-14-
"Well," a matronly voice began, nearing the front door. "I think I've gathered all the required information. Thank you so much for your wonderful cooperation."
"Oh no, thank you." D'Leh heard her grandmother pleasantly gush from downstairs.
*She's probably putting on one of her most agreeable smiles right about now…* she mused with a small quiet laugh, throwing a neatly folded T-shirt into a small hamper as she picked up another one from the mountainous pile beside her.
"Auntie, is this right?" Ai asked, holding up a clumsily folded towel.
D'Leh simply smiled and, taking the towel away from her, gave her ear a playful tug as she placed it into the hamper as well. Ai beamed and quickly grabbed another one; she had to hold back another laugh as she waved it wildly around in an effort to straighten it out.
"Here, let me show how to do that…"
Meanwhile, after exchanging a last few pleasantries Consuelo said farewell to the elderly social worker. As soon as she closed the door, she let out a heavy sigh of relief.
"D'Leh!" she called, moving toward the stairs.
"Yes?"
"Come, come."
"Alright, coming! Think you can hold down the fort until I come back?" she quietly whispered to her niece.
Ai nodded happily, then she gave her a quizzical look.
"Auntie?"
"Hm?"
"Who was that old lady?" she innocently asked.
"Uhh…just a new friend of grandma's" she uneasily lied. "I'll be right back, ok?"
"Otaayy!" she chirped.
D'Leh smiled back at her and rushed down the stairs only to find her grandmother talking to someone else on the phone.
"Yes, she just left…I think it went very well…" she said, glancing her way when she came nearer.
"Who's that?" she mouthed.
Her grandmother put her hand over the mouth of the phone.
"Sesshomaru." She whispered before she put it back to her ear. "Yes, hello? Yes, I'm still here…"
D'Leh blushed lightly at the mention of his name, feeling a mixture of both resentment and anger.
"Oh…" she said quietly, gaining another look from her grandmother that she didn't catch.
"Uh huh…well, the social worker said our home met the state guidelines, and that the child seems very happy here. Do you think that will mean anything to the court?" she asked while her granddaughter plopped down on the couch, looking sulky. "Ok…ok, well we'll send the remaining paperwork later today…Ok, good bye Sesshomaru. And thank you, for everything. Mhm."
She placed the phone back on its hook and, watching her in slight confusion, she took a seat beside her. D'Leh pulled her legs up under her, and she gave her a brief furtive glance before she stared down at her finger nails.
"Nieta…"
She glanced quickly back at her and again she glanced away, refusing to look her in the eye; instead, she intently focused her gaze intently on an old dry stain on the carpet.
"Nieta…What is it, Hm?" she gently prodded her, tucking back her baby hairs. "You've been acting so strangely; every time I mention Sesshomaru's name you get so…moody. What aren't you telling me?"
Her eyes flicked everywhere except in her, and she squeezed her ankle tightly. Consuelo watched her silently before she pulled her into a comforting hug, and she patted her tenderly on the head.
"I see…you'll tell me in time." She murmured, smiling.
She hugged her tightly back in relief, glad that she had decided to drop the subject.
"Of course… you were pretty upset when you came home last week" she mused thoughtfully, "…ah, must've been a lover's quarrel—"
"No, it wasn't!" D'Leh cried out, sitting upright abruptly. "It wasn't a lover's quarrel, we were just…w-we were just—"
"But, D'Leh, your hair and your dress was all messy." Consuelo explained, as if she didn't notice it herself. "The only logical explanation was that you—"
"NO WE DIDN'T! END OF STORY!" she screamed, turning 3 different shades of red.
Consuelo blinked as she watched her stomp angrily up the stairs, then she laughed good-naturedly before she got up herself and headed for the kitchen.
"…Yes, Good bye."
There was a sudden click and it wasn't long before it began to drone loudly in his ear. Sighing, he hung up the phone.
Hmm. She's still mad at you, huh?
Sesshomaru gritted his teeth and didn't bother answering him; it had been 5 days since he had gone to the dance with D'Leh, and she still wasn't talking to him. Still.
