a/n take what you will from this chapter. It is the last one before we start into the next part of this story

He would catch himself sometimes. The little pup with the golden eyes and silver hair, but her smile.

He knew it could be considered wrong, and couldn't help the thoughts. They would surprise him, out of the blue.

The pride he felt watching his pup hunt. The innocent smile, full of love and trust.

The worry when he left.

Is this how his father felt when he was a pup?

"Father?"

His eyes snap to Inuyasha. He was doing it again.

"No Inuyasha, I am your half brother"

But maybe for now, In this moment, within the confines of his own mind, he could imagine.

"I'm hungry"

He would imagine that Inuyasha was really his. Although he was raising him, he knew and the beast that was his instinctual side knew that this pup was not his and he made sure to keep a small bit of distance by ensuring he knew they were brothers.

One day, Inuyasha would be able to take his place among his people. He could see the strength he carried. His stubbornness and pride. Determination, will, and instincts.

"Catch yourself something. There, in the tree, that would make for a nice meal."

One day he will be a force to be reckoned with and even those that would scoff at him for being hanyo would be forced to admit that he was no less than they were, he was more than they could ever dream of being.

He took pride in Inuyasha's accomplishments, and tried to be there for him the way their father was not for him. When he had his own pups, the mistakes he had made with his brother were not going to be mistakes he repeated, and there were many times he felt as if he himself were too young to be raising a pup. He had not had enough life experiences to know what to do in many situations, but he went with his instincts, as irrational as they could be at times with his own youth.

So what is the measure of a father? Is it the one whose seed made the pup? Or the one who raised the pup?

"Inuyasha," he called to the pup perched precariously on a tree branch attempting to catch the fat squirrel "that branch will break if you continue"

With a loud snap the branch broke and the pup was falling. Sesshoumaru had caught him before he fell more than a few feet, lowering them both to the ground.

"Be cautious of your surroundings, you could have gotten hurt"