A/N: Props to those of you who realized that he was 'witnessing' his own accident from the past! Great job!

Warning: possible trigger following the ~*~.

Disclaimer: All Inuyasha goodness belongs to the amazing Takahashi-san!

Behind the Curtain

By MissKatt

The Uncertainty

"Ah! I'm so happy to have all my clothes back." The ex-dancer cooed as she finished hanging the last of her shirts in Sesshoumaru's closet, her jeans and bottoms already stored away in the dresser. After dressing into some pajamas, the bottoms fitting just a snug tighter around her hips, she stepped into the bedroom from the large walk-in closet. Her smile dropped when she saw Sesshoumaru sitting in flannel pants on the edge of the bed with a blank face, his mind obviously far away.

His mind was reeling, his nerves frayed. What was wrong with him? Ever since he slammed on the brakes for that one flashback, he had seen glimpses of it at every stop light after that. After leaving the storage facility, he asked Kagome to drive, claiming he had a headache, but he really just didn't trust his own eyes. Surely if he wasn't driving, they would go away.

However, even sitting in the passenger seat, he would see a white sedan speeding through one intersection, and then see his old black BMW at another. Sometimes the accident would have already occurred, blood splattering the pavement. Every time they went through an intersection and he witnessed what wasn't really there, he glanced at Kagome, almost silently begging her to witness what he was.

But, she didn't. She just sang along to the radio, a happy smile on her face as she drove peacefully to their home. She would occasionally feel his eyes on her, so she would look at him with concern and ask if she was hurting his headache. She wasn't, of course, for it didn't exist. He told her to keep singing and tried to concentrate on it, tried to stop the flashbacks that were persistently haunting him.

The taiyoukai jerked when he suddenly felt hands cup his face. He blinked out of his thoughts and met the worried blue pools of Kagome as she crouched between his legs. "Hn?"

"Sesshoumaru, what's wrong?" Kagome asked in a tone just above a whisper. She noticed how tense he was in the truck, but she assumed it was because he was in pain. "Is your head still hurting you?"

His eyes softened slightly as he raised his hands up to rest on hers. "I am fine, Kagome. I believe I simply just need some sleep."

She smiled a little and stood up, pressing a loving kiss to his forehead on her way up. "Then let's get some sleep." She crawled onto her side of the bed and pushed back the covers. After snuggling under them, she held her hands out to him, inviting him to cuddle.

He gave a small smile and gave into the request. He slipped under the covers and scooted over to her. She patted the spot above her breast and he laid his head upon it, sighing contently when she began to lightly run her finger nails along his scalp and through his hair. He draped his arm around her waist and closed his eyes, allowing himself to relax in her hold until he fell asleep.

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed as he suddenly found himself in a somewhat familiar room. His eyes swept along the part of the room he was facing and realized he had seen it that very day; this was Naraku's room.

"Stop fighting it, my caged bird."

Sesshoumaru's pointed ear easily detected the dark voice of the kumoyoukai. He turned towards where the voice came from and felt his stomach drop at the sight of his bare miko pinned under him on the bed. He instantly went to lunge for them, but found his feet rooted in place, his legs not moving an inch. With a growl, he tried again, using all his might to try and break free of the invisible bindings.

"No!" Kagome cried as she managed to get an arm free, her hand lighting up with her reiki before stinging onto his cheek.

"Stupid bitch!" Naraku hissed in pain at the burn of her reiki before drawing his hand back and slamming it into the left side of her face. He watched as her eyes rolled back in her head before closing shut, her limbs going slack as she lost consciousness. He easily rearranged her limbs and positioned himself between her legs. "I will enjoy myself on your first night here, wench. I don't need you to be awake for it."

The inu snarled in rage as the hanyou took Kagome, forcing himself into her unconscious form. He twisted and turned and thrashed, trying with all his strength to get to her, to protect her and stop this from happening. But, try as he did, he couldn't break free, couldn't stop the hanyou from reaching his completion, from emptying his seed into her.

"Yes, you will give me a perfect heir, Ka-go-me. You being a miko means our child will be as I am; a hanyou and no less. He will be powerful like me and resistant to reiki. Together, we will rule the world," When Kagome groaned in her sleep, he smirked and began to run his hand along his shaft, pumping it back up to its fullest. "What will happen to you? Hm, you will be chained to my bed, only existing to make me more heirs; you'll simply be a breeder."

Sesshoumaru's youki whipped around him vehemently, his eyes blood red and his markings jagged. But, he still could do nothing as he watched Naraku take Kagome again, the sound of wet flesh smacking together stabbing his ears. He could do nothing, but look away as the bastard continued his assault until he finished once again.

Red eyes glanced back in shame when Naraku removed himself from Kagome and left, leaving her sprawled out on the bed like some used whore. He stared at her for what felt like an eternity, his beast thrashing in his mind in rage and sorrow. Finally, he saw her rouse and he felt his throat tighten with the need to whimper when she stiffly sat up and quickly put the pieces together of what had happened.

She wrapped her arms around her knees and sobbed her pain. "S-Sesshoumaru!"

"S-Sesshoumaru!"

