AN: Hey friends! Time for a new chapter. I want to extend a shout out to angeleyes20876 for your comment in which you state "he could be knocked down a peg. Or six." I used this as a line in this chapter, so thank you for that :)

I hope everyone is pleased with this chapter. I enjoyed writing it. Please review; tell me your thoughts. Thanks for reading.

Got You

Sesshomaru walked casually towards his study, intent on finishing up some work. He also needed debriefing from Inuyasha. He would worry about that tomorrow, once he was sure the miko's scent did not linger on him so obviously.

Unfortunately for Sesshomaru, fate had other plans for him. Upon opening the door to his study, Inuyasha was there, sat on the edge of the desk, waiting for him. Sesshomaru lifted a brow at Inuyasha. He didn't usually come unless summoned or without important information to relay. While their relationship had vastly improved, they were hardly brotherly towards one another.

That is to say, they tolerated each other. Past that, well, it depended on the day.

Sesshomaru wondered, briefly, how he would explain away the miko's scent, so thoroughly infused with his.

"Inuyasha," Sesshomaru addressed, sliding the shoji closed behind him, "I presume you have a purpose for being here," he eyed Inuyasha distastefully, "sitting on my desk."

Inuyasha stared at Sesshomaru in a state of shock so absolute that it could have rivaled the emotion he saw on his half-brother's face upon seeing the miko again in the courtyard. Sesshomaru sighed, audibly, raising a hand to silence the hanyou before he could say anything about the aroma that was now pervading the room – so clearly belonging to the miko.

"Speak nothing of it, Inuyasha, unless you wish for me to correct your impudence."

"How do you expect me not to say anything," Inuyasha demanded, dumbfounded, "I could smell her on you before you walked into the room!"

"Inuyasha," he growled in warning, "You overstep."

Inuyasha took a deep, calming breath, realizing his position – and tried really hard to ignore the lung-full of the proof of Sesshomaru's passionate night with Kagome. It was not his place to question Sesshomaru regarding his sexual conquests. But Inuyasha was astounded. And it was Kagome involved here. It may have been ten years since they last had any contact with each other, but Inuyasha would never forget what Kagome had done for him. He still cared for her, deeply.

"I just have one question," Inuyasha said, voice firm, looking Sesshomaru directly in the eyes, "You didn't force yourself on her, did you?"

Sesshomaru snarled, loudly, at his insolent brother. To suggest that someone such as he would ever descend so lowly as to force himself on a woman – and a human woman at that. Sesshomaru would never need to resort to such drastic measures to find his release. Women fell at his feet.

The audacity of this half-breed.

Inuyasha, sensing his brother's dangerous aura, raised his hands to appease him.

"Okay. Point taken."

"Inuyasha," Sesshomaru said, voice still hard, "Sit," he pointed to the seat in front of his desk, "Not on my desk."

Inuyasha sat, waiting for his brother to initiate whatever conversation he wanted to have. When Sesshomaru didn't do anything but stare at him, Inuyasha decided to take the reins.

"This whole situation is weird," Inuyasha said, rubbing the back of his neck, "I never thought I'd see her again."

"Hnn," Sesshomaru hummed, dismissively, "You may discuss this with her tomorrow. For now, I require your report."

Inuyasha transitioned smoothly into the role of a vassal, updating Sesshomaru on the happenings of the fortress and the lands during his time away.

"The new recruits are doing pretty well," Inuyasha said, a dark look crossing his face, "There's one, though, that might need to be knocked down a peg. Or six."

"Explain," Sesshomaru commanded, not looking up from the parchment currently in his hand.

"He's arrogant," he said, shrugging, "Too arrogant. He needs to learn some restraint."

"Hnn," he signed the bottom of the parchment he'd finished scanning, "I will leave that particular issue in your hands," He looked up at Inuyasha, then, "Be sure that you handle it."

The brothers discussed tedious judicial and administrative matters before Inuyasha stood to leave.

"Inuyasha," Sesshomaru said, halting Inuyasha's departure, "Not a word about your knowledge of this to the miko," he said firmly, eyes never leaving his work, "And I advise you to introduce her to your mate tomorrow, as well."

Inuyasha left Sesshomaru's study, even more confused than when he'd arrived there. He didn't understand what Sesshomaru was doing. Even more than that, he didn't understand why Kagome was going along with it. They were clearly sleeping together…but why? How in the hell did his aloof brother manage to get someone like Kagome to have any type of relationship with him, never mind a sexual one?

For a very short second, he considered talking to Kagome right then. But his brothers threat lingered in his mind. Inuyasha passed Kagome's door, pausing for a heartbeat to listen. The only noise he could hear was the long, slow breaths that came with sleep. Her scent escaped the room, seeping into the hallway. It was different than what he remembered her to smell like.

