A/N: Thanks for the favs and follows. Let me know what you guys think about this so far. I'm on the fence about it but it's just what came out.
There is an alternate version that I started with to this but it didn't seem to go anywhere. That and now I'm working on a totally separate story because the idea would not leave my head.
Gotta love it when that happens. Enjoy! Happy reading.
Sesshomaru watched Inuyasha with his family for a time before approaching. His wife was pregnant, again, with their third child. On her small frame it was visible despite not being too far along.
The two pups ran around with the elder, Ichirou, chasing his younger sister allowing her to catch him. Every so often Inuyasha would reach out a hand to grasp one of them bringing his child into his lap to tickle at them to screams of delight.
"Inuyasha." He said walking forward. "Yukime."
"Lord Sesshomaru." Yukime greeted formally. "How is Kagome?"
"Kagome is awake. However it would appear that her mind is in the past." He replied.
"What's that mean?" Inuyasha asked moving quickly to his feet.
"She requested you Inuyasha." Sesshomaru said. "She is frightened and needs you by her side."
"Of course." He said. Looking down at Yukime she smiled gently at him.
"Go, Kagome needs you." She said. Inuyasha gave her a nod and followed Sesshomaru to the hut.
"What did she say to you?" Inuyasha asked. Sesshomaru remained silent his emotions threatening to betray him. Swallowing down the lump in his throat he turned his head slightly away from his younger brother. "Sesshomaru."
"She is afraid of me." He said through gritted fangs. "She believes she is the age when she first arrived here. She knows our names but remembers us as we were years ago."
"Oh." Inuyasha said softly. "This is, this is bad. Don't worry, I'll tell her. I'll let her know what's happened since then."
Stopping at the hut Inuyasha stepped in with Sesshomaru opting to stay outside. Rin came out soon after sitting down next to him against a tree.
"She doesn't believe me. She thinks I'm some evil puppet that Naraku sent to trick her or some other type of demon." Rin said her voice thick in her throat.
"Hn."
"Maybe Inuyasha can help. At least get her to understand how much time has passed."
"Perhaps. I will provide for her whatever this may present, even if it is not directly."
"My lord?"
"If my presence continues to cause her alarm then I will distance myself physically from her."
"Oh." Rin whispered sadly. "I see. Please, try to regain a relationship with her. I know that is what Kagome wanted so very much." Tears sprang to her eyes trailing down her cheeks. "She was going to tell me something, I think about you but she never got the chance too."
"Before winter, after the celebration here, I accompanied her to her home. We drank, admitted how we missed one another and very nearly mated." He sighed out. "I stopped it, wanting to not take advantage of her in the state we were both in. We decided to talk about it but instead I left and did not return until the day she was injured."
"Why did you leave?"
"I can fell armies of demons, carve out the land with a single strike but when it comes to confronting my emotions I have always been a coward."
"That is not true." Rin said moving to grasp her hands tightly. "I have always seen what is in your heart Lord Sesshomaru. When everyone thought that I was crazy or possessed I followed you because I know how compassionate you are, even before you knew."
"It is because of you. Without you I never would have accessed those parts of myself that I had suppressed."
"Kagome saw it too." Rin smiled weakly. "You gained her trust once and she fell in love with you, you can do it again if that is what you wish."
Sesshomaru remained silent as Rin continued on. "Regardless, Kagome is immortal in some time you may be all she has left."
"Time." Sesshomaru repeated wondering what exactly that would mean for them now.
After a few days Kagome was well enough to sit up and drink light liquids to regain her strength. With Inuyasha present Kagome had agreed to see Sesshomaru.
Sitting with enough distance away as to not scare her they sat in silence. "Inuyasha told me that him and I were married once. It didn't work out. He told me about his wife and his children." Biting her lower lip she sighed. "You and I, we were married?"
"Yes."
"I can't believe it, it's just the last thing I remember was getting jewel shards and then waking up here. Being told I lost half my face practically, that I'm like thirty but it doesn't matter because I'm immortal…there's so much and I can't. I wanna go home."
"You have a home, not far from here." Sesshomaru stated. "When you are well enough this one will take you if you like."
Warily Kagome met his gaze. "Do you know what my last memory of you is?"
"No." Feeling a prickle of anxiety and self doubt he could only imagine what she could remember. Instances where he had attacked her intent on harming her or killing her came to mind.
"I was kidnapped. I was being choked and you saved me. I know it wasn't on purpose, just right place and right time, but I mean…you can't be all bad." She relented. "I can tell that Inuyasha trusts you now by the he talks about you, I know he wouldn't lie to me about what he told me. Sesshomaru, I want to try to be friends with you. If you want too."
