As he had anticipated, Kagome's reaction to the presence of her mother and little brother in their home was neither truly positive nor negative. He knew that his little mate was still smarting over being disowned by her family the moment that she laid her eyes on her mother.

However as much as that was bugging her, she didn't say nor do anything remotely negative towards the woman and her younger brother.

Though in Souta's defense, his age may have been the deal breaker as far as grudges go. Which meant that the kid wouldn't have to suffer any guilt.

His mother however... Well, he supposed that she and Kagome would have much to speak about in the next few hours. In the meantime she merely gave her little brother an awkward one armed hug and then shifted her attention to her quietly weeping mother and said quietly, "Come see your granddaughter." Before the woman so much as dared to move an inch towards her and the pup.

Touga moved to stand behind Kagome, silently lending her his comfort and support as they watched her mother and little brother take turns fussing over Yuki. During which time, Touga gently placed a clawed hand over Kagome's nape and then leaned down and whispered softly in her ear, "All will be well. Do not let the past taint this joyous occasion." And then kissed her temple as she whispered back.

"I know."

But it was so hard not to let the past color her thoughts right then.

Her family had abandoned her- let a monster dishonor her name and her body and mind. They had given Sesshomaru the opening that he had needed to capture her! Sure she couldn't hold her brother personally responsible.

He was a minor and had little to do with the going's on of the family just yet.

But her mother and grandfather.

The two people aside from her brother who were supposed to stand by her and protect her from all things...had left her to a fate worse than death. And all because of some damned rumor that some arrogant cocksucking cur had told them.

She had every right to be pissed.

She had every right to be downright livid and furious. After all there was no excuse for what they had done to her. None at all.

At this moment in time, if she so wished it- she had every goddamned right to grab her mom by her hair and drag her around the house and amputate a couple of fingers, toes, and maybe even carve out her lying tongue with a rusty spork and then maybe burn her initials into her flesh with a blow torch.

It certainly wouldn't be the worst thing that she could/would do to her if she did decide to do just that. Though she very much suspected that her mother wouldn't survive such harsh treatment.

However, she also knew that Touga was right. She shouldn't let her anger taint this wonderful occasion. She wanted to be a better person than her grandfather, and Sesshomaru both.

Besides, if she got the urge to tell her mother later on what she really thought of her for abandoning her to Sesshomaru's not so tender mercies, then she'd do it over dinner where Inu, Touga and the others could hold her back if need be. After all the last thing that Souta needed was to see his sister beating the hell out of their mother.

She needed to clear her mind of the darkness and give her mother the fair chance that she herself hadn't been given. If she didn't want to lose either of them again, then this was the only thing that she could do. It was only right.

And if she was still unable to forgive her mother after she and Souta finally returned home...then she would only see her on certain occasions.

Like her grandfather's funeral (which Touga would love to attend, she was sure. given his general dislike of the man) and Souta's birthday. And who knew, maybe time and patience could mend the rift that ignorance and bigotry had created.

Touga stayed close to her, his gold eyes watching her like a hawk locked onto prey. Her every little fidget and movement, even the very way that she turned her head as she breathed- was being committed to memory so that he could remember what her body language looked like when she was pissed.

And oh boy was she ever. He couldn't believe that he hadn't noticed the signs over the past few days whenever he would mention her mother.

It would seem that his little mate was holding some deep rooted resentment within her for her mother and grandfather after all.

Not that he could totally blame her for hating her grandfather, but her mother was a different story. Sure the woman may not have spoken up for her, but she had expressed more sorrow and regret than he had thought that she would. And that was the only reason aside from Souta's presence that the woman was alive.

Well that and he hadn't wanted to clean up any blood stains that might have gotten on his nice clean floors. Kikyo would have never let him live down how unsanitary it was to have blood on the floors. Especially with a new pup in the house. Kikyo would have kicked the shit out of him for killing her anyways.

So really ending the woman wasn't worth the long term effort it would take to defend himself from Kikyo's violent temper.

Not only that, but he had no desire to truly hurt any piece of Kagome's heart that still held love for her mother. Which was why he was hoping that the two would sit down at some point soon and try to salvage what was left of their already strained relationship.

Watching as Mrs. Higurashi finally finished fawning over Yuki and slowly held her out to her daughter, Touga wondered what Kagome was going to do once they had a chance to talk things over, as Kagome took Yuki form her mother and nodded her head and without a single word, brushed by her mom to go inside.

Touga sighed as the woman started to cry again and simply reached out and wrapped his arms around her and let her cry on him.

He knew that she felt badly about how things had gone down with Kagome. After all, her regret was a tangible thing to him. That smelled and tasted like acid.

Turning his head, he glanced over at Kikyo who had been watching the exchange as well, and received a wordless nod from the woman as she started towards the house after Kagome.

She'd take care of this to the best of her ability. If only to keep Kagome from going off the deep end in front of Souta, but after that- her aunt was on her own.