A/N: Wow! Oh my goodness!.! I... can't believe it... probably by the time I post the next chapter, I'll have at least 400 reviews! That's so crazy!.! Again, it's so cool to see that there are lots of new readers! Though, I think I might have disappointed one of them into not reading any more of the story... heh...

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of Inu Yasha. My favorite sweet is a red bean-paste bun. Steamed. Mmmm...

Previously: Sesshoumaru took Kagome through the well, and murdered his treasonous vassal Nara Takeshi. Meanwhile, Inu Yasha remembered what he did to Rin, and ran through the forest to find a lake where he could try to scrub off the dirty feeling he had.

Let's go!

chapter 21: a mother's advice
"I'm home!" Kagome said cheerfully as she stepped through the front door of her house. Her mother was in the front room, vacuuming.

"Welcome back, Kagome," her mom said, once she turned off the vacuum. Kagome hugged her mother.

"Where are the others?" she asked her mom.

"Grandpa is out in the storage room, and Souta is on a date."

"Really? A date? Who is the girl?" she asked curiously.

"Suzumi-chan. I suppose they're classmates," her mom said thoughtfully. "Speaking of friends, where's Inu Yasha?" Kagome's eyes dropped to the floor.

"He's not here, mama."

"Well, how were you able to come home? Didn't you say that you could only come here if he brought you?" Kagome nodded.

"Yeah. But his brother was able to bring me here instead," Kagome told her. Her mom looked surprised.

"Brother?"

"Mm."

"Does he have those cute ears, too?" Kagome shook her head.

"No. He's full youkai, while Inu Yasha is half youkai, half human."

"I see. Well, did you invite him to come in?" Kagome nodded.

"Yeah, but he said that he has work to do today." Kagome wondered to herself if that was truly the reason for his refusal of her offer. He wasn't really socially inclined, so- maybe he was too embarrassed to meet her family? Or- maybe he didn't care? Then again, he did mention the smell...

"Hm. Well, maybe when he comes back to get you, we can convince him. Speaking of which, how long are you going to stay here?"

"Just one day." Kagome's mom giggled.

"So he is like Inu Yasha, after all." Kagome's face grew pink as she realized her mom was right. Both brothers wanted to limit her time there to the bare minimum.

"Mama," Kagome began, her tone of voice changing to become more serious. "Can I talk to you?"

"Of course, honey." Her mother put her arm around Kagome and led her to the sofa. "I'll go put on some tea." In a few minutes, the tea was ready, and mother and daughter sat together, ready for a heart-to-heart. "Now, tell me what's on your mind." Kagome proceeded to tell her mother about what had happened between herself, Inu Yasha, Sesshoumaru, and Rin- barring the kissing moments, of course. While she knew she could trust her mom, it was more than enough embarrassment to just think of telling her about the kiss.

"So now, I'm confused. Which one do I want to stay with? Which one do I love?" Kagome finished her dilemma after talking nonstop for almost 2 hours while her mother patiently listened.

"Well, don't you love both of them?" she asked.

"Mo-m," Kagome whined, "that's exactly the problem, isn't it?" Kagome's mother took a sip of the now-cool tea, and sighed gently.

"Sweetheart," she began, "there are as many forms of love as there are moments in time. The love you feel for Inu Yasha isn't the same love you feel for Sesshoumaru. That's why it's so hard to compare the two."

"So how do I solve the problem?" Her mom seemed to be deep in thought.

"Well," she began, "How long have you been with Inu Yasha?"

"About six years," Kagome answered.

"And in those six years, how long did it take before Inu Yasha told you that he wanted to be your mate?"

"About six years," Kagome answered again. She felt like a broken record.

"What made him decide to take action?"

"I'm not completely sure, but- he asked me after I was kidnapped by Sesshoumaru." Kagome's mom shook her head.

"And- has Sesshoumaru also given you an offer?" Kagome shook her head.

"No, not really. But I've been helping him adjust to Rin's absence, and I think that if I stay with him for much longer-" Kagome trailed off, but her mother could read her thoughts.

"You might completely fall for him. Right?" Kagome nodded. Her mother sighed. "This is just my opinion, sweetheart. You know I love Inu Yasha, but- you've given him a long time to act on your relationship, and he didn't do anything until he realized there was competition." Kagome nodded again. "Maybe it's time you give someone else a chance, Kagome." Kagome absentmindedly took a sip of her tea, but it had lost all flavor in her mouth.

