Mirrored Future
by Amazonian21
Chapter 10
Recap: He had done what he needed to do. He had done what he had become fated to do, and he would not look back from the course he was fast approaching, wherever it would lead. It was too late to pretend that he could walk away at any point. For better or worse, this wheel was turning and he was caught up in it.
He was now tied forever to the young miko who traveled with his younger brother. Their futures, beginning at the well that fateful night, were not going to part if he had anything to say about it.
Sesshoumaru didn't know exactly what that meant, but he did know one thing for sure; Kagome was his. She owed him a life debt, whether she knew it or not. He found himself smirking at the thought of how he would make her repay it.
InuYasha stood by the bone eater's well, staring down into its depths. His eyes, so adept at seeing clearly even in the worst lighting conditions, were currently trying to see any hint of Kagome coming back to his era. He squinted his eyes as if he could summon her forward through force of will and desire alone.
He needed to see her. He knew that if Kagome found out he'd spent the evening with Kikyou she'd be sad and upset, and would hate the very sight of him. He knew she'd be poor company, and would want some time to herself. Still, as unpleasant as it may be, InuYasha desperately wished she would just be near him. He needed the soothing presence of someone who cared for him, even if there would always be conflicting emotions in the way.
He'd just had his heart trampled on by the one woman who could affect him this way. He didn't know what Kagome could do for him to fix this debacle, but he ran for her the way you run for ice to put on a burn. It won't take away the upcoming blister, but it will soothe the sting in the meantime.
Instead of miko, however, he became aware of the presence of strong youkai.
"Sesshoumaru," he growled, without bothering to turn around. Part of him hoped his brother would strike him in the back, killing him quickly before he could feel it coming. Another part of him trusted his brother would be too noble to do such a lowly thing.
"Get the hell out of here," InuYasha continued tiredly, clenching his teeth and fists. His brother might not hit him, but he would almost undoubtedly harass him in some manner or other. He was nothing if not intrusive.
"You are in my spot," Sesshoumaru said coldly.
"What is that supposed to mean?" InuYasha demanded, turning around abruptly. What was the demon playing at?
"I will remain by this well. You will leave," Sesshoumaru said without preamble, speaking with utmost confidence. He would not be disobeyed.
"What do you want with this well?" InuYasha asked, confused. They both knew that only he and Kagome could pass through the time portal. Others had tried, all failing. Sesshoumaru would be no different. "Only Kagome uses it."
"Hn," Sesshoumaru said disdainfully. His brother was annoyingly dense sometimes. Sesshoumaru did not feel like spelling anything out for the hanyou. He would have to come to an understanding for himself.
He would speak to the miko as soon as she returned to this time. He would tell her what he'd decided; that their fate was intertwined. He would inform her that he wanted her near him, and that she would be required to care for Rin as a mother would. He would advise her that his feelings should be reciprocated, and then would inform her of when they would depart for the Western Lands, after the defeat of Naraku.
Oh, he expected there to be some token resistance. He knew humans had strange notions of courtship and love. She would probably be concerned that all this was too sudden. She would be sure to mention how unlikely it was for deep, abiding love to come from a couple of charged looks, a swim in the lake, and an impromptu hug. No doubt she would worry that her lack of dowry would offend him. She would probably wrestle with feelings of inadequacy. He would simply be sure to reassure her that he would not make mention of her shortcomings at any time in their future.
After all questions were answered satisfactorily, he was sure she would see things his way, confess her deep attraction to him, and willfully leave her friends and family behind to join him in making a new life together.
Poor, poor fatally inexperienced youkai; he didn't stand a chance.
Part of him truly knew better, but most of him was too arrogant and smitten to admit it. He didn't know what else to do. Courting was something that only less ambitious and driven youkai had time for. If Sesshoumaru had been an awkward adolescent, pimply and well acquainted with rejection he would have learned the art of finesse that is necessary when handling emotionally charged females. He would have learnt that no equivalent of, 'Baby, you're fly- let's get it on' ever worked. He would have learnt the dire importance of full consent when discussing any plans surrounding any female. Even InuYasha knew these things. He'd left many a crater as he stumbled through the lessons, gaining hard earned skills in his many arguments with Kagome.
