Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, the crew, or Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru… drools

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Okay. I am going to put this at the beginning of every chapter except the one after chapter two. I would call it chapter three, but I already have one. So the one with the notes on it is the one I won't put this on because… it's a bunch of notes! Don't assume that everything written here happens in every chapter. Because it doesn't. Also, as my Algebra II teacher said in tenth grade, 'When you assume, you make an ass out of you and me." As she said 'ass', 'you', and 'me', she pointed to the words inside the word 'assume'. Assume. Cool huh? Learn something new everyday! Now, go tell your folks. Then, come back and read. Then R&R.

Arigatou- thank-you (might be spelled arigato, but it's the same thing)
Baka- idiot, moron, etc.
Hai- yes
Hanyou- half demon or half breed ((We call my friend this. She's half Caucasian and half Mexican. She wanted us to I swear. She calls herself a hanyou all the time. Sad isn't it?))
Houshi- something along the lines of Buddhist monk (Miroku)
Iie- no
Kawaii- cute
Kitsune- fox demon I do believe
Miko- priestess
Oi- something I made up or I heard from somewhere. I use it to get someone's attention
Osuwari- sit
Owari- something like 'Bye!' I think. I really don't know for sure.
Tensuaiga- Sesshomaru's sword
Tetsuaiga- Inuyasha's sword
Youkai- demon

Italicized words means the person is thinking to themselves in their own heads or something needs to be emphasized.
'Words written in these' means the person is speaking to someone else in their heads. Confusing I know, but you'll know it when you see it.
"Words written in these" means… Do I really need to explain this one?

I do not know what the future is like. I am purely guessing so no harping, okay? I am also guessing on what Kaede looked like when she was young. I've only seen her when she was young one time and that's right after Kikyou seals Inuyasha to a tree and then died. I'm sorry if I'm wrong. Just try to be nice as you yell at me, okay? Also, just because it says y'all somewhere doesn't mean they are in Texas. I am in Texas and the word y'all is something I say all the time. 'Kay?

I am very sorry if I have misspelled anything in Japanese, like names or the words above. I know 'ou' makes a long o sound. Like Shippo should probably be Shippou since Kikyou and Kouga follow that rule. But, I did Kouga like that from the very beginning and Kikyou became a sudden habit. Everyone else I saw it first as I have spelled it. If I have defined anything wrong, please tell me. It's not considered a flame if I ask for it. I promise. And if I've misspelled anything in English and you catch it let me know. I am a real big spelling and grammar freak. It's… Never mind. With that being said…

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'Well, this is a cute picture.' The snapped Immanuel away from his dream and the bed he was on. In one fluid movement, he'd gotten up to stand by the bed in his fighting stance to protect Karen without waking her or Sara. 'Calm down pup. I'm standing in the doorway.'

'Yeah, but if you wanted to be over here it wouldn't take but the briefest of seconds.' Immanuel relaxed slightly and walked toward the door, brushing shoulders rather roughly with Sam as he left the room. Sam followed him back to the gym where Immanuel began a session on the treadmill. "What?"

"You never answered my challenge."

Immanuel turned one ear toward his half-brother; dawn was still a ways off. "What challenge?"

"The one made at your school. Will you fight me, or will you chicken out?"

"I never-"

"No!" Sam and Immanuel both turned to see Karen standing in the doorway. "No more fighting! I won't have it!" Her head was bowed slightly, both hand clenched into fists at her sides. Both brothers could smell the salty tears that made tracks down her cheeks. "Please..."

"Karen, I can't back down anymore. You know that," Immanuel said softly, still on the treadmill. "The fact that it's taken so long to accept after he challenged me is unbelievable as it is. If he wishes to fight then I won't deny him in this."

"Please, don't hurt each other!"

"Why do you care?" Sam asked emotionlessly.

"Because I happen to love Immanuel, which means I have to tolerate you," Karen spat. "And I care about Rachel, who seems to care about you for some ungodly known reason. So I'm stuck with you there as well. No matter what I do, you're there. Even if I don't like you, which I don't, I have to be somewhat civil to you. Just because you used to be the Demon Lord of the Western Lands doesn't mean squat to me. I didn't kiss up to you then and I'm not doin' it now. So don't hurt each other."

