Sesshoumaru watched as a weak Tashiro numbly paced Sesshoumaru's new study.
"You really should just sit down," he said.
"No," Tashiro said shaking his head, and waved a clawed hand carelessly at Sesshoumaru. "To anxious, won't be able to sit down and stay still," Sesshoumaru continued to stare at him as Tashiro paced his study. His whole form was trembling, like he had just fought a battle that didn't stop for a week.
"So, it really is true then," Sesshoumaru said. Tashiro looked at him.
"What's true?" he asked.
"That having a vision is very tiresome," Tashiro nodded.
"Most youkai that have visions die after the visions if they haven't had proper training," Tashiro looked at the walls that he once thought of his own, now passed down the younger youkai before him.
"What about humans?" Sesshoumaru asked, out of pure curiosity.
"They can't even imagine that they had a vision. Even if they did happen to have a vision, they would die before 5 seconds, with their minds turning to mush, and oozing out of their ears and nostrils, and maybe their mouth, if they happen to sleep with their mouths open,"
"Now you are just joking," Sesshoumaru pointed at him, as he leaned back on his over stuffed armchair. Tashiro smiled, even when the eastern lands and western lands where now at war with the north he would have a joke for everything, and nodded.
"Yes, I suppose I am. Though if something like that did happen, I really wouldn't be surprised," Sesshoumaru snorted humorously at the thought.
The door swung open, and an angry female youkai walked into the room, shocking both of the males.
"Kagome! What are you . . . You're not supposed to be able to move!" Tashiro pointed at her. Kagome glared at her, and turned her attention to a now standing Sesshoumaru, who looked rather angry.
"Kagome, what are you doing? This is bad for you and . . ." Kagome cut him off.
"Do NOT start with me, and my health business! I'm perfectly fi," she collapsed, and would have fallen to the floor, if Sesshoumaru hadn't caught her.
"You are not 'fine' as you where about to say," Sesshoumaru growled in her ear. Kagome wanted to shiver, at his deep rich voice, but her pride wouldn't allow it. Sesshoumaru leaned back, and sat down on his chair once more, with Kagome on his lap, holding her close to him, carefully.
"I demand to know what is going on, now!" Kagome said, trying to push away from Sesshoumaru, but in her weak state she couldn't even start to swing her legs over to get off Sesshoumaru. The short walk from her bedroom, to the study paid its toll on her. Tashiro's lips twitched.
"Have you been keeping the events away from her, Sesshoumaru?" Tashiro asked quietly.
"Yes, he has!" Kagome said angrily, slapping his shoulder that didn't have the large shoulder guard on it, with the spikes.
"For your own good!" Sesshoumaru reasoned.
"Bull shit! I think you're doing this, just to piss me off, you bastard!" Kagome growled. Sesshoumaru arched his left eyebrow at her, as Tashiro burst out with laughter. Another deep voice filled with laughter joined Tashiro.
"Who would have thought," Hirotada said as he walked into the room. "That my daughter-in-law had such vocabulary," he said still laughing. "Now may I ask, why Kagome was forced to use such language?" for he had only walked into the room to hear Kagome's words.
"Apparently, your son has been keeping secrets from her," Tashiro said, finally sitting down, as he felt like his legs where going to collapse.
"What kind of secrets?"
"About the events that have been happening. I don't think he's even told her about InuYasha,"
"What about InuYasha?" Kagome growled as she once again returned her gaze to Sesshoumaru.
"He's been released, intending to search for OniGumo," Sesshoumaru said like it was nothing. But he wasn't expecting Kagome's next move.
Tashiro and Hirotada howled with laughter as Sesshoumaru stared at Kagome with a stunned look, as a bright red hand-print formed on his cheek. "I think it wise that you tell her every thing, Sesshoumaru," Tashiro said. "And quickly, for Kami knows what she'll do next,"
"I will not," Sesshoumaru said defiantly. "She's not even in perfect health. She can't hold much stress, looked what happened to her last time she got over powered with stress,"
"What the hell did you expect me to feel, when someone is trying to kidnap me?! Damn it, Sesshoumaru, tell me what is going on, before I fucking slap you again!" Kagome when from a whispered to a full blown yell as she talked.
"Right," Tashiro said getting up. "Me and Hirotada are going to be leaving, as Kagome might blow Sesshoumaru up with her miko powers and we don't want to be joining Sesshoumaru," Tashiro rambled on as he and Hirotada left the room, leaving Sesshoumaru to fend for him self against the angry female inu youkai.