But Sesshoumaru was uncertain about a lot of things at the moment, and this was unacceptable. All he knew for sure was that he and Kagome needed to be together. He didn't like the thought, but he'd resigned himself enough that he'd begun to look forward to the prospect. He didn't know how it would work out, when it would happen, or what they'd do in the meantime, but he'd wing it as he went along. Everything would sort itself out. He was Sesshoumaru- things were too afraid of him not to sort themselves out.
In the meantime, there was a hanyou shaped annoyance to deal with. His half brother was currently occupying the same area where Sesshoumaru would finalize things with Kagome. That was unacceptable.
"I will speak to the miko," Sesshoumaru said. His brother would not connect the dots until the hand holding the crayon was dragged across the paper for him.
"What do you want with Kagome?" InuYasha asked, hackles rising in anger as he came to the absent miko's defense. He would do whatever it took to keep this bastard from hurting her, even if he hadn't when he'd had plenty of opportunity down by the river.
"We have unfinished business," Sesshoumaru stated, beginning to feel the first stirring of true annoyance. He wanted the whelp gone, and wanted him gone now. He stood in the way of the woman who made him feel happy.
"You can discuss your business with me," InuYasha said, not liking the sound of this at all. He remembered with shocking clarity the way Sesshoumaru had behaved this afternoon. He remembered the half declaration the TaiYoukai made concerning having a future with Kagome. He knew she'd been covered in his scent in a manner that implied they'd been in touching contact with each other. He new Sesshoumaru had growled at Kouga's liberties, and knew they'd been left alone when he and the wolf demon had run off to hunt.
InuYasha silently cursed himself. If only he hadn't been so determined to show up Kouga, he would never have left Kagome alone with someone like his brother. How could he slip up in such a manner?
"It is nothing for you to hear," Sesshoumaru countered, feeling his patience slip even further into dangerous territory. It appeared it would be necessary to knock some sense into the hanyou's head.
InuYasha's eyes widened as all the pieces clicked together in a final, clarifying moment of epiphany. The conclusion that had been too ludicrous to consider was staring him strait in the eyes. Sesshoumaru was interested in Kagome. He was interested in her for personal reasons, reasons he didn't want to share with anyone else.
That was unacceptable.
"You bastard!" InuYasha yelled, drawing his sword and making a run for his brother. "Kagome is not for you!" he screamed, with all the agony of his encounter with Kikyou fresh in his voice.
"She is certainly not for you, whelp," Sesshoumaru said coldly, deftly avoiding all InuYasha's impassioned attempts to harm him. "I smell dead miko on you. What do you want with living ones? You can't have both."
InuYasha, not knowing the true cruelty hidden in his half brother's words, unaware that the dead miko in question was now truly gone, reacted only to the taunts on the surface.
"What do you know about it?" he yelled, slashing and fighting as if finally reaching his breaking point. This evening had been much too much for him to handle. Between Kikyou's cold treatment and Kagome's absence, Sesshoumaru's presence was too much to take.
"I know Kagome will have better," he said smugly, not even bothering to draw his blade in self defense. His brother's attacks were so sloppy it would have been a waste of energy.
"You can't have her!" InuYasha wailed, angry almost to the point of emotional hysteria. It wouldn't take much more to reduce him to a complete wreck after all he'd been through in such a short period of time. "I need her," he said, with a desperate surety.
"You use her," Sesshoumaru said, letting the truth do to InuYasha what he would not do with his sword. There was more than one way to defeat an opponent, and it wouldn't be long before InuYasha saw that Kagome belonged with someone who could make her happy.
"She's my friend, you bastard!" InuYasha yelled, with a swipe at his head. "She cares for me, and does what she can to make me happy! I protect her, and she's everything good in my life! You wouldn't know the first thing about it, Sesshoumaru," InuYasha said, defending himself and his relationship to the cold demon lord, "you don't know what it means to just care for someone. You're heartless."
"I know better than you could imagine," Sesshoumaru said through clenched teeth. He knew all too well how it felt to be willing to sacrifice yourself for the sake of someone you cared for. He would do it for Rin in a heartbeat, and would now do it for Kagome as well.
"I wonder, little mutt," Sesshoumaru continued, with no inflection to give away his emotional strain, "if you truly know what it means to care for someone, heart, body, mind, and soul. It seems as though you are the one hurting people you're sworn to protect, all in the name of denial."
