CHAPTER 11: The Bond

They had stopped at Kagome's apartment so she could pack. No, Sesshoumaru was not allowed to help her pack but he was allowed to carry her duffle bags out the door with his awesome demonic strength, which Kagome took full advantage of.

The rest of her things would come later. Sesshoumaru informed Kagome that once she came into his house, she would never leave. He insisted on having his pack close and if she was to work with him at the hospital it would save them both time and energy for her to live with him.

That was the end of that. A few of his staff would go to her apartment to pack the remainder of her belongings and move them into her room in the mansion. It would save her travel time, rent-she'd cross that bridge when she reached it no matter that Sesshoumaru told her she was not expected to pay anything.

As Kagome looked around her apartment one last time, she couldn't help but feel like she was jumping down the well again, not sure what would happen to her on this trip through time. This time was different though, she wasn't risking her life and there was no enemy to defeat.

Most of her day had gone off without a hitch. Kagome had sent in her letter of resignation to the Board of Directors of the museum and informed Tokyo Memorial that she needed to be removed from the list of Life Assistants. Lunch was spent with Rin and her granddaughters in the gardens but as the day wore on, she became more nervous as she recalled Muri's words.

After dinner and tying up a few more loose ends, Kagome found a nice comfortable couch to curl up on in the library. It was her first reprieve from company and she finally felt herself relaxing. Or would have if her mind would ever shut up.

'A room closest to his would suffice but it would be even better if you could share a bed…'

"Are you alright?"

Kagome shrieked and slapped her hand over her mouth. She turned a glare on the stoic figure behind her. "Make some noise, jeez. Give a person a heart-attack…"

"You should be more aware of your surroundings, miko." He used that same dry voice that he used in the past but tone was slightly altered, probably because of the smirk in it. "You were daydreaming." Sesshoumaru sounded amused. He made his way towards the couch and sat near her feet.

"I wasn't – I was…ugh." Images of sleeping next to that perfect demonic form is what she'd been daydreaming about.

"Your energy has been fluctuating all day. Are you nervous?"

"Well," the miko fidgeted as she tried to put together some words that sounded the least idiotic, "to be honest I am a little nervous about our sleeping arrangements."

Without shifting his gaze, Sesshoumaru replied, "if it would make you more comfortable, we could arrange for something else-"

"No," Kagome said almost too quickly. "No, if this is what's best, I'll get over it."

"Very well then. Let us get you accommodated to your new sleeping quarters."

Kagome's stomach flew into her throat. She looked up to Sesshoumaru who held a hand out to her and a patient gaze. Her shaky hand fit in his perfectly and he pulled her off the couch and onto her feet. The room spun a little and Kagome lost her balance but Sesshoumaru was more than ready for her clumsy ways and caught her against his chest. For a brief moment Kagome felt peace and warmth until she realized whose chest she leaned against.

"I'm sorry." Kagome pushed away or tried to but two strong hands held her where she was.

"Your heart is racing."

"I'm nervous," she murmured into his chest.

A finger hooked under her chin and lifted her gaze to his. "What are you so nervous about, little priestess?"

There was a fire in those amber eyes, a warmth that Kagome recognized deep in her soul but could not give a name to. It burned through her as his youki soothed her reiki and made her feel…whole.

"I…um…" Kagome couldn't breathe. Everything was silent between their eyes and all she could hear was her heart beating, thumping away into distraction.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

"What was the question?"

His lips softened to hint of a smirk and Kagome knew she should be mad but she didn't know why. That finger that was under her chin moved until it curled against her cheek bone and smoothed over it.

"Shall we?"

She couldn't even look in his eyes anymore - her sights were still on those lips. Her heart was beating so loud, Kagome was rather surprised she even heard his question.

She swallowed hard. "Yes?"

Sesshoumaru was pleased to know that he could distract her into a stupor. It made that horrid stench of anxiety and fear leave her aura and made his male ego swell with the knowledge that he could affect his mate in such a way.

Correction. Future mate.

His aura pulsed in beat with his heart and he shared that beat with her, easing her into his youki. He already knew they were compatible. It was a small matter of getting her reiki to accept his and weave them together like a fine masterful tapestry.

But first she must be comfortable enough to let his aura mix with hers. Currently their auras played with each other, flirted and teased but they had yet to blend. And with what they were trying to accomplish, they would need to do more than just blend on the surface.

He had Kagome so muddled that she didn't even know she was in the room until the door clicked shut. He watched as her eyes cleared and she realized where she was.