*'Give or take a day', he says…Bah!*
Ey. Sometimes I can be wrong…sometimes…
He stared blankly down at the pile of papers that sat on top of his desk, files concerning the upcoming sole custody battle. He had nearly forgotten how much paperwork it took to even get to the actual hearing of a case like this…he groaned tiredly and rubbed his weary eyes. Then he frowned, his thoughts returning back to their first subject. He couldn't get the image of the hurt, nearly condemning expression she had shot at him that night out of his mind…
"I HATE you!"
He had to admit it; maybe he had come on a little too strong but it wasn't entirely his fault…was it? Belial snorted quietly in reply.
Women and their damn mood swings…
"That I'll agree to…" he muttered, skimming over his trial brief.
"Agree to what, Dad?"
He looked up quickly to see his daughter poking her head into his study.
"Rin. You should be in bed." He stated, irking an eyebrow.
"But, I'm not tired yet!" she whined, pouting as she walked toward his desk. "Can't I stay up for a little while longer? Pleeeeeeaaaaaaassssssseeeeee?"
He eyed her levelly, taking her secret weapon head on. But, being the pushover that he was, he eventually conceded.
"Alright." He said finally, gaining a squeal of excitement. "Come over here and highlight these statements for me…"
Breathing out a long and weary sigh, D'Leh dropped into the first empty chair she could find. It had taken her three very long bus routes, a 15 minute-long trek to get to the actual courthouse (which was all the way downtown), plus one very uncomfortable elevator ride that she would rather not think about…
*I'm going to need a nice hot bath after this…* she thought, reaching for her backpack and setting it on her lap.
The day of the hearing had finally come, and it was going to be one of the most stressful, nerve-racking days of her life. She placed a hand on her chest, her heart tightening at the thought that she could possibly lose her niece today, her precious little girl…
*Oh God, please…* she prayed, then she shook her head. *I need to focus…I can do this…*
Glancing nervously around, D'Leh spotted others (possibly in her own situation) quietly conferring with their representatives; she bit her lip. After her very brief farewell to Sesshomaru, D'Leh hadn't spoken a single word to him; so stubborn was she that she never bothered to find out when and where she would meet him. She sighed, thinking back to the dance…and what happened after.
*I should've let him at least explain himself to me…* she berated herself.
She began to blush when she thought back to their heated kiss in the hallway…he had so much passion and fervor that time…he had kissed her like…like he wanted her, and it felt surprisingly good (though, at the time it didn't seem that way).
*Why am I even thinking about this?* she thought, zipping her backpack open. *I need to focus on my niece right now…*
She pulled out a folder and fingered through every piece of paper, making sure everything she had to bring was accounted for. Medical records, financial statements, receipts, movie stubs, pictures; all of them documenting her time spent with Ai. Hopefully, the judge would see that they were Ai's rightful family, a family that would love her and cherish her.
"Ah! Dammit'…" she whispered as some photos dropped to the ground.
She reached down to grab them only to have a pair of expensive Italian leather shoes press firmly down on them. She came to an immediate stop, and she glanced up slowly into a pair of smug silver-colored eyes.
"Oh…So you actually came…" he murmured, eyebrows raised in mock surprise.
She narrowed her own, mirror-colored pair as she sat up to meet his gaze, head held high as if to challenge him. She gripped the arms of her chair when he glanced lazily down at the photographs lodged beneath his shoes, and he bent to pick one of them up.
"How…quaint…" he mused, watching it with thoughtful scrutiny. Then, he threw it carelessly behind him as he walked casually off.
She snatched the photos up with lightning-quick speed, wiping off loose beads of dirt as she glared at the back of his head. She looked back down at them when he turned a corner and her eyes softened at one photo in particular; it was a picture of the three of them (her, her grandmother, and Ai) baking cookies one very cold Saturday morning. It was taken at a very odd angle, and half of her niece's face had been cut out of the shot. They were covered in flour, but the three of them were beaming despite their messy appearance. She began to smile at the memory.
"Excuse me, Miss?"
She glanced up quickly to see a young woman in a dark-colored suit staring down at her.
