Hello, my lovely readers! This is the first time I've put out two chapters in less than a week; that's a new personal best for me (don't expect this again, this isn't typical). I've done some editing, correcting spelling errors and making a few tweaks here and there to the story to *hopefully* correct a few plot holes that were pointed out to me by a very helpful reviewer.

Thanks so much to all of you who follow and favorite! It gives me warm fuzzies knowing that you are enjoying it as much as I am! You're awesome!

0000

The night air was still tonight as Inuyasha watched the stars from the balcony lost deeply in thought. It was now well into the late hours of the night, and the festivities at the main house were just winding down.

Something about Kagome's accidental outburst during dinner was bothering him. She'd explained that she had felt like someone wished her harm, a sensation she described as having the breath squeezed out of your lungs with a pair of hot irons.

He had fully expected most of the members of the council to disapprove of their mating, but knowing that one of them actually wanted Kagome dead put him on edge. There was an open seat in the elder's high council, a position that his father had held once, and one that Sesshoumaru was slated to take soon. However, there were a few other lesser clans that would do anything to gain such a position of power. With a strong miko now allied to the Inu no taishio, Kagome might well be a target for anyone looking to increase their influence on the council. The thought was more than a little unsettling.

On top of that there was still the matter of investigating Naraku. For whatever reason he'd sworn revenge on Kagome, and Inuyasha was certain that given the aggressive nature of the first attack, the second would be more violent than the last.

Also, Kaede had reached out to them and kindly offered to train Kagome to better control her new abilities. On top of it all he'd given Kikue his word to look into the unsettling rumors floating around Sakura Children's Home. He supposed that he had some time to stop in and have a look around in the morning before Kagome trained with Kaede in the afternoon.

He was pulled out of his thoughts as a pair of slender arms wrapped around him from behind.

"Whatcha doing?"

"Just thinking." He shrugged.

"Oh? what about?" Kagome's hand slowly moved lower, sliding under the waist of his pants to fondle his manhood.

"About everything. I don't like knowing... that someone else wants you... wants to hurt...fuck that's distracting." He said, feeling his groin tighten under her ministrations.

"That's the point" Kagome teased, stroking him languidly. Taking her wrist in his hand, he pulled it out of his pants and twirled her around to face him. To his surprise, she wore nothing but a slinky silk nightie in dusty pink trimmed with black lace. It left little to the imaginaition.

He growled, bending low so he was nose to nose with her. Kagome grinned, a playful twinkle in her eyes as she pressed herself up against him, using her free hand to fondle him through his pants.

"What's the point?" He asked curiously, although he already had a good idea.

"To distract you." Kagome hummed reaching up with her other hand to rub one of his silken ears. Her hanyou closed his eyes and leaned into her touch. "Is it working?"

"Is what working?

"My distraction."

"Hmmmhmmmm." Inuyasha nodded, nuzzling Kagome's neck with his nose. The scent of her skin was intoxicating. "I don't even remember what I was going to say." He admitted, his voice an octive lower than normal.

"Good." Kagome giggled, enjoying his breath on her neck.

"Sneaky wench." Inuyasha growled playfully. He reached behind her, grabbing her backside with his hands. With little effort he lifted her off of the ground, earning a little squeal of surprise from Kagome as he carried her through the sliding doors to the bedroom.

Carefully he set her down on the bed as he continued his assault on her senses, playfully grazing his fangs across the mate mark on her shoulder. Kagome shivered in pleasure, and wrapped her legs around his waist.

"You're so sexy." Inuyasha said, slowly trailing his kisses down her neck and over her chest. He stopped for a moment or two and suckled her nipples through the silky fabric.

"Hmmmm" Kagome moaned, archching her back in ecstasy.

"You like that?"

"Very much, yes."

Feeling emboldened, Inuyasha moved himself between her thighs, resting her knees over his shoulders for support. He slid her night gown up over her hips, exposing her dark curls. "And this?" He asked, parting her folds to slowly lap at her clitoris.

"Oooh, yeah!" Kagome gasped. Inuyasha slowly slid one of his fingers between her folds to her hot wet center as he continued to swirl his tongue around her pleasure center. "I need more." Kagome whimpered. Inuyasha chuckled. Gods he loved seeing her like this. Carefully he added a second finger, stroking her slick pussy harder.

Inuyasha licked his lips, dipping his head between her legs again. The scent of her sex was intoxicating. He coldn't wait to feel her after she'd reached completion.

"AH! Inuyasha!" Kagome cried, bucking against him desperately. The feeling of his tongue swirling around her clit, and his fingers working her insides was too much to bare.

"Say it again." Inuyasha commanded gently. He could feel Kagome's insides tightening against him, and he continued his assault on her senses.

"Inu... yasha! I'm... I'mKagome panted. She felt her insides tighten, moving her closer and closer to the edge as his fingers plunged and swirled inside of her, expertly hitting all of the right places. "I'm... gunna... gunna!"