"How did we get in here?"

Sesshoumaru turned her with a gentle hand until she faced the closet. "Your bags are in there," he said pointing to the door in the wall. "You will have the right side of the closet for your belongings-"

"I have a lot of stuff, Sesshoumaru."

"There is ample room." He led her to another door and opened it. "This is the bathroom. Make yourself at home."

His pride swelled when she gasped at one of his favorite rooms in the whole house. The bathroom consisted of a simple toilet and sink but the whole room was stone except the roof, which was wooden slats covering the vents in the ceiling. The shower was against the wall opposite the door. It was built into the wall, no door or curtain. But why would he need one? To the right, built into the floor, was an onsen and Kagome's eyes were glued to it.

"See something you like?"

Kagome licked her lips and nodded. "Did you have that built too?"

Sesshoumaru smiled and gently guided her into the bathroom. "I had my bathroom built around it." The onsen was more than twenty feet in width. "In fact, you may have used this particular onsen in your travels with my brother. I recall scenting you around this area on my patrols. Several times."

Kagome turned her head to look at him with a question evident in her eyes. "Did you follow us?"

Not wanting to answer the question just yet, Sesshoumaru changed the direction of the conversation. "I used to think you were a most peculiar human during our early acquaintance. Your mannerisms were so strange yet familiar and you were always cleaner than every other human I came across. I could never understand your obsession with bathing, though I did appreciate it when we crossed paths."

A light went on in Kagome. "You were following us." She turned and walked towards him, getting him to back out of the bathroom.

"I could understand your speech, though many of your phrases did not make sense to me. But what I could never understand Kagome-"

"You sly old dog-"

"-is why you were never afraid of me." He stopped one foot out of the bathroom, Kagome right in front of him.

"Afraid of you?" Her head cocked to the side. "Is that why you kept following us?"

Her curiosity piqued his playfulness. Suddenly he was the one forcing her to take steps backwards. "Why were you never afraid of me, Kagome?"

"Why would I have been, Sesshoumaru?"

"You had a lot of reason to be. I tried to kill you the first time we met."

Kagome took a couple of steps backwards to avoid being stepped on. "You did, and by the way, you never apologized for that."

"And I tried to kill you again and again."

"You're not helping your case."

"I tried to steal Tessaiga-" he took a step closer to her, to try and scent her being intimidated but she wasn't.

"Wait," it finally dawned on her, "you really were following us."

"I threatened you more than any other creature alive."

"Sesshoumaru, it sounds like you have a lot to make up for."

"And yet," the back of Kagome's legs hit something and she fell backwards onto something soft with a yelp. She turned her head left and right and only saw white, "and yet through all of that, all of those times I threatened your life and well-being you never feared me." Her eyes went wide as he leaned over her, his hands on either side of her head. "Yet now," his mouth was close to her ear. He inhaled her scent quietly so as not to disturb her, "in my house you smell of fear stronger than any other memory I have of you. Why is that?"

"I don't know." It was a whisper. It was all she could manage with him so close.

"Have I hurt you in any way?"

"No."

"Have you felt threatened by myself or anyone in my household?"

She paused longer than was comfortable but still answered in the negative.

It was clear that this whole day was taking a toll on her. He wouldn't get any straight answer from her right now so he eased up. Sesshoumaru resisted the urge to lean a little closer and steal a kiss. Instead, he straightened up and held a hand out to Kagome who was in the process of shaking herself out of a stupor.

"Where are we going now?"

Sesshoumaru stopped himself from staring too long at the perfect picture that was Kagome on his bed, her hair fanned out in every which way. "You are going to take a shower, relax and unpack. There are some things I must take care of before retiring for the night."

"And when will that be?" Kagome wrung her hands in front of her, the nervous gesture not making it past the dog demon.

"As soon as you are ready," he reassured her. "Take your time but do not delay the inevitable. It has been a while since I have slept. I am weary."

"Okay."

Sesshoumaru pulled the door behind him. "I will see you in a small while."

"See you."

The door clicked shut and Sesshoumaru gave a sigh of relief. It was almost too much for him to bear, seeing Kagome strewn across his bed like that. Almost.

He had a contract to finish looking through and by the time he finished, an hour and a half passed since the time he left Kagome in his room. She left the bedroom door slightly ajar. When he pushed through his heart warmed. Kagome was asleep, passed out on the giant bed, all the way to one side and completely buried under the down comforter. Her hair was braided back, her aura radiated a gentle glow around her.

