Chapter 8

Questions and Answers

"Finally!" Kagome moaned, excited to see the outskirts of the village she called home. At least this was the place she called home in this time. The little hut with Kaeda was the closest thing to home out here, and she couldn't keep the smile from her face as she thought of the old woman she knew was waiting on their return.

Kaeda may not ever say it, but she thought of the rag tag group as her family, her being the grandmother they all needed. Kagome couldn't help but wish that Kaeda could meet her grandfather. That would be an amusing sight after all. The calm and collect Kaeda dealing with her eccentric grandfather. Yes, that would be hilarious.

"When are you going home Kagome?" Shippo asked, riding on the young woman's shoulder. He hated when she left, but he knew she needed to go back to see her family. He missed his dearly and wouldn't wish for her to lose her own.

"I'm going to speak to Kaeda for a moment then head home. I'll only be gone for two days at most. I want to get back to find Rin." Kagome answered, reaching up to scratch behind the kits ear. She could never admit it, because she knew Shippo wouldn't be happy, but she thought of the child as her own. She protected him, fed him, comforted him, and even snuggled with him at night. As much as she thought that, she knew Shippo didn't agree. He wouldn't want to replace his real parents, at least not with her. If he chose a mother figure, there would be someone out there much better than she.

"I'm glad Rin with be with us. I'll have someone else to play with." Shippo said a smile forming on his face. He really was looking forward to the little girl. Kagome played with him, but nothing beat having another child to play with.

"Keh. Just another mouth to feed for me. The last thing I need is another useless child. Especially knowing the brat belongs to that bastard." InuYasha mumbled with a growl. He never noticed as Titan's ears folded back or the snarl the dog held. He never even noticed as Kagome placed a calming hand on the top of the dogs head before she turned to look towards InuYasha.

"Sit boy!" She paused long enough to allow the hanyou's muffled groaning to subside. "I don't want to hear it anymore. You have been grumbling since I said we were going to get her and it's getting ridiculous. She is a child! Alone with no one to watch over her. She needs our protection right now until her father can get back!"

"Father?" Both Titan and InuYasha questioned, looking at Kagome with confusion. Titan had his head turned to the side while sitting on his haunches and InuYasha was forcing his head from the ground even though he couldn't move his body.

"Yes father. I don't know the story behind Rin, or how Sesshomaru found her, but that doesn't mean that little girl doesn't see him as her father. So the insults stop, to both Rin and Sesshomaru. I won't have you talking badly about Sesshomaru in front of Rin." Kagome ordered, her back straight and glaring at InuYasha. She ignored the silence in the camp. She refused to look at Titan at all, because she knew it would give everything away. Keeping this secret was getting harder and harder to do. She would have to be careful, especially when they retrieved Rin.

"Fine, Bitch. Lets just get this over with." InuYasha scoffed, pushing himself up from the ground and pushing past Kagome. Had Titan not stepped behind her, she would have fallen over from InuYasha's hostility, but the hanyou couldn't bring himself to care. He felt like the woman betrayed him, all of a sudden sticking up for Sesshomaru. Yes, He knew Kagome stood up for her friends, but Sesshomaru wasn't her friend. They hardly even knew each other. So why then, did he feel as if something horrible was happening under his nose.

Kagome groaned before hitting the power button to her computer angrily. She had made it home a few hours and immediately went for a hot warm bath. She lost count of how long she relaxed, but eventually her family came home so she quickly dressed. They were all happy to see her until they realized that Kagome had wounds, and carefully Kagome's mother looked at them. She rubbed an ointment on them and stated that they were already healing. She had no need to see a doctor. After that she spent time with her family, then retired to her room to study. She found though, that she couldn't concentrate. Instead, her mind was on Sesshomaru and his situation.

She couldn't imagine how Sesshomaru felt at the moment. Going from one of the strongest beings alive to a mortal dog that couldn't even survive on it's own. He had lost everything, his home, power, form, child, just everything. She wanted to help him, but she had no idea how. She didn't even know what was going on with him, or why he was stuck in the form of a mortal dog. It was then that she decided to look on her computer and see if the internet had any answers. She searched for three hours before her eyes began to burn and then she realized that she wasn't going to find anything. Demons didn't even exist in her time, so something like what was happening to Sesshomaru wouldn't either.

So now, she was glaring at the dark screen of her computer. She had no more answers than when she started. She wouldn't give up though. Tomorrow when she went and bought bathing supplies for Titan she would stop at the library and see if they had any books that may help. If that didn't work, then she would just have to search in the past. Somehow she would get Sesshomaru back to his original form.