"Good girl, come for me." He encouraged, stroking her inner walls.

"No, I- you're gonna make me come!" She screamed again. A moment later her insides squeezed tightly, and Inuyasha felt a gush of hot liquid against his hand.

Oh "You came." He hadn't even known she could do that, but fuck it was sexy as hell.

"I've never done that before. It was intense." Kagome admitted breathlessly, leaning up to capture his mouth with a kiss. Slowly Inuyasha slid them farther up the bed, pressing his errection between Kagome's legs. Kami he just wanted to bend her over and plunge deeply inside of her.

"Mind if we try something different?" Inuyasha asked.

"I'm willing to give anything a try once." Kagome said with a nod.

"Turn around." Inuyasha instructed. He watched as his mate slowly rose to her hands and knees.

"Like this?" she asked, playfully rubbing her backside against his rigid length. Inuyasha gulped, barely able to contain himself as he undid his pants, letting them pool around his knees.

He rubbed his tip against her entrance before slowly easing in. Kagome groaned slightly, feeling his cock stretch her insides more readily from this angle.

He slowly drew himself outward and paused, testing Kagome's reaction. He felt much deeper than before, but in a good way. "Keep going." She coaxed.

With her permission Inuyasha plunged himself into her, unable to control himself at the feeling of her inner walls tightening around him. The sensation was unlike anything else as he upped his pace, holding Kagome's hips steady as he pumped inward and outward again.

"Ahhh YES!" Kagome cried out. Her core felt like a coiling spring, tightening with every slam of his cock. This was by far her favorite position. "I love it when you pound me like this!"

There was something incredibly sexy about hearing his mate tell him she liked what he was doing. He grinned triumphantly and picked up the pace, feeling his own release as it crept up on him. He closed his eyes and draped himself over Kgome's back to fondle her soft breasts as they swayed in time with his rhythm.

It didn't take him long to feel his muscles tighten, his yokai blood roiled as his seed spilled into Kagome's depths. The sensation sent waves of pleasure through his entire body, and he collapsed sideways on the bed in exhaustion.

"Wow." He said, amazed at it all.

"No kidding." Kagome chuckled lightly. She snuggled herself up against him, pulling the sheets up to cover them both. Inuyasha nuzzled Kagome's neck with his nose, wrapping his arm around her tightly.

"Good night love." Kagome yawned sleepily.

"Good night."

00

Kagome stared absently at the clock that hung on the wall in the kitchen. It was seven in the morning, but she felt bright eyed and bushy tailed so to speak. She chuckled to herself, knowing exactly why she'd slept so deeply.

"What's so funny?" Inuyasha asked as he wandered down the stairs already dressed for the day.

"Nothing." She answered, taking a bite of her eggs. "What are your plans for today?"

"I'm going to head over to Sakura Children's Home this morning. Hopefully I'll make it back before your first session with Kaede."

"That's right. I almost forgot about that. I was wondering, if we could head back to my old place to grab the rest of my things afterward."

Inuyasha shrugged. "Yeah, sure. I've got to go or I'll be late."

"At least take some toast!" Kagome scolded, tossing him a warm buttered slice of bread. Inuyasha caught it easily, kissing Kagome on the cheek before he headed out the door.

"I'll see you later!" He called through a bite of toast.

"Love you!" Kagome called after him as the door swung shut.

And with that she found herself all alone. She checked the clock once more, contemplating the time difference to New Hampshire. It wouldn't be too late to call and check in with her mother, she decided and she picked up her phone.

0000

Inuyasha stepped up to the large brick building that sat on the outskirts of town. Above the main door in large pink and yellow lettering read 'Sakura Children's Home'. It had been a few years since he'd last stepped through these doors, and it brought back a few memories of his mother. She truly had been what most humans would call a saint. She had been a devoted mate and mother, and had faught hard to advocate for yokai and hanyo children that weren't fortunate enough to have a loving family. Together with a friend, Kiyumi, the two of them built the group home from the ground up.

His mother had provided the bulk of the funding, and Kiyumi had run the day to day business. Since Kiyume's death, the home had passed to him. Kiyumi hadn't any children of her own, and as Izayoi's only son he had been the obvious choice as heir to the organization. He hadn't actively monitored the goings on in the last few years, that job had been delegated out to a trusted friend of the family, a forest sprite by the name of Aki.

Stepping through the lobby the air was thick with the scent of heavy cleaning agents, but the place seemed to gleam with cleanliness under the warm sunlight that shone through the large glass windows. The walls were painted in a pale gray and was decorated with large pictures of happy children playing and laughing together.

So far, the rumors that this place had fallen into squalor seemed untrue. However, appearances could be deceiving as Inuyasha well knew. That was, in fact his reason for visiting here today. Well, that and it was his duty as owner and landlord to make sure everything was up to standard.

