Chapter 23

"So you mean to tell me this isn't the first time this woman was off her rocker?" Inuyasha said irritated as Hakkaku and Ginta shared the information that Koga and Ayame were originally coming to give.

"Yep. She did the same thing to her first husband as well." Ginta said with arms crossed as he looked at Inuyasha.

"No one could have proven anything since he was pronounced dead by suicide, and there were witnesses who said she and he had been separated for over a week when it happened." Hakkaku said with his arms crossed looking at Sesshomaru.

"No one, even our Koga would've been able to find out she and the seven men we ahem, "Took care of" were related as she never had anything to do with her mother since birth." Ginta said with a go figure kinda look.

"Yeah. She was raised with her father and married into a new name, and she had plastic surgery done as well. So she wouldn't have even resembled the woman or her sons. Had Koga done the bio scan on her she'd come up clean as a cucumber with no living relatives known." Hakkaku said looking to Ginta.

"It was luck that Ayame did a dna search on the strand of hair she found against the blood in that wear house." Ginta sighed out. "If only we had abandoned the car with them..I hope their alright?" Ginta finished.

"We should go looking for them. They could've gotten hurt in the dark?" Hakkaku said with a heavy heart.

"I can't believe someone would go through all this trouble just to marry my jackass of a brother!" Inuyasha spoke in aggravation.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome snapped but was silenced immediately.

"For tonight I completely accept the title. Everything that happened to Momo was because of me. An apology would do you no good. Especially if she's there alone.." Sesshomaru said fisting his pants in irritation.

"She better not be! Why couldn't you have sent one of the millions of your mindless goons to follow her around!" Inuyasha snapped back.

Sesshomaru said nothing as the guilt in him continued to boil into an unhealthy rage.

"That's enough Inuyasha! Didn't you say Rin took the kids back?! We don't even know if Sara is there or not!?" Kagome said loudly silencing her husband.

She could see the guilt and hurt in Sesshomarus face and didn't want him to feel it alone. After all they were her and Inuyashas kids.

It's not like Sesshomaru was watching them when Momo was kidnapped. If she was completely honest with herself, it was her and Inuyashas fault for what had happened. And if Sesshomaru had been watching the kids, she was sure that man would've been stopped before he even got close enough to think about taking Momo. And both she and Inuyasha knew that for a fact.

"It's not your fault ya know? Me and Inuyasha were in charge of watching her. Regardless of what you think or feel Sesshomaru they are our kids. And our responsibility. Just because their your niece and nephews doesn't make you responsible for them. Inuyasha and I are grateful beyond words that you love them enough to feel responsible for them but the fact is your not. Thank you." Kagome ended with holding his hand.

Sesshomaru looked up confused and hurt. He knew her words to be true. Yes they were not his children but Sesshomaru would never allow the blame to fall upon his younger brother. He was the eldest! He is and always will be responsible for Inuyasha and anything that happens to him or his family.

"For? I've brought nothing but problems. I shouldn't have even-" Sesshomaru was cut off by a slap to his face.

Kanna looked shocked while Jaken began to cry that his beloved master was struck and he could not help him as he was the driver.

Sesshomaru stood with his face solid as stone as Kagome began to speak her words with anger and tears.

"Would you stop with that shit already! Look our kids love you! They see my brother almost every single day and yet don't ask for him or even acknowledge him as their uncle! They love you, you big idiot! The only thing you should be apologizing to us for is not being around more often! You should be apologizing for not coming around every Sunday for dinner and family time! Maybe if you were around more often you'd realize that you have a family as well! WE ARE YOUR FAMILY! We can help you if you let us. So stop acting like it's better if your not around, cause it really sucks when you aren't. We miss you to ya know. It's not just the kids who miss you when you disappear.." Kagome wiped away a stray tear and allowed Inuyasha to hold her hand.

"Look.. Kagome is right.. I'm just angry at myself and I guess I just got so used to whenever I messed up or did something wrong to just blame you for it... You always use to stand up and take the blame for all the shit I used to get into as a kid.. Now that we're older I guess I just do it cause I'm scared. The responsibilities come with consequences now and I guess sometimes it's just easier to blame you.. I'm sorry." Inuyasha said with sadness and sincerity.