"What the hell are you talking about?" InuYasha demanded, guilt seeping into his veins, giving Sesshoumaru's words more weight. He knew many of his own shortcomings where Kagome was concerned. He really didn't want to hear them listed off by the demon lord in front of him.
"I'm talking about dead and live mikos, you fool," Sesshoumaru said, allowing his contempt to seep into his voice. "I'm talking about keeping someone you can't love as they need chained to you, just for your own selfish satisfaction."
"It's not like that," InuYasha whispered, inexplicably halting mid attack. It felt as though all his secret fears were being pulled to the surface and examined by cold, impassive amber eyes.
"It's exactly like that," Sesshoumaru said with stoic certainty. "You're stopping her from leaving you, even though you hurt her, just because you don't think you can make it on your own."
"I don't want to hurt her," InuYasha said, sinking to the floor and burying his head in his hands. At that moment he could care less about the demon lord in front of him. Attack and defense were the last things on his mind. He would have welcomed a killing blow for a split second, if it would wipe away all this emotional strain.
"Then free her," Sesshoumaru said with almost gentle finality. He wanted the miko, yes, but in that moment he knew something about his brother. InuYasha would never find peace until he found true freedom. That would only come when Naraku was defeated and the women in his life were dealt with honestly. Sesshoumaru had already done the whelp a silent favor by sorting out Kikyou for him. He'd continue his mission of 'service' and sort Kagome out, too.
"Leave me," Sesshoumaru said, breaking into the hanyou's thoughts. "Go into your forest and think about your life," he instructed. "You're a mistake and an abomination," he said, cruelty the only tool he had on hand to use while dealing with his brother. Familial concern was not something he had vast experience with. Gentleness and soothing were not things he was easily capable of.
"Clean up your life and feelings, since you are unable to wash away the stain of your birth" he continued, knowing that he sounded incredibly harsh. It was all he knew, and probably what his half brother needed most at this moment. He'd had a long time of being coddled by tender mikos. Someone needed to kick his ass into gear.
InuYasha finally raised his head to stare his half brother in the eye. His emotions were sufficiently controlled to allow him to speak clearly, with great effect.
"I'll go," he said, resignation deep in his voice, "because I owe her that much after all this time. If you can make her happy, I want to see it. But bastard, don't you dare hurt her," he said, leaving absolutely no room for doubt that he fully meant it. "She's worth more than all of us put together," he concluded.
Sesshoumaru did not disagree. Instead, he watched passively as his brother turned on his heel and sped off into the darkness. He would need a lot of time and a lot of forest air to deal with the fact that his hated older brother was better at guarding Kagome's feelings than he was.
Besides, half of him expected Kagome to tell Sesshoumaru to hit the road. She'd be polite about it, but the young miko knew her own mind. For a split second InuYasha came out of his stupor of self pity long enough to spare his brother a pitying thought. The TaiYoukai wouldn't know what to do with Kagome if she got into one of her moods.
When he was gone and all traces of his energy were no longer detectable from this distance, Sesshoumaru allowed himself to rest against the base of the god tree.
He would be the first person the miko saw when she returned.
Kagome climbed up the side of the well with a heavy heart. Her visit home had been pleasant, but she'd chickened out in the end. She'd intended to tell her mom, brother, and grandfather all about the upcoming battle and her uncertain future, but when it came down to it, she couldn't worry them.
They'd just been so happy to see her. Her mother had cooked her favorite foods, her grandfather had talked her ear off with loads of demon stories, and her little brother talked her into playing video games with him. It had all been so nice, so peaceful and happy.
Part of her wasn't willing to admit that it could all end. She could end up trapped on the other side of the well when this was all over. She could end up disappearing from their lives, and they'd have no way of knowing what had happened to her.
So she put off the encounter at first, telling herself she'd tell them all about it after dinner. No point in ruining a great meal. But after dinner her mom had coaxed her into helping with the dishes. As they worked, Kagome told her about Sesshoumaru. It was an easier subject. Moaning about personal angst was less trying than telling your mother you were going to get into a fierce fight and possibly not come back.
Her mother's advice had been much the same as Sango's. She'd simply added an addendum telling Kagome to follow her heart, and not to feel rushed into anything. No matter what, Kagome had control over her own life and decisions. Kagome knew that was true from looking in the mirror. All of her futures so far had only come about because of decisions she'd made. She would decide what happened to her, and what her future would hold.
