I'm sorry it took so long for me to update, but you know how it is, school, christmas, school, boys, school, friends, did I mention school? That horrible place, that makes children want to die? Yeah, that place. It sucks.

Chapter 35

Sesshoumaru choose that moment to stride away from the well house. Inuyasha bent down, and whispered to Kagome that he would be right back, before following him.

"Sesshoumaru!" He called, seeing his brother walking slowly towards the giant flight of steps. He stopped, but did not turn.

"What do you want Inuyasha?"

He sighed. "What about the brat? Does he remember all this? The letter he wrote us?" Inuyasha asked.

Shesshoumaru turned to give his younger brother a scathing look. "The kit risked everything, his life, his mate, his pups, to make sure that you and your mate survived. Not to mention, he now has two sets of memories. He's proved, more then once, that he's willing to go through hell and back, just to make you, and your miko happy. I'd show him a little respect if I were you." And then he turned back and started to the stairs.

As Inuyasha watched, a women suddenly appeared at the top. And he couldn't mistake her, not only did she reek of his brother, but she also smelled of the human child who used to travel with him in the past. And the only way Rin could still be alive, was if she was Sesshomaru's mate.

They conversed in low tones for a moment, and Inuyasha considered going back to Kagome, when Rin came running towards him. "Come to the house later this evening. You can visit your companions graves, and ask us anything you like of what happened back then. Just ask Shippou to drive, he knows the way." And then she turned back to her mate, and they were gone.

Inuyasha re-entered the well-house, to find Kagome gone, but he could still hear, and smell her tears. He found her at the bottom of the well. Pounding her bleeding fists on the ground. Screaming at it to let her through. Inuyasha lighted down on the ground next to her, and pulled her into his chest. And a lone tear, fell down his own face, to land in her raven black hair.

She was trying to say something to him through her sobs, but her voice was muffled by his chest. He pulled her back, to look into her brown eyes, that were currently puffy, and red. "What is it?" he asked.

She looked at him stubbornly. "What did he mean by 'original time-line'?" She asked shakily.

"Thanks allot bastard." He muttered to himself. Kagome heard him.

"I know you know baka! So you might as well just tell me!" She argued.

He grabbed her gently, but firmly by the shoulders, to make her look in his eyes. She needed to know this wasn't a game. "Kagome, I'm gonna tell you this right now, you don't. want. to know. I didn't want to know, but I made Shippou tell me anyways, and I wish I hadn't. I could have lived the rest of my life without knowing, and I'll be damned if I tell you, without you fully understanding what this means. I'm telling you now, it's not worth it."

Kagome looked up into his eyes, and could tell he was in no way joking. This was one of those times, when he was just trying to protect her, and maybe, she should let him this time. She had a horrible feeling that he was right, that it truly wasn't worth knowing.

She nodded. "All right. If you don't think I need to know, then I guess I don't."

Inuyasha was, again, astounded that she had actually listened to him.

The whole ride to Sesshomaru's, Shippou kept talking about old times between him and 'Fluffy'. It turned out, that after Kagome and Inuyasha vanished, Sesshoumaru toke it upon himself, to be guardian over the whole little group, and there children. Shippou being the only demon, besides Kirara, naturally had a strong bond with the Tai-youkai.

"Oh yeah me and Fluffy were tight. He taught me everything I knew, kind of like a father figure, but not really. He was there for me, and never denied me shelter, or protection when I needed it. Fluffy's just a big softy once you get to know him! And get through that 500 foot thick armor he's got!" Shippou laughed, as the stopped at a red light.

Kagome looked confused. "But why would he do that? Protect Sango and Miroku's village. He always acted as if humans were beneath him." She was still shook up about the well, but she was starting to handle it. Inuyasha was staying close just in case. Plus he didn't trust his brother. Never had, never will.

Shippou laughed. "Well now, he's head of the human protection program, in Youkai society. He's in charge of not letting the lesser youkai attack humans, and keeping the more powerful ones away from the idea that it would be easier just to wipe them all out. It's a hard job, and Sesshoumaru specifically asked for it. Not to mention the act he did for hanyou rights about 250 years ago. That was a hoot!"

Inuyasha looked at him strangely. "Hanyou rights? What does he care about hanyou's?" He yelled. Shippou swerved a little at the dog-demon's outburst, but recovered quickly.

"Sesshoumaru grew to respect you baka, he finally realized that hanyou's weren't dirty. And that no matter what, they were gonna happen, not to mention his own children would be hanyou, considering his relationship with Rin. So he decided, they might as well be free. Because back then, they were all being sold as slaves, they were stronger, and more durable then humans. So naturally, a prime choice. It even got as far as youkai's breeding hanyou's, just for the purpose of slavery, before Sesshoumaru stepped in, and put a stop to it. It was a long road, but Fluffy seemed to think it was worth it." Shippou explained, as they pulled up a long drive-way, with gates at the top.

Sesshomaru's house was huge! A mansion really, all made out of blue, stripped with white, marble. It was extravagant, elegant, and beautiful. Kagome couldn't wait to see the inside.

When they pulled up to the gates, Shippou and the security guard traded hello's, before they proceeded up the drive-way.

Walking through Sesshomaru's house, was like walking through a museum. It had pieces from every time period, and place, you could ever imagine. Things from ancient's Rome, and Egypt. Not to mention numerous things from Sengoku Jidia.

"Fluffy's quite a collector. He started this menagerie, somewhere in the 1800's. You can tell some things, are even older then he is! Not an easy task!" Shippou commented. Kagome was looking around in awe, while Inuyasha kept his head down, one arm wrapped around Kagome's waist for protection.

They proceeded through the house, and outside the back doors. Into a very large garden, with fountains, and hedges. And roses! Every color!