And not just because Sesshomaru's scent also lingered, mixing with hers to create an aroma that felt – bizarrely – like coming home.

Kagome awoke the next morning to the sound of a knock at her door. Opening her eyes slowly, it took her a moment to recognize that someone was calling her name.

"Yes," she said groggily, rolling out of bed, "Coming! Hold on!"

Kagome had yet to put clothing on – still naked from Sesshomaru's visit the night before – so she wrapped the blanket around herself before sliding the door open and peeking out. Inuyasha stood outside the door, looking perfectly awkward, and looking anywhere but directly at her.

"Inuyasha," she said, looking at him.

About to invite him in, she remembered she wasn't wearing anything beneath the blanket and instructed him to wait a moment while she dressed in her work-out clothing. She was ready quickly, sliding the door open again.

"Is there somewhere I can go to work-out," she asked him, looking down the hall in both directions.

"Work out?"

"Sorry, exercise," she said, "Train?"

His eyes lit up with understanding, "Oh! Yeah, I can show you."

They walked in companionable silence for a moment before Kagome asked him how he'd been doing the last decade.

"I've actually been great, Kagome," he told her honestly, "Actually, there are some people I'd like you to meet," he glanced at her, "What about you? How have you been?"

She shrugged, not wanting to lie but also not wanting to ruin the moment with the truth.

"I've been fine," she told him, "You know. Life."

They exited the main house and Kagome followed Inuyasha as he led her along.

He could smell the apprehension and wondered what she wasn't saying. His earlier worry that Sesshomaru had forced himself on Kagome came back but he shoved it away. He couldn't make assumptions, but he also couldn't ask her outright. He was weighing his options when she spoke again.

"Would you be willing to spar with me," she asked, as they turned a corner and headed towards a wide-open area, "I haven't had a sparring partner in almost two weeks."

Kagome could see groups of what she assumed were soldiers standing in neat formations, following the commands of several youkai who stood, imposing, before them. Inuyasha, suddenly realizing that he was taking Kagome somewhere she, as a woman, had no business being, stopped.

"Kagome, I can't spar with you," Inuyasha said, glancing at the soldiers nearby.

"Why not," she asked, confused.

They had caught the attention of many of the soldiers by then, and most of them were giving Kagome lingering looks, trying to understand who or what she was. Clearly a woman, but she wasn't dressed as one. Though, nor was she dressed as a man. Her clothing was entirely foreign and strange to them. Her hakama – if they could be called that – were skin tight, as was whatever it was she was wearing to cover the top half of her body. Her arms and shoulders were bare, and many of the soldiers regarded her appreciatively, wondering if she was somebody's human whore.

Inuyasha, aware of the stares, attempted to lead Kagome back in the direction they'd come. She wasn't having it, though.

"Inuyasha, I need to train," she said, hands on her hips, "Will you spar with me or not?"

"Kagome," he said, exasperated, "You're human. I will seriously hurt you if I spar with you."

She cocked her head, giving him an irritated look, her reiki flaring around the two for a moment before she pulled it back in.

"My last sparring partner was a full youkai and I kicked his ass all the time," she challenged.

Inuyasha was suddenly overwhelmed. This woman before him wasn't the same girl from his past. She'd grown. She had become harder, fiercer. Her last comment struck him.

"Wait, there are other youkai?" In your time. He didn't say more than necessary as there were a lot of prying eyes, currently.

She huffed, letting her hands fall to her sides, "Just him as far as I know. I can tell you all about it later. Now will you spar with me, or not?"

"I will spar with you," another voice offered.

Turning to look at the soldiers, Kagome's eyes landed on a youkai that looked shockingly like Ryoma. Her eyes went momentarily wide, as she perused the demon. She quickly realized that this wasn't Ryoma, but the similarities were striking.

"Katataka," Inuyasha warned, "Back in formation."

"I'll take you up on that offer," Kagome told him, smirking, "When you're less busy." She gestured to the threatening youkai commanding the soldiers. They glared at Katataka, menacingly.

He grinned at her, eyes flashing, "Do not forget you said that."

"This Sesshomaru will allow it," Sesshomaru voiced, strolling past the soldiers in all his glory, "Now."

"Really," Kagome asked, eyes lighting up, "You really don't mind me disrupting their training?"

"It will be a necessary lesson for this soldier in particular," Sesshomaru said, looking at Katataka, "Inuyasha, I assume this is the arrogant one you mentioned?"

"Yeah" Inuyasha drawled, confused. Why would his brother condone a youkai soldier and a human woman sparring?

Katataka looked on, unfazed. He didn't seem to mind that he was being talked about right in front of his face.

"Sesshomaru," Inuyasha started, "I'm not sure this is such a good idea."

"All will be fine," Sesshomaru told him, waving him away, "The miko can handle herself."

