Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters.

Chapter Seventy-Four: Where we belong

The sky had already taken on the pink-orange hues typical of sunset when they reached the village and in front of the house, Shippo came to meet them, frantic.

"Why did you take so long? Kagome's about to go mad and-" His eyes widened when he saw them. "What did you do?"

"Nothing; we just had an accident," Toga dismissed him, tired.

"You call that an accident?" The fox pointed to his bandaged side but could add nothing as Kagome appeared behind him, her face sweaty and pale, her lips red from being bitten as well as her swollen eyes.

"Oh, thank the gods you have returned; I was so worried." She brought a hand to her chest and then stepped past Shippo to get a better look at her sons; she froze a second later, noticing the blood. Her gaze travelled quickly from Muteki's neck to his arms to Toga's side, and a second later, she ran towards them. "My goodness! I knew I shouldn't have sent you. What happened to you? Are you all right?" The baby's cries, disturbed by Kagome's screams, interrupted her, leaving her speechless. "But that..."

Shippo, who had followed her and noticed the little one too, tried to regain control of the situation. "Kagome, it seems they have more than one thing to talk about; don't you think it would be better to take care of a more pressing matter first?" With his head, he pointed to the herbs in Toga's hand, and the priestess changed her expression.

"You are right; you are right. Excuse me! I'll reach Honoka, be as quickly as I can, and then return. Take care of the baby while I'm gone and then I'll take care of you!"

A second later, she was gone, and Muteki and Toga sighed, more tired than ever.

"You look like you've just stood in the face of death," Shippo noted, taking the kit from the other's arms and starting to cradle her as they headed inside. He did not see their reaction to his words, or he would have worried even more.

As soon as they were inside, Toga headed for the water bucket to clean his face and began to scrub it vigorously, not so much to remove the dirt as what he had seen and the restlessness that had stuck with him. Shippo watched him worriedly as he changed the half-demon and looked for something to give her but said nothing; whatever happened, he would also wait for Kagome to hear it and perhaps they would be able to open up to him later.

The priestess arrived when the little one was already asleep, stating that her assistant had stayed by the sick man's side to watch over him. She then headed without much ceremony for the small room; she retrieved bandages and ointments and signalled her sons to stand by the unlit brazier with a hard expression on her face. Shippo, who had often seen it when she was still a teenager, knew it was just a way to stop tears and worry from taking control of her.

Muteki let her bandage the wound on his neck without complaining, which her mother treated with tact, tightening her lips into a straight line and remaining serious despite her aura betraying her inner turmoil. She asked no questions yet, but he knew they would come soon.

"Does it hurt?" she asked him as she began to apply the ointment. It stung slightly but was nothing unbearable; the cut was thankfully shallow and his demonic blood had already begun to run its course. He only shook his head and tried to tell her that he could take care of the arm and leg himself, but she wouldn't hear of it; he realised that it was probably something she needed more than he did.

Toga was an entirely different thing, although his wound was more serious because the dagger had gone deep and dug in, but his complaints only angered Kagome. "You don't need it, you say?" she hissed as she met her son's now frightened gaze. "Then, why do you whine every time I touch it?"

"It's nothing, Ma, I swear; it's already healing," he tried to say.

"It's already healing, my ass!" she exclaimed, catching him off guard. "Why did you have to take all your father's worst traits?" she muttered to herself as she pinned him with another fiery but wet look and then began to cover his side with a reddish substance. "It's nothing," she mimicked him contritely. "To him, even a shredded stomach and a poisoned wound was nothing!" She gave a couple of well-aimed taps once she had bandaged him, but Toga swallowed the groan.

"Well? When are you going to start talking?" she asked after setting the tools down and casting a sideways glance at Shippo, who was chuckling; he coughed and then assumed a serious expression.

"Um, we were waiting for you to ask the questions actually," Muteki dared to begin.

Kagome arched an eyebrow. "Oh, yeah? Should I prepare the questionnaire?"

"The questio-what?" quipped Toga.

"Speak! Do you have any idea what I went through as dusk approached and there was no sign of you? I let you know how worried I was and that the place was not safe. And then I see you arrive looking like that and with a newborn in your arms!" Tears of anger, frustration and fear streaked her cheeks and Shippo beside her – who by now surpassed her in height – encircled her shoulders with one arm.

"Come on, Kagome, you know better than me that it was the right solution and that they're not stupid. We've been through worse."

