A/N

I am working on the next chapter right now!

I hope you guys enjoy it.

Enjoy and review!

~SMO

Disclaimer: I do not know any characters associated with the manga/anime InuYasha. I just like to use them in my stories. :3

Chapter 52

Kagome blinked once, twice. Maybe, this was a bad dream. She didn't even know how she could manage to conjure up such a dream. Then again, her mind worked in mysterious ways. Once more, she tried to blink the creatures out of her dreams. Wait, if she was blinking, didn't that mean she was already awake?

A squeal of fear left her as she scrambled to hide her nude body under the sheets. The beady eyes stared at her from the bottom of the bed. The toad was barely tall enough to see over the mattress. still, the beady eyes were watching her as if she were some sort of monster. "What are you doing? Get out!" She screeched in horror.

She heard a few more voices. Then, two more pairs of eyes crept up, one on each side of his. "Kagome, you've been sleeping almost all day." She recognized the voice, but that didn't make her want to acknowledge it.

"Rin, Shippo, and the thing between you guys, I will get up now, but you must give me the privacy of dressing," Kagome tried not to growl out. She tried to use the most polite voice she could muster. The children pouted, but the toad managed to waddle out with a weird looking walking stick.

"Rin said that Sesshoumaru looked really happy, and said that it was because you were living here now," Shippo noted, completely ignoring Kagome's request about privacy. Kagome flushed though, at his statement.

"Rin is positive!" Rin shouted, slamming her fist on the bed to make her statement seem like more of a declaration. "Sesshoumaru is almost never this happy. The last time he was this happy was when … when I … Let's not talk about it," Rin suddenly muttered, a flush breaking across her cheeks. It almost looked as if she were embarrassed.

Kagome pushed aside her curiosity. She didn't want to pry into something Rin didn't want to share. Remembering what happened the previous night, Kagome gave a nod. "I am sure you two can go ask Sesshoumaru why he is so happy. While you two are doing that, I am going to make myself presentable. Got it?" She asked, making sure the children weren't going to storm back in the moment she dropped the sheet.

Shippo and Rin gave a sigh in defeat. "Rin had that idea too," Shippo murmured. "Sesshoumaru is not here though."

That got her attention. Kagome raised one of her feminine brows in confusion. "Where did he go?" She asked. She forgot these two were children though. There was no way they would know. She would have to ask the wrinkly, little toad.

"Hmm, he did not say," Rin added, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "But! Kaede is downstairs with a wedding dress for your sister! It is beautiful!"

Kagome's eyes shot open. She was sleeping through the dress making! Quickly, she gestured for the kids to leave. "Quick, I have to get ready!" She shouted, sending them scurrying while laughing into the hallway. She shot up, the sheet dropping to the wooden floor. She threw the small trunk that belonged to her in the corner open.

So distracted by finding something to wear, she didn't hear anyone come into the room. Not until they cleared her throat, causing Kagome to shoot up and try to cover the breasts barely staying in the corset she had thrown in. The pantyhose were already covering her womanhood, but still she would hate to be seen nude by anyone other than Sesshoumaru.

The servant gave her a dull look, twirling a finger that told Kagome to turn around. She did, waiting for the ties on the corset to be pulled. She took in a deep breath as they did so. Her breasts feeling as if they were being squeezed for dear life. "What color dress will you be wearing today?" The servant asked, gazing into the trunks. "These should be hung up, Lady," she added. "You moved into this house almost a week ago."

Kagome tried not to release a weird groan. She knew she had been here for a week, but she wasn't thinking of staying. It was highly inappropriate to stay with a man when you were unmarried. Even then, she was still considered Sesshoumaru's mistress. The only reason she was in this home was because she was under his protection from Naraku right now. "I suppose so," Kagome relented, quietly throwing her thoughts out the window. Really, Kagome just didn't care anymore.

Her reputation had already been tarnished. It didn't really matter where she lived anymore. Sango would be free of her once she married Miroku and Kagome would be all alone in this giant mansion, waiting for the day when he could give her a small house in the countryside. Kagome shrugged it off. She had to stay positive. Sesshoumaru protected and cared for her. It meant a lot, seeing as though he didn't do either for any other person other than her and Rin. He had even included Sango and Shippo into his security.

