Every time you come around, you know I can't say no

The low growl coming from Inuyasha told the group someone was coming. His slower than normal jump to attention, sword out, told them that whoever it was, was not a major threat, at least not to him.

"Inuyasha?" Miroku asked, standing up as well.

The girls still sat, food in hand. The fox kit slept soundly, tried from travel. They had just defeated Naraku two days ago and were headed back to the village near Inuyasha's forest.

"Inu-Hime" He sneered; it made both Sango and Kagome look at each other. "Inu?" Sango mouthed with question on her face.

Hime? To their knowledge, the only two Inu's left were the brothers.

Inuyasha growled more, and they all looked at him, and in the second, she appeared.

"Ah, just the miko I was looking for,"

The apple Kagome had been eating fell from her hand and rolled into the dirt. Before her stood the most regal and most beautiful demoness, she had ever seen, and she just so happened to look like a mirrored female twin to Sesshomaru, which her brain was having a hard time processing.

As if she read all their mind, she ran a clawed hand through her long silken hair. This illusion of beauty killed many of men and women in her day. She smiled with glee that she still had it.

Kagome gasped at the smile; she always wondered what it would look like if Sesshomaru smiled, and now she knew, and it scared her greatly, and as horrible as it sounded in her head, she hoped he never ever smiled.

Breaking her trance, Inuyasha blocked Kagome from view.

"The fuck do you want, lady,"

"Now, is that any way to speak to your stepmother?"

"K, you aint no mother,"

"Wait, so she is Sesshomaru's mother?" Kagome peeked around Inuyasha, still sitting on the ground.

"Would you shut up!" Inuyasha snapped,

"Miko, do you allow him to speak to you often in this manner?"

"No," She said flat, and Sesshomaru's mother watched as Inuyasha's ears went flat. She then watched with great amazement as, with one word,

"Sit!"

He fell to the earth.

She raised an elegant eyebrow, "Impressive," Too bad that couldn't be done on all men.

A chill ran down Miroku's spine. "I don't like the wheels turning in her head," He said as if reading the great woman's mind.

"Oi you bitch!" Inuyasha jumped up. "What you do that for!"

Kagome was about to sit him again, but she was stopped,

"Does your Miko let you kiss her with that mouth," His not stepmother asked.

He turned red. "I ain't kissing no Miko!"

She folded her hands. "Perhaps not that one, but little birds sing Inuyasha do not think to lie to me,"

His face turned as red as his clothes, and Kagome looked hurtfully up at him. This was why she was going home. With Kikyo being rewarded with her life, Kagome knew deep down what would happen, and even if by chance he did take her to be his, Kikyo would always be there, in his mind with what ifs, and she didnt fully trust that he would be faithful.

Sesshomaru's mother knew now was the time to speak on matters for which she came.

"I shall introduce myself,"

"No need for introductions because we don't care!" Inuyasha huffed, unable to look back at Kagome.

She raised another eyebrow and glanced at Kagome, who now felt dirty and underdressed in Sesshomaru's mother's presence.

She signed and sat him again, "Stop being rude, Inuyasha,"

He didn't lift his face from the ground but did lift a hand

"Enemy,"

"Perhaps to you little half breed," She said playfully, "I will not eat these humans this day,"

Kagome swallowed; surely the woman was joking, but Sesshomaru didn't joke.

"I am Inukimi,"

"Pleased to meet you," Miroku said with a smile and half bow. But he also met dirt next to Inuyasha as Sango tripped him up. "Stop being a pervert!" Sango snapped. He didn't lift his head either. "I didn't do anything!"

"You were thinking it!" Sango yelled.

Inukimi laughed behind her sleeve. "I see now why my son has spared you all; you are quite an amusing group,"

Inuyasha lifted his head. "Spared us my ass,"

"He did try to kill me once," Kagome said thoughtfully. She never did forget that.

"Tried?" His mother questioned,

Kagome stood and dusted off her skirt "Yeah, but as you can see, he failed?" She said the last part slowly as if to question herself on if she should have told his mother that.

"You stopped him?" His mother questioned, and suddenly Kagome felt like she was revealing too much.

"She has managed to stop Sesshomaru from killing Inuyasha quite a few times," Sango added,

"Interesting, I now see I have made the correct choice!"

Inuyasha jumped up. "What choice!"

He was ignored. "Miko, may I speak to you,"

"You are speaking!" Inuyasha huffed,

"Alone,"

Kagome felt nervous slightly, but if she wanted them dead, Kagome was sure they would be. She had a feeling this was where mother and son differed.

"I find myself in need of a favor, or more accurately, my son is in need,"

Inuyasha started to laugh as Miko finally stood up. Inukimi looked at Inuyasha again.

"He needs help!" He laughed. "And from her?" He laughed more, "From a human girl!" He was doubled over. "I am going to rub this all in his face, that two-faced jackass!"