"Very much so Kagome." The pain in his chest seemed to ease somewhat as she offered him a softer gaze.
As Kagome began to regain her strength Sesshomaru provided for her by hunting. It reminded him of when she had been injured the first time he had decided to provide for her, their conversations they had begun to have and the feelings he had developed for her in that time.
She was grateful every time he brought her something but it was evident that she had reverted back to the young, scared youth she had been.
Everything for the most part that she had learned as a skilled herbalist and healer was essentially wiped away leaving her with a basic understanding of the first few plants Kaede had introduced her too.
Her survival skills were non-existent leaving her unable to build or tend a fire let alone prepare food for herself, hunting was certainly out of the question.
"You said before that I have a home somewhere around here?" Kagome asked him one day. The heavier bandages were gone with smaller ones covering the worst of her lacerations.
A strip of cloth still was wound tight around her head covering her eye socket to keep the weakened bones in place. The bruising had taken on a dark yellow color and hopefully would soon fade.
"Yes." Sesshomaru replied softly.
"I know I can't go back through the well." Gripping her blanket her lips trembled. "That it closed but maybe if I go to the home I have here, maybe I'll remember something."
"Perhaps or perhaps not." Sesshomaru stated.
"Can you still take me?" She asked timidly. "I don't want to bother anyone else, they all have families and are…too busy for me."
"That is not true Kagome, all of them would come to your aid when requested."
"And you?" Eyeing him she seemed to hold her breath.
"This Sesshomaru will stay by your side as long as you may require or want."
"Because we were married?"
"It is where I want to be." He replied. Kagome looked down at her hands and smirked the best that she could.
Her legs were stiff and wobbly after not much use meaning she could only walk short distances with help. Her balance seemed off causing her to trip and lean to one side.
"I can't do this." Kagome gripped Sesshomarus hands more tightly as he helped her walk around the hut she was currently staying at. Staying in front of her walking backwards ready to assist her as much as necessary.
"Yes you can." He rumbled with some authority. "It will not be easy to regain what you have lost but you will in time."
"Well thank god I have forever to learn how to feed myself again or hold a cup." She snapped back instantly feeling regret. "I'm sorry. I'm not mad at you."
"This one is aware." Sesshomaru. "Now, one step at a time Kagome." Nodding her head she straightened herself back out placing one foot in front of the other.
"Lady Kagome!" A child's voice rang out as they slowly made their way back towards the front of the structure. On instinct Kagome moved her head too quickly losing her balance.
Letting loose of one her hands Sesshomaru easily caught her allowing her to fall into him. "Damnit." She cursed under breath.
"It's alright." Sesshomaru said assisting her to sit on the ground. Bringing his attention upwards he saw the owner of the voice. Frightfully the boy bowed his head low respectfully.
"I'm sorry that you were hurt because of me Lady Kagome. You told me not to play by the stables and I didn't listen. You-you saved me from getting hurt." The boy said sobbing.
"Oh, um…it's okay I guess." She stammered out. "I'm glad you're not hurt." As the boy ran back quickly in the direction he had come from Kagome watching him go. "Why do I get the feeling that I don't even like that kid?"
"You don't."
"I think I'm ready to go home now." She said suddenly. "Do you think I can walk it?"
"No it may be difficult." Sesshomaru stood. "I can carry you if you like."
"Um, okay." Kagome gave a slight nod and gasped slightly as he quickly picked her up. Despite the bruising to her face he still could see the blush that burned her features..
Walking down the familiar path with Kagome so close to him it allowed his mind to wander slightly. Her scent and her warmth against his body was soothing.
"A waterfall?" Kagome asked as they came to the clearing. "I live next to a waterfall?"
"Yes." He said continuing on. She stared at the impressive house that was hers in shock.
"I thought that I lived in like a hut." Crashing in front of them An-Un desperately wanted to greet her. Visibly she inched back against him further. "What do your dragons want?"
"Your attention. They stay here with you quite often. You commissioned a stable be built for them." Motioning towards the wooden lean to structure next to her house.
"I-I don't remember…"
"An-Un, away." Sesshomaru commanded. Apprehensively after a few snorts and sniffs they stepped aside allowing Kagome to settle. "They missed you."
"Do we live here together?"
"No. I visit on occasion. We have separated."
"Oh, then did you build this for me?"
"Again, no. Inuyasha and others from the village did. To show you their gratitude for being their priestess."