Kikue had seemed very concerned with the welfare of the hanyo children living here at Sakura. As a child advocate for the secret youkai branch of Children's services, it was her job to make sure that all of the children were well cared for. Unfortunately, she hadn't been able to actually visit with or even lay eyes on any of the handful of hanyo children the home claimed to house. That was where Inuyasha came in to play, since he by default had open access to all parts of the facility.

A tall slender man in a powder blue sweater vest and a pair of khakis walked from down the hall and offered him a welcoming smile. "Welcome, Taisho sama!" He greeted. His tone was sickeningly sweet for a man, but Inuyasha shrugged it off. He was unsure why exactly Aki had hired a human to run an orphanage for predominantly yokai children. Most humans were complacently ignorant of the fact yokai existed at all.

"Thank you." Inuyasha answered. The man's grin widened, showing off a perfect set of rather large sparkling white teeth.

" I am Gen Utsuma, the head coordinator here at Sakura Children's Home. I'm sorry that Aki san couldn't join us today. She's away on maternity leave for the next few months. But, we are so honored to have the esteemed owner of our facility here today." Utsuma gushed with enthusiasm. "Although, I was a bit surprised to learn that you would be visiting on such short notice." He added, a touch of nervousness evident in his voice. Inuyasha smiled inwardly. The short notice had been intentional of course, making it potentially harder for them to hide any inadiquacies from him.

Inuyasha nodded. "Well, as the current owner of this building, am here to inspect everything. There have been rumors floating around that things have changed since Kiyumi san's passing."

"Well, I assure you Taishio sama, that nothing could be further from the truth. The facility is always well kept, and the children living here are given the utmost of care." Utsuma said. "Shall we start the tour?" He asked casually.

00

Inuyasha followed along quietly as Utsuma led him around the orphanage. He'd seen the playgrounds, the vegetable garden, the counceler's offices, the kitchens, the art room, and game room: all of which were a bit dated, but still quite acceptable. All of the children he'd encountered so far though had been human, but they'd all been well dressed, and to his keen nose clean and healthy.

"Well, I hope that your tour so far has been satisfactory." Utsuma said as he led him up the stairs to have a look at the children's sleeping quarters.

"Utsuma san! Utsuma san!" Came the loud cry as a young human boy came barreling down the hall at full speed.

"Yes Yoshi, what is it?" Utsuma asked calmly, if not a bit annoyed.

"The bathroom down the hall is flooding, and I can't find Taro san to help us fix it." The boy explained between deep heaving breaths. Utsuma's face looked on in horror for a moment, but he quickly collected himself.

"I am so sorry Taisho sama. I hate to cut your tour short, but this seems to be a matter of importance. You are welcome to wait down in the lobby while I rectify the situation."

Inuyasha shrugged. "Actually, I'd like to continue having a look around if that's alright."

"Oh... of course! Please feel free." Utsuma called over his shoulder as he rushed around the corner after Yoshi.

Inuyasha found himself quite alone now. This floor was glaringly quiet as most of the children were busy with afternoon activities. He peeked his head into a few of the open bedrooms. Most of them had either a single bed, or a set of bunk beds, as well as a few other furnishings and toys. Nothing seemed amiss. Still, not one trace of a yokai child lingered anywhere.

He finished inspecting the rooms down the main corridor when a muffled sound made his ears twitch. Somewhere above him, there was the sound of yelling accompanied by a baby's cry. Curious, Inuyasha followed his keen sense of hearing down a dimmed hallway to another set of more narrow stairs leading upward to the the third floor.

The steps creaked under his weight as he made his way upward, where the noise intensified. As he reached the landing he was horrified by what he saw.

This level was not nearly as clean or well kept as the first two floors. The white paint was dingy and peeling from the walls, the carpet wreaked of mold and mildew, and more than half of the lights were burned out. The ones that did function flickered ominously. It had the eerie feeling of an abandoned building.

As he made his way toward the sounds of the woman screaming angrily, he noticed that there didn't seem to be any children on this level, thank kami. Every room he passed was eerily empty, the old metal bed frames were flipped vertically against the walls.

"Stop fighting me you little brat!" The unknown woman screeched, followed by the unmistakable sound of slapping flesh and then the loud high pitched cry of a very young child.

Inuyasha growled low in his chest as he picked up his pace. What he saw as he rounded the very last door was utterly heartbreaking.

A much older woman with stringy greying hair stood over a table against the opposite wall. Laying under the woman's hunched form was the small squirming form of a baby, so small she couldn't be more than a month old. "Hold still you little shit!"

The woman's wrinkled hand yanked the infant's little legs into the air, making the baby scream louder still. The woman cursed under her breath, then without warning, slapped the back of the baby's bottom and thigh with a sickening smack. The poor thing wailed in pain, her little arms shaking at her sides. "You're such a brat. Quit your screaming!" The woman barked

Inuyasha watched as the woman grabbed a lock of the baby's hair and pulled. And then he noticed that it wasn't hair she had yanked, but a small canine ear, one very similar to Inuyasha's own when seen without his concealment charm. A hanyo, inu like himself he realized; then something inside him snapped. Who the fuck did this woman think she was, treating a child in such a disgusting manner?