"My friend, you do have a death wish," Miroru whispered,

"As if Naraku wasn't enough," Sango added,

"Im not saving you" Kagome placed her hands on her hips.

Inuyasha stopped laughing for a moment. "If the bastard needs her help, why isn't he here then! what too scared!?"

Inukimi thought for a moment and was about to answer when a rock came flying and knocked Inuaysha off his feet again.

"This Sesshomaru fears nothing half-breed," Sesshomaru gracefully came walking from behind them.

"Apparently, you are of her," Inuyasha pointed at Kagome,

"Come, mother, you have had your fun,"

"But I have not even spoken to the Miko,"

"I do not need her aid."

"K, too afraid," Inuyasha said again,

"The only person who should be afraid is the Miko; it is purely for her benefit that I stop the ideas running in my mother's head."

"You are an ungrateful pup, fine getting mated to some weak random wench on the forest floor and end up with that for a son," She pointed at Inuyasha.

"That's not fair," Kagome came to the defense. "Inuyasha's father loved his mother," She quickly covered her mouth as she realized to whom she had just said that to.

"Mate?" Miko spoke, trying to save his friend.

"Mate!" Inuyasha stated, laughing again.

Sango and Kagome found themself now invested.

"But how does Kagome come into this?" Sango asked,

Both Sesshomaru and his mother looked at Sango, but it was Inukimi who answered, "I will speak to the Miko; it is of a private matter,"

"No way, not going to happen beside the jackass doesn't even want her help!"

Kagome eyes Sesshomaru, who says nothing. This tells her that perhaps he isn't totally against his mother's idea, whatever it was, but what did he mean earlier when he said it was for her benefit that he stopped this? He wasn't one to care for anyone's benefit save Rin. Was this just an amusement for him? Did he wonder what she would say, agree or not agree? All this went against his nature, or at least the nature of him that she knew.

"There are worse things than having you help," Inukimi spoke as she saw the questions in Kagome's eyes. She also knew her son knew this. "He isn't asking; I am,"

Kagome bit her lip; she so wanted to know. He was such an enigma. To peek somewhat into his life, how could she stand it? While they had a mutual agreement now not to kill each other, she couldn't say they were close, though he did save her more than once during the last battle. Perhaps she did owe him. But still, he wasn't the one asking.

"Speak to me, and I will answer all the questions swimming i that pretty little head of yours, Miko" His mother added, growing tired of waiting,

"Ok," Kagome said slowly,

"Oi!"

Inukimi offered her arm, and Kagome slowly walked to her and took it. The two walked past Inuyasha, leaving him and the rest behind. Sesshomaru moved to follow when his mother stopped.

"You are not invited; wait till your called," She said stern., He stopped.

They watched.

"She ain't pretty!" Inuyasha yelled, not wanting anything that woman said to sway Kagome.,

He found a rock embedded into his head. He rubbed his head while glaring at the brother behind him. "She ain't!"

Sango and Miroku shook their heads, and Sesshomaru walked away. "Halfwit," He stopped smelling the air. "The undead looms near,"

They all watch as Inuyasha debates before launching in the air, "This ain't over! She ain't gonna help you,"

Sesshomaru looks back at her friends as they shake their heads.

"You did that or purpose," Miroku spoke, knowing good and well Inuyasha would have picked up on her scent soon.

"His presence was annoying," He offered them. While they had to agree, they didn't agree on Inuyasha leaving.

"Hurting Kagome isn't a good way to get her help," Sango spoke while cleaning,

"Lying to her is better?" Sesshomaru couldn't believe they all just turned a blind eye to what was right in front of them. They dropped their shoulders in defeat; they knew, as always, he was right,

"Do you want her help, or is this just a show for your amusement?" Miroku asked with sternness.

"For her sake, pray she declines to aid this one,"

"You still didn't answer my question," Miroku was tired of people using Kagome.

Man to man, they eyed one another.

"As my mother has stated, there are far worse things; she is the lesser of two evils,"

"But what does she get out of it?" Sango asked,

Sesshomaru had not thought of this, but what would the Miko want?

"If the Miko so blindly accepts to aid me, I will offer her whatever it is she wants," He, after all, could give her anything.

"Anything?" Sango raised an eyebrow,

"Within reason," Though he had a feeling the Miko would never seek anything not within reason, she wasn't like most women or humans for that matter.

Suddenly he knew Kagome couldn't, or more importantly, wouldn't say no. She was selfless, beyond her own good.

He looked at his mother's path,

"Should she go home?" Miroku asked,

"Yes," Sesshomaru graced him with an answer,

Miroku sighed. "Do not be like Inuyasha, Lord Sesshomaru; if you want her help, ask her otherwise, let us return her to her time,"

Time? He knew something was off about her, and now it all made perfect sense.

"Do not insult my person by comparing me to him," He then made his way toward the two women, even though he had not been summed for the Monk was right. He was going to put his bloodline literally in her hands.

Kami he was a hypocrite. Was it too late to just kill them all?