"Miko?" Katataka was surprised. He hadn't realized this woman was a miko. He wondered how powerful she was. He reached out with his youki and searched her aura, finding that it wasn't overwhelming, so she either had it under tight control or she was weak. Then again, his lord had just praised her. Either that or he cares very little for her well-being.

"She is," Sesshomaru verified, raising a brow at the youkai, "And you are a soldier," he stepped closer to Katataka, towering over him, "Have you changed your mind? Cowards have no place among This One's soldiers."

Kagome watched Sesshomaru as he reprimanded the youkai. Katataka looked genuinely stunned for a moment before something in his stance shifted. He straightened his spine and stood tall. He held himself proudly in front of Sesshomaru, but still lowered his eyes in fealty to his lord.

"I am no coward, my Lord," Katataka said, "Nor do I fear the miko. I was simply surprised because I had not sensed her spiritual powers previously," he looked over at Kagome, "I am still willing to spar with you."

He didn't tell her that the real reason he had offered to spar with her was because he wanted to get closer to her. He had caught her scent on the wind before she appeared around a corner beside General Inuyasha. She smelled divine. And in the clothes she currently wore, all of her assets were easily discernible. Sou liked what he saw. And unlike his lord, he held no qualms about being around humans.

Sesshomaru studied the soldier as the soldier studied the miko. He narrowed his eyes at the man, easily reading his intentions. Suddenly Sesshomaru wanted this soldier nowhere near her. At the same time, he imagined he would get a great deal of satisfaction out of seeing her put the soldier in his place.

Kagome looked around as she stretched her muscles. There were quite a few people wandering about, but the training grounds were far enough from the common areas that no one was likely to get hurt. Sesshomaru watched her as she stretched. He'd grown used to her routine as they journeyed together, but ever since she began sharing herself with him, he'd developed a new appreciation for the way her body moved while she stretched her muscles. Looking around, he noticed several of the soldiers eyeing her and barely contained his growl.

Perhaps this had been a hasty decision.

"What's your name?" Kagome asked the soldier she was about to spar with, "Your first name, I mean," she clarified.

"Sou," Katataka told her, watching her movements carefully.

"I won't go easy on you, Sou," she promised, "And I will very likely use my reiki, as I'm at an obvious disadvantage, but I can heal you if you get hurt," she looked at him, "You still okay with this?"

"Maybe we should go to the dojo," Inuyasha murmured.

"Next time," she said, "Here is fine for now."

She looked at Katataka, awaiting his answer. That was an easy 'yes' for Katataka to give.

Smiling at the excitement of finally being able to spar again, her eyes found Inuyasha, who looked at her as if she'd grown at extra head.

"What?"

"Are you sure about this, Kagome?"

"Oh, ye of so little faith." Kagome chided and shook her head. Neither brother was likely to admit it, but they were more alike than they realized.

I guess we are going with another show of force, Kagome thought.

Reaching up to tighten her ponytail, Kagome smirked at Sou. She beckoned to him. He wasted no time charging and she grinned.

Katataka reached out to the miko, intending on subduing her. She stepped forward quickly with one foot, crossing her wrists and blocking his advancing arm. He was shocked when she punched him twice in the face in rapid succession before grabbing his arm and flipping him onto his stomach. She stepped back quickly, out of his reach.

"You'll have to do better than that, Sou," Kagome taunted, a smirk on her face.

Inuyasha looked on, stunned.

Katataka jumped to his feet with a practiced motion and charged her again. Grabbing her shoulder, he quickly spun her around and grabbed both of her wrists from behind, with the thought that he would pin her arms behind her back. She was immediately aware of the position they were in and dropped into a slight crouch, making his hold on her wrists a little less stable. Quickly lifting her right hand – and by default, his – in the air above their heads, she ducked beneath his arm forcing him to release the other wrist he held.

As soon as she ducked beneath his arm he knew she had him again. He could only, helplessly, follow through with whatever she did next.

Sesshomaru stood tall, face carefully blank as he watched her grab the soldier's arm, bend it back at an odd angle, forcing him to bend forward at the waist over her knee. He almost smirked when she elbowed him in the back, spun him around and threw him onto his stomach – again.

Kagome took several steps away from Sou, waiting for him to get up. Once he was, she beckoned to him again. She didn't realize the crowd that had amassed around them, so intently was she focused on Katataka. But Katataka noticed. He also noticed the other soldiers laughing at him as he got his ass handed to him by a human woman. He decided to step it up. She could clearly handle more than he was giving her. It was his turn to smirk.

"Finally," she taunted, noticing the look on his face.

He ran at her, grabbing her around the waist with one arm and slammed her to the ground. As often as Ryoma had done that, she knew how to evenly distribute the impact across her body, so it didn't knock the wind out of her too badly. She started to roll away, but he pinned her down, settling between her legs, a hand to her throat.