"Then what do you want me to do Karen?" Immanuel asked. "I won't deny his challenge, and you're saying I can't fight him because we'll hurt each other."

"You're whipped," Sam teased monotonously.

"So are you," a new voice said. Immanuel spun around as he stepped off the treadmill to face Rachel. "I better not see you fighting with Immanuel either. Last night was enough. I don't want to even think about all the fighting you two have done before meeting us."

"Go back to bed Rachel," Sam commanded softly.

"No."

"Now."

"No."

"As your parental figure-"

"Don't try to pull that bull with me," Rin huffed. "If you two want to challenge each other so badly, why not have a contest rather than fighting?" She received three blank stares for answers. "Like an obstacle course or something."

"That's stupid," Immanuel said.

"That's perfect!" Karen cheered. "We can have different things for the two of you to do. And whoever wins can- Oh. Why are you fighting anyways?"

"To get him to respect em again," Sam growled.

"I never respected you! I feared you," Immanuel bit back.

"Fine. To get the whelp to fear me again."

"Fat chance. I fight so he'll get off my case," Immanuel said, glaring at Sam.

"At least he uses emotions now," Karen muttered. "Okay! Here's how it works. If Sam wins, Immanuel will be respectful and polite all next year." Immanuel turned his glare on Karen. Sam smirked briefly. "If Immanuel wins, then Sam'll leave him and us alone. He's leaving in a year anyways so that's how long the bet is: 'til the end of next school year."

"What if there's a draw?" Rachel asked.

"There won't be," Sam and Immanuel answered at the same time, glaring at each other.

"If there is," Karen said, ignoring both of them, "then we'll compromise. Immanuel will be respectful to a point and Sam will leave all of us alone while at school and on the weekends. I feel like I'm deciding a custody case," she murmured.

"So when are we going to do this, obstacle course... since you seem to be deciding everything," Sam asked.

Karen and Rachel blinked a few times. "Uh, well," Rachel stalled. "We'll let you know, I guess."

"Yeah. We'll need to talk to Sara and Matt and Seth and Jacob and-"

"Jacob?" Sam asked, blinking his eyes owlishly. "Why would you need to talk to Jacob?"

"Because he knows you better than anyone else around here. He can tell us your strengths and weaknesses so we can have an equal balance of both for both of you in this thing. It wouldn't be fair if one of you could do everything and the other couldn't so we're making it fifty/fifty. Now where was I?" Karen asked herself. "Oh yes! I need to talk to everyone and both of you need to stay away from each other and us. So... what are you two going to do for the day?"

"This is my house, I'll do whatever I damn well please," Sam said, emotionless once more.

"I'm going to work outside. The gym isn't doing much for me lately," Immanuel said, already walking toward the exit in his pajama bottoms and an undershirt. Just before he reached the door, he took the shirt off and tossed it aside.

"Slob," Sam growled.

"Bite me," Immanuel returned, slamming the door behind him.

"I don't know where I'll be or what I'll be doing. But if you insist on this stupid plan, I will stay away from the whelp," Sam agreed, looking at Rachel.

"Thank you!" Rachel said cheerfully, hugging Sam. "And stop calling him whelp and pup. He's not one anymore and you know it. You do it to grate his nerves and you know it works so you keep doing it. I'll work with Karen and the other guys for a while, but then I'm going out to help Immanuel. No arguing. Come on Karen." Rachel grabbed Karen's wrist and dragged her off to Karen and Sara's room.

"Can you get Jacob to come see us after breakfast?" Karen called as they rounded the corner.

Sam sighed. "How did I get myself into this? Had we stayed where we were, I would have controlled Immanuel and not had to deal with any of his stupid friends."

"Does that include Rachel, oh mighty Lord Sam?" Jacob mocked from yet another doorway.

Sam glared at him and growled as he stalked past. "Fix breakfast. Immanuel's weeding."

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The sun rose not too long after Sam left the gym, turning Immanuel back into his completely human form once more that month. Rachel woke Sara and Matt up and told them what was going on before going to the kitchen to help Jacob make breakfast for everyone. They met to eat. Karen called for Immanuel, but he refused. When they left, Rachel was going out to help Immanuel so Karen had her take a plate of food to him. Karen, Sara, and Matt went back to Sara and Karen's room, only to realize that Jacob hadn't followed them like they'd asked. So Sara went back and got him, pushing him into the room rather harshly with his left arm twisted behind his back.