Quickly, Kagome stood up and walked to her dresser. She picked up a pair of sleep pants and a t-shirt. There was something else Kagome could do in the meantime though. She knew that every night she went to that world they had previously been in, but Sesshomaru always remained hidden. He never once came out to talk to her, and tonight that would change. She switched into her pajama's and yelled out her door that she was going to bed. Once she received a reply from three different voices she climb into her bed, relaxed, and waited. It came of no surprise that unconsciousness found her quickly.

Sesshomaru growled as the smell of the miko suddenly filtered through his nose. He quickly jumped into a tree and climbed to the top. His demon eyes could see to the forest floor, but her human ones wouldn't be able to see him. He found it shameful that he was hiding from the human, but he didn't want to see her. And for a reason much more surprising than him hiding. He didn't want to see or smell her fear. Sure, she spoke to Titan, but she had no idea that was him. This body, his real humanoid form was the same one that attacked Kagome. The same one that caused her fear in the first place.

Slowly he lifted his claws to his face, just looking at the dangerous weapons. Never had he once regretted an action, but that female… She made him feel things he never felt before. He didn't care for her in anyway, didn't even consider her an acquaintance, however, she deserved respect. She took him in, helped him, and even at this point protected him from the words of his half-brother. He should have never let his anger get the best of him.

"Sesshomaru!" The miko yelled, surprising Sesshomaru. The few times they have been in this world since the attack, she had never called for him. Not once had she searched for him, she simply sat down by a tree and waited. What she waited for, he had no idea. He leaned forward a bit, watching as she walked below the tree he sat in. She was frustrated, that was easy to see by the way her hands were fisted and she stomped her foot.

"Okay Kagome. You can do this." She stated, making Sesshomaru cock his head to the side with curiosity. His golden eyes watched her form intently, wondering what she was about to do. Her head fell forward and her shoulders relaxed. She took deep calming breaths and for minutes on end it was completely silent. That is until her aura suddenly shot out with so much force Sesshomaru was knocked from his tree, landing on the ground in a heap at the base.

Immediately Kagome ran to his side, looking over him and making sure he wasn't hurt. She hadn't meant to do that, she just wanted to locate his hiding spot. "You are untrained." Came the angry baritone voice of the lord. The same male that almost gently pushed Kagome away as he stood to his feet, brushing off the dirt from his clothing and refusing to meet her eyes.

"I don't have anyone to train me. My power outranks Kaeda's and InuYasha refuses to find anyone else. He always says I don't need to learn because he will protect me." Kagome admitted with a shrug of her shoulders.

"It would be wise to learn. InuYasha will not always be there." Sesshomaru replied, finally looking towards the miko who was deep in thought. It was clear she wanted to learn but didn't have the means to do so. If InuYasha already told her no, he would be angry if she found someone herself. So while she wanted to do something, she had no way of doing so. And then it hit him. His way of apologizing was right in front of him.

"I will teach you." The words slipped past his mouth quicker than he anticipated, but the large smile she sent his way made it okay. He had never had that kind of reaction before, and was shocked at the way his body tingled suddenly as he looked into blue eyes.

"Thank you." Kagome said, before looking thoughtful once more. "Will that work though, you're a demon, and I'm a miko." She looked sad suddenly and Sesshomaru strangely wanted to wipe that look off of her face. What was she doing to him?

"While our energies differ, they are the same. They work alike, and I will teach you as if your reiki is my youki. It will also behoove you to learn to shoot you bow better. You rely solely on luck, you need skill as well." Sesshomaru stated, remembering the few times he had seen her shoot an arrow.

"Lucky for you, right Sesshomaru." Kagome said with a giggle, making the lords eyes narrow as he looked towards her. "If I had been a better shot, you would have been seriously hurt."

Unfortunately, she wasn't lying. The one time she had hit him with an arrow, she shattered his armor. Had that arrow been a few inches up… Well, he would have been injured. There was really only one thing he could say at this point however, because he would not lie. "Only you miko, have the power to harm this one." He hated admitting it, but it was the truth, and even more of a reason to have her on his side. "It is why I will teach you. Trained, you will be even more powerful."

"Plus, if I like you, you won't have to worry about having me as an enemy." She pointed out, another giggle escaping her lips and Sesshomaru growled. He was being mocked and he knew it. He turned from the woman, intent on finding a place to hide. He had no desire to finish this conversation. Nobody disrespected him that way, not even the human female.

"Wait! I'm sorry." She called, making Sesshomaru's steps falter. Her apology caught him off guard for one simple reason. It was real. Must who apologize did so out of fear for their life, but he could easily hear that she meant what she said, and wasn't in any way scared. He closed his eyes and lifted his head to the sky. He had no idea why he reacted the way he did around the human, but he had every intention to find out.

"I wanted to ask you a few questions about this spell and Rin. You don't have to answer, but I've been trying to find a way to break it, and I need more information." Kagome explained, and Sesshomaru turned to look at her, surprise swirling in his eyes. She smiled at him again, wondering if she would get any answers.