"Do you dare threaten this Sesshoumaru, lord of the eastern lands, and heir to the western lands?" Sesshoumaru asked, running his finger tips over his red cheek. Kagome glared at him.
"Yes I do, oh mighty one!" she bit out angrily, as she stared angrily at Sesshoumaru, trying to make him back down. Sesshoumaru held her gaze, easily. Kagome closed her eyes, and breathed and out slowly, trying to calm her self. She body relaxed, as she leaned against him, resting her heard on his shoulder, nuzzling his neck. She felt like crying.
"I'm sorry, Sesshoumaru," she whispered against his neck, as she blinked back tears. "I really am, I'm sorry for hitting you, I'm sorry for calling you a bastard, and for every thing else," she whimpered softly, as a tear fell from her closed eyes, dripped against his neck, and slowly slid down, onto his shoulder. Sesshoumaru's arms where instantly around her, his hands running up and down her back. He was amazed at her sudden changes in mood. "Kami," Kagome whispered. "I hate crying," as she whipped her cheeks. "It's just that . . ." Kagome paused. "No it doesn't matter," she whispered, as she once again rested her head against him, listening his to her strong heartbeat.
"It does matter, Kagome," Sesshoumaru said quietly. "Tell me,"
"It's just that, it's unfair that you've been keeping things away from me," she whispered. "I know that youkai pregnancies are delicate, but don't I, at least have the right, to know what is going on around me?" Sesshoumaru looked down her small form pressed against him. "Please. Sesshou, please tell me what is going on," Kagome whispered so quietly, that Sesshoumaru all most missed it. But the sadness in her voice, was just enough of twisting his heart. He sighed, as he pressed Kagome against him even closer, resting his cheek against the top of her head, breathing in her sent.
"All right," he said quietly. "But just relax. I don't need you to get over stressed again," Kagome nodded as she melted into her mates embrace, closing her eyes, as Sesshoumaru told her of every little detail that he had found out, from secret passage ways in Hisashi's castle, to Tashiro's vision.
"That's where Naraku learned the puppet trick!" Kagome whispered to her self. "And most likely, why he wanted to become a demon! 'Cause he was raised by Hisashi!" Sesshoumaru nodded. "But if we get OniGumo away from Hisashi, wouldn't he be okay, and be able to live a live like a normal human?" Kagome asked.
"That could be true. But OniGumo could not have been good before Hisashi raised him. He might have been evil himself,"
"But every child is not evil when they are born," Kagome reasoned. "If they turn evil, it's most likely the parents fault," Sesshoumaru nodded.
"Yes, your right," A knock came to the door. "Come in," Sesshoumaru called out. The door slowly opened, and InuYasha stepped in his head hung low, to hide his face.
"Lady Kagome," he said quietly. "I came here to say I'm sorry, for the things I've done. I ruined a friendship, a bond between a brother, and lost the trust of my parents and ones around me. I've spent my time . . . Locked up, and each day I sourly regretted ever trying to place harm on you," he whispered. Kagome smiled warmly.
"It's all right, InuYasha. And don't call me 'lady', what type of friend calls their friends 'lady'?" She said cheerfully. InuYasha looked up, and smiled. Kagome got up slowly from Sesshoumaru's lap, and opened her arms for a hug. InuYasha walked up to her, and hugged her tightly as a friend.
Sesshoumaru watched InuYasha very closely sense he had walked into the room. He took deep breath's, that nobody noticed, to try to smell the smallest amount of deceit. There wasn't any. He watched as Kagome gave him a friendly hug, though he was slightly uncomfortable with her doing that, he bit back a growl of warning.
"Kagome," Sesshoumaru said, standing up, after they stepped away from each other. "I do believe that you shouldn't be down here for this long. I'll be up their shortly, for I have something to show you, but first I need to talk to InuYasha, and the four sisters, so if you see them, kindly say that I need to talk to them in here," Kagome nodded. "Get a servant to help you with those stairs," he said sternly, but Kagome knew that he was just looking out for her, and the child, plus InuYasha was in the room, and Kagome could tell he was still a little soar with InuYasha. Kagome nodded, and quietly walked from the room.
"Sesshoumaru . . . Or 'lord' Sesshoumaru, how are you today?" InuYasha asked, with a slight smirk. Sesshoumaru smirked back.
"Fine, and you, InuYasha?" InuYasha smiled as he looked around at the office.