Sesshoumaru showed a rare smile and went about getting ready for bed. After a nice and relatively short shower he put on a pair of sleeping pants and stood at the edge of his bed, almost afraid to climb in, afraid to wake up the angel, afraid this was all just another dream. But climb into bed he did. Sesshoumaru normally slept in the center of his bed and tonight would be no different. He lay on his side to watch Kagome and felt so very empty. It wasn't right that she was so far away from him.

Earlier Kagome had mentioned that she was a heavy sleeper so Sesshoumaru held himself upright with one arm and wrapped his other around her waist to drag her closer to him. She startled at being moved but with quiet whispers from Sesshoumaru, her eyes closed again and she curled her back against his chest, as though she always slept against him.

Once Kagome was where she should be, Sesshoumaru lay down and spooned her from behind. His arm tightened around her waist, his nose buried in her hair so he could take in that wonderful scent of her shampoo, that same scent he recognized her by in the Feudal Era.

His beast purred in contentment and as Kagome's scent and aura blanketed him, he fell deeper and deeper until for the first time that Sesshoumaru would recall, he fell asleep, dead to the world.

She was so nice and warm. Her body was the most relaxed it had been in a long while and when Kagome finally opened her eyes, she realized why. This was a bed she did not know and she was being held by an arm that was not hers.

Kagome stiffened when she didn't recognize her surroundings immediately and the growl at her back had her stiffening further. Who was here with her? Who's arm was this holding her in place?

"Sesshoumaru?" Kagome whispered, hoping it was him.

"Hn."

Kagome let out a breath and relaxed into the bedding. The fear of the unknown was gone and replaced with anxiety again.

"Cease being anxious."

Kagome pouted. "How?"

His arm was over her rib cage, beneath her chest, and that arm tightened so she was brought closer to the warm body behind her. "Know that you are safe and right where you belong."

That didn't help Kagome's nerves in any way but it did help her to relax her body a little more.

"You need to become more familiar with my body."

Heat rose in Kagome's face and body. She was sure Sesshoumaru would be able to feel the temperature change against his stomach but at least she was spared the humiliation of blushing where he could see. Kagome didn't realize that his hand position across her ribcage allowed him to feel her heart speed up. He grinned against her head.

"How do you propose I do that?"

Sesshoumaru's fingers stroked her ribs gently and her mind began to take dangerous roads in her imagination. Imagine if she could wake up like this every morning next to Sesshoumaru, stroking her lovingly, curled against his warmth and strength.

He began to purr, not something she could hear. More that she could feel it vibrating through her body. That sound was so relaxing. Of course he had chosen that time to disturb her.

"What are you thinking of?" It was a curious lilt to his voice, one she'd never heard the like of. He was trying to be gentle in his tone to coax her into telling him.

"Nothing."

"You are lying."

Kagome's face turned red. She couldn't very well tell him what she was thinking of.

"I…I was just being a girl is all. Nothing to worry about."

Sesshoumaru's fingers stilled. "Kagome, the quickest way to be comfortable is to be open and honest." A few seconds passed, "I would know what made your aura feel content." She tensed and he countered, "I will not mock you."

Well, it was guaranteed that humiliation would be a part of this package and he would be able to scent her lying again. So she chose to answer with her face in the pillow.

With a smirk, Sesshoumaru said in a soft voice "not even my demonic hearing could decipher that."

Kagome took a deep breath. "I was thinking-" her face was hotter than a bonfire in the middle of summer-"how nice it would be to wake up this way…every morning." She buried her face in the pillow, mortified and in disbelief that those words actually left her mouth. How…did he have her under a spell?

"Would you like to?"

Did he really just ask that? "What?" But he was not about to repeat himself.

"What do you like about waking up this way?" He asked it with a smile that edged closer to being a smirk and Kagome didn't appreciate it at all.

Kagome flipped over in an instant with a finger jabbing into his chest, her eyes narrowed. She could hear the smirk in his voice. "You said you-ugh! You know what-forget it-" Kagome moved to sit up and get off the bed but a firm arm around her waist and a low growl stilled her.

"Why are you angry?"

"Because you-" Kagome sniffled. Her emotions were wild around Sesshoumaru. She couldn't think straight around him, she couldn't form an opinion-her brain was slowly turning to mush. And above all that, he was now making fun of her!

Tears leaked from her eyes and she wiped them away, keeping her face hidden from him. He dragged her into his lap, he was sitting against the headboard.

