Yay! Chapter 2 is done! If it seems that any of the characters are ooc, please let me know. I'm not too sure how I'm doing on Inutaisho, so just let me know what you think!

Blood Ch. 2 Dreams of...

Inuyasha watched as Kikyo stalked out of the room. Those two looked an awful lot alike. Were they twins? Shaking his head, he turned around.

"What the hell is going on?" he asked, but when he looked back to Inutaisho, he was gone.

"Wha-?" Glancing around, Inuyasha found his father in front of the girl, Kagome.

Inutaisho crossed his arms. "Kagome. Did anything happen?"

Kagome shook her head. "No."

Inutaisho's eyes narrowed. "Do you remember?"

"No." she said quietly.

"I see. Then I will be expecting you later this evening."

"Yes sir."

By now, Inuyasha was growling in frustration once again. "HELLO! Remember me?"

Kagome and Inutaisho turned at the sound of his voice.

"Oh!" gasped Kagome. "It's you! From earlier."

Inutaisho turned towards her. "You...Know each other?"

Kagome smiled. "More like we ran into each other."

Inuyasha let out a snort at the memory when suddenly Inutaisho turned a sharp glare on him, causing Inuyasha to cower for a second. "Were you polite?"

Inuyasha stared in disbelief at the youkai lord. "What!"

Kagome waved a hand, as if to wave off Inutaisho's reaction. "Don't mind him, he just doesn't like it when we meet guys."

Inutaisho snorted, showing where Inuyasha had acquired that quality. "Especially when the boy is my son."

"Hey!" "What!"

Kagome's mouth fell open in shock. "Your son? I thought you two looked a like but...your son?"

Inutaisho nodded. "Yes my son. Kagome meet Inuyasha. Inuyasha, Kagome. Now. If you will excuse us Kagome, Inuyasha and I have some matters to discuss."

Shaking her head, Kagome bowed to both father and son. "It was nice meeting you Inuyasha. I will visit you later sir."

Turning, Kagome left the room. Inuyasha shook his head. "This is all too weird."

Inutaisho smiled slightly. "Walk with me Inuyasha."

Eyes narrowed, Inuyasha followed his father. As they walked past the ornate doors, Inutaisho glanced over his shoulder at his son. "I know that you may not believe it but...I truly did love your mother and you."

"Then why did you leave? And this isn't about our relationship, this is about you leaving mother to die!" snorted Inuyasha.

"Though it is not exactly "official" among the humans, I am the lord of the West. It is my duty to protect them and the people who inhabit them, peacefully. When Naraku arrived and proved to be trouble, I instantly set out to get rid of him, but he has proven to be very treacherous and hard to catch. He never places himself in battle, but instead uses other youkai and puppets to do his dirty work while he hides.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "You point?"

Inutaisho whirled around to face his disgruntled son. "If I do not know where he is, then I would not be able to protect you and your mother. The village you lived in may be hard to fine, but if I had stayed, he would have found out where you two were and while I was away, he would have killed you both and everyone in the village. Though you may doubt it, you and your mother were...are very precious to me. I would not have been able to live with myself if something were to have happened to you. It would appear though, in the end I could not protect your mother."

Inuyasha looked away from his father's intense stare. He was not used to such emotion coming from his father. It made him uncomfortable. "Why didn't you just say so?"

Inutaisho's mouth lifted into a small smirk. "Would you have listened?"

Inuyasha turned away. "Keh."

Laughing softly, Inutaisho started walking down the hall once again. "Come. I will have a maid prepare a room for you."

It was dark. Pitch black. Something warm and sticky ran over her hands. It smelled sweet. Lifting on hand she brought it up to her face. Her tongue snaked out and lapped at one of her fingers. It had an odd metallic taste and yet it was appealing. As she continued to lick at her finger, a voice whispered in the back of her mind.

"It's very good, is it not? The smooth texture, the sweet smell, the delicious taste. You want more...don't you?"

More of the liquid substance started to roll over her body, cascading over her head, down her shoulders, and then to the large puddle at the bottom of her feet.

"Does that not feel good? Is it not warm? A truly scrumptious delight. Savor every drop."

Even as she did what the voice told her to, a niggling sense of doubt crept into her mind. This is...wrong?

"No dear, it is not wrong. It is wonderful."

No, it is wrong...

"You are mistaken. It is wonderful! Have a look!"

Suddenly a blinding light was turned on. A steak of raw fear and disgust flew through her veins. Blood. It was everywhere.

"Is it not great? Here! Have some more!"