Without hesitation Inuyasha reacted, snatching the woman's hand upward and away from the child with a very loud, very inhuman growl. She looked up at him in utter shock and confusion. "Take your hands off her." Inuyasha ordered.

The woman yanked her hand away, squawking indignantly. "Excuse me, but this ain't none of your business." She snapped. "Little snot pissed her bed for the third time today" She added, as if that justified her actions.

"She's a baby. What the fuck is wrong with you?" Inuyasha yelled, barely able to contain his anger. The tiny hanyo infant lay there shaking, her face red and tear stained. She looked up at him with large grey eyes, as if pleading with him to save her.

This little pup needed him. Without hesitation he shoved the woman away, and lifted the poor baby into his arms. Gently, he rested her against his shoulder, rubbing her back soothingly as he headed for the hall.

"Hey asshole! Where the hell are you going?" The woman yelled after him, but was answered with a menasing snarl that clearly warned her to keep her distance.

He'd almost made it through the front lobby when Utsuma came running after him, the old woman close at his heels. "Taisho sama! Please wait. Let us explain!" He yelled desperately. Inuyasha's eyes flashed red in that moment as he reeled around.

"Fine. Explain to me how a home for orphaned yokai children just happens to not have any?" He demanded, and Utsuma blanched. "Oh, maybe you can explain to me why the one hanyo child I found in your care was being housed in the most disgusting part of this facility? Or why you would allow one of your caregivers hit a child, let alone a baby?!" Inuyasha's eyes flashed red again as his anger flared. Utsuma stuttered as he tried to say something, but managed nothing intelligible. Inuyasha snorted. "I'm leaving." He said, turning toward the door.

"She isn't your child! You can't just take her!" Utsuma yelled, seemingly having found his voice.

"Then you get me her paperwork. I want to know exactly what to tell the cops when I report you. " Inuyasha challenged. Utsuma leaned backward, but otherwise didn't move. He looked from Inuyasha to the baby and back again, letting his shoulders slump forward dejectedly."That's what I thought. You can kiss my ass." Inuyasha said before the door closed behind him.

Pulling his phone out of his pocket with his free hand, he dialed a single number and let it ring. "Kikue, it's Inuyasha."

"Oh, hey. How's it going?" Kikue asked cheerfully.

"I've had better days. I just got done with my tour of Sakura Children's home."

"How did it go? I take it not well."

"That's the understatement of the year." He remarked sarcastically. "Call whomever you have to call, but I want those kids moved somewhere safe. I'm shutting it down. I personally witnessed blatant physical abuse against a child."

"I knew something wasn't right with that place. I'm sorry, Inuyasha. I know it meant a lot to your mother. I owe you one."

"I appreciate that, and I'm going to cash that in now." Inuyasha said, pinning the phone close to his face with his shoulder while he adjusted the baby in his arms. Her wailing had turned to whimpering by now, and for that Inuyasha was greatful.

"Okay, what can I do for you?"

"Can you look up a child in the system?"

"Is that all? Can you give me a name?"

"Uh, not exactly. She's an inu hanyo. She's really tiny, so probably not more than a month old. Silver hair, gray eyes."

"That'll help me narrow it down a bit. What exactly is this for?" Kikue asked curiously.

"No reason, just a concerned citizen." He said, eyeing the baby as she angrily stuffed her fist into her mouth. " Can you put a rush on that?"

"I'll do my best. Seeing as she's hanyo should make it easier to find her, but there are still hundreds of files in the database. It'll probably take a few hours, or even a few days. I'll get back to you with what I find."

"That's fine, just keep this under wraps. I have a suspicion something untoward is up, but I don't want to blow the whistle until I'm sure."

"Got it. I'll talk to you later." Kikue said.

Inuyasha stuffed his phone back into his pocket. The baby was still fussing, but at least she didn't seem to be in pain any longer. She stared up at him with those innocent gray eyes and whimpered.

"Well" Inuyasha sighed, "I guess you're coming with me."

He set off down the street toward his car, glad that for the most part the street was quiet. The pup squirmed, kicking her little legs. He knew that her still soiled diaper was probably uncomfortable. He'd just have to improvise a replacement for the time being.

He fished his keys from his pocket and opened the passenger door, setting her down on the seat. She squirmed as he blindly searched for something he could use as a makeshift diaper. Luckily his efforts were rewarded when he found an old shirt tucked away in the glove compartment. It was definitely too big to fit properly, but it would have to do until he could find something more suitable.

The tiny pup's squirming became more erratic, and she fussed loudly. "Hey now. I'm working on it." Inuyasha gently shushed.