"It's time."
"O-oh. Thank you." She quietly told her, grabbing her things.
"Please, follow me."
She led her down a winding hall and past many doors before she stopped before a pair of wooden double doors. She pushed one open for her, and she gave her a small quiet "thanks" in reply as she entered, heart pounding madly.
The court room was small in size with ivory walls and a brown-colored carpet. Most of the furnishings in the room were made of a very dark brown wood; the walls, too, were partially wood-paneled with the same dark wooded pattern. Two tall lamps stood at opposite sides of the room, and the national flag and seals of jurisdiction hung toward the back to the right of the judge's raised bench.
She came to a standstill when she saw her father sitting where the prosecutor usually sat, his back facing her as he was quietly conferring with his lawyer. She gritted her teeth before she continued down the aisle of the gallery. When she neared the bar she was able to get a better look at her father's attorney; he was an American, kind of heavy set with brown hair and very green eyes. A bit of skin hung over the collar of his crisp navy-colored suit and he wore a red tie with white stripes.
They looked back at her when she pushed through the little gate and she made her way to the seat farthest from the two of them. She settled back into the plump chair and shot them both a very dark look before looking away. The two men shared a knowing glance when they realized that she was all alone; D'Leh glanced back at them when she heard them quietly murmuring between themselves.
*What's all that about?* she wondered, eyeing the two of them warily.
She turned away in time to see the door behind the judge's seat swing open, and out stepped the burliest, hairiest man she had ever set eyes on. He was of average height and appeared to be in his mid to late thirties, and he lumbered stiffly to his spot near the raised bench.
"All rise." He droned in a very deep baritone.
They stood to their feet as the judge, a middle-aged black woman, took her seat on the raised bench. She had her gray-black hair pulled back into a small tight bun, and diamond studs were pinned to her earlobes.
"Judge Abeni Nnamani presiding; Please be seated."
Again they took their seats; D'Leh gave a worried glance back before facing forward. Sesshomaru still wasn't here…did he get caught up in traffic or something?
*No. He's so punctual…he's never late for anything…* she thought. Then she sighed. *Who am I trying to fool. I know why he isn't here…*
"Thank you, Bailiff." She said with a very thick African accent, putting on a pair of black rimmed glasses. "Now, then: this case uhhhh…Chin and Suarez?"
"Chen vs. Jiménez Judge, case number 09532-7."
"Ah. I see, this is to determine who will have sole custody of a three year old?"
"Three and half." D'Leh blurted out, gaining a sharp look from both the judge and the burly bailiff. "She's…turning four in a…couple…I'm sorry."
"Hm. No, it was my mistake." She reassured her, giving her a small smile. "Now then. You must be D'Leh Jiménez, correct?"
"U-uh yes, that's me."
"And where is your counsel?"
"…U-uhm. He's, uh—"
"If I may interrupt, your Honor?" her father's lawyer meekly interjected.
"Yes Mr. Anderson?"
Anderson stood slowly to his feet, straightening the jacket and tie of his suit before speaking.
"Your Honor, I think that it would go against the foundations of this court to allow Ms. Jiménez to proceed with the hearing without any legal representation…We should probably reconvene at a time that would be more suitable for—"
"Hell no!" D'Leh snapped, annoyed by his condescending tone. "I sure as hell can represent myself, I don't need no damn lawy—Uh…crap…"
She muttered the last part to herself; so far, she had only made herself look like an absolute fool. She shot a look at her father to see that he was smirking slyly to himself; she blew out a short breath before continuing.
"I'm…I can take care of myself. Please, continue." She told them.
"Well," Nnamani said, "do you have anything else to add then counselor?"
"U-uh…no, your Honor. Let us proceed as planned."
"Very well. Now this court has—"
Suddenly, the doors behind them slammed opened as a breathless Sesshomaru breezed into the courtroom, gaining their attention.
"Sorry I'm late." He apologized, bowing. "As embarrassing as it is to say this I… was having a bit of trouble looking for my keys."
D'Leh couldn't believe it. He lost his car keys? All that worrying and berating herself over misplaced car keys?