She nodded, sniffling.

"Mom," Muteki began, extending his arm towards her and taking her hand. "We're here safe and sound, aren't we? What happened is not related to the place. We encountered three demons walking around looking for half-demons to kill."

Kagome held her breath, bringing her free hand in front of her mouth and then, casting a glance at the little one resting in the corner; the boys nodded sadly at her implied question.

"She... She's the only survivor," Toga whispered, lowering his head.

"Oh, honey," she murmured as she drew closer and pulled them both into a hug. "I'm so sorry you had to witness something like that and that I was hard on you. I was so worried."

"We know, Mom," Toga replied, the sound of his voice muffled as he nuzzled her neck and snuggled even closer to her. "I'm so glad to be here again," he cried as the tears finally found an outlet. "It was... it was... I don't understand why. All those children."

His mother kissed his head as she cradled him to herself as she did when he was a baby, and she didn't answer because she knew nothing she could say would be right. Her sons had had their first real experience with racism, and her heart wept equally for the loss of innocence, even though she knew they could not stay in their bubble forever.

"I watched them, looked at the misery they lived in and kept having visions of Dad in the same condition, less fortunate than he was and-" a sob interrupted him.

"But Dad made it, and we are here," Muteki murmured next to him, squeezed in the same embrace.

"And he realised that the world is so much more than what he experienced as a child. He has seen good and bad things and realised that pessimism and cynicism bring no good. Don't ever think that every person is like those beings who find pleasure in killing innocent, defenceless children," Kagome reminded them.

"I am an example of that, am I not?" Shippo winked, still there with them. "I am here precisely because of those different from them."

Muteki looked up at him and then pulled him into their midst. "That's very true, big brother."

Kagome smiled, despite the tears in her eyes and her heavy heart, aware that her sons had not really told her how dangerous that encounter had been, but she preferred not to think too much about it. They were there with her, safe and sound, and had saved more than one person that day; that was enough.

The following day, Muteki and Toga returned to bury the children accompanied by Miroku to help them throughout the process and reassure Kagome, who had found it difficult to let them go alone again. However, she would never let those poor souls remain at the mercy of scavengers, and she understood how much her children wanted to do that. The only thing she had been uncompromising about was Miroku's presence with them, who could pray for the half-demons to reach a more welcoming place than the one they had just left.

She tortured herself the whole time as she waited for their return and tried to take care of the only survivor of that assault, who had no one – and perhaps never had. Shippo and Sango gave her a hand and stayed by her side while her assistant took care of what she did not have the head to do.

That very evening Inuyasha returned with no idea of the surprise that awaited him. They were all gathered in the large house but the atmosphere was tense and funereal: Muteki, Toga and Miroku had returned with sombre expressions and a black mood that had inevitably infected every other member of their large family, and the little one, sensing their emotions, was struggling to fall asleep, shouting her displeasure to the whole village. Thus, when Inuyasha arrived, he was greeted by those very cries, believing them to be those of any sick child whose mother had come to Kagome for help.

Moving the bamboo door, he announced himself, "I hope it's not ours, Kagome, because I'm sure you weren't that pregnant when I left. Well, actually, not pregnant at all." He chuckled at his own joke and then noticed the pale faces and shocked expressions at his cheerful spirit – in stark contrast to theirs. He froze in the doorway and became aware of the tense atmosphere; he blanched and frantically searched with his eyes for his wife, who had a grimace on her face and a wriggling half-demon in her arms. "You're not pregnant, are you? You can't be pregnant!" he exclaimed, suddenly frightened. "You haven't even fully recovered from the attack yet!"

He run to her, watching her and smelling her insistently for a clue to confirm his doubts, not even caring about the baby his wife was holding, too anxious to notice her. "No, Inuyasha, I am not pregnant," she replied to him, her tone saying a lot about how tired she was. "Don't jump to conclusions." Then, she reached out her arms and handed the little one to him. "Here, please try to get her to sleep. I'm going crazy." She rubbed her temples and then walked over to the hearth around which they were all sitting, leaving Inuyasha standing, open-mouthed, finally noticing the little kitsune.