"Do not cry little one." A warm hand cupped her face and pushed it against his chest. "Would you feel more relaxed if I were to tell you I thought the same thing when I woke with you in my arms?" He lifted the sheet to her face to dry her tears. At least she was listening now.

"I have dreamed of meeting you again, for centuries now. And to know you are the only one who is the closest to my equal in power and strength serves to please me more than any other thought. To know that I must create an unbreakable bond with you to heal my loved ones and many others who suffer from the same cruelty of parentage, pleases me to no end."

"Sesshoumaru," Kagome sniffled the last of her tears away. 'An unbreakable bond? But the only kind of bonds like that are mating bonds!' She kept her thoughts to herself but did ask, "Why me?"

"You are familiar with the idea that you keep a part of everyone you come in contact with? With youkai, we leave youki in those we come in contact with. The more powerful youkai can dissolve that youki left behind with their own and can leave traces in others. After our many encounters, you stopped rejecting and purifying my youki and pieces of my youki began to weave itself into your reiki make-up. This goes both ways, Kagome. You are near my equal but I am the only youkai alive that can withstand the full fury of your power because you have also left a part of your reiki with me. Our energies formed a bond in the past that still holds to this very day."

"Even after all these years? How did it last that long?"

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and relished in the feeling of her light touches across his skin. She was paying him proper attention as a mate should, though she didn't know she was endearing herself to his beast even further. "You made an impression on me. You stood up to me, you were loyal to your companions even when they did not deserve it-"

Kagome looked up at him, "You're referring to your brother," was a statement more than a question.

"Especially him."

Silence whispered through the room and Kagome broke it again. "I – I'm afraid, Sesshoumaru."

"Afraid of what?"

Her fingers stilled and she curled her hands between their bodies, as if to shield herself. "I've been wearing these rings for so long to subdue my powers, I don't know how powerful I am. What if I'm too strong for you?"

At that, Sesshoumaru chuckled. "Impossible. No being is stronger than me."

"Tch," Kagome scoffed. "Well, you'd sure give them a run for their money. They'd have to chip away at your ego first and that would take a millennia."

"Indeed." Sesshoumaru grinned and kissed Kagome on the crown of her head. "Best we get ready for the day. We have to go to the hospital."

Kagome groaned and jumped out of bed when he threatened her with tickles. "Alright, alright! I'm up."

They were back the hospital and for that Kagome was glad. It had been a little awkward for her at breakfast this morning. Turned out Sesshoumaru was still sadistic after all these centuries. He nearly forced her to sit on his lap as she ate breakfast; her face was red the whole morning. When she asked him why she had to suffer the indignity he scoffed and told her it would help their bond. He wanted her as close as possible to speed up her getting over this misplaced shyness of hers and he told her as much.

Kagome got a little huffy and was embarrassed when the whole family took turns coming in for breakfast and Sesshoumaru wouldn't let her off his lap.

"Why do you insist that I sit on your lap? You like making me feel embarrassed?" It was a harsh whisper but Shippo was kind and pretended not to hear.

"There is nothing to be embarrassed about. I told you before that inu are very affectionate."

Her energy fluctuated all over the kitchen and Sesshoumaru took a deep breath before adjusting his youki to be more soothing. He rubbed his cheek against her shoulder and his nose through her hair.

"Stop," she asked quietly.

But Sesshoumaru ignored her half-hearted protest. Shippo sat down across them at the table with a grin not unlike Sesshoumaru's.

"Looks like you two finally got things straightened out. It's about time you let yourself be happy, Kagome."

Kagome bristled but knew Shippo was only speaking the truth.

"I was wondering how much longer Sesshoumaru was going to be able to hold out," the fox demon said between bites. "He's been waiting a long time for you."

Kagome relaxed a little more on Sesshoumaru's lap when she heard that.

"He has, has he?" Kagome looked back to glare at Sesshoumaru, to which she received another smirk.

"He was pretty unbearable these last couple of decades. It was like his beast knew you were around but he couldn't find you. If Seiichi hadn't found you, I think Sesshoumaru would have started to lose himself to his beast."

Those words penetrated Kagome's heart and as much as her modern-day self knew that it sounded wrong that someone who she thought didn't know her had wanted her for that long. Her past self, the one that traveled through time felt the echo of his words in her heart and it softened in sympathy to the demon whose lap she currently occupied.

Her hand naturally smoothed over the one around her waist to comfort him and she was carefully pulled closer to the steely chest behind her. "Is that true Sesshoumaru? Were you that close to losing it?"