Sesshomaru let out a breath he hadn't realized he held. He lightly grinned at his family and nodded. He couldn't form words and knew that HIS family would understand either way.

From that moment Sesshomaru vowed not to allow anything to stand in the way of him and his family ever again.

The three adults smiled and all became silent. Kanna rolled her eyes at the mushy display when all of a sudden gun shots could be heard off in the distance. The car full of people became instantly worried and flustered!

Jaken sped up as quickly as possible pulling into the parking spot recklessly minutes after they heard the gun fire. They all jumped out and ran towards the door.

Sara closed the large gap between her and the kids. The three children so filled with fear were frozen.

They couldn't scream even if they wanted. Sara pointed the gun at them making poor Momo wet herself in complete fear.

"Goodbye you little brats, now my darling Sesshomaru will finally have peace!" As Sara began to apply the pressure needed on the gun, she felt her hand being pulled away from the kids.

"Renji! Uryu! Momo! Run! I promise I won't let this bad woman hurt you! Go quickly!" Rin shouted.

Her head was spinning in pain. The amount of blood she lost was terrifying and she was almost sure she had a concussion. The adrenaline within her body however helped her to fulfill her promise.

She only hoped it would last long enough for help to arrive.

"Ergggggh! Let go you little tramp!" Sarah grabbed Rin by the hair and tugged violently.

"NEVER! I WON'T LET YOU HURT THOSE KIDS!" Rin shouted in pain.

As the two women fought for the small handgun two shots went off. The kids screamed in fear and ran back into the hallway to hide.

The large and luxurious suite was filled with laughter and music. Toga was determined to show off his better dance moves to the Kuchiki and Omi families. Inukimi and Izayoi being very attractive volunteers helped in his display of skill greatly.

Byakuya sat with his arms crossed and his left leg bent over his right. He was still in his suit minus the jacket.

He suddenly turned his attention toward the window with only his eyes. Hisana being the only one who noticed became instantly worried.

"My love?" Hisana looked to Byakuya.

"Come with me. I must speak with you privately. Please excuse us." Byakuya bowed to his company and lead his wife into the hallway.

"Byakuya what's happened? Is everything alright?" Hisana asked with worry.

"No. I felt the life force of two people fade out. There is also a spike in spiritual pressure. I have to go." Byakuya looked to his wife and cupped her cheek.

"I understand..please be careful." Hisana held her husbands hand and accepted his soft kiss before he suddenly jumped from out of his body.

He now stood dressed in an all black kimono with a white long sleeveless jacket over. He had a mint green scarf around his neck and his hair was down with a silver kenseikan on the side and top of his head.

He looked one last time to his beloved wife and within a second was gone.

Sara's appearance for the first time all evening showed her manic nature. Her hair was a mess and her eyes read crazy. Her dress was torn and the heel to her right shoe broke.

She grew tired of the unnecessary fight with Rin and began to scratch at her as if some crazy cat person!

Rin would not back down! She fought to keep hands on the weapon and to keep her self grounded. She knew if Sara over powered her it would mean the end for those kids.

She managed to finally wear Sara down as she was now able to pull the gun in between both herself and Sara.

Sara smiled devishly to Rin. Rin realized immediately she was in trouble. Sara had purposely allowed Rin to lower the weapon between them.

Sara kept her smile and with great force turned the gun toward Rins gut. Rin tried to move the gun or herself and was unsuccessful.

The front door was slammed open and the last thing that Rin saw was Inuyasha and Sesshomaru bursting through the door. Rin smiled feeling that she had accomplished what she had set out to do.

She blocked out the screams of Inuyasha and the cries of Kagome. She couldn't hear the yelling of Sesshomaru for Sara to stop. She simply seen the man she knew she loved. It broke her heart in many ways that she never had the opportunity to tell him how she truly felt. But she'd be damned if she didn't get to at least say goodbye.

Sara had pulled the trigger long ago. Just as the Taisho brothers came through the door Rin was falling. Inuyasha ran to her kneeling down and holding her head upon his lap. Trying to stop the bleeding he covered her with his jacket and applied pressure.