"Didn't do too bad, did you, Sesshoumaru?" he asked, looking at the leather books with real gold lettering.
"No, I didn't," Sesshoumaru agreed turning to his desk. InuYasha walked past him too look out the window. He knew that InuYasha was trying to stay away from the 'kidnapping' subject till a better time, and had no problem with it.
"Damn!" InuYasha whistled as he looked out the window. Sesshoumaru turned around, looking to what had caught his younger brother's attention. Tashiro's, or now his forces, along with his fathers where joining together around the castle, in the main gates. They surrounded the castle with ease, they had about 150 soldiers spill into the courtyard. Sesshoumaru watched as they set up camp, and so, some had fires going and cooking a mid day meal. The noises of the solders working, talking, and laughing, entered the room, when InuYasha opened the window, so he could lean out, to get a better view.
InuYasha turned around and froze a little, when he saw what Kagome called a 'photograph' of her and Sesshoumaru, under a tree. Kagome wanted one about a week before the ceremony. Tashiro, Nanami, Hirotada, and Sakura where there also, along with Kouga. He would have been it too, if he hadn't acted like an idiot and tried to steal Kagome.
Then their was two smaller photo's one on each side of the one large on. The one of the right, was one with Sesshoumaru and Kagome. His arms where around her shoulders, with her hands on her chest. They where kissing, and leaning against the same tree in the first one. No doubt that it was Tashiro who had crept up in front of them, most likely hiding somewhere, and took the picture. It was just something Tashiro would do.
Then the last one was with Kagome by her self. She was sitting on a bench, with a wall covered with vines and roses behind her. It most likely was taken in the maze in the back of the castle. In all three pictures she was wearing a white silk kimono, her hair hanging loosely down her back, and over her shoulders, so while she was sitting, it cascaded over the bench, and even to the ground. She had a book propped open in her lap, with though her face was smiling toward the 'camera' as she called it. Sesshoumaru had placed it so her smile shinned at the person sitting behind the desk.
InuYasha then noticed a fairly large pile of photos. The top photo was Kagome walking down the path with Tashiro. Tashiro was winking at the person with the camera, as Kagome didn't seem to notice, and seemed to be staring past the person holding the camera. {Most likely staring at Sesshoumaru,} InuYasha thought bitterly. Sakura told him, that Tashiro had 'borrowed' Kagome's camera that day, and paid Kouga to take photo's when they weren't looking. Also how they all went to a lunch out side the day where the three photo's where shot. Tashiro had so much fun with the camera that he went through ten roles of film, and didn't want to give back at the end of the day. He had a little laugh over that.
Sesshoumaru watched, as InuYasha viewed the photos on his desk, with a careful eye. He watched as his little brothers eyes saddened as he viewed the picture that Tashiro has taken of them under the three, and the one on the top of the pile. InuYasha was about to comment on the photos when the four sisters walked in. "Kagome said, that you wanted to see us, Lord Sesshoumaru?" Sachi asked.
"Yes, please, set down," he said. "InuYasha you too," they all took seats before him.
Sesshoumaru asked the sisters about the village-keeping book, that Tashiro had described in his vision. The sisters agreed that they would gladly go and try to steal it away, when the time was right. InuYasha said that he would go with them. He was willing to die if that meant that he had finished his debt to his family and Kagome. The meeting took about an hour.
"If you will excuse me," Sesshoumaru said, taking the pile of photo's from his desk, and walking from the room. "I'm sure that you would all like some mid day meal," he said, to them, leaving them standing in the hallway.
~~
Kagome was sitting up, propped against the headboard with the pillows, eating while reading a book, when Sesshoumaru walked up in the room. "You said, shortly," Kagome said, mocking anger.
"The short meeting took longer then I thought," He walked to the other side of the bed, laying beside her, and stretched his legs out, closing his eyes, and sighed slightly.
"Long day?" Kagome asked, looking down at her mate. Sesshoumaru cracked on eye open at her, as she giggled. "Cracker?" she offered him a plate of crackers that she was reduced to eating. Sesshoumaru smirked at her.
"I put up with a lot of things, Kagome," he said smirking. "But I will never put up with those hellish dry crackers," Kagome laughed softly, as she placed the plate on the bedside table, she moved to lay down, on her side, facing him.