Recovering from his shock, he finally looked at the rest of those present; Muteki and Toga, in particular, had distressed and dull expressions. "Could someone please explain to me what's going on?" In response, the hanyou began to cry again as soon as she heard him speak; she had only stopped as she was taken aback by switching arms. Inuyasha looked at her, squinting and a little panicked then, he tried to calm her down by rocking her as he had done so many times with his children. But she probably sensed his hesitation – just as she had done with anyone else who had held her – and would not quiet down. "What happened?" repeated Inuyasha before grimacing at yet another high-pitched cry, attempting to fold his ears back on themselves to muffle the sound that might soon deafen him.

He slumped down beside his wife and sighed; he had an idea that what he was about to hear would not please him at all and would inevitably change their lives once again.

He wasn't happy to hear that his children had gone to such a dangerous place alone or that they had been one step away from being killed by the same people who had once tried to kill him. They were memories he had never liked to exhume because they were part of one of the saddest and most distressing phases of his childhood and he appreciated even less that the same demons had interfered in the existence of his boys, who would have been equally disturbed. He only hoped they could overcome the ordeal sooner and better than he had.

His first instinct was to scream – but the half-demon who had finally fallen asleep, exhausted, prevented him from doing so – and he asked why it had never occurred to anyone to send one of the guards in their place. Kagome had wanted them to accompany the boys, but they had suggested instead that Osamu and Kichiro stay by her side; Inuyasha replied that one of them should have gone alone while the other remained to protect them no matter what. The exchanges provoked a heated debate during which Toga accused him of not really trusting them and Inuyasha silenced him by stating that it wasn't about trust but rather knowing the risks and understanding when it was worth it; he had learned that well. And those last words had prompted Miroku to speak up, who had felt compelled to reiterate how Inuyasha had no right to reprimand them for something he had done for years.

They were all tired, angry and more stubborn than ever; the quarrel would have been easy to predict. In the end, however, tiredness got the better of everyone, and they agreed how pointless it was to carry on that discussion without concluding anything; there were more pressing problems to be solved.

Inuyasha huffed in the silence that followed that statement and wished he could add that after days spent trying to sort out things in the West, he had wanted to go home and at least enjoy a quiet evening, not be chased by other headaches. But it was nobody's fault that everything had not gone according to his plans, and certainly, not of the orphan who was now sleeping in the cradle he had built years before for his firstborn. Their task now was to give her the chance to have a better childhood than so many others – better than Inuyasha's – and to ensure that the sacrifice of her comrades was not wasted. Above all, fighting over something past, from which Muteki and Toga had come out alive, would have served no purpose except to waste energy they could have spent elsewhere.

He nodded, finally, and decided it was time to retire for the night. He, at least, hoped to be able to sleep, but, in the end, nightmares of the past mingled with the present, where children with long silver hair no longer had dog ears but human ones, tormented his sleep.

After the first week had passed, news of the little one and what had happened during Muteki and Toga's short journey spread throughout the village. Every person had passed by the large dwelling at the edge of the forest to offer help – even where none was needed – or just a word of encouragement. The half-demon had quickly become the most pampered and loved infant, proving once again that in their community, differences counted for little and that an orphan was just an unfortunate orphan, whatever her origins or circumstances.

However, she was at the same time everyone's child and no one's. They wanted to help, but no one wished to take care of her permanently, and the kitsune, who had not yet a name, had not found a permanent family.

Inuyasha and Kagome were still shocked by the events that had changed their quiet routine, and during long night conversations, they decided that if no one came forward they would take her in. After all, they had said, who was better for the task? Shippo would be able to help her when she grew up on what specifically concerned fox demons while Inuyasha and their children would share the feeling of being a half-demon.

But it wasn't their first choice, and not because they didn't want new members in their family – they already knew they wanted more children as soon as the time was right. The priestess only thought that, perhaps, the child might make the happiness of people who were not yet parents or could not be parents biologically. And since such families were never lacking in any village, she wondered if the situation would have been different with a fully human baby. If even in their village racism was rare, it was clear that no one wanted to take responsibility for raising someone different from them, despite everything.

She had cried into her mate's chest the night she had confided those thoughts to him and Inuyasha had held her close, reminding her that the baby would still be better off in a family that would understand her and know how to react to any situation, rather than with inexperienced parents who might repudiate her once they were tired of the complications. Kagome had sniffled and looked at him with red, weeping eyes and muttered that it wasn't fair anyway. She had fallen asleep like that and the next day, they had decided that, at worst, she would have a place with them and be loved like never before.

