A/N: I'm really sorry to all, and I mean really sorry! I haven't updated in months and I'm really sorry to keep you all waiting that long. I guess you can all say I'm pretty lazy. Once again, I'm SORRY!

Okay – those are enough Sorrys... Enjoy, peoples!

Editor's Note: At a glance, I'd normally tell 'Liss to cut the exclamation marks down for her Author's Note, but I'll leave it be. 'Liss is actually expecting me to have this edit finished in a short while, but I set out to edit at around 8 and due to my Media Player's refusal to work and play X & Y, I was delayed hugely.

I'll be off...

Chapter 2: The Meeting

"Not likely, you never talked to anyone except us and family," intervened Inuyasha.

"I guess not," said Rin. She reached in her pocket to get the amber-coloured rock. To her surprise, it was warm. The only time the rock was warm was when the demon gave it to her. Also to her surprise she felt content; after all those years of misery she felt happy.

'Or maybe I did meet him, but I just can't remember.'

Inuyasha and friends walked together till they came upon a quiet, dingy neighbourhood – theirs. They all lived on the same street - on the right side lived Inuyasha and Rin, who were neighbours; Sango, Miroku and Kagome's houses were squashed together on the street parallel to them, on the left side.

"Alright," said Inuyasha, veering closer to his right as he bade farewell. " I guess I'll be seeing you in an hour."

"The dinner is at your house, right, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked.

"Yup. This is gonna be one long night. See you!" He headed home, but not before he gave his friends a wink.

"We men really are outnumbered in this little 'family.' You girls should be proud to have dominated against our ranks..."

"Stop complaining, Miroku! It's not all bad," said Sango, directing a wink to her female companions. "Plus, knowing you, you'll probably grope at least two of us tonight," addressed Sango. Rin and Kagome backed away insantly.

"How can you say something like that, Sango?" exclaimed Miroku, feigning offence at the (unfortunately) truthful remark. His words may have seemed a little less ridiculous had he not gave a little smirk "I'd never grope you ladies!"

Kagome and Rin slowly made their way home, making sure to edge away from the lecher's eyesight. Seeing her friends retreat, Sango ran for her house.

"Sango, where are going? What did I do now!"

"Well, now? Nothing yet. You're just scaring me. See you in an hour!" And she turned for her home.

Sango entered her home and closed the door, still smiling, and thereby leaving Miroku alone on the street. The spring started two weeks ago, but it still was cold enough to freeze the toes off any unsuspecting, poor soul who happened to overlook their jackets.

"Even with years of experience with women…" muttered Miroku. The female mind reminded him vaguely of a hugely-complicated and deadly web, designed to trap most men in a sea of hidden intentions and piercing, blunt remarks. He sighed and headed home for dinner.

"We men really are outnumbered in this little 'family," echoed Miroku's mind. "You girls should be proud to have dominated against our ranks..."

'That's right, there have been some losses,' he thought. Sango had lost her mother when she was little, dying of an illness whose name Sango had failed to mention ('Not that we can blame anyone…'). She was left with her father to work long hours and a brother to tend for.

Kagome's father had been shot and died in the hospital, several agonizing hours later. Officials had investigated for a while, as Miroku could remember, but dropped the case soon enough. The shooter was still unknown. But the lives of she and the rest of her family went on. Eight years had passed already.

Miroku had lost both his parents, but Kaede had agreed to take him in. His parents went for a walk in the nearby park one day and never came home to their son. A few officials, too, looked into it; the closest thing to a clue they could find was a big hole in the ground that was "created in the vicinity of the 24 hours both parents were missing, and around the forested area where they were last known to be."

Rin had lost her brother during his birth, a stillborn. Had it not been for her parents, Rin would never had had to take in the idea of a brother she'd never had. They, too, had been endangered when they were nearly killed in an auto accident.

Inuyasha didn't exactly lose anyone.

"Hah. Lucky bastard," said Miroku as he entered his gaurdian's house, floorboards groaning almost under his every step. His father and brother had just – for lack of a better word -disappeared, never to be heard of or seen again. Another real mystery harbouring about their lives for some time. No one exactly minded it, but…

'We could damn well do without them…'

"Hey, Inuyasha!" Kagome yelled as she entered the house, Shippo riding on her shoulder and Souta walking beside his mother and their grandfather. Inuyasha came to the door along with Izayoi, his mother. "We're here!"

"Hey, you're the first ones here," said Inuyasha, grinning brightly.

"Yes…!" she said in triumph. She explained, "I bet Sango and Rin that I would, earlier. I -told- them I'd beat 'em!"