"It's through this way," Shippou said, heading for a pathway slightly to the right of them, that was surrounded on both sides, by tall hedges. "I'm sure you'd like to see them first, I come here allot just to talk to them."

After walking down the path for a while, it opened out into a small clearing, with nothing but grass, and several headstones. Shippou walk right up to the two middle ones, and fell to his knees, bowing respectfully.

Kagome and Inuyasha came closer, to see they were the graves of there companions. Miroku, and Sango.

Kagome came up, and bowed beside Shippou. Inuyasha stood back, and stared at the graves. It was only days ago that he had talked to these two, and now, here they were, dead and gone. He caught the scent of Kagome's tears again. Not knowing what else to do, he fell to his knees beside her, and just held her in his arms. Letting a few stray tears of his own, glide down his cheek.

"There entire extended family was buried on this land. You saw only them, there direct children, and there children's significant others in that plot. The rest, are back in the family cemetery. A hanyou grand-child of there's still lives, but she's away on business for me." Sesshoumaru said, as he drank from his glass of scotch.

They were all sitting on antique looking furniture, in an immaculate living room. Including, Inuyasha, Kagome, Shippou, Sesshoumaru, and Rin. Rin seemed to be about 20 years old, but of course must be much older.

Inuyasha had been reluctant to sit in the first place, not trusting his brother one bit. But Kagome had made him, now they were all drinking tea, and liquor, In Sesshomaru's case. Except Kagome and Inuyasha, who thought it was poisoned, while Kagome didn't, as to not cause a fuss with her mate.

Rin smiled at them. "They lived a long, healthy, and happy life. They made a difference up until the day they died. They were found dead in each others arms, having slipped away, peacefully in the night. There offspring went on to be youkai-exterminators, and oddly enough, youkai defenders."

Kagome looked puzzled at this. So Rin continued, "The ones who choose to attack others, they cut down, while those who wished to live in peace, they protected form other exterminators. Many of them became mated to youkai themselves. The Miroku-Sango blood-line went down in youkai history, for producing one-third of all the hanyou population up until the slavery started."

Kagome frowned, "Did they really enslave hanyou's?"

Rin nodded sadly.

"Keh! I told you that in the car! What you didn't believe me?" Shippou said indignantly. He sounded so much like Inuyasha, that she expected to hear a wench thrown in there someplace.

Inuyasha looked at him incredulously. "Don't do that!" he snapped.

Shippou looked at him, bewildered. "Do what?" he asked innocently.

Inuyasha shot to his feet. "Don't fucking talk like that!"

Shippou followed him. "Like what!" He demanded.

"Like you're fucking me! Cause you're not!" Inuyasha yelled, closing both hands into a fist, and digging into his palms with his claws.

"I know I'm not!" Shippou yelled back, caught off guard by this whole conversation. He'd always talked like this, for as long as he could remember.

"Well then stop fucking acting like you are!"

"I'm not acting like anything! I'm not acting! This is how I talk!"

"Keh!"

Shippou growled, and took a step forward, towards the hanyou.

"As much as I'd like to see how this turns out, " They both whipped there heads around to stare at the older youkai, who interrupted them. "I believe it would be best, if you didn't fight in my living room, all of these things are worth more then your petty arguments."

Kagome couldn't help it, she laughed outright at the look on the kitsune, and hanyou's, faces. They both rounded on her instead.

She grabbed one of each of there wrists, and forced them down into the seats on either side of her. There fight for dominance would have to take place somewhere else.

Inuyasha relented, and allowed his mate to drag him into the couch. A couch definitely made for looks, not comfort. Before he turned to his brother. Who was silent once again. "I don't get it."

Shesshoumaru raised an eyebrow. "Be more specific baka, there are many things I'm sure you don't understand." he replied.

"Very funny," Inuyasha commented sulkily, but was able to keep his anger under check. "Why the hell do you care so much about Sango and Miroku? About Shippou? you never did before."

The Tai-youkai was silent for a quite some time, and so was the rest of the room. Finally, he put down his glass, and stared unblinkingly, at his younger brother. "You disappeared, and they needed protection. They were your pack Inuyasha, and it was my responsibility, my honor, to make sure that no harm befell them. Sana was an accident, I was unable to make it there in time to save her, and then, Tensiaga refused to work for her. Same with a few others that died in that time. I did what I could, to preserve the pack of my brother."

Touching, older brother, to younger brother moment there. I hope you all liked this chapter, Fluffy is sometimes my favorite character! He's soo cute, and fluffy!

Read the next paragraph, if you think Seshoumaru and Rin being together is dirty. Or disgusting.

I know some people, might not be happy with my choice of having Rin for his mate, but I always liked her. And although, nowadays, marrying someone that you took care of when they were a child is un-heard of, back then it wasn't that uncommon. I know alot of people think that Rin and Fluffy have more of a father daughter relationship, I think that it could have progressed into love when she grew older. Think of it this way, sometimes, when step children are put together in the same home, they sometimes fall in love later in life, when all they felt for eachother in childhood, was sibling love. And nobody thinks it's dirty. It's the same thing really.

Anyways, thanx for all your reviews! ( im not opposed to more either!) And thanx for sticking with me, even if haven't updated in so long! (I do realize, btw, that long updating for me, is not long updating for others, it just feels like forever to me.)

This chapter is also dedicated to those who lost there lives in Katrina's fury. And to those who lost there homes, there whole lives in fact, in a matter of days. God bless, and good luck to all those who did survive. (Note: All my chapters, and even this whole story, is dedicated to the city of New Orleans, Louisiana. )

I'm the all powerful Fu Fu!
Mwahahahaha!
(Sry, had the urge)

Disclaimer:
Why aren't they mine?
I wish they were
But I'll settle for terrorizing them
(Grin)