In the meantime, Kagome had kept to herself another probable solution that she had come to, one that posed no small problem. It came back to her about ten days later when Sesshomaru showed up at the village accompanied by his mate, demanding to know why Inuyasha had not gone to the castle as arranged on his last trip.

The latter's face had been so comical at seeing Sesshomaru before him that there had been no doubt that it had been just an oversight; so much had happened in such a short time that there no room for anything else had been left. Not that the dai-youkai cared that much; to him, Inuyasha had behaved irresponsibly anyway.

The two ended up staying longer than they should, especially after Rin had noticed the infant in Toga's arms. The look in her brown eyes had, at the same time, filled Kagome's heart with joy and sadness.

The young woman had been the first person the miko thought of when they tried to find a place for the child; she really believed that they could both heal each other – that they could also heal Sesshomaru. Yet in the end, she had given up on the idea because of a question that had kept ringing in her head and now seemed to deafen her as she watched Rin.

If she had given Rin the opportunity, would she have seen the child as a replacement for her lost daughter or as someone completely different? Would she hate her, in the future, for being alive in Kazuko's stead? There were so many possibilities with a grieving mother, and as much as she loved Rin and was aware of what a good person she was, she couldn't discount when another living being was involved. She would have to consider every possibility, and only then would she know whether she could advance such a solution.

In the meantime, however, it seemed that the hanyou had already conquered the Lady of the West, as she had done with every other person who had held her, and that made everything tremendously more complicated.

That certainly hadn't been the plan when Sesshomaru had decided to travel to his brother's village and his mood – not at all rosy – hadn't improved when he'd discovered why Inuyasha had forgotten his responsibilities.

He had certainly not expected to see the whole family grappling with another half-demon, an orphan and the only survivor of an attack according to his nephews. The little one cried too much for his liking and seemed to be frightened by the slightest noise or sign of disturbance. At first, he had not been able to name his emotions at seeing her or hearing the story that had brought her there, but as soon as Rin had approached Toga and asked to hold her, he had had no doubts: rage; that being aroused his anger. He had not been able to avoid giving her an icy stare, even though part of him knew how ridiculous it was.

He should have been indifferent to it, shown a neutral expression, not the hateful one that escaped neither Inuyasha nor Kagome.

Still, seeing the evidence of a half-demon child – not much older than his daughter would have been, had she survived – in his mate's arms had triggered a violent and not so unmotivated reaction in him. It was not she who should have fallen asleep in Rin's embrace or lit up her face; the complexion was wrong as was the hair and the absence of canine ears replaced by a tail that had nothing to do with them.

It was not rational to resent someone who had been through so much within a few moons of her birth, but in that instant, in Sesshomaru's mind, there seemed to be no room for rationality.

His brother approached him with a hard expression on his face and reached out to touch his shoulder. "Sesshomaru." The tone was harsh and implied many things Inuyasha did not want to say in front of other onlookers, but he ignored it. His golden eyes were too engrossed in another scene.

A moment later, a genuine smile appeared on Rin's lips, who was laughing, along with Toga, at the funny frowns the little one was making in her sleep. She waved her little hands, opening and closing her fists as if trying to grasp whatever she was seeing in her dreams, and her tail was tickling her, eliciting an even louder and more crystalline laugh.

Sesshomaru froze, staring at her, and the tension his body had radiated until a second before vanished. It seemed so long since he had last seen her so carefree – a lifetime – but really only since Kazuko's birth. Events had completely disrupted his perception of time and now, as he looked at Rin, he felt as if he were witnessing a miracle.

His irrational anger disappeared as he meditated on these things and he felt ashamed, realising the thoughts he had formulated and not at all worthy of the person he had become.

How could he have been jealous of such a fragile and helpless little being and how could he have even thought of removing the smile that he had missed so much from Rin's lips, that rosy, healthy complexion from her cheeks and the sparkle in her eyes? What would become of the two of them now? What had this trip to the village set in motion? How would their lives change?

That very evening, having stayed over in the room usually reserved for them when they stayed with Inuyasha and Kagome, Rin proved to be more chatty than usual, while Sesshomaru stood nearby nodding silently.

"Did you see how quiet she was as soon as you and Inuyasha stopped fighting? Kagome says she probably senses emotions around her a lot, especially the negative ones, like it's some sort of survival instinct."