"What's that in her hand?" she asked. Sesshoumaru handed her the pile of photos. Kagome smiled, as she looked at the first few photos careful not to get any fingerprints on the photos. "I don't remember any one taking photo's," Kagome said. She laughed as she saw the one where Tashiro was walking her down the path, winking at the camera that only he knew was there. She rubbed her lower belly slightly, biting back a moan of discomfort, as a throbbing pain filled her lower stomach. Sesshoumaru placed a hand on her stomach, and kissed her neck, softly.
"Tashiro paid Kouga to take photo's of us when nobody was looking, so that's why we never saw Kouga at the ceremony. He was hiding from us, that way if we saw him, we didn't see the camera. Also, Tashiro wanted photo's where the people weren't all clumped together smiling at the camera, he wanted photo's of 'real life', as Tashiro put it," Sesshoumaru said. Kagome smiled.
"I'm surprised that Tashiro didn't take the photo's himself," Kagome giggled, remembering how she had to all most tackle her father that one day, when he didn't want to give the camera back. Sesshoumaru chuckled. Kagome giggled when she came to the last photo of the ceremony. "Looks like Kouga stalked us in the hallways," she giggled, as the last picture was of Sesshoumaru and Kagome about to enter their room. Sesshoumaru chuckled as he two viewed the pictures with her. The shared laughs as they turned to the out door lunch. In one photo it showed Kagome being chased by Sesshoumaru, as she had stolen his boot, while he was sitting under a tree. Nanami, Hirotada, and Sakura where in the background holding on to each other, as they all most died from laughter.
There where other pictures, one photo had Sesshoumaru and Hirotada standing beside each other as they talked, watching the females chase each other playfully. Sesshoumaru was currently glaring at Hirotada, as he had just made a joke about 'the 'big' night'. Other photo's where just as funny, and some where were screw ups, as Tashiro was learning how to use a camera, and forgot to make sure the camera was facing the right way, so the pictures where blurred, with one part of his face, covering the photo, mostly his eyes, in mid blink was the flash went right next to his eyes. And other photo's where people where making faces at the camera, and others where normal ones.
"Oh, that was a lovely distraction, from all the hustle and bustle around here," Kagome sighed, as she placed the photo's carefully on her bedside table. She snuggled up to Sesshoumaru's sighed, falling into a light sleep. Sesshoumaru, too, took a light nap, as he was exhausted from the day's events.
"No," Tashiro said shaking his head, and waved a clawed hand carelessly at Sesshoumaru. "To anxious, won't be able to sit down and stay still," Sesshoumaru continued to stare at him as Tashiro paced his study. His whole form was trembling, like he had just fought a battle that didn't stop for a week.
"So, it really is true then," Sesshoumaru said. Tashiro looked at him.
"What's true?" he asked.
"That having a vision is very tiresome," Tashiro nodded.
"Most youkai that have visions die after the visions if they haven't had proper training," Tashiro looked at the walls that he once thought of his own, now passed down the younger youkai before him.
"What about humans?" Sesshoumaru asked, out of pure curiosity.
"They can't even imagine that they had a vision. Even if they did happen to have a vision, they would die before 5 seconds, with their minds turning to mush, and oozing out of their ears and nostrils, and maybe their mouth, if they happen to sleep with their mouths open,"
"Now you are just joking," Sesshoumaru pointed at him, as he leaned back on his over stuffed armchair. Tashiro smiled, even when the eastern lands and western lands where now at war with the north he would have a joke for everything, and nodded.
"Yes, I suppose I am. Though if something like that did happen, I really wouldn't be surprised," Sesshoumaru snorted humorously at the thought.
The door swung open, and an angry female youkai walked into the room, shocking both of the males.
"Kagome! What are you . . . You're not supposed to be able to move!" Tashiro pointed at her. Kagome glared at her, and turned her attention to a now standing Sesshoumaru, who looked rather angry.
"Kagome, what are you doing? This is bad for you and . . ." Kagome cut him off.
"Do NOT start with me, and my health business! I'm perfectly fi," she collapsed, and would have fallen to the floor, if Sesshoumaru hadn't caught her.
"You are not 'fine' as you where about to say," Sesshoumaru growled in her ear. Kagome wanted to shiver, at his deep rich voice, but her pride wouldn't allow it. Sesshoumaru leaned back, and sat down on his chair once more, with Kagome on his lap, holding her close to him, carefully.
"I demand to know what is going on, now!" Kagome said, trying to push away from Sesshoumaru, but in her weak state she couldn't even start to swing her legs over to get off Sesshoumaru. The short walk from her bedroom, to the study paid its toll on her. Tashiro's lips twitched.