"Hey, Inuyasha, can we play with some of your video games?" asked Souta and Shippo in unison, for they'd visited his house often enough to know their choices for 'activity.'

"Sure, squirts. Let me install it for you." He went to the living-room with Souta and Shippo tailing behind the much taller dog-demon. Kagome soon went to join them, passing a wave to her mother.

Then, Sango came with her father and sibling, Kohaku. Izayoi greeted them as warmly as any old friend could, waving her hand towards the open living-room doorway.

"You know where the others are, I trust, Sango - Kohaku."

In the living room, Inuyasha and Kagome were installing the system and Shippo, along with Souta, were watching them in anticipation. Kohaku joined in the assembling of the system as Sango stood there, watching Inuyasha and Kagome trying to repel her younger sibling ('We're fine, it's under control…'). They were about finished installing when Rin and Miroku arrived. Shippo, Souta and Kohaku (all about the same age) automatically started playing, wisecracking and yelling like old mates.

Soon everyone settled into their own groups. The parents were in the kitchen making 'adult' conversation all children were guaranteed to be bored with, finishing up the large dinner. Inuyasha, Kagome, Sango, Rin, and Miroku, meanwhile, were in Inuyasha's bedroom talking of the usual 'teenage' issues all adults were guaranteed to be alarmed of. Every ten minutes they'd hear a big slap coming from upstairs. Nobody had to guess who had made the slapping action and why.

An hour passed when Izayoi called everyone to the dining room. Shippo and his friends – against their will but due to their rumbling stomachs - stopped playing while everyone upstairs came down. Miroku had a big hand print on his face, glowing red.

"Ouch, that one had to hurt Miroku," said Kohaku, giving Miroku a little smirk. Out of the corner of Miroku's mouth issued something that included the words 'too many in one night' and 'no reason to be so violent.' Everyone sat at the dinner table.

"Izayoi, this food is delicious. It's definitely better than when I make it, I'll tell you that. What do you –do- to it?"

"700 words due Monday? I mean - 700 words?"

"Oh, instead of just adding the herbs I add a little spice to make it more...well, spicy!"

"You still haven't brought back those tools, ya know…"

"I know, but I've been delayed…"

"But –what- spices?"

"700 words!"

"Come ON, he's so much stronger than that idiot in the game."

"700 words!"

"Hey, Miroku aren't you gonna eat?" Inuyasha asked, noticing Miroku had his plate full, sitting there with his hands folded.

"I'm gonna... I just usually pray for my parents before I start eating," said Miroku matter-of-factly.

"That's nice, Miroku. How long has it been now?" Sango's father asked comfortably. The subject often came up but no one minded it as much as – they all knew – if no one spoke about it at all.

"Its been eight years now, and still nobody knows what happened..." Miroku sighed. "It's a big mystery, no matter how many theories we drag up."

"Hey mom, how long has it been since father and my brother disappeared?" asked Inuyasha.

"Its been really long, dear. You were probably only months old," said Izayoi, and suddenly her face looked older than it should've. Several faces went blank for the silent moment that overcame the table.

"Come on people, let's get away from all these sad things." Kagome said mellifluously. The silence broke. "Did you know that there's a new kid in school?" she said, as though the moment was not lingering on her mind as it did on many others'. A second passed before the shared reverie disappeared.

"Really, Kagome? Is it a male or a female?" asked Kaede in her kind voice.

"How is he or she like?" prodded Izayoi

"Yeah… And is he or she cute-slash-handsome?" asked Kagome's mom, looking funnily-eager.

"Whoa, everyone! I think Rin is the one you should be asking. She's the one who made friends with him, " said Kagome. She gave a little smile towards Rin, who blushed as most eyes fell on her.

"Him?" Rin's parents said in prefect unison.

"That's right." She hesitated. " Um - His name Sesshomaru. He's really tall, maybe a little taller than Inuyasha.. He has long, brown hair – the really dark brown, too - and probably the same-colour eyes, too." More eyes shifted to Inuyasha, but Rin continued.

"He's really intelligent, he can be funny sometimes - and serious, but when he wants to," Rin speeded through the information as though if she spoke faster it would sound clearer. "...And-he's-human,notdemonand – and, yeah, I actually talked with him..." She suddenly found her fingers more interesting than humanly possible.

"Congratulations, Rin! You talked to someone other than us! I'm proud of you, honey." Rin's mom said.

"Sesshomaru...you know that name strikes a bell." Izayoi wondered aloud. "I think I've heard it before..."