More blood poured down upon her. To her horror, she found herself licking at it. She could not resist. The call was too strong.

"DRINK! DRINK! Lap it up dear! Drink to your heart's content!"

She did.

Kagome sat up with a scream. Glancing around wildly, she was finally able to ascertain where she was. Just as she started to calm down, the dream came back in full swing. With a harsh sob, Kagome wrenched back the sheets of her bed and ran to her bathroom, ripping off her clothes as she went. Once inside, she turned the water on as hot as it could go, ever grateful that a shower was among the few "modern marvels" in this town.

The water burned her skin and filled the whole room with steam, but she did not care. Grabbing a wash cloth, Kagome scrubbed her skin, and scrubbed it, until it was raw from the abuse.

Finally, when she ran out of hot water, Kagome sat in the tub and sobbed. After a few minutes, she was able to regain her composure and stepped out of the tub. One look at the clock on the wall told her she had an hour before dinner.

Sitting in a green, high back chair, Inuyasha glanced around his father's study. After they had gone to his room, his father brought him here. The walls were lined with books and to the left of Inutaisho's large, oak desk a fire dance merrily in the hearth. His eyes snapped forward when Inutaisho started to speak.

"So, Inuyasha. May I ask why you are here? Not that I'm upset, but I get the feeling there is something else you are hiding."

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed at the reminder of his other mission.

"I've come here to help you."

Inutaisho's eyes widened considerably. "You...what?"

Growling, Inuyasha repeated himself. "I've come to help you."

Letting out a harsh laugh, Inutaisho sat down in his chair. "Absolutely not."

"Why not?" asked Inuyasha.

"Why would you want to?"

Inuyasha's ears drooped slightly. "It was mother's last wish. She asked me to come here and be with you. She said she didn't want me to grow up without my father."

Inutaisho closed his eyes for a moment. "I cannot allow it. I just lost your mother; I will not risk my son. You may live here, Inuyasha, but you will not participate in any thing dangerous."

Leaning forward, Inuyasha let out a growl. "But-"

He was cut off as the door to the study was flown wide to reveal Kagome standing in the doorway. What was with this girl and doors anyway?

Kagome's eyes widened when she saw Inuyasha. "I-I'm sorry! I thought you would be alone! Excuse me."

Inutaisho stood. "Just a moment Kagome."

The girl stopped where she had started to turn.

Inutaisho glanced at his son. "Inuyasha if you will excuse us. We will finish our conversation later."

Inuyasha nodded and stood. He could smell the fear and grief all over the girl. Obviously something was wrong.

Once the door was closed, Kagome looked up at Inutaisho. "I'm sorry sir! I'm so used to you being alone at this time that I-"

Inutaisho merely shook his head and sat back down in his chair. Scooting it out from his desk, he looked at her and held out his hand.

"Come here sweetheart."

One thing about Inutaisho was that he rarely ever used any form of endearment except in particular situations. Hearing it broke the dam. Tears gushed from Kagome's eye as she ran to him. Skirting the desk, she launched herself at his chair where he caught her. Pulling her onto his lap, Inutaisho wrapped his arms around her protectively.

"Another dream."

At her nod, Inutaisho's arms wound even tighter around her.

"Tell me."

Haltingly, Kagome told him what had happened in her dream, interrupted slightly by her hiccoughing. When she finished, Inutaisho rocked back and forth, running a hand slowly through her hair.

Finally, he spoke. "We do not have to do this..."

Kagome shook her head. "I want to know."

Heaving a sigh, Inutaisho slowly told her every crucial detail about the kill she committed the other night. As he finished, Kagome forced herself to relax.

"Thank you."

Inutaisho nodded, unable to say the customary words. He did not want to tell her these things, but if she wanted to know, it was her right. Both looked up as the door to the study was opened.

Kikyo stepped into the room, taking in the scene before her. "Kagome?"

Kagome smiled shakily. "I'm fine Kikyo."

Moving around the desk, Kikyo knelt by Inutaisho's chair. Pain flashed across her usually immobile face before she reached up and wrapped her arms around her 'family.'

"I am so sorry Kagome. If I hadn't-"

"Don't!" said Kagome sternly. "You couldn't have done a thing."

"But-"

Kikyo stopped when Inutaisho reached down and pulled her off the floor and onto his other knee, as Kagome scooted over.

Holding them both, the youkai lord leaned back into his chair. "You two are starting to get too big for this. Or I'm getting too old."

Both girls laughed softly. "Never."

This chapter was shorter than I had originally thought...sigh --