"I'm just afraid of what it'll do to Inu Yasha." Her mother nodded.

"Yes, it'll be hard for him, too. Just remember honey," she put her arms around her daughter, "My advice is from a mother who cares about her daughter. I'm more concerned about your feelings. I've seen you go through many phases during your relationship with Inu Yasha, and- I think it's time you have someone who is willing to be a stable man for you. If this Sesshoumaru is able to do that for you, then I think that maybe you should give him a chance, too." Kagome's mother gave her daughter one last hug before she stood up to take the tea tray back into the kitchen.

Kagome stared down at her hands, which were clenched into fists on her lap. She remembered what Sango said, about her decision affecting at least one brother negatively. How would Inu Yasha take it, if she told him she wanted to stay with Sesshoumaru permanently? Not just that, but- would she still be able to retain contact with him and the others? It seemed like it would be quite a mess if she chose Sesshoumaru- but at least she felt like she was really needed there. Now that Rin was gone, he only had the company of Jaken; Inu Yasha would still have the company of everyone else, if she were to leave. Silent tears ran down her cheeks and plummeted onto the backs of her hands. Yes, she was going to have to make the decision sooner or later. It couldn't be helped.

As Sesshoumaru surveyed the rest of the southern border, he found himself thinking about his former vassal Nara Takeshi, and what had just happened.

flashback

"There is a powerful miko who is currently serving under Sesshoumaru, the ruler of the western youkai dominion. This miko…" Nara's eyes narrowed with greed and lust, "I want her."

end flashback

Again, Sesshoumaru felt anger rise up inside of him. What was he so angry about? Was it because of Nara's blatant treason, or was… was it because it had to do with Kagome? Suddenly, he remembered Kagome's words from several nights before. "The desire to protect something is a strength, is it?" he asked aloud. Before he could stop it, a thought rose to his conscious mind. 'I wouldn't mind protecting Kagome.' Sesshoumaru stopped his surveillance and sat down, completely shocked that a thought such as that was able to surface.

'Protect Kagome?' he asked himself. 'Was that what I was doing with that idiot vassal Nara?' Yes, perhaps he believed that killing Nara would somehow protect Kagome from his evil scheme. Well, and what was wrong with wanting to protect Kagome, anyway? 'Inu Yasha,' he thought. 'I adopted him into the clan. Is that bond worth breaking over a mere human woman?'

Involuntarily, Sesshoumaru let out a growl. He touched his throat in surprise, calming himself. Why did he get so worked up? 'Was it because I called her a 'mere human woman'?' Yes, just at that thought, he felt himself tense up ever-so-slightly. 'No, Kagome is more than just that. She is a very powerful woman- a miko. A very… precious… miko.' Sesshoumaru rested his elbow on his knee, and cradled his forehead with his palm. Something very deep was beginning to stir within him, and he wasn't sure- even with all of his power, knowledge and ability- how to handle it.

It was now mid-afternoon, and Inu Yasha had just returned to his father's castle,his clothes and hairdamp. When he went looking for a source of water, he came upon a lake. Jumping in, he had scrubbed himself vigorously for hours, until his youkai skin was red and irritated from his efforts. He dragged himself out of the lake and sat on a boulder to rest. Soon after that, he realized that if he didn't return to the castle, Shippou and Kohaku would probably come looking for him. He didn't want to worry them any further. Putting on a cool exterior to hide his silent anguish, Inu Yasha returned to the castle.

"Where have you been?" Shippou asked him, eyeing him suspiciously. He was completely drenched. Not only that, but he looked remarkably similar to Sesshoumaru. Shippou took a deep breath through his nose. Inu Yasha not only looked like a youkai, but he also smelled like one.

"Keh, I'm fine, Shippou." Inu Yasha raised an eyebrow, noticing Shippou's stare. "What're you looking at?"

"N-nothing. You just look different, that's all," Shippou said defensively. 'He looked this way when Miroku and I came to get him,' he recalled. "Anyway, we found some scrolls for you. Come on," Shippou led the way down the corridor towards the library.

"Good work," Inu Yasha told both of the boys, once he sat down, the pile of scrolls in front of him.

