Chapter 1

Kagome was laying in the soft green grass of a clearing, just on the outskirts of Inuyasha's Forest. She hmmed soft tunes while she had her eyes closed; nothing in particular, though.

Every since Kagome's return from her birth era, her and Inuyasha tried to make it work, but in the end it didn't work out. She mostly spent her time helping Kaede, gathering herbs, and whatnot. Although at times, she just feels lonely. Don't get her wrong. She loved to be around her friends, who she saw more as a family. However, that seemed to be not enough. She wanted companionship. Yeah, she has Inuyasha, Miroku, Shippo, Sango, and now their children. She loved being around children of the village, but she yearned to have her own. Now since her and Inuyasha didn't work out, she doesn't see that happening any time soon.

She sighed. "Why me?"

"Kagome?"

Kagome opened up her eyes and saw who called her name. Her eyes widen in shock because it was the ohkami-youkai, who always claimed her as his. She sat up immediately.

"Oh, hi, Kouga."

Kouga gave her one of his charming smiles. "Hi, Kagome. I heard that you returned from where ever it was you came from."

Kagome laughed nervously. No she didn't tell him or his two pack-mates about where or should I say when she came from. "Why are you here?"

"You don't know, Kagome?"

She looked at him in confusion. "Uh, no."

"I came for you, silly woman."

"M-me?"

"Kagome, I know that you and Inuyasha didn't work out."

"But Kouga, I d-don't see you as a potential hus... mate."

Kouga quirked one of his black eyebrows and then he smiled, "How do you know if you don't give me a chance?"

"Damn, he got a point there. Should I give him a chance," she thought. Just before she could answer his question, Inuyasha broke out from the treeline and shouted, "Hey, mangy wolf, get away from Kagome!"

Kouga growled in frustration. "Look, dog turd, I came for my woman. Now leave!"

Inuyasha growled in return. "It is you who should do the leaving." Inuyasha stomped up to go in between his best friend and the mangy wolf. Inuyasha knew that Kagome didn't want to go with him. He could smell it.

Kagome looked from Kouga to Inuyasha and then to Kouga again. "Enough Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha turned to look at her and then looked at Kouga with a wary eye. He can't really fight him if Kagome permitted the wolf appearance. "Keh, whatever."

He stepped aside, but didn't left her side. He was like a guard dog or something; waiting for an opportunity to strike.

Kagome smiled at Inuyasha knowingly and then looked at Kouga. "Kouga, I am very flattered. I am, but I can't. I can't see you more than a friend. I'm sorry."

Kouga sighed in rejection and then he smiled. "Well, just think about it, Kagome. I'll return by end of the year." Kouga kissed her cheek which in turn earned him a dark growl from Inuyasha. Just before Kouga left, he told Inuyasha, "Take good care of my woman."

Inuyasha growled at him more as he and Kagome watched him ran off. "Thank Kami, the mangy wolf is gone." He looked at Kagome. "You aren't seriously thinking about it, are you?"

Kagome sighed. "No, but so far he's the only one that showed any interest in me."

Meanwhile Sesshomaru and company were walking until he stopped and sniffed in the air. He could smell the miko's pleasant scent and his half-brother's. He scowled. He turned to look at Rin over his shoulder. He inwardly sighed.

Flashback

Before Sesshomaru, Rin, Ah-Un, and Jaken went to patrol his lands...

"Lord Sesshomaru," Rin yelled excitedly as she ran in her lord's study. Her tutor instantly stopped at the entrance of the study as Rin ran right in as though she could, which she could. Sesshomaru had never reprimanded her or told her any different.

"Yes, Rin," Sesshomaru said in his usual bored tone.

"I had mastered all my lessons. You said that if I mastered them then I could return to Edo and visit Kagome and Shippo."

"Hn." He looked up at her tutor. "Is that true, Aiko?"

"Yes, milord. She did splendidly well."

"Then this Sesshomaru will keep his word to you, Rin. We'll leave at dawn, tomorrow. Jaken!"

Jaken came wobbling inside the study. "Y-yes, milord."

"Get Ah-Un ready, we'll be leaving at dawn and get my sister."

Jaken squawked, "Yes, milord. Right away, milord!"

"Aiko, take Rin to Nanami to serve her dinner and ready for bed."

Aiko bowed, "As you wish, milord."

Not long after they left, his twin walked in the study casually, not even announcing herself. She sat down near his desk to wait for acknowledgement.

Inuhime waited patiently for Sesshomaru until her couldn't take it any longer.

"Sesshou, you called for me."

Sesshomaru looked up at his twin. "Hn."

She rolled her eyes for his lack of conversation.

"Brother, how on earth are you ever going to find a mate when you don't communicate? Communication is key to a healthy relationship."

"Hn."

Silence for a few moments...

"Inuki, I will be taking Jaken and Rin. She succeeded in her studies thus far and I promised her that I would reward her by visiting the miko and her kit."