His eyes snapped open, his chest tight and stomach knotted. He stared unfocusedly at a spot on the wall until he felt a small hand shaking him. He blinked multiple times before coming back to reality. He looked at the hand on his shoulder before following it up the arm till he met Kagome's anxious expression.

"Kagome?"

"Are you okay?!" She asked, voice laced with worry. She had been sleeping peacefully when his youki suddenly washed over her, suffocating her to the point where she couldn't breathe. She had to flare her reiki in defense, pushing his back slightly so she could get some air. She had watched his markings turn jagged, saw his claws digging into his palms until they drew blood.

"What?" He questioned, mind still fuzzy.

"You're bleeding! And you're suffocating me, Sessh! Bring your youki in!" She rasped as his aura pressed harder on hers.

His brow furrowed as he looked at her, noticing that she was leaning slightly away from him, her hands lit with her reiki as she held them up. At the sight of the pink aura, his dream slammed into replay, the image of Naraku emptying his seed into her repeating over and over again. His eyes shot to the small bump on her lower stomach and quickly recoiled away from her.

Kagome gasped when he nearly fell off the bed trying to get away from her. "Sessh, what is going on?!" She nearly shouted, worry and a small pinch of fear in her voice.

Sesshoumaru felt something warm on his hands and looked down to see the puncture wounds in his palm, his elongated claws stained with his blood. Had his beast come out while he was sleeping? He had a few bad dreams in his life, but never had his beast physically come forward because of it. Still, the dream he had haunted him, the pain of his failure still too present.

He glanced over at Kagome as she called to him again, her voice wavering. She still had her reiki around her, fending of his youki as it swelled. Taking a deep breath, he pulled it back in, trying to get it back under control. As his youki shrank back, her reiki disappeared, but her worry did not.

"Sesshoumaru, damn it, talk to me! You're scaring me…" She murmured, eyes watering as she stared at his appearance. He may have reined his youki in a bit, but his eyes were still red, his markings still jagged like a rapid heartbeat on a monitor.

He opened his mouth to respond, to tell her he was fine, but his eyes once again fell to her stomach and he heard his beast snarl in rage. He took a few steps back from the bed before looking away from her. "I need some air." He finally said before quickly leaving the room.

Tears of worry slipped down her cheeks and stained her pillow as she stiffly laid back down on the bed. She curled onto her side and faced Sesshoumaru's side of the bed. She reached out a hand and ran it along the sheets, hoping he would come back soon.

He didn't.

*~~~BTC~~~*

Chink

Amber eyes snapped open at the soft, delicate sound of porcelain. He stared up at his ceiling and quickly registered his surroundings. He was in the living room, lying down on his leather couch. The smell of fresh green tea greeted his nose and he glanced to the side to see a steaming cup sitting on the coffee table. A movement in his peripheral caught his eye and looked to see Kagome disappearing into the kitchen.

Swinging his legs over the couch, he sat up and set his elbows on his knees, his now-healed hands rubbing at his face tiredly. He didn't get much sleep last night, his mind replaying the scene on a loop until it finally stopped a few hours ago. His beast was agitated because of the nightmare, making his whole body tense and alert.

He grabbed the cup of tea before him and raised it to his lips, taking a tentative sip of the hot beverage as he thought about the woman who made it for him. He scared her last night, he knew; both physically and emotionally. His youki had gotten away from him and while it did not hurt her, it did press on her. Then, he left with no explanation of his actions and did not return.

Honestly, she was probably furious with him.

But, how could he have possibly returned to bed after his beast threw a fit like that? There was no way he could ensure that it wouldn't happen again. Also, how did he explain his nightmare to her? How did he explain that he was disgusted? He was sure she would understand that he was disgusted with himself for not being there. But, there was no way she would understand that he was disgusted for doubting her.

For doubting that the pup was his.

It was so foolish and he continued to berate himself for it. According the doctor, she was between five and six weeks pregnant when she went for her first appointment, making her between six and seven weeks currently. Six and half weeks ago they were in Vegas, engaging in sex for the first time. She even told him that he was the first guy she had been with in a long time. She had no reason to lie to him, so why would she? It was easy, she didn't.

But, still the dream was so real and it made his beast upset.

A buzz drew him from his thoughts and he looked at the cell phone by his cup. His heart warmed, Kagome must have brought it down for him in case he slept in. He unlocked his phone, turned off his alarm before it could go off and then read the text message from his brother.

Yo. I'm leavin my house to come grab my truck and drop off Blue.

Sesshoumaru glanced at the time. Inuyasha would be there in about twenty minutes. He downed the rest of the tea and shot up the stairs to take a quick shower. After he was dressed for the day, he made his way down the stairs, tightening the knot in his tie as he walked into the kitchen. He blinked when he saw Rin and Souta sitting at the dining room table, stuffing their mouths with pancakes.

He then focused on Kagome as she stood in front of the stove, flipping a pancake to cook the other side. Guilt hit him when she peered over at him from her shoulder. It wasn't fair to her that he was avoiding her, but his beast was messing with his emotions at the moment. He turned from her and made his way to the kids, kissing Rin on the head and giving Souta's hair a ruffle.