"Are you going to learn all of these?" Kohaku asked.

"Of course," Inu Yasha said, his prideful attitude showing itself once again. Shippou smiled inwardly. This was the Inu Yasha he knew.

"Come on, Kohaku, let's go get some lunch." Kohaku gave one last look at Inu Yasha- one of both concern and curiosity- before he nodded and joined Shippou outside. Once they were gone, Inu Yasha heaved a sigh. He transformed back into his hanyou form, and opened a scroll. He blankly stared at the words scrawled on the paper.

'Everything that happened- seems so unreal,' he thought to himself. How Kagome decided to stay with Sesshoumaru- the fact that he accidentally killed Rin with his Bakuryuuha… it all seemed like it had been a part of a very painful dream. 'But just the fact that I'm sitting here is proof enough that it was no dream,' he reasoned. He had killed Rin- albeit an accident- and he needed to own up to it. How could he face his brother again? And just when they had begun to form a substantial relationship, this had to happen. 'All because I couldn't control myself,' he thought angrily. Inu Yasha, paying no attention to the scroll in front of him, reflected over what happened that fateful night.

Kagome had told him that she was marked- yes, marked by Sesshoumaru. Even now, Inu Yasha clenched his fists hard enough for his nails to draw blood. She was his, not Sesshoumaru's. 'I guess my feelings for her weren't enough of a claim,' he thought, sadly. Sesshoumaru was right; Inu Yasha couldn't blame him completely for taking action to mark Kagome when he himself hadn't done anything to show his commitment to her. Were his actions not enough for her? But the fact that Kagome was so different- even though the mark had supposedly worn off- was too much for him to bear.

After a tasty home-cooked dinner, Kagome decided on a nice, warm bath. Although the onsen at Sesshoumaru's castle was nice, nothing beat the scented bath salts of the 21st century. Finished with her bath, Kagome went to her room. Not long after, there came a tap at her door.

"Kagome, honey?" came her mother's voice. Kagome sat up on the bed. "I was thinking-" She sat down on Kagome's bed, and put the tray of cookies and milk she had brought on Kagome's nightstand. "Sometimes, the only reason why we have a hard time letting go of things is because of the memories and familiarity we have for it." Kagome wondered to herself if this was the case between herself and Inu Yasha. "The right thing to do isn't necessarily doing what feels more comfortable." At this remark, Kagome was lost.

"What do you mean?" 'How could something that feels comfortable possibly be wrong?' she asked herself as she waited for her mother to continue.

"Well, When you were only a small child, you had a favorite bottle. You loved it- it was blue, and had little pictures of zoo animals all over it." Kagome nodded. While she didn't quite remember the bottle, she had seen it in several home photographs. "You were attached to that bottle, and didn't want to let it go- but it was time for you to graduate into something else." She handed her daughter a glass of milk, and took a sip of her own glass. "It was important for you to grow up, and while you hated doing it- giving up that bottle and that comfort- it was necessary for your growth as an individual." Kagome's mother stroked the side of Kagome's face with her hand. "I hope you understand, sweetie." Kagome nodded slowly.

'Is the reason why I don't want to leave Inu Yasha only because I'm sentimental?' she asked herself seriously. Sentimentality and Love were two completely different things. If Kagome discovered that her feelings for Inu Yasha were borne only from comfort and sentiments of the past, then it might become much easier to decide what path she should take.

"I'll leave you alone now," Kagome's mother said gently. After she stood up, she bent down and kissed her daughter on the forehead. Leaving the tray on Kagome's nightstand, her mother quietly left the room, leaving her daughter with new advice to think about.

The next morning, Kagome was busy shoving the final items she wanted to take with her into her new backpack. "Well, that about does it," she said as she finished filling the bag full to capacity. Her yellow bag was still with the Inu Yasha and the others, so she used an old blue backpack that her grandpa used to use when he went backpacking in the old days. After she laid her backpack down, Kagome wiped her forehead clean of imaginary sweat and plopped down into the easy chair. It wasn't yet time to meet Sesshoumaru by the well. And besides, she was tired. Kagome hadn't had much sleep that night. Even though it was the first time in months that she had been able to sleep in her bed, she was too busy thinking about what her mom had told her earlier that day. And even now, as she sat in the chair, she remembered the words Sango had spoken to her the other night.

flashback

"Kagome- it seems you are an important person to both brothers. No matter which one you choose to stay with… it will cause pain for the other." Kagome nodded. "But… no matter what, Kagome, you can talk to me. Know that you can tell me whatever is on your mind."

end flashback

'But why- when I think of causing pain- do I only think of causing pain to Inu Yasha?' The thought that she had already made up her mind in Sesshoumaru's favor was too much to bear. Before long, Kagome's brain shut down, and she fell asleep in the easy chair.