"What?" she asked, innocently blinking her eyes. "He didn't want to come. So I made him."

Karen sighed. "Sorry Jacob. We need you to tell us about Sam. All his strengths and weaknesses."

"Sam doesn't have any weaknesses," Jacob answered tartly when Sara let him go.

"We know Rachel is a weakness. What are the others?" Matt asked, not playing around with the older boy.

"Like I said, he has none."

"He must!" Karen said, tired of playing as well. "Immanuel hurt him when he was, what, five? Immanuel may not be stronger, but if that's the case then Sam didn't want to hurt Immanuel and therefore didn't fight back. That's the only thing I can think of. They may fight and they may dislike each other, but they still love each other and Sam doesn't want to hurt his little brother."

"Possibly," Jacob muttered. "It would explain why Immanuel cried all the next day and refused to be around Sam for over a week."

"Well, that could also be because he was a small child. But yes, I agree," Matt reasoned.

"So if he has no weaknesses that we can use," Sara began, "what are we going to do?"

"He..." Jacob hesitated. "You know Immanuel hurt his arm and that's why it's a little off. He won't let anyone know about it because that's a weakness: his arm. What you don't see is his right leg. He hides that one very well because he never wears anything other than pants at any given time. He doesn't limp, but it will act up if he exerts himself too much on it. I don't think it's a fair advantage over Immanuel though."

"We decide what's fair and what's not," Karen said. "I like Immanuel, and Rachel likes Sam. We'll make it fair for both of them. Is there anything else we don't know?"

"Sam thinks Immanuel is extremely foolish and doesn't think before he does anything. He thinks Immanuel rushes into things. Therefore, he tends to over think everything. I think that will be a weakness. If you keep throwing things at him, eventually his mind will shut down. But that'll only happen if you overload his mind. So I wish you luck," he said sarcastically.

"Is there anything we can use?" Karen stressed.

"Sam. Has. No. Weaknesses. When will you learn?" Jacob sighed and walked out of the room rumbling about the stupidity of people who never listened.

"Okay, so now we have a problem," Matt muttered.

"No! No no no!" Karen insisted. "It's just... a... minor setback! That's all. If Sam thinks Immanuel over thinks everything, then we have to get Immanuel to under think some things. If we train Immanuel, and then help Sam, we're still being fair to both sides. What do you think?"

"I dunno," Rachel said, causing the three to snap their heads up. "It'll be easier to train Immanuel than it will to help Sam if you ask me."

"That's why we're not asking you to give your opinion on our plans. We're asking you to drop hints to Sam when the time comes. You're the only one Sam will listen to," Matt explained. "When we decide what it is that we're doing, we'll let you know and then you can start helping Sam. Don't tell him what we're doing though. That would be an unfair advantage if there was one in this contest."

"Okay, but I still don't like it," Rachel said, heading back to her own room.

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Karen went home the next afternoon and told her mother of the plan that her friends and her had come up with to keep Immanuel and Sam from fighting. Although Mrs. Bassi was getting a little anxious about her daughter spending so much time with such a violent family. She understood the animosity that ran deep between the brothers, but it was... What was it? Weird? Definitely. Pointless? Quite possibly. Needed? Definitely not. She liked the idea of the nonviolent way her daughter and Rachel had come up with to get rid of the tension, or at least some of it, in this broken family. She had a few suggestions for things that they could put the boys through, and Karen thanked her mother for her input.

The summer was passing quickly; it was already the latter part of June now. School would start in just over a month, and none were looking forward to it for any reason other than it being their senior year. The next new moon was when the obstacle course was to take place. That was still a week and a half away. Karen, Matt, Sara, Seth, and Rachel were putting the final touches on all their plans. Things were going according to plan.

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A/N: Okay, this chapter was a little weird to me. It will take a little longer to get out chapter 17 because now I have to think of an obstacle course to put our favorite hanyou and demon brothers through. Something that will challenge them both. And then I have to think of an outcome! sighs What am I gonna do? Any ideas would be greatly welcome. And now that school has started up again… sighs once more Thanks to all my reviewers, to the readers who don't review because even though you're just reading I still love you, and to all the future readers and reviewers. I love all of you too. Thanks everyone! dpa06