoness nodded and closed her eyes. Everything was silent for a moment as he waited. He saw Kagura by the door watching intently as the demonness worked.

The demonness finally reached out and touched him and he could feel himself propelled into Kagome's dream. He looked around and saw he was in a field of flowers. As he walked on he soon saw a womanly figure bending down to pick flowers and a wicked smile spread on his face.

Naraku walked silently. With each step he took dark clouds and fog rolled behind him and the landscape turned into a dark eerie swamp. When he was a foot away from the woman he stopped.

"Hello my dear," he crooned.

The woman stood up and spun around dropping all the flowers she had collected. Her eyes filled with fear and disbelief. Naraku breathed in the scent that rolled off her and shivered.

"Naraku," she breathed. "H-how did you get here?"

"I told you I would make you mine did I not?" he whispered in her ear.

She jerked back. "Stay away from me!" she hissed. "Don't touch me! Or I'll-"

"Purify me? Please try darling. But if you haven't noticed. You're nightmare has become my dream." He chuckled and the sound echoed through the swamp.

Kagome turned her head all around and started to walk backwards until her foot came in contact with with mud and realized with painc she was sinking into it.

"Give in to me and this will end," he promised and held a hand out to her.

...

Kagome felt herself sinking into the brown muck at an alarming pace and saw Naraku's hand.

"NO!" She screamed. The mud was up to her chest now and the more she fought the quicker she sank. She looked around for something to grab but only saw his hand.

"Let your suffering end Kagome." Naraku's voice made her sick.

"Inuyasha! INUYASHA!" The mud was up to her collarbone now. "Sesshoumaru! SESSHOUMARU!"

Naraku snarled. "They will not come to your rescue my dear. Look for yourself."

She followed the direction his other hand was pointed and saw blood. So much blood. In the blood were two mangled bodies. She could barely make out the silver white hair to tell who the bodies belonged too.

She started to cry and panic. "You're a monster! I'll never join you!"

He bent down and brought his face inches away her own. "You will join me," he said menacingly. "And it will be your choice to do so."

She used her last breath of air and screamed before being pulled under into the swamp.

...

Naraku came out of the dream and back into reality. It had been succseful. Kagome had once again been reminded of the power he possesed.

He smirked. "Thank you," he said the the demoness. "Kagura will give you your money. I have never met you and you have never been here. Understand that now," he warned.

The demoness nodded. "I understand."

"Good. Now leave."

...

Sesshoumaru knocked on the door and waited for someone to answer.

The door opened and Inuyasha stood there to Sesshoumaru's dislike.

The hanyou glared at him. "What do you want bastard?"

"Where is Kagome?" Sesshoumaru asked calmly.

"Sleeping. What do you want with her?"

"She sent more than fifteen dozen flowers to my apartment and I want her to have them returned."

Inuyasha started cracking up. "Atta girl Kagome!"

Sesshomaru scowled. "But my real reason after that is too speak with you Inuyasha."

Inuyasha stopped laughing. "What do you want with-"

"Inuyasha! INUYASHA!" Kagome screamed from inside the house. Her voice was filled with fear and panic.

Both demon males were at her side in a flash.

"Sesshoumaru! SESSHOUMARU!" she screamed.

Sesshoumaru bent down and held her face. "Kagome I am right here. Wake up," he ordered. "It's only a nightmare."

Kagome stayed asleep in whatever nightmare was happening.

"Why isn't she waking up?!" Inuyasha demanded.

Sesshoumaru opened her eyes and saw they were still and black. "She is under a spell. She will only wake up when the nightmare ends," he answered.

"What?!" Inuyasha yelled. "Kagome wake up!"

They both saw the tears roll down her face as the nightmare went on. Only Sesshoumaru knew how helpless they were as she endured the nightmare.

Kagme let out a scream that left their ears ringing and finnaly opened her eyes. Tears still coming out she looked at Inuyasha.

"I won't join him Inuyasha. I promise I won't," she cried and clung onto his arm. "Please beleive me," she begged desperately.

Sesshoumaru took her into his arms and held her as he sat on the couch.

"Sh. Sleep miko. It was only a nightmare."

"S-Sesshoumaru, I'm sorry... you were both dead. I-Its my fault," she sobbed into him.

"Sh. Calm down Kagome. Neither of us is dead."

Kagome only sobbed more and soon quieted. He turned to Inuyasha. "Get a wet towel."

For once Inuyasha didn't argue only did as he was told. He came back and handed Sesshoumaru the towel. Sesshoumaru cleaned up Kagome's face of the tears and snot. When he was done he placed the towel on the side table and looked at his brother who was reading a card.

This is not the time to be reading mail halfbreed, his inner demon snarled.

"What is that?" Sesshoumaru asked calmly as possible.

"Naraku. That son of bitch!" Inuysaha snarled.

This was the most upset he'd ever seen his brother beyond their meetings.

"Who is that?"

Inuyasha looked at Kagome and his gaze softened and then became worse.

"When Kagome first opened the flower shop eight months ago she met a guy named Naraku, he's a hanyou. After he first came in he started coming once each week afterwards. The more time went by the more days increased that he visited." Inuyasha's voice was filled with hate and venom. "He asked out Kagome but she rejected him. Kagome said he was dark and she didn't like the feeling it gave her so I kicked him out of the store the next day. Thats when things got worse. He constantly called, sent her gifts, and letters. Sometimes he even showed up around her when she was in public."

He balled up his fists and the letter scrunched up in his hands. "I should have killed him. One day Kagome left the flower shop alone and he...he kidnapped her. He tried to make Kagome give in to him. He wants Kagome as his mate for her powers. From nothing short of a miracle she got away and called me from a payphone. After that he disappeared for awhile. Its been six months since then."

Sesshoumaru listened intently and understood much more from the information his half-brother was telling him. He realized he wanted to protect the female in his arms no matter what.

Inuyasha slid down the wall. "I thought I'd lost Kagome that time. Now he must be back and he's torturing her again."

Sesshoumaru felt the urge to kill this Naraku person himself and to ensure he endured the slowest death imaginable. His eyes bled red for a moment but then cleared up as he felt Kagome hiccup. He stroked her head.

"I came here today to ask for your permission to date Kagome. I will take the nesscary precautions to keep her safe whether you say yes or no," he stated with finnality and looked up from Kagome's face into Inuyasha's eyes.

Inuyasha looked at Sessoumaru for the first time in many years without prejudice or hate.

"I will not give Kagome up to him. I love her. If you're feelings are true then I give you my permission." He looked at Kagome. "But understand I will die for her." Inuyasha looked back into Sesshoumaru's eyes. "And I will die trying to kill you if you betray her."

Sesshoumaru felt the closest he'd ever had to Inuyasha. And all because of a single human female.

"I will not betray either of you," Sesshoumaru answered.

"Then you'll have to talk to her yourself about this. It doesn't have to be now but when you feel the time is right."

"Hn." There was a moment of silence before Sesshoumaru spoke. "A single human female has made us talk more than we have in all the time you have been alive."

Inuyasha smirked. "Yeah but she's not really a normal human."

Sesshoumaru looked down at the sleeping female in his arms.

"No, she is not," he agreed.

...

AN: A dark chapter but please tell me your thoughts on this chapter!