"You're ready dear," the servant brought her out of her thoughts. Kagome glided to the full-length mirror and looked herself over. The navy dress had small stars sprinkled over the material. A silver bow tied around the waist, the tendrils of ribbon falling down the back of her legs. "This is wonderful," Kagome whispered in awe.

"Lord Sesshoumaru said to leave your hair down," the servant relayed the message as she stared at the woman through the mirror. "He will be here for lunch," she informed her, before bowing her head and taking her leave. Kagome took in her reflection once more. She pulled the brush off the small vanity dresser and began to pull it through her ebony strands. It may be left down, but she was going to make it a bit presentable.

Right now, it looked as if she had spent a wild night with Sesshoumaru. Even though she had, she didn't want others to know it so obviously. She nodded in approval once she was done, and slid her feet into some shoes before making her way out of the room and down the stairs.

In the middle of the parlor room, Sango was standing on the top of the coffee table. A elegant white dress was flowing down her body. The train of the silk seeming to fall off the edge of the table. The ivory color clashed with her black hair. The lace that fell around her face didn't hide the flush she had on her cheeks. "You look amazing!" Kagome explained in awe.

The dress hugged her in all the right places. Her breasts were outlined, yet enough of them were hidden. The sleeves fell off her shoulders. The dress was absolutely marvelous. "The train is wonderful!" Kagome added as she walked around Sango. She couldn't find any flaws though. "You are beautiful," she whispered, shaking her head in awe.

Sango snorted. "Stop it, Kagome! You are going too far! It is just a dress," she added, flicking her hand as if to dismiss every compliment Kagome had just given.

Kaede gave a grunt as she stood up. "A dress is only a piece of material. It is you, Sango, that brings it to life," she added with a raspy voice. She then nodded, helping Sango off the table. "The measurements are done. I will have this dress ready in a week," Kaede told her.

Sango smiled thankfully at the old woman. "Thank you so much, Kaede! You are making my dreams come true with this," she whispered, tears of happiness beginning to shine. Kagome felt an odd jolt of jealousy flush through her. Quickly, she stomped it down. This was her sister's wedding, and she was happy for her.

"Kagome! Sesshoumaru stepped out to visit someone. He should be back any moment," Sango added. "He did look tired. Rin said that Jaken interrupted him last night from doing something," she muttered, deep in thought even as she left the room. Kagome flushed, remembering him leaving the room after he had tasted her body like a fine sweet. As soon as she had climaxed, she had almost instantly passed out into a deep slumber. She remembered, hazily, Sesshoumaru dressing and leaving the room, but she hadn't cared in that moment.

The door opened and closed. Light footsteps made the visitor known as they peered into the room. "Lady Kame," Kagome greeted, bowing her head. "Good afternoon," she added to Sesshoumaru's mother.

She didn't look very happy. Bags of exhaustion were under her eyes, and after she walked in, Inuyasha soon followed. His ears were flat against his head. The concealment broken. He carried a long, rectangular box, dragging the tip of it along the ground. "S-Sit down! I'll get you two some coffee and sandwiches," Kagome instructed instantly.

They both collapsed against the sofa. Kame rested her head against the sofa, staring up at the ceiling as if she were a mere zombie made from African witchcraft. Inuyasha lowered his head against the arm of the opposite side, beginning to snore the second it made contact. The box dropped to the floor, disregarded completely.

"Sleep," Kame moaned out. "We need sleep."

Kagome tried not to laugh. She found herself liking Sesshoumaru's mother more and more. In fact, she hardly even acted like an adult, yet Kagome knew she was a few centuries older than her. "You can, but first it'd be good to get something in your stomach. Otherwise, you'll get a stomach ache," Kagome explained as the servant made her way into the kitchen.

"I don't care," Kame groaned out, leaning her head on Inuyasha's shoulder. "That trainwas horrible." The was she annunciated the word made it seem as if she'd just cursed.

"What is in the box?" Kagome asked, nestling herself into the chair Sesshoumaru usually claimed. She could smell the faint fragrance that was usually on him, reminding her of the musky forest.

"A sword."

The voice startled her. She looked up into the amber eyes she had just been thinking about with a grin set upon her face. "Sesshoumaru!" She all but cheered as he entered. He nodded his head to his mother and brother, who dragged themselves to their feet and left the room.