A few minutes later, Kagome woke up to the sound of chirping birds. She looked over at the clock on the table beside her. "Oops…" she murmured, still too tired to become panicked. She was late to meet Sesshoumaru at the well. Just as she began to turn her head forward, she caught a glimpse of something white in the corner of her eye. She looked ahead of her, and there stood Sesshoumaru, silently watching her with a completely serious expression on his face.

Sesshoumaru was glad that he only permitted Kagome leave for a single day. After he had dealt with his business affairs, he found himself struggling to get through the day without facing some kind of depression or loneliness, and nightmares during the dead of night. Somehow, he had become dependent on Kagome's presence as though it were an addictive drug. When Sesshoumaru arrived at her side of the well, he was annoyed that she wasn't where she had agreed to meet him- or, where he demanded that she return. He hopped out of the well immediately, and tracked her scent to the living room of her house. He had arrived at her location only a few moments before she awoke from her sleep in the chair. When she began to stir, he didn't know what else to do- so he simply stood in front of her until she noticed him.

"Ah.. Sesshoumaru?" she asked, finally beginning to panic. Immediately she jumped up from the easy chair. Sesshoumaru had only been standing about two feet in front of the chair, so when Kagome jumped up, she was only about four inches away from what would have been complete body contact.

"Did I hear you say 'Sesshoumaru'?" came a woman's voice from the kitchen. Both Kagome and Sesshoumaru turned their heads to face the origin of the voice. Kagome's mother stepped out into the living room to join them. "Good morning, you must be Sesshoumaru," she said as she bowed in greeting. Sesshoumaru merely stared at the woman. She smelled similar to Kagome. "I'm Kagome's mother. Nice to meet you."

"I'm here to take Kagome back," he told her simply, wondering to himself if Kagome mentioned anything to her about their situation.

"Of course," she replied. "But- would you like to stay for some tea, or would you like to stay for lunch?" Sesshoumaru looked at her directly.

"That's not necessary." Kagome sweatdropped, hoping that Sesshoumaru wouldn't be rude to her mother, of all people.

"Oh. Very well," Kagome's mother tried her best to keep from sounding too disappointed. "Then, take care of my Kagome," she told the youkai lord. For a moment, Sesshoumaru was taken aback. This human woman seemed to have no problem trusting him with her daughter. It had been a long time since someone gave him something of value, trusting him to protect it. The taiyoukai looked down at Kagome, and then back at her mother.

"No need to say it," Sesshoumaru told her. 'I would protect her, regardless,' he finished the sentence in his head. As far as he was concerned, Kagome was in his care. 'It isn't that I am protecting her only for her sake,' he tried to convince himself. 'It would tarnish the name of this Sesshoumaru should something of mine ever come to harm.' However, somewhere deep within, Sesshoumaru knew that he couldn't deny his desire to protect Kagome- and to call her his own. Rin had already been killed- and she had been his most precious treasure. Now that she was gone, Sesshoumaru was even more determined to keep Kagome safe.

Kagome blushed when she heard Sesshoumaru say those words. Was he really committed to keeping her safe? Her blush faded as she remembered Inu Yasha, and the many times he selflessly risked his life to save hers. When had Sesshoumaru done such a thing for her? When had he done something like that, even for Rin? It was hard to imagine Sesshoumaru putting himself in danger for the sake of someone else; yet, he sounded determined to protect her. Maybe her mother was right- maybe she should give Sesshoumaru a chance to show her his heart. As they turned to leave, Kagome gave one last look at her mom- and a big sweatdrop appeared on her head. Her mother was giving her silent 'banzai!' cheers. She hurried to the well, the bag on her shoulders- pushing Sesshoumaru from behind as quickly as she could- all to prevent him from turning around and seeing.