"No wonder. She hasn't had a quiet life so far, and every demon has certain instincts at its disposal from birth. She's probably just had more opportunities to exploit them," he explained to her.

"It's terrible," she murmured, barely holding back her tears. "So small and already so despised by everyone."

Sesshomaru inspired and exhaled, almost biting his tongue to avoid reminding her that that was the fate of every half-demon, with very few exceptions, but she beat him to it.

"Inuyasha says that, as a child, he encountered the same demons that killed her companions. They recognised Muteki and Toga precisely because of the colour of their hair. Listening to the story, it seems like a miracle that the three of them are here to be able to tell us. I mean, Inuyasha..."

"He was incredibly lucky," he concluded for her. "Especially considering that before he was orphaned, he had been far too pampered by his mother and had no knowledge of his instincts." And Sesshomaru remembered well the child he had observed when word of Izayoi's death had reached him; he had looked for him out of curiosity and revenge and it had not taken him long because, at that time, the hanyou was not even able to hide his tracks.

In the end, he had pitied him and he had not been able to finish him off; it would have given him no satisfaction to kill such a being. Learning then that he had survived, who knows how had prompted him to consider that very word Rin had just used: a miracle. After all, Inuyasha, being his father's son, was an even juicier target for many of the enemies Toga had left behind – or just for those who had not tolerated his transgression.

Rin was struck by the detached tone her mate used to tell her those things and held her breath to hear him speak.

"I cannot apologise for what I was," he told her, understanding her reaction.

She lowered her head and then snuggled even closer to him. "I know," she murmured. "But I'm glad to see how far you've come. What do you think of the little one? She doesn't even have a name yet, and I think soon she'll have one because Inuyasha said he's tired of calling her "kit" or "baby" while waiting for someone to take him in."

"That makes sense," Sesshomaru nodded.

"I asked you what you thought," she reiterated, waiting for any signal that told her she could advance that wish of hers. However, the idea made her nervous and there were many possibilities that such a thing could only anger him.

"This is not the first time I have encountered such a situation," Sesshomaru supplied again, still detached, still unable to consider the words she was implicitly addressing to him. He didn't know what to do either, what to think.

He would have liked to say yes, to please her because he wished to see that afternoon smile again and again. But would it stay on her lips if she realised that the same affection she had for the child was not shared by him? How much would it hurt her to understand that Sesshomaru was incapable of loving a daughter not his own, a half-demon who did not share his blood? It had taken him so long to come this far that another goal like this one seemed unattainable. And honestly, he wasn't even sure he wanted to pursue it.

"So your thoughts are the same as previous times; is that what you're telling me?" she pressed him again. "Yet I'm sure they weren't exactly nice."

"No, but I don't think you want to know what I'm thinking."

"And where's the honesty gone? The confiding?" The young woman arched an eyebrow as she cornered him.

Sesshomaru sighed. "I don't think I'm able to love her the way you could – the way you already do," he finally admitted, confirming that he understood her implied request.

"All that confidence you've always had, where has it gone? You don't give yourself enough credit, my love," Rin whispered, drawing closer and placing a light kiss on his lips, which Sesshomaru immediately deepened, driven by the desire to have her even closer. With one arm, he encircled her waist and with the other he slipped his hand through her hair, tilting her face.

"And maybe you give me too much," he retorted when they pulled away.

Rin smiled. "That's not true, and you know it. I have always read into you without fail and even this time, I have no doubt you can come to love her without limits. She will surprise you, Sesshomaru." They looked into each other's eyes for what seemed like an eternity, but the light in hers and her dazzling smile never disappeared; it was just another proof of her certainty and strong spirit. Day after day, she showed him more and more what an exceptional woman she was.

Finally, the dai-youkai nodded, and the two of them exchanged another kiss without another word and soon became prey to passion. The next day they would have to talk again, but for now, they preferred to lose themselves in each other, forgetting the world beyond that room.

Kagome listened attentively to what Rin was telling her, watching her arms move swiftly as she spoke, the sparkle in her eyes, the smile on her lips and the healthy blush on her cheeks, a stark contrast to the woman she had left behind a few weeks earlier. Rin had no doubts about her choice and wanted to show her friend and sister how ready she was to take on the responsibilities that would follow her.