"Have you been keeping the events away from her, Sesshoumaru?" Tashiro asked quietly.
"Yes, he has!" Kagome said angrily, slapping his shoulder that didn't have the large shoulder guard on it, with the spikes.
"For your own good!" Sesshoumaru reasoned.
"Bull shit! I think you're doing this, just to piss me off, you bastard!" Kagome growled. Sesshoumaru arched his left eyebrow at her, as Tashiro burst out with laughter. Another deep voice filled with laughter joined Tashiro.
"Who would have thought," Hirotada said as he walked into the room. "That my daughter-in-law had such vocabulary," he said still laughing. "Now may I ask, why Kagome was forced to use such language?" for he had only walked into the room to hear Kagome's words.
"Apparently, your son has been keeping secrets from her," Tashiro said, finally sitting down, as he felt like his legs where going to collapse.
"What kind of secrets?"
"About the events that have been happening. I don't think he's even told her about InuYasha,"
"What about InuYasha?" Kagome growled as she once again returned her gaze to Sesshoumaru.
"He's been released, intending to search for OniGumo," Sesshoumaru said like it was nothing. But he wasn't expecting Kagome's next move.
Tashiro and Hirotada howled with laughter as Sesshoumaru stared at Kagome with a stunned look, as a bright red hand-print formed on his cheek. "I think it wise that you tell her every thing, Sesshoumaru," Tashiro said. "And quickly, for Kami knows what she'll do next,"
"I will not," Sesshoumaru said defiantly. "She's not even in perfect health. She can't hold much stress, looked what happened to her last time she got over powered with stress,"
"What the hell did you expect me to feel, when someone is trying to kidnap me?! Damn it, Sesshoumaru, tell me what is going on, before I fucking slap you again!" Kagome when from a whispered to a full blown yell as she talked.
"Right," Tashiro said getting up. "Me and Hirotada are going to be leaving, as Kagome might blow Sesshoumaru up with her miko powers and we don't want to be joining Sesshoumaru," Tashiro rambled on as he and Hirotada left the room, leaving Sesshoumaru to fend for him self against the angry female inu youkai.
"Do you dare threaten this Sesshoumaru, lord of the eastern lands, and heir to the western lands?" Sesshoumaru asked, running his finger tips over his red cheek. Kagome glared at him.
"Yes I do, oh mighty one!" she bit out angrily, as she stared angrily at Sesshoumaru, trying to make him back down. Sesshoumaru held her gaze, easily. Kagome closed her eyes, and breathed and out slowly, trying to calm her self. She body relaxed, as she leaned against him, resting her heard on his shoulder, nuzzling his neck. She felt like crying.
"I'm sorry, Sesshoumaru," she whispered against his neck, as she blinked back tears. "I really am, I'm sorry for hitting you, I'm sorry for calling you a bastard, and for every thing else," she whimpered softly, as a tear fell from her closed eyes, dripped against his neck, and slowly slid down, onto his shoulder. Sesshoumaru's arms where instantly around her, his hands running up and down her back. He was amazed at her sudden changes in mood. "Kami," Kagome whispered. "I hate crying," as she whipped her cheeks. "It's just that . . ." Kagome paused. "No it doesn't matter," she whispered, as she once again rested her head against him, listening his to her strong heartbeat.
"It does matter, Kagome," Sesshoumaru said quietly. "Tell me,"
"It's just that, it's unfair that you've been keeping things away from me," she whispered. "I know that youkai pregnancies are delicate, but don't I, at least have the right, to know what is going on around me?" Sesshoumaru looked down her small form pressed against him. "Please. Sesshou, please tell me what is going on," Kagome whispered so quietly, that Sesshoumaru all most missed it. But the sadness in her voice, was just enough of twisting his heart. He sighed, as he pressed Kagome against him even closer, resting his cheek against the top of her head, breathing in her sent.
"All right," he said quietly. "But just relax. I don't need you to get over stressed again," Kagome nodded as she melted into her mates embrace, closing her eyes, as Sesshoumaru told her of every little detail that he had found out, from secret passage ways in Hisashi's castle, to Tashiro's vision.
"That's where Naraku learned the puppet trick!" Kagome whispered to her self. "And most likely, why he wanted to become a demon! 'Cause he was raised by Hisashi!" Sesshoumaru nodded. "But if we get OniGumo away from Hisashi, wouldn't he be okay, and be able to live a live like a normal human?" Kagome asked.