"Oh, you haven't missed much of anything yet. We were just about to start anyway, please take your seat counselor."
"Thank you."
Their eyes met the moment he reached the bar, and she turned away only to glance back at him again as he took his seat beside her.
"Did I make you worry?" he whispered as he calmly took out his papers.
"Uh…no, I…"
"Ah. That's good."
There was a slight pause before, swallowing both her fear and her pride, she decided to make the first move.
"…Sesshomaru?"
"Yes?"
She blinked before continuing; he had answered her pretty quickly.
"Uhm…about the other day…I…I'm sorry." She whispered, suddenly feeling shy. "I should've let you explain yourself to me and I—"
"It's alright. I'm here now, so let's just get through this hearing." He murmured, giving her a small smile in thanks.
She looked away; it was too much. He was so handsome whenever he smiled, and it was no help that she was blushing because of it.
"Y-yeah…"
"So? Will there be any other interruptions? Good. Now then Mr. Anderson, we will start with you."
"Yes your Honor. Now, for the past few months the child in question has been staying with the Jiménezes (sp?). Of course, that's all good and well, but my client believes he is a much more suitable candidate to be the child's guardian. He's older, more experienced in the ways of the world, and he's financially stable. Your honor, we would like the court to consider awarding sole custody of the child to Mr. Chen… "
*…What a load of bull…* Sesshomaru thought, watching in silent disgust as the pudgy American rambled on and on about his client. *Must've been promised quite a large sum of money in reward by the looks of it…*
He glanced over to his left to see a worried look on his young client's face; he shifted his gaze down at her hands which she had tightly clasped in her lap. He looked slowly away, trying to appear aloof as he placed his own warm hand over hers. He began smile to himself when, after a very brief pause, she shyly took hold of his long fingers.
Ahhhh…finally, forgiven at last.
*Hey. Don't jinx it; she'll probably be furious with me again soon enough…*
True, true—
"—kashi? Mr. Takashi!"
Nnamani's sharp voice quickly brought his attention back to his surroundings, and he stood elegantly to his feet.
"Yes?"
"Are you ready to present your side of the case, counselor?"
"Yes, thank you…Now then, Mr. Anderson, you were saying a moment ago that your client had all of the required…"prerequisites" to see about this child, correct?"
"Well…yes—"
"So, just to summarize then," he continued, slowly approaching the two of them. "Your client Mr. Chen, a man well into his prime who, as the very busy chairman of the Yamada-Kobayashi Financial Services Company, is more fit to raise this young child?"
By now, he was standing right in front of them, leaning toward them with both clawed hands planted on top of the table. Anderson began to sweat under his amber-eyed stare and he shot a nervous, helpless look at his employer who watched him with a barely noticeable irk of his eyebrow.
"…Y-yes."
"I see…" slowly, he brought his eyes over to the pale silver-eyed man lounging at his left. "Mr. Chen, would you think it rude of me if I prodded you any deeper?"
"Do as you like." He calmly replied. "I have nothing to hide…"
At this he irked an eyebrow.
"Oh?" he asked. Then, straightening, he made his way back to his seat and rifled through his stack of papers. "Funny, I'm sure I had them—ah, here they are."
"Counselor?"
"Forgive me, your Honor. If the bailiff would be so kind as to pass these to you?" he held them out as the bailiff, gaining a nod of approval from the judge, stepped forward. "I think you'll find these files rather interesting…"
"Sesshomaru!" D'Leh quietly hissed, gaining his attention. "What are those?"
"Oh, just a little something I dug up about your father. And…I know it wasn't any of my business, but I looked into his past marriages as well, your mother's in particular." He whispered back as the judge quietly looked over the files she now had in her hands. "I've come to understand why you didn't want me to get involved with this; apparently, your father was still married to his previous wife when he was seeing your…"
He stopped when she looked away from him, shameful that he now knew that she was…well…a bastard child. Of course, she couldn't blame her mother for the mistake she had made; she never even knew he had a wife to begin with…
"Hey…hey, look at me."