Kagome's heart twisted when he ignored her. What did she possibly do to him? Was he mad at her for something? But what? She cleared her throat as she put the pancake on a plate. "Did you want some breakfast before you leave?" She asked casually.

He stiffened as his beast growled. "No," He replied curtly and then quickly chided his beast when it came out icy. "But, perhaps some tea to go?"

She gave him a small smile and nodded and walked over to where the coffee mugs were, hoping that was where his thermos would be. She relieved the morning maid that usually made breakfast, telling her that she wouldn't be needed until she was too pregnant to move, but had her give her a crash course on where everything was.

As she reached up to grab the black thermos, she heard a horn from outside. She turned to look at Sesshoumaru and lifted a brow. "Who's that?"

"Inuyasha," He replied, ignoring his beast as he growled. "He dropped off your car and is taking me to work. Never mind the tea, I will see you later." He hadn't told Inuyasha that he was riding with him, but he really didn't think it was wise to drive in his condition. His beast was too present, too angry.

She watched as he walked out of the house and felt her bottom lip tremble. She quickly turned towards the cabinet so the children wouldn't see her and wiped at the lone tear that fell. She went to put the thermos back on the shelf, but stopped when she noticed there weren't any initials on it. She turned the cup this way and that, but still found no initials.

A sad smile crept across her lips.

He had kept her thermos.

*~~~BTC~~~*

"So, you gonna explain why I hauled your ass to work?" Inuyasha asked as they walked onto their floor at Taisho Corp.

"No." Came the curt reply. Golden pools were scanning the floor, hoping desperately to not find his father. He knew his father would sense the shift in his aura and demand answers; answers he wasn't ready to give.

He snorted. "Keh, whatever. Just don't expect me to drive your ass home."

Inuyasha would have to be his ride home since he wanted to avoid his father. Maybe he would just sleep at the office, it would give his beast time away from their intended so they could get their head clear. Yes, it was better for both him and Kagome if he stayed there tonight.

"Taisho-san, good morning," Miroku greeted as he stood and gave his boss a small bow. "The summary of emails and voicemails have been sent to your email."

"Thank you." He responded and made his way to his office. He went to unlock it, but frowned when it was already unlocked. He opened the door and cursed his luck when he saw his father inside, hanging his New Moon painting back in its place.

"Ah, son! Look, your painting is ba-" Touga suddenly froze when his son's scent invaded his nose, his aura touching his. He turned to his son after making sure the painting was secure and turned to look at him. He could easily see the tension in his shoulders, the tightness around his eyes, and the clenching of his jaw. "Why is your beast present? What happened?"

"Nothing." His response came out as a snarl, but he tried to act like it didn't happen as he put his briefcase down on his desk.

Touga's eyes narrowed as he approached his son. "Do not lie to me, Son. I know when your beast is present. Why is he half-way out of his cage? Did you and Kagome get into a fight?" His heart skipped a beat. "Is she okay? You didn't harm her, did you?"

Sesshoumaru bared his fangs at his father. "Do not insult me! I would never touch her!"

He watched as his son's eyes flashed red. Oh yes, his beast was definitely coming out of its cage. "Did you get into an argument?" He pressed.

"No," He replied, hands balling into fists as he tried to regain complete control. After taking a few deep breaths, he looked at his father with his usual impassive face. Perhaps it would help soothe his beast if someone else told him how stupid he was being. "My beast is simply being foolish."

The president of the Taisho Corp stood across from his son's desk, his brows pinched in worry. "What do you mean?" He questioned.

"I had a nightmare last night," He began and then gripped his desk as his beast snarled in his mind. "A very vivid dream about Kagome being with Naraku."

Touga slowly sat down on the desk. "Being with…as in…?"

"He took her when she was unconscious. Stated she would be a breeding device for him, that she could give him heirs that would not dilute his youkai blood." He explained. "And I could do nothing in the dream to help her; just watch as he took her."

He frowned. "Sesshoumaru, surely that did not happen. Didn't Kagome say that he never…?"

"Yes, but, if she was unconscious, then how would she know?" He retorted and was just as surprised as his father was by his response.

"I believe a woman would know if she were defiled in her sleep. There would be semen and mostly likely pain. Your beast is mad because another man may have touched her?"

"No. Well, yes, and that we could not stop it in our dream, but," He hesitated and looked down at his clenched claws. "He thinks the pup may not be his."

Touga sat stock still. This could be very bad. If a beast thought that the woman of his choice was carrying someone else's pup…well, many things could happen, and none of them were good. He reached forward and smacked his son on the side of his head. "Look here, you two. Kagome loves you and she is to be your mate. The pup is yours, created when the two of you fornicated in Vegas. Do the math and do not be stupid. That is your only warning."

Sesshoumaru watched as his father left his office before looking down at his desk with a scowl. He heard his beast release a small growl before slipping back behind the main conscious. He released a soft sigh when his head felt slightly lighter. So, that was one issue taken care of for the moment. Now, he had to focus on why, even today, he continued to see the car accident happen at every intersection.

A/N: ANGST BECAUSE YES.