Kagome held her hand and cried to her saying that all will be ok. Rin however looked beyond the both of them. She seen Sesshomaru trying to stop Sara she heard him arguing with her and with the last ounce of her strength Rin uttered the last words that mattered to her.

"Goodbye, Sesshomaru." Rins eyes closed. Her body went limp. And her head fell to the side. Inuyasha cried as he held the young girls body. Kagome cried out her name repeatedly hoping somehow she'd come back.

Sara looked to the dead girls body with anger. How dare she say goodbye to the man she loved! How dare she try and claim in death what belonged to her and her alone!

"You little slut!" Sara screamed out! She pointed the gun back at her lifeless body and with tears was about to shoot when Sesshomaru grabbed her by the arm and knocked the gun away.

"THATS ENOUGH!!" Sesshomaru slapped Sara so hard across her face she fell over and hit her head into the coffee table.

Sesshomaru kicked the gun away from Sara's body and walked over to Rin. He looked down at her lifeless body and felt a pain within that left him feeling numb.

Kagome wiped her tears and looked to Sesshomaru. "She said goodbye to you..." Kagome sadly got up wiping the tears from her eyes holding onto her brother in law for support.

"Kagome the kids!?" Inuyasha said suddenly realizing they weren't around.

"RENJI!? URYU!? MOMO!? GUYS WHERE ARE YOU!?" Kagome and Inuyasha split up to look for them.

Inuyasha had laid Rin down as gently as possible. He rested her head on the floor so he could run and gather his family. Sesshomaru kneeled on both knees and looked to her.

She was still so warm, she was still so beautiful, she was still so naive. Why give her life when they were not her family to give her life for? Why endure the pains she had for kids she looked after as a job. Sesshomaru brushed her hair to the side.

He removed his jacket and covered her with it. Once he was able to regain himself he checked Koga and Ayame with Hakkaku and Ginta.

Both men were crying over their lost comrades. Sesshomaru didn't acknowledge the grief of the two men before him.

As he stood looking into the direction he could see his family returning from relief fell upon his face as he seen his brother holding both boys and Kagome tightly holding onto Momo.

Their joy was short lived however, right before Sesshomaru could close the gap between himself and his family terrifying gun shots filled the room.

Sesshomaru, Inuyasha and Kagome all ducked instinctively as they heard the loud gun going off. Soon another round of shots was fired. Making the Taisho family remain on the ground not sure where the shots were coming from to begin with.

Sesshomaru looked behind him to see that Sara's body was no longer on the ground. Hakkaku and Ginta were now both laying in their comrades blood dead themselves.

Sesshomaru looked to the standing and menacing Sara in fear. He had never in his life feared a woman the way he did now. He slowly rose to stand looking her straight in the eye.

His hate for this woman in front of him was growing rapidly. All he could imagine was the intense desire he had to take her life.

"S-Sara...Put the gun down. We can talk about all of this Sara..." Sesshomaru tried to talk her down from the ledge of insanity.

Just as Sara was about to speak both Kanna and Jaken ran inside screaming for Sesshomaru. Both asked of his well being as they heard the gun shots. Sesshomaru quickly tried to get them to leave and screamed for Sara not to.

But she quickly shot them both in the doorway without hesitation.

She hadn't been holding her own gun this time. The gun she held was taken from the corpse of Kogas wife. Ayames gun was an automatic. It shot multiple bullets at once making her task much easier.

Sesshomaru felt something deep within him sink. It was as if his heart had fallen into his gut and came back up into his throat all at once.

Kannas eyes never left his sight. She reached out for him begging for him to take cover and protect himself as she took her last breath.

Jaken tried foolishly to reach him to act as a human shield. He was determined to die for Sesshomaru if need be.

Seeing and hearing their bodies hit the ground was a shocking reality for Sesshomaru. At that present moment he knew who would be next. And if he couldn't stop her he knew she'd take them all.

He could not let that happen. He did not call out to the two dead bodies of the only people who had consistently been in his life for 20 something years now. He stood and tried to look as calm as possible as he tried to reason with this obviously psychopath of a woman.