Slowly, she did as he asked (though she couldn't meet his eyes).
"Don't think me shallow simply because I am of noble blood; frankly, I couldn't care less about your parents. It doesn't change who you are to me…"
Still unable to look him in the eye she nodded her understanding, feeling surprisingly happy. Meanwhile, while the two of them were whispering to one another Fuhua watched them (primarily Sesshomaru) through narrowed suspicious eyes. What exactly was this man planning? He blinked when he saw his daughter look away from him, almost as if…
*She…can't seriously be in love with this man…?* he thought, slightly amused. *No…she might not love him yet, but something's there…something that could be of use to me in the future—*
"Mr. Chen." Nnamani barked, watching him with a stern eye. "Would you mind explaining this to the court?"
She handed the papers back to the bailiff who then placed them right in front of him. D'Leh and Sesshomaru watched as both her father and his lawyer whispered fervently to one another.
"Mr. Chen?" Nnamani repeated, losing her patience.
They glanced quickly up at her, as if at a loss, then Anderson stood abruptly to his feet.
"Uh, your honor, these documents are completely useless for this hearing; they have absolutely no bearing on whether or not my client is capable of taking care of the child—"
"I would have to disagree, counselor." Sesshomaru smoothly interrupted him. "Your client is a bigamist; it's no secret that Mr. Chen has had multiple extramarital affairs, as well as numerous accounts of domestic violence due to heavy intoxication. Furthermore, Mr. Chen has had no apparent interest in the child since her mother's unfortunate death. Now, I don't know about you Mr. Anderson, but does that sound like a suitable guardian?"
D'Leh had to hide a smile as the fat man blubbered out an excuse. Then she glanced furtively to her right to see Sesshomaru smirking to himself.
*Wow…* she thought, blinking. *The merciless-bloodthirsty-lawyer Sesshomaru is really scary…and, kinda sexy…*
She realized a little too late that she had been openly staring and she looked quickly away, her face warming when he had caught her eyes.
"He does have a point, counselor." Nnamani told him, cutting him off.
"Your honor, my client isn't the only one with "behavioral problems"!" Anderson, cried. "We also have proof that Ms. Jiménez is a violent, unstable juvenile! Furthermore—"
"And that's her fault?" Sesshomaru cut in, slightly annoyed. "If your client had treated his wife and daughter in a more respectable manner she wouldn't have had any need to show out in school—"
"Sesshomaru, its ok." D'Leh whispered, placing a hand on his shoulder.
Reluctantly, he conceded to her wishes and settled back down into his seat.
"Uhm, judge—I mean, your honor? Is it alright if I say something?"
Nnamani nodded her permission. D'Leh squirmed slightly in her seat as everyone turned their eyes on her, and she cleared her throat nervously before continuing.
"I, uh…I'm not gonna try and deny that I've been fighting a bit at school. Cause I have; I've got the scars to prove it. And, yes it's true that I've been seeing a therapist. That doesn't mean I'm not smart or sane enough to take care of A—my niece. And, I could never intentionally hurt her like I would those bastards at my school…But…" she sighed before continuing. "Even though I may be a bit on the violent side I…I—"
"That's quite enough." Nnamani said, stopping her. "I think I've heard everything."
*…What?*
"Obviously, neither of you seem fully able enough to provide this child with a stable home."
*But…I didn't even finish…*
"Your Honor—!"
"Please Mr. Takashi let me speak. Now, it's obvious that this young girl loves this little child, and if I could I would award you full custody right on the spot. But, as Mr. Anderson has so clearly pointed out you are still very young yourself, Jiménez; you have no stable means of income to provide for the child. Therefore, I will award joint custody between the two of you."
D'Leh's chest suddenly felt dull and cold, as if her heart had stopped beating. *What?*
"Another court date will be set to determine details concerning visitation and who will oversee the legal rights of the child. Meanwhile, the child shall stay with children's services until all matters have been resolved."
She couldn't breathe, couldn't think; they were going to take her baby away from her…She'd never be able to see her again…ever, not if her father got his grimy hands onto her…
*No…* she thought, slowly shaking her head. *No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!*
"This hearing is hereby adjourned—"
"Wait!" Sesshomaru yelled, standing quickly to his feet. "Wait, there's…there's still one more thing that this court must be made aware of."