That mother/daughter moment had evolved into a family game night with Souta and her grandfather, all sitting around the table laughing and playing cards. That was no time for such sad discussion.
Then she went up to linger in the bathroom, soaking in the tub until she was a raisin. When she came out, her family had already gone to bed. She followed their lead and slept, waking in the early morning to get a head start on her day. She left her family a note, telling them she would always love them, and left their time. She looked behind her the whole way, hoping to imprint every detail on her mind.
She knew she'd done her family a disservice. They deserved better, they deserved her full honesty. But this was all she was capable of at the moment. She needed to pretend there was no reason for such extreme measures, that she had no reason to tell them she might not return. This was what she'd decided to do, and she would stand by that decision. She hoped she never had reason to regret it.
So it was with a heavy heart that Kagome reached the well's edge and swung over. She looked up, expecting to see InuYasha angrily waiting for her. She'd been surprised when he hadn't come through the well in spite of Sango's warnings, pissed that she'd left without even telling him where she was going.
Instead, she got an eyeful of demon lord. Sesshoumaru was present in his full stately splendor, leaning against the god tree casually. Only he could make relaxation look so regal. This was not what she had imagined when she came back to this time.
"Sesshoumaru," she said, feeling suddenly nervous. Why was he waiting for her? She was glad to see him, but didn't know what to do. What was expected of her at a time like this? "Where is InuYasha?" she asked, not knowing what else to say.
"He is in the woods," he replied, walking over to the miko. He reached down and removed her back pack from her shoulders, holding it so she could gain her balance as she struggled to stand. She looked at him in wary thanks.
"What's he doing there?" she asked, nonplussed. There was usually nothing that could keep him away from her when she came back from her time. He would be the first one to welcome her back, even though he usually launched right in on the complaints and yelling.
"Fixing his life," the TaiYoukai answered shortly. He really did not want to be talking about his brother at this moment. "I came to make sure you returned safely," he said, pulling the conversation back to the matter at hand.
"Thank you," Kagome replied with a small smile, "but why? I come back and forth on my own all the time," she informed him. She didn't want him thinking she was some helpless human in desperate need of constant help or supervision. She could handle herself when push came to shove.
"I wanted to," he said simply. It was, after all, the truth.
"Oh," Kagome said, not knowing what else to say. She looked up into Sesshoumaru's face, realizing that at some point in their discussion he'd gotten much, much closer. She was inches from his chest, directly meeting his eyes. They were amber and rich like sunset. Staring straight into his gaze like that was the hardest thing she'd ever done in her life.
Sesshoumaru had an advantage over Kagome. He didn't have the first clue of how to convince the young woman that she needed him as much as he was starting to want her, but he had an old stand by; his instincts. And currently they were telling him that she smelled very, very nice, and that he should think about kissing her really soon.
He set her yellow back pack on the ground and took one more little step closer. His arm, no longer censored and reviled, closed the gap between them. It wrapped around her waist, pulling her until their fronts met, and tightened around her so she couldn't run away.
Not that the thought ever entered Kagome's mind. She'd gasped in surprise when she felt him pull her close, but when she continued to look into his eyes, feeling that electricity she always felt when near him, she couldn't think of anywhere else she wanted to be. It was almost overpowering. Her breathing came in short breaths, making her head a little light. She could see every detail of Sesshoumaru's face, yet it seemed to be blurring in and out of focus. Her body and mind felt hyper aware of every place their bodies touched, but her brain was still muggy and slightly disconnected from the present. It had decided its services were no longer required and took a break for the evening.
It all felt so amazing. She felt alive in ways she'd never felt before, tingly and excited. This being in front of her was so familiar to her, so comforting and solid. She didn't know his favorite color, what his childhood had been like, or what his views were on politics, but she knew she liked being in his arms. For once she felt completely safe and right, even though she'd never before come to close to drowning emotionally.
Her arms came up to circle around his head, anchoring her to his body while keeping her from fainting dead away. She felt his face come down to rest by her shoulder, breath tickling the side of her neck. Tingles ran rampant up and down her arms as he nuzzled her neck, inhaling her scent deeply as if finally getting his first taste of fresh air in years.
All of a sudden she felt her legs give out as he placed his lips on her pulse point, lightly kissing his way up towards her ear. The feel of his mouth on her skin wreaked havoc on her senses, tickling but stimulating her as nothing ever had. She thought she could die a happy woman when his tongue lazily began to follow the same trail as his lips.