Once they reached the other side, Sesshoumaru was the first out of the well. He stood nearby, waiting for Kagome to surface.

"Ugh-" she grunted, heaving the bag onto the soft grass. "It would have been nice if you would have helped me," she complained. Sesshoumaru looked at her.

"Whose bag is that?" Kagome blinked, looked at the bag, and then back at Sesshoumaru.

"M-mine," she said, already realizing the direction he was going.

"Exactly." Without another word, Sesshoumaru turned and began walking in the direction of his castle. Kagome slung the bag over her shoulders, and jogged toward him in order to catch up. Suddenly, however, he stopped, and Kagome crashed into his back. He stood his ground, but Kagome bounced back. Being so top-heavy with the bag, she fell back onto her butt.

"It-tai," she said softly, rubbing her bottom, and brushing off the grass and dirt. As soon as she stood to her feet, Sesshoumaru spoke.

"That female friend of yours is nearby."

"Who? Sango?" Kagome asked. 'That's right, she said she was going to go to Kaede's…' "Let's go, I want to visit her! Maybe she's having her baby!" Kagome was infused with new energy, and skipped ahead of Sesshoumaru.

"Not yet," he told her blandly. "It should happen in a few days."

"..Oh.."

"Come," he told her. Kagome turned around to look at Sesshoumaru.

"But, Sango-" she protested.

"She will not give birth today. When the time comes, I will take you to see her again." Kagome was getting a little annoyed. It wasn't just that she wanted to see Sango's baby- Kagome wanted to talk with her friend.

"It's not just that, Sesshoumaru. I have other things that I want to say to her." She stood there, looking at Sesshoumaru, waiting for his response.

"Do what you like," he told her. "I'll return for you before dinner."

"Mm. Arigatou," Kagome said, before she turned and ran toward Kaede's village. Sesshoumaru stood still, watching the miko retreat into the distance. This was the second time- in a row, no less- that she had refused to do what he asked. Somehow, though, he wasn't angry.

A/N: Yay! Another chapter is out! Please review!

Review Responses:

InuyashaGal: Far from it! The comic book rule is "If you don't see the body, they're probably not dead." However, we saw the body. And she's probably beginning to rot away, slowly being eaten by remorseless maggots. No, things are through with Rin. And um, Kagome is the reincarnation… But thanks for your interest in the story!

Nilee: Hehe, I'm so glad my plot twists are keeping you interested- ahaha, I never realize they're twists when I write them.. so it's funny to read that people are totally taken by surprise. Yeah, throughout this whole story I've been scared of writing myself into a corner. But… I love Inu Yasha's character, and I will, on my author's honor, continue to try to portray him correctly! Wish me luck!

Beulah Page: hahaha! As always, your comments crack me up! Yeah, so probably those women S-dono 'saved' will make some kind of a cult thing, and get together every night and make up stories by the fireside. I'm glad that you think everyone's in character! Yay! That makes me happy!

Maddycat2000 (if you're still reading up to this point) Sorry you didn't like the character development I did with Inu Yasha in the story so far. But... do you really think that he would still be immature after 6 years? Are we all the same as we were 6 years ago? I think that he's already shown much more maturity in the later eps of the series, which led me to go down that path, and to focus more on his maturity rather than his tendency to get angry quickly. Of course, in the earlier chapters (of the original ending), they weren't going to be completely friendly with each other, but the will of their father and their actual brotherhood makes them have to tolerate each other in a non-hostile way. We already see in the series that the brothers don't fight every time they meet, so I've incorporated that into the story.

Thanks also to my special reviewers! These include those mentioned above in addition to Golden-Eyed-Girl (you'll see!), Bethany A, kikyo618543, hermonine, Shadowed Frost (Thanks! I keep trying to catch myself with repeating words too much), Steph (haha, keep waiting!), sheenachi (k, kirara works.. hehe!), Moon's Rain, stephanie, toxiclollipop (hmmm… you shall see…), The Squabbit (far from it, my faithful reviewer. Far from it.), SubaruWings, Tracy J, Meg, ZookieMoonPrincess, BambiMoonite (what made you think that was the end? I will say "the end" when this story is complete, don't worry)and -SohmaShiroganeInuYasha-Fangirl.