Carefully, he undid the straps of the soaked diaper, praying to his ancestors that it wasn't as bad as it smelled. To his immense relief, it seemed that she was only wet. However, the poor thing's little backside was red where that old bitch had hit her, leaving visible handprints.

Carful not to harm her, he wrapped and secured the old shirt into a make-shift diaper. He lifted the baby from the seat, holding her nose to nose, his hand supporting her head as he studied her delicate features."See, that wasn't so bad, was it?" He asked. She cooed, scrabbling at his face with her tiny fingers. Inuyasha chuckled, snuffling her soft belly with his nose, earning a sweet smile as reward.

"Alright pup. You and I have somewhere to be" Inuyasha said, eyeing his car with a disappointed air. He didn't have a car seat, so he wouldn't be driving home. "Guess we'll have to take the train." He grumbled, locking the car as they headed for the nearest station.

00

"Empty your mind and concentrate child." Kaede coached gently. Kagome nodded her determination, and focused on creating a barrier around herself. She had been at it for a good twenty minutes, and had yet to produce anything.

"Agh! I can't seem to do it." She pouted, folding her arms across her chest.

"Settle down. It is the first time you've sough to do so intentionally. It takes a bit of practice, but I'm sure you'll get the hang of it.' Kaede chided gently.

"Fine. I'll give it another go." Kagome conceded, closing her eyes to concentrate once more. She took a deep breath and focused on clearing her mind. She pictured her power, sitting in her chest like a soft ball of light, then she imagined it brightening and expanding outward to encompass her entire body.

"Keep it up Kagome, you're doing it. Now maintain it." the old miko instructed.

Kagome could feel the strain on her energy as the barrier drew on her power. It wasn't painful or anything, just different. Almost like being surrounded by a buzzing bubble of raw spiritual energy, and she was the battery it drew from. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Kagome relaxed and the barrier disappeared.

"Remarkable. Truly remarkable." Kaede clapped her hands in front of her chest. She seemed very pleased.

"Wow, I can't believe how easy that was." Kagome admitted. For some reason she felt like summoning a barrier should be much more difficult than it had been.

"Which goes to point out how powerful you truely are. Normally you would train for a year to create a spiritual barrier like that one. You've managed to do it in under half an hour." Kaede explained in amazement. Kagome felt her cheeks flush warmly at the old woman's compliment. "Now, I'd like to test you a bit more. I want you to make another barrier. I will attempt to penetrate it using a shikigami."

"I'll give it my best shot." Kagome said with a nod. She closed her eyes again and focused, feeling the strange buzzing sensation as her power surrounded her once more. After a minute or two she felt a small ripple scatter harmlessly across it. A moment later she felt it again.

"Alright. You can lower your barrier."

"How did I do?" Kagome wondered. The elderly miko closed her eyes, nodding her approval.

"Very well my dear. You're doing just fine."

"Indeed. This Sesshomaru is impressed."

"Well, isn't this a pleasant surprise." Kaede chuckled. "You should be proud, Kagome. He doesn't hand out such compliments lightly." She added with a wink.

"Well, I am honored." Kagome beamed, offering the Taiyokai a bow.

"And to what do we owe the pleasure of your appearance here?" Kaede asked, her tone suddenly serious.

"This is my garden." Sesshoumaru answered curtly, running his fingers absently through his silver tresses. "However, I had hoped to run into my brother here. I'm surprised he isn't with you."

Kagome's brow furrowed. Come to think of it, it was odd that Inuyasha hadn't returned yet. He should have been back hours ago. "He left this morning for a meeting of some sort. Something about Sakura Children's Home. He was supposed to be back hours ago."

"Leave it to my brother to be truant when I require his presence." Sesshoumaru snorted, not at all amused. "When you do see him, let him know he's expected in my study." And with that the Taiyokai turned, silently gliding back into the house like a ghost.

"Well, I think that's all for today." Kaede sighed as she pushed herself to her feet with the use of her cane.

"Would you like to come in for a cup of tea?" Kagome offered, getting to her own feet.

"I could use a nice cup of tea. Do you have ginger by any chance? I like something with a little zip to it." Kaede asked as the two women headed to the other side of the garden where the apartment sat.

"I do, actually. I'd be glad to make you a cup." Kagome laughed lightly, folding her hands in front of her as she walked.

"Oh lovely." Kaede hummed excitedly.

00

The train had taken a bit longer than Inuyasha expected it would. It wasn't that the trains were slow, but that he'd had to take more than one to reach the closest station to the house. The baby had stayed awake most of the trip studying him curiously, but otherwise remained still and quiet. Inuyasha had been tempted to hail a cab to cover the distance, but then cursed when he realized that he couldn't take a cab because he didn't have a car seat. At least the pup had fallen asleep on the walk, to Inuyasha's great relief.