Everyone had their eyes on him as he turned to stare down at D'Leh. Still numb with shock, D'Leh watched in obvious confusion as he placed first one loving kiss into the palm of her hand and another on her right temple.
*Wha…what is he—?*
"Counselor? What is the meaning of this—"
"Your Honor." He said, turning back to face her. "D'Leh and I…well, I know this may seem hard to believe but…she is going to become my new wife."
It took her a couple minutes to realize that everything had gone deathly quiet, and it finally dawned on her what Sesshomaru had just said.
*Wait…what?*
…My new wife…wife…wife…wife…wife…wife…wife…wife…wife…wife…wife…wife…wife…wife…wife…wife…wife…
*...WHAAATTT?*
"…Your wife—?"
"Yes." He quickly answered.
He nervously cleared his throat when he felt a very dark aura growing steadily beside him. He wisely chose not to glance in D'Leh's direction and instead he gently squeezed her hand (both to comfort himself and to calm her down).
"This was supposed to be a secret but, we've been seeing so much of one another and…well, it's a bit cliché but we fell in love…" he said quietly.
By now, D'Leh's fury was completely forgotten; she was too shocked to be angry anymore. What the hell was he trying to pull?
"…Y-you can't honestly think that we'll believe such a farce?" Anderson sneered, laughing weakly.
"Yes, that's very true…" Nnamani agreed, watching him.
He glanced from one to the other. "…You want proof? Fine."
Grabbing the front of her shirt, he yanked her to her feet and pulled her into another heated kiss (though, he had enough sense to go a little easy on her this time). Then, just as suddenly he broke the kiss and she fell in a daze back into her chair.
"Happy now?" he asked, irking an eyebrow.
There was a slight pause; then Nnamani primly cleared her throat before answering.
"Yes, thank you…well, I'm assuming you've acquainted yourself with the child then?"
He nodded. "Yes, I have a daughter of my own and…well…" he trailed off.
"Then I see no reason why the both of you cannot raise the child together." She said. "I leave the child in your capable hands—yes Mr. Anderson, what is it?"
"Y-your honor, we—"
"That's enough, Kenneth." Fuhua smoothly interrupted him. "We accept your decision, your honor."
"Very well then. I hereby appoint D'Leh and her future husband legal guardians over the child; this hearing is now adjourned. Bailiff?" she asked, rising from her seat.
She thanked him quietly as he held the door open for her, then she paused.
"Mr. Takash—Good lord, is she alright?"
Holding his briefcase in the crook of one arm, he was practically carrying his limp "bride" in the other.
"Huh? Oh…yes, she's just been so…stressed lately." He assured her, trying to keep her upright.
"…Well, I trust you'll handle the follow-up for this hearing then?"
"Yes, I will."
With one last fretful glance in their direction she walked through the door.
*Was I ever so foolish at that age?* she wondered, shaking her head with a small smile. *…Hm.*
Meanwhile, D'Leh's father watched silently as the two of them made their way down the aisle of the gallery. Then, he glanced over at his American colleague who muttered darkly to himself as he violently put away his belongings.
"Calm down." He sighed, rising gracefully to his feet. "We failed; accept it."
"B-but, Chen! You know as well as I do that that child is the key that will open many doors for the company! Without her—"
"We won't have access to the secret trust fund her father has set aside for her, I know already." He smartly clipped, losing his patience.
"We'll find some other way…" he trailed off, making his way toward the double doors of the court room. "I'll get what I want, even if I have to destroy my daughter's precious little…'engagement.'"
With that said the two men left, closing the doors softly behind them.
Having already made their way out of the courtroom D'Leh and Sesshomaru stood at opposite ends of the elevator, quietly flicking uneasy gazes at one another; the silence was stifling, as if the air was now lifeless and stagnant. By now, D'Leh had regained full control over her movements but thinking back to Sesshomaru's sudden…announcement made her feel dizzy.