"Oh?"

"Yes."

"Hn. Is this the miko you told me about? The one who dared to defy you. I would love to meet this miko of yours."

Sesshomaru growled. "She's not mine. She's our half-breed brother's miko."

Inuhime chuckled at his defensive words behind her fan. "As you say, brother. I need to speak to you brother. It regards to those mating proposals from the court lords and the Cardinal Lords. They keep on bugging me and mother about when you wish to mate."

Inuhime saw a tick at her brother's temples. "Keep refusing their pathetic offers. I wish not to mate with them."

"Then who should you wish to mate then, brother?"

He growled in warning. She chuckled. "You can't keep refusing them forever, Sesshou. Is their already someone?"

He growled at her more. Sesshomaru couldn't fool her as much as he wished to. She could read him like an open book as he could read her as well. Inuhime 'hm'ed and stood up and left, but not before she said, "Brother, whomever she is, she's a lucky female."

"Hn."

End of Flashback

They are now at the borderline of his lands and soon to be in the Eastern Lands. He sighed and kept on walking. They walked for the next two days when they finally reached near Edo. They were coming towards a clearing when he heard Kagome talking to the Eastern Prince, Kouga. Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed. Then he heard his half-brother's loud mouth. He couldn't help, but chuckled. He thought, "So the half-breed has his uses."

Kagome and Inuyasha started to walk return to Edo when Inuyasha started growling again.

Kagome rolled her eyes at him because she knew who was coming. The Great and Mighty Sesshomaru. They turned around as they watched Sesshomaru walking in his usual gracefulness in his pristine attire. His hair glancing in the sunlight. Kagome, inwardly, sighed at his appearance. She had always thought that he was the most handsome demon male. She thought that even after he tried to kill her and Inuyasha several times. However, in Kagome's eyes he achieved redemption whenever he rescued her and helped to annihilate the Naraku menace, and last and not least, the care and kindness that he showed Rin. She, sometimes, wished that she could be included in his inner circle.

She. slightly. shook her head and thought, "As if that would ever happen. He would slice me into several pieces if he knew that I was thinking about that about him." She sighed as Inuyasha looked at her and then looked at his half-brother.

"What are you doing here, bastard?"

"This Sesshomaru needs not to explain himself to you, half-breed."

Sesshomaru then looked at the miko before him. She gave her signature smiles and said, "Hello, Lord Sesshomaru, how are you faring today?"

"Why would you care, wench?!"

She groaned and looked at Inuyasha. She gave him that look and then she calmly said, "Sit." As soon as she said that Inuyasha kissed the earth below him.

Sesshomaru looked on with amusement in his eyes. It had never failed to amuse him to see his idiotic half-brother slammed face first on the ground.

"Kagome!"

"Rin," Kagome yelled as she saw the girl came running to her. She knelt down before the girl could knock her down. She gave her a big long hug. "How are you, Rin? She are getting more beautiful every time I see you."

Rin blushed at her comment. "Thank you, Kagome. You are, too. Right, Lord Sesshomaru? Do you think Kagome's beautiful?"

Kagome gave a nervous laugh and quickly changed the subject. It would be too much if he said something devastating. "Shippo is in Kaede's hut. Lets go see him."

Rin beamed and said, "Okay." They ran to the village.

Now it was just Sesshomaru and Inuyasha with Ah-Un and Jaken a little ways behind their lord.

"I smelled the wolf here."

"Keh, that mangy wolf is still claiming Kagome. I thought after the Jewel disappeared and crap he would stop his stupid claiming."

Sesshomaru found this absolutely disturbing. No, it's not because that wolf is claiming her... well that's what he keep telling himself. It's the fact that he is pursuing her like she was one of their own.

"Hn. This Sesshomaru thought that his little brother claimed her for his own."

"Keh, me and the wench didn't work out."

"Yet, you still defend her as if you were."

"Keh, that mangy wolf won't get Kagome."

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow, "Is that so, little brother?"

"Feh, why you care?"

"This Sesshomaru doesn't. He's just curious, is all."

"Keh, whatever."

It was a little weird for him and his half-brother not fighting like they usually do whenever they had come across each others paths.

Sesshomaru said, "Jaken."

"Y-yes, milord."

"Take Ah-Un and go to the village with the half-breed."

"B-but, milord, where are you going?"

Sesshomaru left without saying anything else.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes at the imp.

"Come on, ugly."

"How dare you insult this Jaken you..."

He didn't finish his insult because Inuyasha knocked him out.

"Keh, I am surprised that his icicle-up-his-ass lord hasn't killed him, yet, for just being annoying."

He sighed as he grabbed the toad and sat him on Ah-Un's back. "Well, come on. Rin is waiting for you."

Ah-Un moved without protesting.

Inuyasha (c) Rumiko Takahashi

Fanfiction & OCs (c) ladytari