"That could be true. But OniGumo could not have been good before Hisashi raised him. He might have been evil himself,"
"But every child is not evil when they are born," Kagome reasoned. "If they turn evil, it's most likely the parents fault," Sesshoumaru nodded.
"Yes, your right," A knock came to the door. "Come in," Sesshoumaru called out. The door slowly opened, and InuYasha stepped in his head hung low, to hide his face.
"Lady Kagome," he said quietly. "I came here to say I'm sorry, for the things I've done. I ruined a friendship, a bond between a brother, and lost the trust of my parents and ones around me. I've spent my time . . . Locked up, and each day I sourly regretted ever trying to place harm on you," he whispered. Kagome smiled warmly.
"It's all right, InuYasha. And don't call me 'lady', what type of friend calls their friends 'lady'?" She said cheerfully. InuYasha looked up, and smiled. Kagome got up slowly from Sesshoumaru's lap, and opened her arms for a hug. InuYasha walked up to her, and hugged her tightly as a friend.
Sesshoumaru watched InuYasha very closely sense he had walked into the room. He took deep breath's, that nobody noticed, to try to smell the smallest amount of deceit. There wasn't any. He watched as Kagome gave him a friendly hug, though he was slightly uncomfortable with her doing that, he bit back a growl of warning.
"Kagome," Sesshoumaru said, standing up, after they stepped away from each other. "I do believe that you shouldn't be down here for this long. I'll be up their shortly, for I have something to show you, but first I need to talk to InuYasha, and the four sisters, so if you see them, kindly say that I need to talk to them in here," Kagome nodded. "Get a servant to help you with those stairs," he said sternly, but Kagome knew that he was just looking out for her, and the child, plus InuYasha was in the room, and Kagome could tell he was still a little soar with InuYasha. Kagome nodded, and quietly walked from the room.
"Sesshoumaru . . . Or 'lord' Sesshoumaru, how are you today?" InuYasha asked, with a slight smirk. Sesshoumaru smirked back.
"Fine, and you, InuYasha?" InuYasha smiled as he looked around at the office.
"Didn't do too bad, did you, Sesshoumaru?" he asked, looking at the leather books with real gold lettering.
"No, I didn't," Sesshoumaru agreed turning to his desk. InuYasha walked past him too look out the window. He knew that InuYasha was trying to stay away from the 'kidnapping' subject till a better time, and had no problem with it.
"Damn!" InuYasha whistled as he looked out the window. Sesshoumaru turned around, looking to what had caught his younger brother's attention. Tashiro's, or now his forces, along with his fathers where joining together around the castle, in the main gates. They surrounded the castle with ease, they had about 150 soldiers spill into the courtyard. Sesshoumaru watched as they set up camp, and so, some had fires going and cooking a mid day meal. The noises of the solders working, talking, and laughing, entered the room, when InuYasha opened the window, so he could lean out, to get a better view.
InuYasha turned around and froze a little, when he saw what Kagome called a 'photograph' of her and Sesshoumaru, under a tree. Kagome wanted one about a week before the ceremony. Tashiro, Nanami, Hirotada, and Sakura where there also, along with Kouga. He would have been it too, if he hadn't acted like an idiot and tried to steal Kagome.
Then their was two smaller photo's one on each side of the one large on. The one of the right, was one with Sesshoumaru and Kagome. His arms where around her shoulders, with her hands on her chest. They where kissing, and leaning against the same tree in the first one. No doubt that it was Tashiro who had crept up in front of them, most likely hiding somewhere, and took the picture. It was just something Tashiro would do.
Then the last one was with Kagome by her self. She was sitting on a bench, with a wall covered with vines and roses behind her. It most likely was taken in the maze in the back of the castle. In all three pictures she was wearing a white silk kimono, her hair hanging loosely down her back, and over her shoulders, so while she was sitting, it cascaded over the bench, and even to the ground. She had a book propped open in her lap, with though her face was smiling toward the 'camera' as she called it. Sesshoumaru had placed it so her smile shinned at the person sitting behind the desk.