"Sara Please stop this." Sesshomaru said calmly. He tested a step forward and stopped when Sara quickly pointed her next shot at Kagome.

"Sesshomaru my only love... You wasn't suppose to see all of this my Sesshomaru... Please just give me time and don't you worry about anything! I'll take care of all of this! No one will ever know! Than we can be together forever!" Sara lifted the gun to shoot.

"Sara! Please listen to me! I don't want this! What on earth would make you think this is what I wanted?" Sesshomaru said daring to step forward to stop her.

Once he seen her twitch with the weapon in hand he stood still worried she was to unstable to make any sudden movements.

"I know your heart! I know what it is you truly desire! You want a perfect family of your own! Your hurt and feel betrayed by this nimrods pathetic attempt at a family! I know you detest the sight of this little monster! I know you hate that disgusting name they've stuck you with! I know that what you need is for the lesser in your family to be gone and dealt with! A father who uses you! A mother who never loved you! A brother who flaunts his family in front of you! I will rid them from existence and I'll even remove them from your memory! I will fill your heart and mind with only the love and praise you deserve! I love you Sesshomaru!" Sara cried out and looked back to the kids and Inuyasha.

"No! Sara wait! Your? Your..your right...So please come here to me and show me...show me you love me?! Please just come here to me!" Sesshomaru said through shaky words and tears filling his eyes.

He'd never felt fear like this before. He couldn't think of anything else as he seen this insane woman that he brought into his life taking away the only people that he had ever truly loved.

"I will show you by taking the lives of these brats! I know you don't love me right now..but soon I know you will." Sara began to cry. She had now completely resembled the mad woman everyone knew her to be.

"Sara! No! I mean it! Your right about everything! I hate my father for everything he is and for everything he's made me become." Sesshomaru trembled as he spoke those lies. He loved his father and still looked up to him. Whatever his fathers faults or mistakes were in the past he had definitely made up for them with being there for Inuyasha and his family.

"I-I hate my mother for never being there!" Sesshomaru practically sobbed these words. His eyes filled with un fallen tears. Sesshomaru knew he loved his mother with every fiber of his being. And not just Inukimi but Izayoi as well. They both had taught and raised him to become the proper and respectful man he is today.

"I can't stand Inuyasha and how happy he is and how perfect his family is!" Sesshomaru fell to his knees. His nails dug into the floor. He felt the most pain speaking these disgusting words, because these words weren't entirely false. Yes he envied his brothers life and family. But he'd never wish for him to have had this beautiful family while Inuyasha did not. He loved his brother and they was truly best friends after all they had been through together.

"I-I-I hate...I hate the random phone calls of things that aren't important...I hate the hugs that leave me covered in whatever they are...I hate children in general being sticky or whining...I-I-I hate that stupid name they call me.." Sesshomaru could not keep composed any longer. He knew the kids were listening. He knew they were no longer afraid but that they were hurt. He also prayed and hoped and begged that they knew everything he was saying was a lie. He loved everything about those kids. He loved how throughout random meetings, or late at night while he slept or even once or twice while he was with a woman they'd call and ask silly questions. He loved that when they hugged him as tightly as they did there was always evidence of their love left over by there sticky hands or cheeks. He most of all loved the name they had given him. The first moment Renji spoke his name and took his first steps toward Sesshomaru calling him sushi that was a memory he was forever grateful for. He from that moment demanded the rest of his family call him sushi and the kids were never to be told his name was anything other than that. He loved everything about those kids. And it broke and tortured him inside the words he had to speak. His tears flowed and his voice changed. He couldn't help but to cry as he looked to them. Praying to whatever would listen to him to keep them safe.

"Please Sara.. we can be together forever.. just please come here to me! Please I need you Sara! Just a kiss! One kiss! I'm begging.." Sesshomaru cried out hoping that would save his niece and nephew.

Sara looked with tears in her eyes. She lowered her weapon and stood tall. Bringing a relief to Sesshomaru and giving him strength to stand.

"I wish it were that simple my love.." Sara readied to aim at the kids. She was slow and used much less strength than before. Sesshomarus confession of love confused her and she suddenly lost the ability to focus.