Kagome grinned at him and he couldn't help but falter. This woman was strange.

Kagome had taken Jiu jitsu for self-defense purposes. The position she found herself currently in definitely required self-defense.

Tucking her arms in tightly to her sides, her left hand darted up to grab the right side of his neck. At the same time she reached over with her right hand to secure his left arm so he couldn't move it away. Pivoting her upper body so that she was adjacent to him instead of parallel, she brought her right leg up to rest on his back just under his shoulder, while lifting her left leg up and over his head to wrap around his neck.

It all happened very quickly, and he sighed knowing he was screwed. He didn't have a chance to fight it when she flipped him off of her, holding his arm tightly between her thighs in an arm-bar.

"Holy shit, Kagome," Inuyasha said, laughing.

She released Sou, springing to her feet and stepping back.

"If you're just going to go easy on me, I'll have to find another sparring partner," she threatened, breathing only slightly affected, "Unless you want me to continue to embarrass you?"

Sesshomaru couldn't resist using this as a chance to show his strength. More than that, he wanted her to use her reiki. Her scent intensified exponentially when she used it and he thoroughly enjoyed the way it affected him. If the soldier couldn't force her to use her reiki, Sesshomaru would gladly make her.

"Allow me to demonstrate," he said, stepping towards the miko.

When her eyes lit up, he felt incredibly triumphant.

"All right," she said, stepping back from him, "Let's do it."

"Are you crazy, Kagome?" Inuyasha said, incredulously. But she didn't hear him. She watched Sesshomaru closely.

Sesshomaru wasted no time advancing on her. With a graceful flick of his wrist, his light whip appeared in his hand. Eyes leveled on her, feigning a bored look, he snapped his wrist in her direction, whip speeding towards her.

For a very short moment, Kagome was surprised. He had used Tenseiga the first time they fought because he knew it wouldn't hurt her. The fact that he now used a weapon that could hurt her told her one thing definitively: he truly believed that she could handle herself. She felt a crazy amount of pride swell in her chest.

"Shit," Inuyasha cursed, "Kagome, look out!" He started to run for her, intent on getting her out of the way before she was killed.

Kagome, excitement pumping through her veins, manifested her own whip, at the same time throwing up a barrier in front of Inuyasha to stop the hanyou from interfering. Purple clashed against green and the air was electrified for a moment, crackling around the two combatants. Kagome spun her whip in a quick circle and sent it out towards Sesshomaru's ankles. He stepped just out of reach, but his attention was on the whip, so he nearly missed the miko as she charged him.

She threw three reiki daggers at him, one after the other, and just as he dodged the last one, she was on him. Leaping at him, she wrapped her legs around his midsection, another dagger manifesting at his throat.

"Got you," she whispered into his ear, a grin on her face.

"Or is it I that has you?" He asked her, and she realized that at some point he had drawn Tokijin which he had poised over the back of her neck.

She leaned back a fraction, laughing.

"Guess we're at a stalemate," she said, looking him in the eyes. It was at that moment that she noticed he was bleeding. Just across his left shoulder where one of her blades must have slashed him. The dagger at Sesshomaru's throat dissolved to nothing and she placed her hand over his wound, infusing reiki over and into it.

He breathed deeply, allowing the feeling of peace to wash over him. The wound wasn't deep, so it only took a moment to heal. She wiggled to be let down and he reluctantly released her, securing Tokijin at his waist.

Inuyasha rushed over to her, wide-eyed. He looked between Kagome and Sesshomaru, understanding better why his human-hating brother would show this particular human the favor that he had. Not only had she become fiercer, she'd become significantly more powerful. Her previously hidden aura now radiated around the open area, drawing everyone around to move closer.

The crowd was quiet, some with mouths hanging wide, others too dumbfounded to do much but stare with wide eyes.

"Holy shit," Inuyasha said again, breaking the silence around them, "Where did you learn to do all that?"

Kagome smiled at him, "It's been ten years, Inuyasha. Surely you didn't think I just went back to living a comfortable life after all that we went through."

"I mean, I don't know what I thought, but I definitely didn't think you were learning to do that."

Inuyasha was seriously impressed. One look around at the soldiers who had gathered to watch told him that they were of the same mind.

"General," one of the soldiers dared to ask, "Who is this woman?"

Inuyasha smiled proudly, putting his arm around Kagome's shoulder.

"This is Kagome, but you may know her better as the Shikon Miko."

She laughed at him and pushed him away, which Sesshomaru noted with delight. He stepped closer to her before he could stop himself.

"Back in formation," Sesshomaru commanded the soldiers.

They all fell in line immediately and Sesshomaru watched Kagome's face as she marveled over his ability to command so many men with so few words.

"Miko," he said, "Come."

"What, but– "

"Come."

She followed, leaving Inuyasha to answer a million curious questions.