Kagome propped an eyebrow up in curiosity at the dismissal. "What is going on?" She asked quietly. Her nerves were beginning to spike and she felt as if something had gone wrong. Why had he dismissed his mother and brother? "Sesshoumaru, what did Jaken say last night?" She wondered.

He looked cold. The usual stoic look he had when they first met. Kagome instantly knew he was deep in thought. She stood up and gestured for him to take a seat in the chair she had been previously sitting in. "Sit down," she urged, wrapping her fingers gently around his arm to help him lower himself into the seat. Afterwards, she took up the edge of the couch closest to him. "What is going on?" She repeated.

Sesshoumaru drew in a deep breath. "I am afraid that I figured out what Naraku is looking for in you." The words were uttered softly and filled with worry and concern. He cleared his throat and leaned forward. When he spoke, Kagome felt like what he had said may not have happened, as he changed topics completely. "Jaken told me the mercenaries will be testing out the sword. I will resurrect their brother and then go after Naraku," he explained.

Kagome nodded, taking in that bit of information. Her thoughts however, went back to the statement he had previously made. "What does Naraku want with me, Sesshoumaru? Why did you say that?" She asked carefully, trying to think of what he was trying to say. Maybe, she should already know it.

"The last reported miko to exist was four hundred years ago," Sesshoumaru released. Kagome suddenly felt as if she were going to get a history lesson. He continued, nonetheless, "She fought for the humans. Back then, the country was in an uproar. Who would rule? The demons or the humans? They only had her to fight, and soon, she was overwhelmed by the amount of demons that had come to take her life. In the last effort to fend them all off, she released all her energy at once and created a large orb known for its power. It could make a human demon, a demon human. It could triple a being's power by hundred-fold. Quickly, I searched it out and disposed of it before Naraku could find it. He tried desperately, wanting to become a full demon."

While telling the story, he watched Kagome for any kind of reaction. After all, she was an untrained miko that really had no idea what she was getting into. He knew she would have questions concerning the jewel and the power made on that day. However, what he wasn't prepared for, was her very first question. "You were alive four hundred years ago?" She asked, eyes wide with awe in her eyes.

Sesshoumaru found himself letting a small laugh escape him. Of course, Kagome would only hold on to the details surrounding him. "Yes," he answered, shaking his head in awe at her listening skills. "Did you pay attention at all?"

Kagome huffed at him, feigning hurt at his doubt. "Yes, some priestess created some jewel that Naraku wanted but you destroyed. I don't see what it has to do with me. I may be a mistress, but I have no experience when it comes to that. I have no idea how to even call those powers. It worked in Sanctuary, but surely, I do not have that much power."

Sesshoumaru only returned with a grunt. He couldn't be sure, but Naraku was being overly persistent. "Still, Kaede has a special interest in the priestess history. I want you to start talking with her while she is working on your sister's dress," he proclaimed.

Kagome blinked. Kaede knew, yet she was sure Kaede wasn't a priestess. She gave a nod. "You look tired," Kagome added, noting the small bags of exhaustion. "You never came back to bed too," Kagome mumbled, trying to think of what had happened with Jaken.

"I sought a friend to watch over the deal while we are working. In case it goes bad, I do not want to be outnumbered." The way he spoke made Kagome feel as if she were being uninvited. Her eyes narrowed, and casually she shifted in her chair.

"You don't want me to go," she accused. Sesshoumaru simply shook his head and awaited her outburst. Kagome, however, tried to think of the reason why. It was a group of demons going to resurrect the dead. "Okay. I want Inuyasha to go in my stead. He will tell me what happened, honestly, when he gets back."

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed on hers. "You accuse me of lying to you," he stated. "Yet, you think Inuyasha will tell you the truth?" He questioned. Anger was slowly pulling together in a small ball in the pit of his stomach. He tried not to feel a bit of hurt over her words.

Kagome hummed, seemingly unaware of the full feelings she'd just inflicted upon his being. "Over the past week you have been wonderful. However, during the investigation of Shippo you withheld countless bits of information and misled me on several leads in order to get me out of your hair. Inuyasha, however, helped me on a few leads and told me a bit about you. Forgive me, but, when it comes to your 'business' you tend to hide certain details."

Shehasapoint, his inner-demon released. The small dog had his paws crossed with a defeated look on his face. Youhardlyeverletherinonanything.

Sesshoumaru sighed, nodding his head to her. "Fine," he gave in. "Inuyasha will go."