She couldn't resist giving a small moan of encouragement. Sesshoumaru heard it gave an answering rumbling growl. She felt it in her own chest, thrilling in the vibrations that made her toes curl. Sesshoumaru smirked at her response and tightened his one armed hold on her, lifting her until she was almost carried by him. She was in full contact with the InuYoukai, and loved every inch of it.
"I will make you mine," he stated, pausing in his attentions so the miko would have no confusions about what his actions meant.
Kagome stiffened at his words, pushing away from his chest so she could look him incredulously in the eye. She hadn't expected much, having no clue what she should expect in the first place, but she certainly had not thought of this.
She knew enough about demons to know that inu youkai didn't mess around when it came to romantic attachment. So she'd known from the beginning that if things started to develop, they would go pretty far pretty quickly. She and Sesshoumaru wouldn't date casually and part amicably after a few months. If she allowed this to happen, it would be permanent.
She just hadn't really thought it would happen. She'd been so caught up in the angst of the situation that the reality was another entity entirely, one that required much more thought.
Sesshoumaru felt her tension. He didn't feel like releasing his hold on the girl right when they'd started to get to the good part, but she looked ready to start purifying things. Her arms pushed against him and her skin tingled, responding to her heightened emotions. The look on her face told him that she hadn't anticipated this particular course of events.
He slowly put her down, sliding her along his body. He loved the feel of her too much to push her away immediately. When her feet fully touched the ground he gave one last squeeze, releasing her fully with an exasperated little sigh.
"What is the matter?" he asked, preparing himself to deal with the upcoming confrontation. This shouldn't take too long.
"What's the matter?" Kagome repeated with incredulity. "The matter is that you're claiming me!" she stated, throwing her hands in the air. "And you're stating it like I have no say in the matter."
"Does it displease you?" Sesshoumaru asked stoically. "Are you not happy with this?" he questioned, gesturing between the two of them to indicate what had happened.
"I'm fine with that," Kagome assured him, shaking her head, "but I'm not ready to be mated! I barely know you! It wasn't all that long ago that you tried to kill me!" she almost shouted. Was he out of his mind?
"Hn, the past is past," Sesshoumaru said, waving his assassination attempts away carelessly. He hadn't succeeded in killing her, and ultimately that was all that mattered.
"But the past is what decides the future!" She yelled, frustrated that he could be so blasé about something like spending the rest of your life with a near stranger.
"I can't let you make me yours when I don't know you at all," Kagome said, beginning to pace the floor. "Where would we live? What would the days be like? How would we get along together? What about me would annoy you, and what about you would annoy me? How would we make decisions? Because I'm not some docile little creature you can order around, and I want some control over my future," she said, working herself into full ranting mode.
Sesshoumaru let her work off some of her steam. He already knew the answers to most of her questions. She wouldn't like what he'd come up with, but he still knew.
He walked into the miko's warpath and put out his arm to stop her. He pulled her abruptly into him and lifted her chin until her eyes met his. The familiar jolt of electricity once again flowed between them, binding them together in the most important way.
"Do you feel that?" Sesshoumaru asked, his voice low and soothing. He did not quite know how to be warm and open, but he would do what he could to assuage her fears. "We are already connected."
Kagome could only nod. She did feel their connection in every atom. She knew he would keep her safe, and would try to keep her happy. She knew that somehow, in spite of all expectation to the contrary, this was right…
"Good," Sesshoumaru said, lowering his forehead until it rested on hers, "because that is all that matters right now." He could see that she understood what he was saying, but could feel the protest build up in her again.
"The rest is just words," he said, lowering his lips until they grazed hers in the lightest of kisses. "They mean everything and nothing, but they are just words."
Kagome sighed in acceptance and momentary concession. She threaded her fingers through his hair, bringing his head down to hers. She pressed her lips against his once more, loving the spark that seemed to blaze between them as they touched. She'd had no idea it could feel like this…
She began massaging the base of Sesshoumaru's skull lightly, trailing her fingers up and down his neck and through his hair. This caused Sesshoumaru, the stoic and impassive killer, to let out a whimper of helpless pleasure.
Kagome let out a small smirk of her own, delighted she'd found such a sensitive area. Her smirk only lasted until he let out a feral growl and crushed her to him, deepening their kiss with fierce intensity. His tongue darted out to run along her bottom lip, demanding entrance into her mouth. She readily complied, eager to be kissing him even more fully.