So, irritated and with sore feet, he cursed his choice in foot wear, Inuyasha finally arrived home. Careful not to jostle the baby too much, he managed to pull his keys from his pocket and jam them slowly into the lock. He could hear Kagome's laughter on on the other side of the door and paused. Exactly how was he going to tell her that he was late because he'd decided to bring a baby home with him? It sounded pretty stupid in his head, but at least it was the truth.

He looked down at the slumbering pup curled up against his chest and sighed. He had promised her that no matter what, he'd keep her safe. He couldn't imagine how Kagome could possibly get angry at him for that. So, as quietly as possible he pushed the front door open and stepped inside.

"Inuyasha! Where have you been?" Kagome asked, her voice laced with annoyance. Quickly, Inuyasha raised a finger to his lips, praying she hadn't woken the pup. So far, she remained slumbering peacefully.

Kagome eyed him, quirking a brow questioningly as she moved close. "Is that a...?" She began to ask, her eyes wide.

"Shhhhhh! She's sleeping." Inuyasha scolded, bouncing gently from foot to foot.

"What are you doing with a baby?" Kagome asked a bit more quietly.

"Keh. She needed someone to look after her." He answered dismissively. "Hold on, let me set her down." He added, heading up the stairs to carefully place the pup in the center of their bed. He carefully placed a pillow on either side of her so she wouldn't roll off the side and hurt herself.

He was greeted with a look of irritation from his mate when he came back down to the kitchen.

"What?" Inuyasha asked, feigning innocence.

"You have a bit more explaining to do mister." She chided. "You were so late that you completely missed my first training session with Kaede. It went very well by the way."

Inuyasha did a double take. That had not been at all what he'd been expecting to get chewed out for. "I- uh. Sorry. I didn't have a car seat, so we had to take the train and then walk the rest of the way."

Kagome sighed and leaned her head against his chest. "At least everything is okay." She sighed. " Kaede's been keeping me company so I wouldn't drive myself crazy worrying about you."

"Keh, you were worrying for nothing." He snorted, wrapping his arms around her for a quick hug. "So you're not at all concerned that I brought a baby home with me?" He asked for clarification.

"Well, I wouldn't say that. It is odd." Kagome answered. "You didn't kidnap her, did you?"

"Do you really think that I would kidnap someone's baby?" He asked, cutting her a glare.

"No." Kagome answered, taking a seat at the table with Kaede.

"Well hello to you too Inuyasha." The old woman greeted light heartedly.

"Hello Kaede-baba." Inuyasha said, offering a stiff nod.

"You seem to have had an interesting day."

"Keh, tell me about it." He signed, slumping into an unoccupied chair. "I've never wanted to actually murder someone before, but what I saw this morning seriously tempted me."

"What happened?" Kagome asked.

"I stopped by Sakura Children's Home as a favor to Kikue Tuzumi." Inuyasha started. "I figured there was no harm in checking in on the place, since you know, I own it. I got a nice tour, met some cute kids, and then my visit gets cut short because one of the bathrooms on the second floor was flooding.

"I decide to do a little snooping around, and I hear this yelling on the floor above me. So I go up there, and this crazy old witch is just wailing on that little baby. And I mean wailing on her, poor thing was screaming so loud my ears were ringing. What was I supposed to do, just let her hurt the poor kid?"

Kagome was silent for a moment as she let the weight of Inuyasha's story sink in. "No, you couldn't have." She finally answered. "And I'm glad you decided to help."

"I may have a bit of a shit storm waiting for me after the stunt I pulled though." Inuyasha admitted. "I shut the place down. Now they're going to have to move those other kids somewhere else. Once the press gets wind that I've shut down a local institution, Sesshomaru's probably going to kick my ass."

"Oh, that reminds me. He came looking for you while we were training in the garden. He said that you are supposed to go see him in his study when you got back." Kagome relayed.

"Just great." Inuyasha grumbled. "Did he look like he was out for blood?"

"Just a little annoyed, I'd say." Kaede thought aloud. "I should really get going home now. Jiro gets crabby when I don't get home on time."

"Why don't you stay for dinner?" Kagome offered. "I've really enjoyed visiting with you. I'd love for you to stay longer."

Kaede paused for a moment, then nodded. "You know what? That little killjoy can find his own dinner tonight. It's not like I owe him anything. He's only my assistant."

"Alright, it's decided." Kagome smiled brightly. It was her first time entertaining guests in her new home; it would be fun, she thought.

"I should see what my bastard of a brother wants. I really don't give a rats ass though." Inuyasha sighed heavily, failing to rouse himself enough to even sit up straight.

"Honestly Inuyasha, I'm just the messenger. I can't make you go see him, but I can stay and keep an eye on the baby while you're gone." She pointed out with a grin.

"I'm sure that between the two of us, we'll be just fine." Kaede piped in.

"Alright, fine. I'll go see what he wants." Inuyasha conceded, rolling his eyes dramatically. "Text me if she wakes up." He added as he got to his feet.