There was a low growl meant for Shippo and Kagome knew why. Sesshoumaru's voice was low, speaking through a growl.

"It is not the kit's place-"

Kagome twisted herself in his lap and looked into his red-ringed eyes. "Did you really have that hard a time, Sesshoumaru?" Her heart ached with sympathy at hearing that he had actually suffered that long.

Those golden-red eyes dragged their hostility away from the kit and penetrated into her. "It was a nuisance-"

Kagome's eyes narrowed. "Don't downplay pain, Sesshoumaru. Tell me," and in a softer voice and with concern in her eyes, "I need to know. Did you have a hard time?"

She felt him stiffen under her and felt his youki become irritable. He didn't want to show weakness but Kagome still felt it. His lip curled slightly and a low growl escaped his mouth until he felt two cool hands on either side of his face.

"I'm sorry you had to wait so long." Her reiki soothed him through her hands and the burning in his eyes caused by the beast was cooled when her lips pressed against one eyelid and then the other. Her thumbs smoothed over his cheek bones before Kagome placed a kiss on either side of his lips.

When Sesshoumaru opened his eyes again, they were golden flames and the anger at the kit was absent but filled with a different intensity. "I have you now and that is all that matters."

She wasn't allowed to leave his lap until he let her go but she was less embarrassed after hearing the way he almost lost himself to his beast because they hadn't been able to find her.

At the hospital, Sesshoumaru still held her when they were in the elevator but this time there was no strange and cold woman telling her about herself. Sesshoumaru gathered the nursing staff and told them about the counsel Muri Mai gave them for the healing of the children. Kagome was allowed full access to all the rooms and she was the only one allowed near Tessaiga.

The day had warranted no negative side effects from the children. Sesshoumaru informed her that they would visit each child and spend a half hour with them, whether to read or color or talk. This would expose their combined youki and reiki and hopefully, the battling powers within the children would take note of the calmer energies of the adults and copy it. For the most part, it worked.

The children on the highest level didn't show much progress but they didn't go the opposite way either, so that was a positive for them. It was understandable that their therapy would take longer. But yes, day one was successful!

Dinner was at home with the family and the conversation around the table was lively as Kagome's bubbly personality exploded with the day's events. Shippo was engaged in the conversation, Rin was a little more hesitant in being hopeful though. Sesshoumaru, who was always acutely aware of Rin's emotions, turned to her.

"Rin, this will work. We will save Nobuhiro, he will wake."

Rin's eyes watered and she nodded to him, not saying anything, afraid her voice would crack. Shippo pulled her in for a hug and she gave him a watery smile. "Don't worry, Rin. Everything will be okay." He rubbed her arms and she buried her face in his shoulder.

Kagome's heart ached as she remembered that one of Shippo's and Rin's children had already died from this perilous imbalance. She reached for comfort and found it in Sesshoumaru's hand entwined with hers. He gave a gentle squeeze despite the frown on his face.

After dinner, Sesshoumaru led Kagome down a hallway she hadn't been in yet. They reached a door that had a barrier over it and with a pulse of youki, the barrier softened enough to let them through.

"Where are we going?" Kagome leaned closer to him as they walked down the staircase into a lower level of the house. The stairway was lined with youki-activated lights and they finally reached what looked like a young boy's room. Pictures lined the wall of people Kagome did not know. There were old black and white photos next to modern ones, cards flapping on the walls wishing happy birthdays and get wells. At the far corner of the room was a bed with a young boy who looked no older than ten, lying still as if sleeping. What made this all look wrong was a glowing white sword that was plunged through the boy's chest.

"What is this place? Who is that?" Kagome grabbed Sesshoumaru's arm and hid behind him as they neared the boy.

"This is Nobuhiro, one of your grandchildren. He is Shippo's and Rin's seventh child, their second son. Kimiko was their first child who showed symptoms of imbalance and did not survive. Nobuhiro's symptoms did not surface until near his fifteenth year."

Kagome edged closer to Nobuhiro and took a good look at the sword. It pulsed in recognition of her and she noticed a good-sized hole, a perfect circle had been cut from the blade of the sword. A white tendril of energy snaked through the air until it connected to Sesshoumaru's hand.

"That ring was a part of Tenseiga, I knew it!" Kagome watched as the sword disappeared from the boys chest and reappeared in Sesshoumaru's hand. The boys chest moved up and down as he began to breathe again. "Why does the sword have to be in the boy? What kind of power does Tenseiga have now?" she wondered aloud.

