Hi everyone! It seems the site is having problems with the message system again, so I'd like to make sure I thank the following people for their reviews for the last chapter: lyiint, Jester08, Maid of the Mer, Birdi 13 in da House and Surfbratt

Let me assure you that I do respond to all messages and reviews – that is, when I get 'em! If you've sent a message recently and not received a reply, it's because I haven't gotten it yet.

If any of you wish to send a message directly, feel free to email me at: atelaar at sympatico dot ca (have to write it out, or it won't appear correctly!).

OoOoOo

Chapter 37:

Sesshomaru waited until he saw Kirsten heading towards the women's showers. Before she could escape into environs where he could not follow, he had grasped her arm lightly and steered her down another corridor, heading for Tamisé's little office. He knew the alien was currently working with Jonathan, so the room should be empty.

The tall demon ignored the protests of the little mutant and remained silent until he had her in the office and the door securely locked behind them. He stood in front of her, blocking her ability to move away. Kirsten set her chin at this invasion of her personal space, but she was not the in the least afraid of him.

Sesshomaru reached down and grasped her chin gently, forcing her to look up at him.

"You have been keeping something from me, Lady Cobra."

He felt Kirsten flinch.

"I keep many things from you, Lord Sesshomaru. To what are you referring?"

Her defiant attitude pleased him somehow, and he was not sure why. He remembered the first time he had ever seen her and how he had admired her.

"There is something about my brother and myself that upsets you greatly. To be blunt – I overheard you talking with Spider Kelso about it. I would know what it is that you are keeping from me."

The little mutant began to look stubborn.

"I am quite capable of keeping you here until you tell me," Sesshomaru said.

"What? Just keeping me here? No threats of death or dismemberment?" She began to grin up at him.

"Would you like me to threaten you with bodily harm? I can do so, if you like. However, you have always seemed like the sort of person who does not respond well to threats."

"I'm not." She sighed. "Do you really need to know?"

Sesshomaru gestured towards the small couch. "Perhaps if you tell me, it will pain you less. What is that saying you have? 'A trouble shared….'?"

"'Is a trouble halved.' Yes, my lord, that is sometimes true, but perhaps in this case, it will cause more trouble all around."

"You will cease 'my lord-ing' me this instant. I believed we had moved past that. Sit now, little one, and tell me what troubles you so much about myself and my brother."

Kirsten sighed and flung herself onto the couch. "You won't like it, my – Sesshomaru."

He sat beside her and put an arm over the back of the couch behind her, so he could restrain her quickly if he had to. Kirsten did not object to yet another invasion of her personal space, instead she seemed to take a little comfort from his close proximity.

"Tell me."

His warm breath stirred her hair as he leaned close to speak softly into her ear, and she shivered a little.

"Very well, but don't say I didn't warn you." She gulped a little. "Spider and I have evidence that you and your brother are somehow related to myself and Jon."

"Related? How?"

"One of you is our great-great-something-or-other-grandsire."

Sesshomaru reared back, shock dilating his pupils. This was entirely unexpected!

"Grandsire! How can that be? Which one of us?"

Kirsten shook her head. "It's difficult to tell which one of you, Sesshomaru, but be assured that Jon and I are descended from either yourself or Inuyasha."

"But… but neither of you are Japanese. You told me yourself that your ancestors are… are European."

"Well, obviously one of them wasn't. Perhaps in your future, one of you or a child of yours decides to leave Japan." She stared up at him. "Now do you see why I was reluctant to tell you? I could have just screwed up all our history."

"It's been affected in any case," Sesshomaru pointed out. "Inuyasha has been studying your history books, now that he can read. I have also taken the opportunity to learn all that I can, especially since there is the possibility that I may survive naturally into this time."

Kirsten put her face into her hands. "Heard that one too, didn't you?"

Sesshomaru grinned and took one of her hands to kiss. "One should always attempt to ensure one's own survival."

"Yeah. Oh boy – I might have just royally screwed up human history."

"Or set it upon the course it needs to take. One duty has become very clear to me, however."

"What's that?"

"I am glad that Lady Tayne was able to arrange for the marriages next week. It is obvious that both Inuyasha and I should get on to the important business of producing heirs so that they can produce you and your mate… grand-daughter."