Soon, short of breath and feeling utterly alive and hypersensitive, Kagome knew they'd better stop before things got out of control. She felt good about them beginning a relationship, but remembered the words of her mother. She would set the pace, and she would not feel pressured into anything.
"Sesshoumaru," she said, pushing slightly away from him. Getting away was difficult because his lips followed hers whenever she moved them out of reach. She would just make important strides towards freedom when he would swoop in and reclaim his new territory, cutting off her attempts.
"Sesshou- mmppfff!" Kagome stated, once again getting caught by his lips mid escape. Finally, having enough of his distraction techniques, she brought her hand up in front of her lips. She clamped her palm over her mouth, using the other hand for leverage out of his grasp. Giggling slightly at the look of confused annoyance on the youkai's face, Kagome stepped back and put her free hand on her hip.
"That's enough out of you," she declared, still smiling behind her hand. She didn't lower it until his eyes focused back on her face and he seemed to be paying attention again.
"What is it, wench?" he asked, with a mock growl.
"I need to get back to my camp," she explained. It was getting late in the afternoon and she'd promised Sango she'd be back already. She didn't want one of the others to come out looking for her and find her making out with their former enemy. That would be very awkward.
"You do not need to return to them," Sesshoumaru began regally. "From now on you will travel with me," he stated, calmly and surely.
"Oh, no I won't," Kagome said, just as surely. "I have a job to finish with Naraku, and a big battle to fight in. And I would never abandon my friends," she declared. She wouldn't leave the people she cared about most for any reason. Especially not when there was so much left to be done. Sango and Miroku would understand about her relationship and would accept it in time, but InuYasha would be another thing altogether.
That thought brought her up cold. InuYasha… Oh, he would not like this at all. He would be so upset with her, and would probably hate her for even talking to a brother he despised. He was so possessive when it came to Kouga, what would he think when it was someone he hated even more?
Kagome felt a little nauseous at the thought. That was one confrontation she didn't relish having in her future.
"I can't even begin a relationship until the Shikon no Tama is destroyed," she concluded, having resumed her pacing. "It's absolutely out of the question. No, there's nothing else for it- we can't even discuss the future until this mess is all taken care of," she said with a degree of finality.
"No," Sesshoumaru stated calmly, amused but also annoyed with the miko's antics. "We will discuss this now. It's very simple. You will battle with Naraku as we saw. We will win. Afterwards, you and I will be together. You will be a good guardian for Rin, and we will be mated. That is all that is necessary to know."
Kagome glared at him but didn't argue. She just kept pacing, working her mind over every little crack and flaw in the whole situation, unwilling to let things lie undisturbed. Was she never still? Would she always make even the simplest things much more complicated than they needed to be?
For Sesshoumaru, this was not a difficult issue. His inner youkai had found a mate. The mate didn't object to the idea, overall. He felt like he'd finally come home when he held her in his arms. It was a very agreeable situation as far as he could see. What were a few details here and there? Nothing to cry over. The battle with Naraku would be won and they would continue on from there. That was the end of the story.
"You make it sound so simple," Kagome grumbled, looking surly.
"It is," Sesshoumaru replied, quirking the corner of his mouth in a small smile. Kagome couldn't help smiling back when she saw it. It was such a rare sight when he wasn't planning on killing something.
"I would still feel better waiting to discuss this until everything with Naraku is settled," Kagome said, sighing at the thought of what they knew lay ahead. It was going to be a long day, whenever it occurred.
"You won't have to wait long," a new voice interrupted them, as a figure strode up the hill towards them. Sango came into sight, looking worried and tense.
"Naraku's been sighted coming this way," she said, looking between the miko and the demon lord. "It looks like today is the day we've been waiting for."
A/N: Okay, I tried to make it in 10 chapters, but there's a lot to wrap up still. So at leasta couple more, but this will NOT be the song that never ends.
And you guys rocked the reviews. I made a lot of 'virgin' promises. I've never written the word 'virgin' so often in one sitting before.
I have the stick figure, I just have no scanner. But I do have a fax machine at work. Do I dare use something that everyone in my corporate office can read? Probably not, but I will find a way to get it up. Afterall, we're now on over 12,000 hits. That's craptastic.