"Rin told me that Kaede died some years ago now. It was like I, I can't explain…"
"Do not fret Kagome." Sesshomaru said walking up onto the raised front of the house. Sitting her down where she liked so she could see the waterfall. "There is plenty of time to regain your lost memories."
"And if I don't?"
"Then you will make new ones."
"I can't remember over a decade." She sighed out. "And I mean it's all useful information that I could really use. How am I going to be a priestess to the village if I can't remember how too?"
"Rin will help you. She can retrain you. The two of you learned together under Kaedes guidance."
"What about everything else? I obviously could survive on my own but now…"
"This one will provide for you." Sesshomaru interjected.
"Why, if we're separated? That's like a divorce, I mean we broke up for some reason so why are you here wanting to help me?"
"We are still friends. We were still in love. We just lacked the communication necessary to sustain a long term relationship." Meeting her gaze with his Kagomes eye widened.
"Oh." She said before guiltily looking away. "Sorry." Swallowing hard she took a deep breath before exhaling. "Thank you. For looking out for me."
"You are most welcome."
Standing next to the stream that the waterfall fed Sesshomaru startled at the scream coming from Kagome. In a moment he was inside on the ready to defend her.
She cowered on the floor with a broken hand mirror smashed on to the tatami mats. Sobbing she covered as much of herself as she could.
"Kagome." Sesshomaru knelt down next to her taking her into his arms. She was near hysterics.
"I'm so, so…I look…"
"Beautiful my dearest."
"How can you say that?" She shot back up to stare at him. "Look at me! I'm a freak! I look like a monster!"
"You survived a horrific injury. Your flesh has healed and the marks that remain are proof of that."
Crumpling in his lap and sobbing Sesshomaru stroked her hair soothingly. "Why are you being so nice to me?"
"You are my Kagome. That is why."
"I don't remember…I don't feel that way towards you."
"I know." Sesshomaru sighed out. "As much as it pains me I will remember us, what we had."
"Tell me, what happened between us."
"I brought you to a family estate where I have pack. There was the possibility of a war and I worried for your safety. I became guarded and did not share pertinent information with you. Your lady in waiting was a spy for another territory and she placed doubts into your head, one for information and two in an attempt to overthrow you as my lady and take your place."
"So, we both kept things from each other?" Kagome questioned.
"Yes. That was our downfall." Moving her head away from him she looked exhausted. Her eye scanned the floor to the broken shards of glass and she scoffed.
"Seven years bad luck." Kagome whimpered out. "I don't know how much more bad luck I can take."
"I wish there was someway I could alleviate your distress." Sesshomaru said softly. Kagome glanced back at him and half smirked.
"You do. Just by being here, aside from physically helping me and providing everything for me. Let's be real, you've been doing everything for me and I don't feel like I've been doing anything for you."
"I, Sesshomaru, would give you the stars in the sky Kagome if you told me which ones you wanted as long as it meant I could remain by your side." Taking her hands in his he brought them to his lips kissing one gently and then the other.
His eyes held such sincerity and unbridled love within their depths Kagome felt more tears well and threaten to spill. His lips were firm and warm. Familiar. She froze on the spot.
"Do that again." She whispered out intrigued. Complying he repeated laying soft kisses against the knuckles of her hands. "I taught you how to kiss."
"Yes." Sesshomaru said feeling hope bloom within him. "You did."
"I don't remember doing it but I remember the feeling of it." She said slowly finding the right words. "That doesn't make sense." Moving his hand up her arm to cup her cheek he smiled at her softly.
"It does." He encouraged. Taking her hand hesitantly she reached out towards him touching the markings on his cheek. Running her fingertips against his stripes on one side before going to the other.
Sesshomaru closed his eyes reveling in the feel of her. Leaning into her hand he gripped her other more tightly. He felt his claws on her face move to her hair before running his thumb across a few of the scars on her face.
"I love you Kagome." He rumbled out. "And I always will. My heart is bound to yours." Reopening his eyes he saw the tears falling down her face from only one side. "Never forget that this one will always cherish you and be in whichever capacity to your person you deem fit."
"And if I never develop any deep feelings for you again?" Kagome asked. "If by some chance I decide to go with someone else?"
"This Sesshomaru will answer when you call." In a rush of hair and movement Kagome fell back against him wrapping her arms around him tightly.
"I want to remember, I want too."
"We can make new memories." Sesshomaru said. "We can have our new beginning, whatever that may entail, if you so desire."
"You feel like home." She whispered out before falling asleep in his arms.