"I will of course heal you my love.." Sara sobbed as she raised the weapon once again.

"Mommy? Does uncle sushi love us no more? I'm sorry uncle sushi..we won't call you that no more.." Momo cried and spoke her words with hurt and pain.

Momos young mind didn't understand why or what her uncle was saying. She felt an even deeper fear within her thinking even if her family did survive this nightmarish night would she live the rest of her life without her uncle?

Sesshomaru could not stop the tears that fell from his eyes. All he wanted to do was run to his family and hold them in his arms.

Sesshomaru knew nothing was gonna stop this woman from her next move. No amount of begging or pleading. So he followed his heart for the first time in his entire life.

"No princess, Uncle loves you with all his heart. He'll die before wishing for you guys to stop calling him uncle sushi. I love yous all more than I've ever been able to explain. Uncle was trying to stop this crazy woman from taking yous away...and he's sorry cause he couldn't. Inuyasha please...please forgive me..I've failed you brother and I can't make this right." Sesshomaru trembled while the tears fell from his eyes uncontrollably.

Inuyasha closed his eyes realizing what Sesshomaru was trying to tell him. He held his wife close and made sure to hold all his kids. He forced a smile to his brother before nodding to him.

Sesshomaru again begged with all he was. Something he had never done in his entire life. He begged as he practically choked on his own tears.

"Please! Please Sara I'm begging you I'm begging you leave them alone please! I'm so sorry Sara and I swear I'll marry you tonight!! Just leave them alone! Leave them be! Please Sara please!!" Sesshomaru cried out begging.

He looked to his family crying even harder once the awful sound he knew was coming hit his ears. He screamed and cried out even louder. He ran quickly his arms extended out to shield their life with his own.

He knew he hadn't reached them in time as he heard the hard thumping of bodies falling to the floor he felt completely numb as he was shot in his side. He was surrounded by death and was now forever stuck in that cold darkness of nothing.

His eyes stood wide open as he fell to the floor. His mind was hollow and he heard and felt nothing. His tears had ceased on their own. His body was cold to the touch as he lay there unmoving and stone cold. He felt so lost and was in more pain than he could ever explain.

The pain was not that of the wounds Sara had no inflicted on him with the automatic weapon. It was the pain that broke is very soul. He looked to the five people he loved more than anything in the whole world.

He had lost them forever..

Never again will he have those random late night phone calls. Never again will he have warm sticky hugs and kisses. Never again would he hear his name uttered so sweetly, and never again would he be Uncle Sushi...

Sara looked to Sesshomarus body laying on the floor, guilt and pain filling her heart. She cried out screaming. "NOOOOO! SESSHOMARU! No my love...my darling Sesshomaru!!" Sara couldn't bare the pain she felt seeing him lie there.

She raised the gun to her own head and pulled the trigger wanting to follow Sesshomaru into the afterlife she assumed he traveled to. Falling to the floor she once again for the final time confessed her love to Sesshomaru.

"I love you, my Sesshomaru.." Sara's body fell to the floor. Her last tears fell from her lifeless eyes.

Sesshomaru slowly and painfully tried lifting his body to get to his family. He brought himself on to his knees and began crawling. Each movement was like someone twisting a knife inside him.

When he finally got to them he looked at the horrible and terrified expressions on his families faces. He leaned forward to reach for his niece and felt the muscles to his side tense up and give out. He fell forward catching himself with his hands on the ground.

His hair fell over covering his face like a raggedy curtain. His shirt fell open wildly. His nails dug into the floor while he gritted his teeth from the eternal pain he was suffering from. A quiet thump to the floor was all that slowly caught his attention.

The small item spun around with a crack in its jewel as it hit the ground. Sesshomaru lifted the small item and fell back on his feet. He was in unimaginable pain as he held the small money clip in his hands.

"Renji...Uryu...Momo..." Sesshomaru began to sob again. "I'm so sorry..." Sesshomaru began crying while holding the small item tightly in hand close to his heart.

Sesshomaru fell back against the wall crying out into the silence. He could feel himself slipping away into the darkness.