"Tenseiga is an extension of myself and my father. Because Nobuhiro's energies fluctuate recklessly, Tenseiga acts as a grounding wire and turns off his youki and reiki. I keep a part of Tenseiga on me to draw from my youki stores and I can control any uprising that may occur when I am away from home." Sesshoumaru lifted the sword to his face and stared at it for a while. "But Tenseiga was not made for this purpose and he grows tired of constantly expending energy."

"What side effect does this have on Nobuhiro?"

Sesshoumaru looked over their grandson with a frown. "He has the power of a mere human when Tenseiga is imbedded in him. That is the only side effect I am aware of. The sword keeps him suspended in time."

The great dog demon walked to the head of the child and stroked his hair a few times before resting his large palm on the boy's forehead. His other hand stretched out for Kagome's. She placed her hand in Sesshoumaru's and followed his instruction to put her other hand on Nobuhiro's heart.

"I am going to pour some of my youki into you. Let is mix with your reiki and let our energy pass through your hand and into his heart."

"Are you sure this is safe?" Kagome grew a little nervous, they hadn't even tried this on anyone yet, hadn't tested this theory of theirs.

"I expect it to be safe."

"But we don't even have a strong bond-" but it was too late. His youki was already coursing down her arm like vodka on an empty stomach.

"Accept me with your reiki, let us mix together."

"It burns," she whispered with heat.

Sesshoumaru grasped her hand tighter. "I apologize. Cool it, temper it with your reiki but do not put out the fire," he instructed.

Kagome took deep breaths until Sesshoumaru's fire that coursed through her body felt more like she was sitting next to a fire rather than standing above one. Her reiki was blue and at first contact with Sesshoumaru's reiki, it snapped a couple times. Kagome heard Sesshoumaru tell her to concentrate and let them dance.

Dance.

That word changed the way she thought to mix her reiki in with the fire stream that was Sesshoumaru's youki. She ordered her reiki to dance and like a professional ballerina, the blue reiki tendrils pressed themselves against the white that was Sesshoumaru's youki. They weaved in and out of each other and she felt her instincts kick in 'yes, this is how'.

It was time.

Kagome released the mixed energy from her hand and streamed it into the boy. There was a large intake of breath, it came from Nobuhiro but his eyes did not remain open.

"Slow down, Kagome. Release it slower."

Kagome heeded Sesshoumaru's order and streamed only a fine line of energy through to Nobuhiro's heart. His breathing slowed down and they could see his energy manifest itself outside his body. Waves of purple and yellow ceased snapping at each other like cobras and calmed until they were still.

"Now slowly cut off the energy. We have done enough for one day."

Once again, Kagome heeded Sesshoumaru and when the last bit of energy was passed on, the remainder swirled in her and brought a smile to her face. She stepped back and watched as the sword appeared in Sesshoumaru's hand again, disappeared and then reappeared in Nobuhiro's chest. She could feel Tenseiga pulsing as if thanking them.

"Tenseiga is happy." Kagome smiled, she could feel the spirit of the sword caressing her with warmth.

"He is grateful for the rest."

His warmth was still in her and it amazed her that such a powerful part of his make up could co-exist so well with her. It made her feel…

…whole.

Sesshoumaru caught her smile and knew her thoughts. "It is a pleasant feeling, having your reiki in me."

Kagome looked at him wide-eyed. She never thought he'd say half the things he already had the previous day but this, him admitting that he enjoyed the feeling of having her energy in him, was a little hard for her to believe.

"I feel," she started but stopped. She didn't want to sound stupid in front of him.

"-complete?" he finished for her. When she nodded, Sesshoumaru gave her a smile that made her melt. "This is the beginning of the bond we will forge. It will only get better, that I promise."

Kagome took one more look at Nobuhiro before Sesshoumaru led her up the stairs with his hand at the small of her back. She was exhausted. Is this why Sesshoumaru always seemed so tired and stressed? Did he do this every day?

Well, hopefully his burden would be lighter with her around and hopefully she would be able to make a sizeable difference. If not for him, then for all those like her grandson and Shippo and Rin.

* AUTHOR'S NOTE *

I am so sorry this took so long to get out. I really am. I don't even remember the last time I updated but I hope that things begin to move a bit faster in the story. Thank you to all those who have faithfully followed and reviewed and added this story to their favorites list. It helps to remind me that there are people out there reading and waiting.

Please feel free to review. I like to get a good idea of how many people read through this story! You guys are the best!

Echo