InuYasha then noticed a fairly large pile of photos. The top photo was Kagome walking down the path with Tashiro. Tashiro was winking at the person with the camera, as Kagome didn't seem to notice, and seemed to be staring past the person holding the camera. {Most likely staring at Sesshoumaru,} InuYasha thought bitterly. Sakura told him, that Tashiro had 'borrowed' Kagome's camera that day, and paid Kouga to take photo's when they weren't looking. Also how they all went to a lunch out side the day where the three photo's where shot. Tashiro had so much fun with the camera that he went through ten roles of film, and didn't want to give back at the end of the day. He had a little laugh over that.
Sesshoumaru watched, as InuYasha viewed the photos on his desk, with a careful eye. He watched as his little brothers eyes saddened as he viewed the picture that Tashiro has taken of them under the three, and the one on the top of the pile. InuYasha was about to comment on the photos when the four sisters walked in. "Kagome said, that you wanted to see us, Lord Sesshoumaru?" Sachi asked.
"Yes, please, set down," he said. "InuYasha you too," they all took seats before him.
Sesshoumaru asked the sisters about the village-keeping book, that Tashiro had described in his vision. The sisters agreed that they would gladly go and try to steal it away, when the time was right. InuYasha said that he would go with them. He was willing to die if that meant that he had finished his debt to his family and Kagome. The meeting took about an hour.
"If you will excuse me," Sesshoumaru said, taking the pile of photo's from his desk, and walking from the room. "I'm sure that you would all like some mid day meal," he said, to them, leaving them standing in the hallway.
~~
Kagome was sitting up, propped against the headboard with the pillows, eating while reading a book, when Sesshoumaru walked up in the room. "You said, shortly," Kagome said, mocking anger.
"The short meeting took longer then I thought," He walked to the other side of the bed, laying beside her, and stretched his legs out, closing his eyes, and sighed slightly.
"Long day?" Kagome asked, looking down at her mate. Sesshoumaru cracked on eye open at her, as she giggled. "Cracker?" she offered him a plate of crackers that she was reduced to eating. Sesshoumaru smirked at her.
"I put up with a lot of things, Kagome," he said smirking. "But I will never put up with those hellish dry crackers," Kagome laughed softly, as she placed the plate on the bedside table, she moved to lay down, on her side, facing him.
"What's that in her hand?" she asked. Sesshoumaru handed her the pile of photos. Kagome smiled, as she looked at the first few photos careful not to get any fingerprints on the photos. "I don't remember any one taking photo's," Kagome said. She laughed as she saw the one where Tashiro was walking her down the path, winking at the camera that only he knew was there. She rubbed her lower belly slightly, biting back a moan of discomfort, as a throbbing pain filled her lower stomach. Sesshoumaru placed a hand on her stomach, and kissed her neck, softly.
"Tashiro paid Kouga to take photo's of us when nobody was looking, so that's why we never saw Kouga at the ceremony. He was hiding from us, that way if we saw him, we didn't see the camera. Also, Tashiro wanted photo's where the people weren't all clumped together smiling at the camera, he wanted photo's of 'real life', as Tashiro put it," Sesshoumaru said. Kagome smiled.
"I'm surprised that Tashiro didn't take the photo's himself," Kagome giggled, remembering how she had to all most tackle her father that one day, when he didn't want to give the camera back. Sesshoumaru chuckled. Kagome giggled when she came to the last photo of the ceremony. "Looks like Kouga stalked us in the hallways," she giggled, as the last picture was of Sesshoumaru and Kagome about to enter their room. Sesshoumaru chuckled as he two viewed the pictures with her. The shared laughs as they turned to the out door lunch. In one photo it showed Kagome being chased by Sesshoumaru, as she had stolen his boot, while he was sitting under a tree. Nanami, Hirotada, and Sakura where in the background holding on to each other, as they all most died from laughter.
There where other pictures, one photo had Sesshoumaru and Hirotada standing beside each other as they talked, watching the females chase each other playfully. Sesshoumaru was currently glaring at Hirotada, as he had just made a joke about 'the 'big' night'. Other photo's where just as funny, and some where were screw ups, as Tashiro was learning how to use a camera, and forgot to make sure the camera was facing the right way, so the pictures where blurred, with one part of his face, covering the photo, mostly his eyes, in mid blink was the flash went right next to his eyes. And other photo's where people where making faces at the camera, and others where normal ones.
"Oh, that was a lovely distraction, from all the hustle and bustle around here," Kagome sighed, as she placed the photo's carefully on her bedside table. She snuggled up to Sesshoumaru's sighed, falling into a light sleep. Sesshoumaru, too, took a light nap, as he was exhausted from the day's events.