"What are your questions"

"Well first, how long have to been stuck here?" Kagome asked. She needed to word this just right. If she failed, Sesshomaru would know that she knew he was Titan. She didn't want that. He would close himself off to her, and she wanted to get to know him. She didn't know why, but she knew she did.

"A few weeks. Six to be exact." He wasn't going to waste a chance to get help. He knew Kagome was from somewhere he couldn't go, though he had no idea where. Her clothing of choice this night told him that. Perhaps in her home, she could find answers.

"Okay, so that's how long Rin has been alone." Kagome commented, and Sesshomaru tensed. He really didn't want to mentioned what he was about to.

"No. Rin has been alone for three months." He paused, letting her look up towards him in confusion. He decided he would rather not hear her ask the question so he went ahead and spoke. "With Spring, comes heat. I secluded myself in a cave to insure I did not act on my heat, for I did not wish to be mated or responsible for pups at this current time. Rin has been protected by Ah-Un and Jaken in my absence, however, I did not expect to become… trapped."

"Demon's go into heat?" Kagome asked, surprised at this new bit of information. She watched as Sesshomaru nodded, clearly uncomfortable with the direction this conversation had suddenly taken. "Do hanyou as well?"

"Yes, they carry demon blood in them do they not. It is still surprising to me that you are not a mated female, for InuYasha surely can not fight the effects of mating season." Sesshomaru commented not realizing the amount of pain he caused the female. At least not until he suddenly smelt her tears.

Kagome felt her heart break again, and she blinked quickly trying to keep back the water works. If Sesshomaru was right, and InuYasha went into heat, he only had two choices of females to chose from. It was clear that he didn't run and hide, because he never went missing for that long. So, that meant he would either go to Kikyou, or Kagome. And Kagome never even knew that InuYasha suffered from the season, so she had her answer. InuYasha had chosen Kikyou. As much as she knew it would hurt, she needed to know for sure, so she asked the question she never wanted the answer to. "Does… does the female always end up pregnant…during the season?"

Sesshomaru hesitated in his answer, it was clear the female was in turmoil, and he wasn't sure he wanted to answer. But he did, because he wouldn't lie. He would never lie. "Yes." It was simple, but the damage was done. Because in that moment Kagome covered her mouth and let out a sob. Sesshomaru reached out towards her, unsure of what to do as she hunched over, but just before his hand touched her shoulder, she disappeared.

Suddenly he was thrust from the world he was in and back into the elder miko's hut. His eyes snapped open and his head lifted from the ground. He looked around him, noticing Kirara curled into his side, her red eyes watching his movement. She meowed asking if he was okay, and he rumbled in return, asking where InuYasha was. He was the only one missing from the hut. His eyes narrowed when she replied, telling him that the dead priestess had called him and that he wouldn't be back until morning.

Sesshomaru had known that InuYasha was sleeping with the undead miko, but he had never realized he mated the woman. How could InuYasha possible choose the dead over the living. Especially since the living version was so much better than the dead. It was clear that Kikyou didn't compare to Kagome in anyway, and Sesshomaru's hatred for his brother grew tenfold as he pictured the living and warm miko completely heart broken.

-sSs-

Gah! I know a few of you are waiting on the bath scene, but this time I promise it will be in the next chapter. It should prove to be entertaining. If any of you are wondering why Kagome suddenly disappeared, its because she woke up and ended up forcing Sesshomaru at the same time. Sesshomaru still doesn't consider Kagome anything more than a possible ally, if that. As I said before, this will be a slow going story. I want to work on my angst, and this will be how I do it. Sorry I've been gone for so long I went on vacation, and then I had a funeral to attend for my great great grandmother. I'm back though and I hope you all enjoy.

Shout outs:

Llebreknit: I was surprised to learn of how many people don't like Izayoi, I thought I was the only one. Why did she die? I don't think the anime ever said. Eventually they will become the brothers that they should be. It will take time though. A lot of time.

Guest: I'll update weekly if possible. I am glad you like the story.

Redrake323: Titan and InuYasha will never get along. Lol.

Ashatan87: Yep, I wanted to make it more real, and this way no one can deny what is happening. Id be scared to. Lol. She needed to think about her situation and force back her fear. It is what any rational person would have to do.

Koritsia: I don't really hate InuYasha. I just think he did to much to Kagome for her to accept him so easily. He should have done something for her forgiveness, not just accept InuYasha because Kikyou died. He never really even made a choice.

D1mplz3: Any Sesshomaru is cute. Lol. And that's just who Kagome is.

Wren210: I feel like we dealt with the Rin issue. Lol. Yes, Sesshomaru has a very long way to go, but it will happen. Slowly. Very Slowly. It will take awhile before we see any fluff in this story. Lol.