"Well…" Sesshomaru began, gaining her attention. "I'll draw up the paperwork for the marriage license…I'll need to add your name to the family register, too, but that shouldn't be too much of a hass—"
"ARE YOU F***ING NUTS?" she screeched, flushing a deep ruby red in what he assumed was hot fury. "MARRIAGE? MARRIAGE?"
Sesshomaru began to sweat when she suddenly switched to a rapid steady flow of Spanish, pacing wildly around the small elevator; her raving continued as she stomped angrily out of the elevator the moment the door had swished open. Many people stared as they hurriedly made their way toward the exit, and (strangely) by the time they made it to the parking lot D'Leh had finally gone quiet…
…That's not good, is it?
*Nope.* he thought, unlocking the car.
He climbed in to find her staring out the window down at the painted asphalt, again in one of her very rare periods of absolute calm. He quietly slammed the door close and sighed as he placed the key into the ignition. Though, right as he was about to turn it D'Leh's hand suddenly shot out, stopping him.
"Sesshomaru…" she quietly began, "what the hell did you do?"
"…Is this a trick question or are you being serious?"
She sucked her teeth at him in annoyance.
"Stop kidding; this isn't funny!"
{~~~~~~~Finds this absolutely hilarious.
*Shut up, Belial…*
"You…you can't seriously be considering this marriage, can you?"
"…There was no other way D'Leh." He told her, sighing. "It was only a last resort, but—"
"Sesshomaru…you don't love me." She whispered.
He blinked.
"Don't be stupid. I care about you and your family very much—"
"That's not the same thing!" she cried. "You don't propose marriage to someone you just care about, ¿Te loca?—"
"Look, this won't be permanent if that's what you're worried about." He assured her. "I'm only marrying you for one reason; to keep you and Ai together. She belongs with you, and once you're able to take care of her all on your own we can file for divorce."
"B-but, Sesshomaru I can't—"
"Yes, you can. And it's not like we can never speak to one another."
"…I guess that's true…" she muttered, looking down at her lap. "But, how can we pull this thing off?"
He shrugged carelessly whilst turning on the ignition.
"I was convincing enough in the courtroom, so it shouldn't it be that hard." He said, backing his car out of the parking spot.
She blushed warmly, suddenly remembering.
"W-where are we going now?" she asked, putting on her seatbelt.
"Well, we'll have to get your grandmother's blessing before we plan the wedding, yes?"
Her blush deepened. She had absolutely no idea how her grandmother would react—Well, actually she did but it wasn't something she wanted to see.
"U-uhhh, well yeah but—"
"What's wrong, Honey?" he asked, smirking in amusement. "Are you worried about something?"
"S-shut up, asshole!" she yelled.
Awww. Our blushing bwide is all embawassed.
*Indeed.*
It wasn't long before they pulled up in her grandmother's driveway, and she opened the door only to be wrapped into the tightest hug her grandmother had ever given her.
"You're back, you're back!" she squealed, rocking side to side.
"Yes, I'm home." She reassured her with a small laugh.
"You're laughing, why are you laughing?" she demanded, pulling away from her. "Did something good happen? Tell me, tell me!"
"Calm down! Just let me come inside first."
"Oh! I'm sorry, Sesshomaru I didn't realize you were here!" she said sheepishly. "Please come in."
"Yes, thank you."
"So?" she prodded as he closed the door behind him.
"They named me guardian; she's staying here, with us." She told her, smiling. Then, she glanced quickly back at Sesshomaru. "But, uhm—"
"But?" Consuelo glanced between the two of them, looking a little worried. "What is it, D'Leh? Tell me."
"W-well, there's…there's something you need to know…" she murmured. "About, Sesshomaru and me…"
Hehe…This is gonna be fuuuuuuunnnn…
alright, so I can't use the "?" + "!" in my story for some reason (which I really really hate), or the "" symbol (I had to use "{" .)...I'm just too big of a perfectionist when it comes to these things so just ignore this little section. :) anyway, number of hits have gone way way up (which makes me very very happy), so please continue with the reads and the great reviews.