Kirsten gave him a ghost of a smile. "Keep that up, and I'll start calling you 'Gramps'!"

OoOoOo

"Thank the gods!" Sesshomaru moaned, dropping the suitcase he carried and flopping down on the bed.

"Oh please! My driving isn't that bad," Mavis said as she came into the room and surveyed it quickly. She studied the splayed form of her new husband and gave him a poke in the stomach to make him curl up in defense, laughing at being tickled.

"Your driving was fine," he said when he could speak again. "I just did not like to be confined with my brother in a small vehicle for four hours or so. Especially with him singing along to everything on the radio."

"The feeling's mutual!" came a shout from the next room. "At least I can carry a tune and know the words!"

"And do they have to have the room next to ours?"

"This was the room I had when we were here before and I happen to like it. See if Tam and Fawn will switch if you don't want to be so close."

"We'll be fine," Mavis said through gritted teeth as she tossed her keys onto the small dresser.

Sesshomaru snorted and rolled to his side, propping his head up with one hand. "We cannot use Tamisé's room in any case. Lady Tayne's mating pheromones still pervade its environs. It does not bother him, but it would have an effect on me – and you do not want to spend all your time in bed with me, do you?" He raised an elegant eyebrow at his wife.

Mavis grinned. "There are worse things…"

Sesshomaru chuckled. "Indeed. However, Tamisé did bring us up here to practise a few things that are not so easy to do at TDN. It is not a – what do you call it? – a vacation."

"I thought it was supposed to be our honeymoon…"

Sesshomaru guffawed at that. "With two other newlywed couples? And two old marrieds? There shall be no privacy at all, you realize. When we return home, I shall take you to one of my smaller estates where we can be more… private."

Mavis heaved the suitcase up onto the bed, narrowly missing dropping it onto the demon. She opened the case and began to unpack. Sesshomaru rolled to standing and came up behind Mavis as she stowed clothes away into the dresser. He ran his hands up and down her bare arms carressingly and kissed the side of her throat. As she dropped the last stack of t-shirts into a drawer and closed it, he brought his arms fully around her and held her against him.

"I love you, my wife," he whispered in her ear.

Before he could do anything else, Tamisé knocked at the still-open door. The redhead popped his head in, smiling.

"All settled in, I see? Fawn will be going downstairs in a minute to start supper. Would you two like a tour in the meantime? Yasha and Kagome are taking Miroku and Sango around."

"A tour sounds great," Mavis said. "But doesn't Fawn want some help?"

"Kelly's helping, and Christian too."

Tamisé would hear of nothing else but that they follow him. He took them around the grounds of the retreat and pointed out the hiking trails.

"Now, be careful if you go traipsing about in the woods there," he warned. "There's poison ivy in places."

"I'll show Sess what it looks like."

"We occasionally get bears and the like, but they've moved farther off with the new campgrounds going in at the Reservation. A reminder, Sesshomaru, not to kill the wildlife unless you must."

"Leave the bunnies alone?" Sesshomaru grinned. He remembered the story of his younger brother and the garden-raiding rabbit.

"And the deer. I'll take you fishing, if you like – there's time for that. Christian likes to go now and then himself." Tamisé shoved his hands in his pockets and rocked back and forth a little as he looked out over the calm lake. "Should also warn you about the other more – unusual – denizens around here. See that island over there? Stay off it unless you're invited."

"Someone lives there?"

Tamisé nodded. "A dear friend of mine, actually. Not sure if she's back yet from her expedition with Nick, but she'll make herself known if she is."

"And Nick is…?" Mavis asked.

"The Chief's son. He works for Environment Canada. She often goes with him on his back-woods trips."

"Why does she live there?" Mavis wondered.

"Zahira's Kui, darlin'. That's her dry-home."

"What is a Kui?" Sesshomaru asked.

Tamisé merely smiled at him. "You'll see…"

At that moment, Kelly came out of the house and stood on the porch, banging a saucepan with a spoon.

"Ah!" Tamisé exclaimed. "Supper's out."

Supper was a casserole that Fawn had brought up, as well as a salad and raw vegetables. A couple of fresh pies bought at the Reservation bakery were dessert.