"I've got plenty of experience taking care of babies. I'm sure I can handle her." Kagome chuckled. Leaning on her tiptoes she placed a sweet kiss on his chin.

"But what if she..?." he began to protest.

"Just go already!" Kagome and Kaede echoed in unison.

00

He was almost to the front door of the main house when Inuyasha heard his phone ring.

"Hello?" He answered, taking a seat on a bench overlooking the koi pond.

"Inuyasha, it's Kikue. I'm calling you about the pup you asked about earlier."

"What did you find out?" Inuyasha asked.

"Well, it's a little sad really. I found only one child matching your description. Her name was Aiko Fujitsu, and she was only a few days old when she entered the system after both of her parents were killed with an illegal firearm in a robbery gone wrong. She was only in foster care for a week when she contracted influenza from another child in the home. Poor thing didn't have it in her to lick it. She died a few days ago. It says she was cremated and her ashes scattered over her parents graves."

"Did she have any living relatives?" Inuyasha asked out of sheer curiosity.

"Let me check." Inuyasha could hear the clicking sound made as Kikue typed something onto her keyboard. "It looks like... both sets of her grandparents are deceased. Both of her parents were only children. But... it looks like the father had a cousin listed. Oh" Kikue went silent for a few moments. "He listed you. Oh honey, is that why you asked me to find her? My god, I'm so sorry! Why didn' t you tell me?"

Inuyasha sat there stunned for a moment. He had no idea he'd even had a cousin, and now he was dead? What the hell had the pup been doing at the children's home if she had supposedly died? "That's hard to believe, seeing as I found her at the group home today. They were abusing her for fuck's sake!" Inuyasha snapped.

"You what?" Kikue sounded shocked. "Inuyasha, it can't have been her. I have her death certificate right in front of me."

"You said there was only one kid that fit the description." He quickly reminded.

"Good point. What are you doing right now?" Kikue suddenly asked in a hushed tone.

"I was on my way to talk with my brother, why?"

"Good. Get the baby, and I'll meet you at Sesshomaru's house in twenty minutes. Got that? We need to prove without a doubt that she's who you think she is. It would be easy enough for Sesshoumaru to sniff out whether or not she's a blood relative of yours. If you're right then we have some pretty heavy questions that need answering."

"Alright. I'll see you soon."

00

Kagome hadn't had to wait long for the baby to wake from her nap. "Well hello little one. Did you sleep well?" Kagome cooed, cradling the baby in her arms. She squirmed, moving her little head to sniff Kagome's chest, then whined as she tried her best to find a nipple to suckle through Kagome's shirt.

"Oh, poor baby. I don't have any food for you." Kagome sighed, feeling awful that there wasn't much she could do to rectify the situation.

"Smart little thing, isn't she?" Kaede chuckled. "Do you have any cooked rice laying around?"

"Uh... I'm not sure. Maybe." Kagome wondered. She jogged to the refrigerator as quickly as was safe, taking a good look. "We do!" She exclaimed happily.

"You just need to put it in the microwave with some water to soften it up a bit. Then you're going to mash it up really well with some more water until it's soupy. It's not milk, but it should suffice for the time being." Kaede explained.

"Alright. I can do this." Kagome said to herself as she set about fixing the concoction. When it was finally cool enough, and the consistency of watered down milk Kagome poured it into a small plastic sandwich bag, and cut a small notch in one of the corners.

She settled down on the couch, supporting the baby with one arm and offered her the rice mush. Unfortunately, baby didn't seem to like the taste much, and despite Kagome's best efforts, she could not get the little thing to eat. Kagome sighed in defeat and set the makeshift bottle down. She watched as the baby squirmed, her little ears twitching at every little noise. "She has such cute little ears. They're just like Inuyasha's. " she mused, gently running the back of her finger over the soft white fur.

"She's inu, so that's not surprising I suppose." Kaede agreed.

"I hope we find out where she came from. Maybe even find her parents. "

"Keh, not likely." Came Inuyasha's gruff reply as he stepped through the door.

"I thought you were on your way to Sesshomaru's?" Kagome asked, confused.

"I got a call from Kikue while I was on my way over. She's going to meet us all over there so we can check some facts." He said. He plopped himself down on the couch next to Kagome, peering down at the baby.

"She eating alright?" He asked softly.

"Not really, but with everything that's happened, I'm not really surprised." Kagome sighed. "She'll probably need changing soon though. Do you have any other shirts you don't mind ruining?" Kagome asked.

"A few." Inuyasha answered. He quickly stood from his seat and ran up the stairs only to come running back down a moment later with a couple tee shirts in fist.

"Will these work?" He asked.

"For now." Kagome nodded.

"Then let's get going. Kikue said she'd meet us at Sesshomaru's in twenty minutes."

00

It took them the entire time to get to the main house. Kaede had decided to tag along, and having to move along at an old woman's pace had significantly slowed their progress. Kagome had carried the baby while Inuyasha had grudgingly helped Kaede. When they finally arrived they were met by Kikue and a very confused Sesshomaru.