Beside her, Sesshomaru remained rigid and motionless, adding nothing. He had a tight smile and his gaze was on the priestess without really looking at her. It seemed to Kagome that he was just waiting for the end of that meeting for which he really had no pleasure. Of course, if he was there with Rin, asking her to take the child with them, meant that he had agreed to the option, but the reticence remained, and it was impossible not to notice it.

"You're completely certain," she finally stated when Rin lowered her arms and stared at her hopefully, waiting for a positive nod. The other nodded without ceasing to smile. "Will you allow me to ask you just one question before I give you my final answer?" A second nod followed the first. Kagome took a deep breath, cast a glance at the demon out of the corner of her eye and then returned her focus to the woman in front of her. "Are you certain that over the years you will never confuse this child with the one you lost? My words may sound blunt and maybe even a little mean, but I have the well-being of both of you at heart, and I want to make sure that she will never be a replacement for Kazuko; that you will be able to love her freely. I know you, Rin, and I know what a good person you are. Whatever you tell me now, I will not doubt your sincerity."

Sesshomaru narrowed his gaze and made to silence her roughly for only having the audacity to utter such a thing, but Rin blocked him by wrapping her fingers around his wrist. The smile she had been wearing since the day before had not disappeared, and although the pain caused by her daughter was still in her eyes, her shoulders were straight and her expression determined.

"I understand where this doubt of yours comes from, and I don't blame you. I don't think you're mean, but know that I wouldn't be able to wrong Kazuko or this child – or myself and Sesshomaru. I know that if I hadn't made this request to you and no one had come forward, you and Inuyasha would have taken care of her and she would have been the luckiest one in the world because we've all seen what great parents you are. However, I am currently a childless mother; inside, I have this affection and love that cannot find an outlet because it is different from what I share with my mate and it wears me out day after day. I sincerely believe that, by taking her with us, we could both benefit and in no way could I trade one for the other; even if Kazuko were alive, I would probably have asked you to entrust her to us anyway." She squeezed Sesshomaru's hand and turned to him, beaming. "Sesshomaru and I are already parents and we just need an opportunity to prove it to everyone."

Kagome smiled as she watched that exchange, glad she could witness it but also hearing the love and sincerity that Rin's words exuded. In seeing her so determined and confident, her doubts disappeared; the half-demon was already part of their family and belonged with them. "You do not need to prove to anyone that you will be a good mother, Rin, and I agree that you already are; you have already done a wonderful job so far. Maybe this all happened at the behest of the gods because they wanted to reward you for making it this far without ever giving up. You are a strong woman, and I could not be more pleased with this choice."

The young woman jumped on her a second later, holding her in a hug and wetting her neck with tears. "Oh, Kagome; thank you, thank you. I don't even know how to show you my gratitude." When she pulled away, she met her eyes, trying to pour it out. "Without you, I don't know where I would be now, and your support has been crucial to us; you will see that you will not regret this decision."

The priestess laughed. "Oh, honey, I already know. You won't have to prove anything. Now go, your daughter is staying with her cousins, and I think she is looking forward to meeting her new mother." Still crying, Rin pulled her into another hug and then, without even waiting for her mate, headed out of the hut to join Muteki and Toga.

Kagome stood alone with Sesshomaru and smiled openly at him as he tried to compose himself, to no avail, so as not to give away how much Rin's enthusiastic reaction, along with her words, had affected him. "Don't worry," she told him, "you'll learn to love her sooner than you think, and it will be so natural that you won't even have to wonder how it's possible."

Sesshomaru gave her a dirty look but added nothing, getting up and heading outside. When he was already on the threshold, he stopped and turned back to her. "Not that I would have accepted a negative answer from you; I would not have allowed it. But I thank you for what you said to Rin."

She laughed again in response. "Oh, there is no need. I wouldn't have said any of this if I didn't really believe it, and this choice comforts me because I know the little one has found the right place for her. And I'm sure she will soon have her father wrapped around her little finger." She winked and burst out laughing even harder at the murderous look her brother-in-law gave her before disappearing from her sight.

When Inuyasha caught up with her a few minutes later, asking her what had happened and looking at her as if she had sprouted a second head, Kagome wiped away her tears of happiness and threw her arms around his neck. "Nothing, Koibito. Your brother does not accept when the truth is pointed out to him."

"Keh," he huffed. "The usual Sesshomaru."

A/N: Did you like this development? Did you expect it? Think of this as one last (and not least important) step for Sesshomaru's change of heart. But you'll see better in the next chapter.

Until next time!