"Well there could be lots of people with that name so, of course you probably heard of it before," Inuyasha explained rationally.

"You know, you're right. Now, let's eat before the food gets cold," said Izayoi (though she needn't have bothered to address the younger three, who were still shovelling the food down).

"I was also planning to take a walk in the park tonight, you know, since we're all together today,"

"Wonderful idea, Izayoi!" Kagome's mom voiced.

"Oh no..." All the children at the table knew what they meant by 'a walk.' When their parents walked it was –not- just a ten-minute walk, but a walk that probably lasted one hour or two.

Everyone helped clear the table and Izayoi put dishes in the washing machine and washed some herself, due to the huge amount of plates. In the next ten minutes everyone was putting their jackets on.

"I hope everyone is wearing something warm..." Izayoi gave her version of a smirk. In truth it often scared Inuyasha, who had then closed his eyes and shuddered for a reason that didn't have anything to do with the cold at all. But no one else seemed to mind. Izayoi closed the door and joined the others outside.

"Now, everyone, stay close. This city can be dangerous at night," Kagome's grandfather added. Souta, Shippo and Kohaku started playing tag, circling everyone. Kohaku touched Shippo, yelling,

"Tag! You're it!" The game continued as they reached the park's playground, the metals' paint tinged with the night's dark blue, while the huge field's grass – shining with the moonlight – swayed to the wind and made soft whispers around the group.

"Ooh! Ooh! Can we go on the swings…?" asked Shippo.

"Okay, but only for a little bit," said Mrs. Higurashi. Souta, Shippo and Kohaku ran to the playground. As the boys' shouts echoed through-out the clearing, a certain dog-demon's eyes perked up. Suddenly, Inuyasha started to sniff the air.

"Inuyasha, don't do that! Even though it's night, people might be out here… you know?" warned Izayoi, her voice lowered.

"I know, but I smell something weird… It's familiar, but not. I dunno…" said Inuyasha, trying to explain the phenomenon but failing.

As if on cue, two figures emerged from the bushes, both wearing black cloaks that made them practically invisible to everyone except Inuyasha and Shippo.

"Souta, Shippo, Kohaku - get over here, now!" ordered Mrs. Higurashi harshly. The three barely saw the figures and rushed toward the waiting arms of their parents.

"Who are you?" Inuyasha yelled in the direction of the shadows. Miroku ordered bravely,

"Show yourselves!"

"My, my Inuyasha… you've grown," said the figure coolly. A long-fingered hand emerged from the cloak, which rose to remove the hood of the cloak. It was definitely a man, as the group could gather. Inuyasha was surprised, seeing much better than the others; the man looked almost like him!

"Inu Taishio… is that you?" said the squinting Izayoi, fully unable to believe what she was seeing. The figure she called Inu Taishio nodded slowly.

"Mother, you know him?" asked Inuyasha, confused but alert.

"Inuyasha – he is.. your father," Izayoi choked out, her voice deadly low.

Everyone stared at the figure unblinkingly, the sentence was so shocking.

"Are-are you serious?" asked the young demon, leering sideways at his mother. "My father...?" he questioned, still disbelieving as everyone else was focusing on the figures ahead.

"Would that be your eldest son behind you, Inu Taishio?" asked Izayoi, her voice steadier than she thought she could make it, though it quivered as she addressed the man. Everyone stared at the second figure, silent. Stunned as they all were, they got to noticing him, standing still and firm on the ground.

But she wasn't given an answer, because before Inu Taishio could speak and explain, in the distance they heard the police closing around them. Both figures retreated into the bushes; many blinked and found the spot empty.

"Inu Taishio!" Izayoi screamed, making to follow them; but Inuyasha stopped her, leaping and having to tackle his mother. He kept his grip on her as she twisted and flailed her arms, making a desperate effort not to lose her; he heard questions buzzing from the others in the background, but the police siren blared loudly through his head, echoing and growing in volume every second, on and on and on…

Izayoi shrieked into night, the air frenzied and no longer warm and comforting. Now painfully fearful and cold –

"Inu Taishio!"

A/N: Okay, so here is the second chapter. Now, since I haven't updated in a long time, I planned and I will update at least two times before school starts. Please review as always. I like to hear your opinions. R&R!

E/N: So, there you have it! I can't believe I actually finished this in one night… Wonders, wonders…

Perhaps I made –too- many changes, I don't know. But by the time you all have read this, 'Liss and I have probably straightened it out.

…Hopefully.

Ja Ne!

Happy reading.