"Inuyasha, why are these people here?" The Taiyokai demanded.

"You didn't tell him?" Kikue gawked.

"I didn't have time." Inuyasha defended.

"What is the meaning of this?" Sesshomaru did not sound pleased with the sudden rush of unexpected guests upon his home.

"Just shut it, would ya? It's important." Inuyasha barked as he helped Kaede navigate the steps into the house.

00

After everyone had settled in Sesshomaru's drawing room, Inuyasha filled them all in on what he had discovered about the baby with Kikue's help. They all watched Sesshomaru expectantly as he let the new information sink in.

"So, what do you think?" Kikue asked. She sat on the edge of her seat, staring at him expectantly with her bright green eyes.

"It would be an easy matter for me to discover." He said. "Bring the pup here." He added, motioning Kagome closer. The younger miko stood from her seat and stopped before her mate's older brother.

The taiyokai silently considered the baby nestled in Kagome's arms for a few moments before motioning for her to sit back down.

"She is without a doubt a blood relative." he confirmed.

"I didn't even know we had other family." Inuyasha said quietly.

"Our uncle did not approve of father's union with your mother. He had a falling out with father after you were born. I had heard that he'd sired a son, but I was unaware that he himself had died. How ironic that our uncle's grandchild would have a human mother." Sesshoumaru chuckled in amusement.

"Yeah, ironic." Inuyasha snorted, clearly not as amused.

"So that means that Inuyasha is her guardian?" Kagome asked.

"It would seem so. With Sesshomaru's confirmation of your status as her blood relative, and with me as a witness it would be hard for either child welfare or the youkai council to dispute." And then a wide grin broke out across her face. "Congratulations Inuyasha and Kagome, you're now proud parents."

"I don't understand. Inuyasha and I aren't technically married. Won't CPS have a problem with me adopting her?" Kagome wondered aloud.

"I do see your point, but you don't have anything to worry about. When you register your mating with the council, they automatically file a marriage certificate to avoid any awkward confusion with the government. And there is the matter of CPS believing she's dead. Since she's still so little, technically you could say she was your own child. I doubt anyone would question it. " Kikue explained.

"Oh."

"We haven't gotten around to registering yet." Inuyasha admitted sheepishly.

"Then get on it. This little baby deserves a father and a mother." Kikue chided.

"Well, as amusing as this has been. I believe Inuyasha and I have other business to discuss in private." Sesshomaru announced, rising to his feet.

Inuyasha looked questionatly at Kagome, and she nodded, waving him on with her free hand. "We'll see you in a bit." She said with a smile.

00

"I'm a mother." Kagome exclaimed breathlessly as she marveled the small baby nestled in her arms. Little Aiko chose that moment to cry out in distress, again turning her head toward Kagome's breasts in search of a nipple to suckle. "Oh, baby. I'm sorry. There's still no food there." Kagome sighed, trying in vain to offer the rice gruel. "I guess we're going to have to stop by a store and buy some formula before tonight."

"She'll get used it it." Kikue assured her. "I tried pumping for Shippo when I first went back to work, but I just couldn't keep up with demand. We had to switch just to make sure he was getting enough to eat. It might be hard for a few days, but they adjust."

"Actually, she may not have to." Kaede said, looking at Kagome with a serious expression. "There is a way, by using miko energy, to stimulate a woman's body to produce milk. I have done it on many other occasions, mostly adoptions involving newborns and youkai mothers, to help them become able to nurse their children without the aid of added hormone therapy."

Kagome thought about it for a moment. Was that what she wanted? Staring down at the baby in her arms once more, she realized that all she really wanted was to give this little girl the best life she possibly could. There was also the added bonus of bonding, which would be more than welcomed as they settled into their life together as a family.

With tears of happiness in her eyes, Kagome nodded. "I think I'd like that."

0000

"Idiot! How hard is it for you follow simple instructions?!"

Gen Utsuma shuttered, cowering backward at the youkai's tangible anger. "It was out of my hands my lord! We had the perfect child selected. I assure you that it would have given you the abilities you so desperately crave, but she was taken from us." He tried to explain.

"Shut up. What good does that do me? I ask you to bring me an inu hanyo child so I can devour it, and all you come to me with are excuses."

"It's not an excuse my lord! It was Inuyasha Taisho! He came barging in out of nowhere and took the child. He made me fear for my life!" Utsuma cried.

"What was that name?"

"I- Inuyasha T-T-Taishio, my lord." Utsuma stammered nervously. The red eyed yokai before him grinned menacingly, giving Utsuma a sense of dread deep in his gut.

"Inuyasha, you say? My dear Gen, I believe you may have just redeemed yourself."

Utsuma bowed low, quickly wiping the nervous sweat out of his eyes. "Th-Thank you Lord Naraku! I will not let you down again!"