Talk centered around the warriors' plans for the next day, especially the best places to practise the Wind Scar and the Dragon Strike with the least impact on the landscape.

Dessert was eaten on the porch, along with pots of coffee and tea. Sesshomaru found his mind wandering from the conversation, and he wondered what Rin and Jaken were doing now.

Jaken had not been happy about being left behind yet again, and little Rin had cried as if her heart would break when they had driven off. She had clung to Sesshomaru's leg, and it had been Inuyasha who had gently pried her off, bouncing her in his arms and kissing her cheek noisily. He had told her what a brave, fine girl she was and that he depended upon her to look after Jaken and Shippo while they were gone. That was a task that Rin seemed to take seriously, and she had made the hanyou a solemn promise to do as he asked.

Inuyasha had smiled and told them that he had given Shippo the same task to take the sting out of being left behind, especially since Kirara had insisted upon coming. The demon cat had gotten herself 'accidentally' packed into Sango's suitcase at least twice before Sango had given in and allowed her to come.

Now, the fluffy little demon was exploring under the porch and chasing out mice that had apparently taken up residence under the house. Kirara knew when to make herself scarce and was quite able to take care of herself. She had already made herself a 'bed' close to the wood stove inside.

"We'll need to chop some more wood in the morning," Tamisé said.

"Miroku and I will take care of it," Inuyasha volunteered. "We're used to it."

Everyone retired early that night, pleading exhaustion from the hours spent in driving, but Sesshomaru could still hear the unmistakable sounds of love-making going on around him as he pleasured his own sweet wife. The walls were thick enough to cut off sound for ordinary human ears, but not for the sharp demon ears of himself and his brother. The soft sounds did not distract and annoy him as he had thought they might, but instead increased his desire.

He was quite content later to sink into the comfortable mattress with Mavis tucked beside him. Sesshomaru smiled as he subsided into sleep. This was the most wonderful feeling in the world – this serenity that filled him. He was determined that it should last forever…

OoOoOo

The next morning, Sesshomaru was awakened by quiet stirrings in the room next to him. He raised his head and sniffed as someone moved down the hall quietly. It was Tamisé, apparently.

Wondering what would have the alien up before even the dawn birds began singing, the demon lord eased himself away from Mavis, careful not to wake her. He drew on jeans and a sweatshirt quickly and let himself out of the room.

Downstairs, he found the front door open and came out onto the porch, testing the morning air. It was the cleanest air he had smelled for a long time, and he filled his lungs to capacity and stretched. A lone bird began to sing somewhere, but other than that small sound, it was almost unearthly quiet.

Sesshomaru spied Tamisé down on the lawn, going through the motions of what he recognized as Tai Chi. There were so few opportunities to merely observe the alien, that Sesshomaru remained where he was, entranced by the other man's smooth movements. Tamisé moved with exquisite power and grace, completely absorbed in what he was doing and unaware of his audience.

Finally, the redhead finished the exercise, and stood with his hands on his hips, watching the sun come slowly over the horizon. Sesshomaru came off the porch and coughed to let the other man know of his presence.

Tamisé smiled at him. "And a very good morning to ye, Sesshomaru. Did you sleep well?"

"I did, thank you. This is a lovely place. I can see why Inuyasha was so pleased to have the opportunity to come back."

"Both Tayne and I needed a place well away from everything. Christian's father has ties to Chief Joe on the Reservation, having been married to the Chief's cousin – so who and what we are is no secret to his people. They protect our secret as they protect the land hereabouts. They're good people, every one of 'em.

"In return, we help them out where we can. I provide scholarships to the most promising of their children, so they may attend universities and colleges. Tayne helps many of these kids get a start by using her business contacts to get them placed with a good company. Sometimes, we help by providing starting capital to those who wish to start their own businesses. In the end, I believe we all benefit."

"You do so much for others, Tamisé, especially when there may be no direct benefit to you."

"It's the way I was brought up. On my homeworld, we all pulled together. Neighbours helped each other. I recall helping with harvests and, I guess you would call it 'lambing' – a period when our wool-bearing livestock gave birth. Some summers I spent with relatives on the fishing boats when I was big enough." Tamisé grinned. "I treasured those times, believe me! It was a welcome break from the rigours of the warrior training I was undergoing."

