My computer hates me...I don't know how or why but for the last two weeks it wouldn't let me open like half my files...finally I called the Geek Squad and they helped...so...this is the reason you didn't get this sooner...(truth? I DLed porn and it crashed my computer with a virus...damn you Paris Hilton...)

Kagome stiffened when she saw who was holding Tashio back from smacking her and tampered down the urge to open a can of whoop-ass...after all, she'd sensed him coming a mile away.

"Run, Kagome! I'll take care of this!"

Kagome managed to withhold a scream of frustration but not retort, "Goddamnit, Inuyasha! Can't you mind your damn business for once! I was just having fun!"

Inuyasha threw Tashio across the field (and indirectly right at Sesshomaru who caught and kept the upset inuyoukai from attacking again) and stared at her confused. "Fun?"

Kagome saw that Sesshomaru had the situation under control and smiled at her former crush. "Yeah, fun. Contrary to popular thought, girls do enjoy violence and fighting and rough sex."

Sesshomaru smiled a little at that and continued to walk across the field to his mate. She looked beautiful standing there on the crest of the hill. Her short hair was ruffled from the fight and Sesshomaru felt the urge to run his claws through it. At the same time he felt the urge to throw her mud and blood covered butt into a creek to rid her of the stench of battle.

Kagome, of course, sensed his feelings (but not thoughts) through their link and smiled at it. Inuyasha watched this little almost unnoticed altercation between the two (the short glances, the obvious camaraderie, the licking of Kagome's mouth when Sesshomaru started to walk over, not to mention Sesshomaru's obvious burgeoning...well, you get the point haha, bad pun) and wondered what is was about.

"What's going on?" He demanded, not really one able to think things out.

Sesshomaru dumped the now unconscious Tashio at his mate's feet and turned to answer Inuyasha's question. "Kagome and I are battling our father."

"Our father is dead."

"Not so."

"Is so."

"Naraku brought him back to life," Kagome explained before this could desolve into a childish match of wits.

"So you fight him?"

"Our father was not exactly sane, Inuyasha. He mated a human in life, believed there to be only one god, and went into death mad. He came back just as mad."

Kagome thumped Sesshomaru on the chest hard. "What do you mean, he's insane because he mated a human?"

"That is not what I said."

"Is to."

"Is not."

"FINE! What is going on with you two!" Inuyasha demanded once again (he's sure is demanding a lot of two people who could both kick his ass...Sesshy because...well...he;s Sesshy, and Kagome because she can control the beads around his neck and because she's...well...Kagome).

"We are mated," Sesshomaru said as he wrapped a possessive arm around Kagome.

"KAGOME!"

Kagome snuggled into Sesshomaru's chest and smiled where Inuyasha couldn't see her. "Yeah...it was hot."

"But...why...him?"

"She chose me because I obviously was who she was most attracted to."

"Nope."

Sesshomaru glared down at his mate who was still snuggling. "What?"

"I chose you because you were the most powerful demon around and because it's likely you'll die in the battle with Naraku so it didn't matter if I was attracted or not...you'd be dead."

"This is why you chose me?" Sesshomaru asked, stepping away from her in a creepy, too quiet way before starting to walk away.

"You're also kind of cute, but mainly yeah." Kagome smiled at his back innocently.

"You could have mated me Kagome," Inuyasha stressed as he gently touched her arm.

Kagome burst out laughing. Sesshomaru turned to the sound and saw his brother touching his mate and something inside him snapped. In an instant he had his poison whip wrapped around Inuyasha's neck and Kagome wasn't laughing.

Sesshomaru started to pull the struggling Inuyasha to him with the whip, but Kagome stepped close and with the touch of her finger dissolved the whip. Sesshomaru could feel reason slapping at him, telling him to step down, but the demon wanted control of the situation and screamed that killing Inuyasha would do that.

Kagome watched as Sesshomaru struggled with himself and finally settled into demon. His eyes were red and his hair moved with demonic aura. The energy in the clearing was suddenly crackling and Kagome felt sure that she saw sparks dancing on her skin from it. She watched as Sesshomaru began to cross the ten odd feet separating them and felt an odd fear in her stomach.