"How old…?"

Tamisé laughed. "From when I was – oh – about nine years old or so. They discovered that I have an innate talent for hitting targets, no matter the size or circumstances. I'd saved my littlest sister, you see, from a particularly nasty predator – even my father would have had difficulty doing what I had done… Well! Nothing would do but that I be trained as a warrior. I would rather have been a bard instead, or a dancer." Tamisé shrugged. "We don't always get what we want. But I have managed to arrange my life so that there is dancing and music in it, at least. So I have no cause to complain."

This was the most Tamisé had ever spoken of himself to Sesshomaru, and the demon found himself intrigued.

"And what about you, Sesshomaru? What was your childhood like?"

Sesshomaru smiled. "Very happy… until…" He shut his mouth abruptly, a deep sadness coming over him.

"Yes?"

"Until my mother… " Sesshomaru choked and tears rose unbidden to his eyes.

Tamisé looked concerned and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You needn't tell me…"

Sesshomaru gave a choked sob. "But I think I do… I… need to let this pain go."

"Come…"

Tamisé led him further away from the house. They found themselves on the road to the Reservation, where they could walk without interruption. Sesshomaru found himself telling Tamisé about his arranged marriage, about his mother's betrayal, and what had happened next. Tamisé listened without saying anything, and still did not speak when Sesshomaru came to the point in his story where Inuyasha had been born – and his father had perished.

"There were times when I hated Inuyasha with every fibre of my being." Sesshomaru pressed the heels of his hands to his eyes. "I hated him because he contributed to the events that took my beloved father from me. I hated him because he was gifted with the sword I believed should have been mine. And later, I loathed him because he had the temerity to go on surviving when by rights he should have died – and I fully intended to correct that oversight on the part of the gods.

"But… I cannot hate him any longer. I have not felt the urge to kill him for a very long time. I have envied him, however. I have envied him his little Kagome and his friends. It irked me that someone as lowly as Inuyasha could find someone to love him as true as that little girl does."

Fresh tears streaked the demon lord's face as he stared up into the cloudless sky that was beginning to brighten with the sun. "I have not done my father's memory any honour by treating Inuyasha the way that I have in the past. Father would have expected us to at least get along together, if he had lived. And maybe if Father had lived, I would have felt far differently towards my little brother. We might have loved each other the way brothers should."

Sesshomaru flinched as strong arms went about his shoulders, and he was pressed against a warm muscular chest. Copper-red hair brushed his face as Tamisé nudged Sesshomaru's head down against his broad shoulder. It was strange, at first, to be held thusly by a man, but Tamisé meant only to comfort.

"Your feelings have changed a great deal towards your brother, Sesshomaru. You could still have the sort of relationship with him that your father would have wanted. Indeed, you've made a very good start on it by giving Inuyasha his inheritance and seeing to it that your people give the respect due him as a prince of your House."

Tamisé released him then, giving his shoulder a pat. "The two of you still have fences to mend between you, that's true. Inuyasha has also changed in his feelings towards you. Despite any evidence to the contrary, he respects you, admires you, and desires your praise. He watches you closely and observes how you interact with the world and the people around you and is trying to emulate your example.

"He only disliked you before because you never showed him anything but your contempt. All he's ever wanted was a family, a place to belong and people who truly cared about him. His friends and Kagome have given him some of the things he needs, but only you, Sesshomaru, can give him back his family and his heritage. And in so doing, I think that both of you will be made whole."

Sesshomaru stared at the alien for a moment, allowing himself to taste Tamisé's words and find that there was truth in them.

"I … believe that I should like to be whole again, Tam. I thought that Mavis completed me, but I see now that she is only part of the answer."

Tamisé smiled then, a smile full of understanding. "Then you should find the other part and complete yourself."

"Yes."

Tamisé produced a tissue from somewhere and looked away as Sesshomaru tidied himself from the ravages of his emotional outburst. The alien gave him a quick once-over and grinned.

"You'll do, Sesshomaru. You'll do."

"Thank you, Tam. I don't have many, so they are always precious to me – may I count you among my friends?"

"I would be delighted, Sesshomaru. I would like that very much."

They shook hands solemnly. Then in complete accord, the two men turned and began to stroll back towards the house.