Sesshomaru was within a few feet of Inuyasha and Kagome when she stepped in front of Inuyasha and in his way. He was forced to stop or knock her aside. Everything demon inside him said, "Knock her aside," but the rest of him overruled, so he stopped.

Kagome stepped closer, and leaned up to sniff at his neck. She surprised him, causing him to take a hasty step back. She followed and slowly sniffed her way around his neck until she found the new scar of mating she had put there. In a swift attack, she latched on with her teeth and elicited a jolt from Sesshomaru. Releasing her teeth, she soothed the sting with a quick lick of her tongue.

Now back to himself, Sesshomaru indulged himself by wrapping his hands around Kagome's thighs and lifting her so that she could wrap her legs around his waist. He gently bit at her mating mark in retaliation for her attack and made her laugh.

"All better?" Kagome asked, happy that her theory (that reminding Sesshomaru of their mating would calm his beast) had worked out.

"Yes."

"You two really are mated," Inuyasha said incredulously in a humorously course voice. His neck was bleeding in several places but it was already healing.

Kagome leaned so far back that she was looking at Inuyasha upside down. "Yes...get over it...you're such a girl...nag, nag, nag." Kagome pulled herself up and stared at Sesshomaru and his tiny little smile that he always used when he was amused. "Well?"

"Yes?"

"Show me my new home!" Kagome exclaimed, gesturing to the large, grand enclosure just out of sight.

"Home?"

"Yes...if we're going to be mated, we are not going to wander Japan the rest of our lives. I am not that kind of girl," Kagome said primly (obviously ignoring that she was basically straddling her mate in the daylight).

"Okay," Sesshomaru started to set her down but Kagome wrapped her arms around his neck and shook her head.

"You're carrying me."

"Why?"

"I'm tired."

"So?"

"You're my mate...cater to me..."

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"What if I..." Kagome whispered and obscene suggestion in his ear and Sesshomaru nodded and carried her away.

Inuyasha watched all this before turning to the unacknowledged audience of the battle. Sesshomaru and Kagome had to have sensed them even if they hadn't shown it.

"I still can't believe it's really her," Sango exclaimed as she deftly avoided Miroku's wandering hand.

"It's her...there is no mistake," Kikyo said quietly as she helped Inuyasha to his feet.

"I didn't say there was, I said I couldn't believe it," Sango snapped, still not liking Kikyo. Didn't matter if she was now helping them defeat Naraku on a more personal level (as in actually being there and helping instead of sneaking around behind the scenes and having her own little battles).

"I..." Kikyo started to reply but Inuyasha interrupted.

"They're heading to the castle. Come on...we're going there too." Inuyasha bounded off, leaving the rest of them to follow more slowly. They could all only hope that the new couple would agree to their proposal for if they didn't it might already be their lives.

Okay, so yeah, already explained the computer thing...so here are my reader responses and might I say HAPPY! THANKS! I got more reviews for the last chapter than I did for all the previous ones...you like me...you really like me...I'm serious...I got like...alot...

Darkmoonfang: Left you hanging for a lot longer than you thought I would, didn't I?

royal blueKitsune: Dude, I call my dad Pops...and popper...and daddio...yeah...disrespectful little bitch that I am...

Sesshoumaru's Miko: You didn't say I sucked...you said my story sucked you in...there was no insult...hey! I review all the stories I review half asleep so I'm cool with it...

Nekoyasha101: Okay, were you half asleep when you reviewed? You were kind of all over the place...it was funny...

gurl-of-togas-older-son: I love you...

Alright...special thanks to all my other reviewers:

Cindygirl

sheenachi

Subaruwings

Kogasgirl142

yup. it's me

mia

destinyheart15

sataness-ov-desire


SexySesshomaru52

Youkai Sesshomarulover

bloodrayne5555

Ruby27

hermonine

SesshiesPersonalPriestess

InsaneSk8rChick

animegirl2005

Northern Sakura

Youkai no Hikaru

Jesus that was a long list...also, here's to everyone who has this on story alert...SMOOCHES!