I don't own Inuyasha or Sesshomaru but my dog may be a demon.

Please read and review.

Author's note: I did edit before I posted, but when I saved it I ended up with two copies some how. This is the correct one.

Sesshomaru walked alongside Melissa through the courtyard. Dinner had been a strained affair. His mother simply would not believe that his relationship with Melissa was innocent and she had asked many questions. Sesshomaru had told her most of the truth about Melissa, she was from a distant country and had arrived by accident when a magic spell backfired. He had not told her that Melissa was from 500 years in the future. Nor that Melissa had arrived naked.

Earlier his mother had tried to get them to bathe together, that had been mortifying. She was a beautiful woman, and lately she was having an effect on him he couldn't deny. The idea of her naked body, once no more interesting than any other creature, now excited him. It excited him in a way that would have been extremely embarrassing and impossible to hide in the bath.

He looked at her, the wind had been blowing and it pulled a few tresses of her hair free from her hairdo. The wind calmed for a moment and they fell around her face, she looked gorgeous with the wisps of golden hair caressing her pale skin, framing her delicate face. The wind gusted again and they heard a loud near clap of thunder. Melissa jumped in surprise, grabbing on to him and looking in confusion at the starry sky above them.

"It came from below." He told her softly. He picked her up in his arms and flew to the top of the palace wall. The guards standing on duty nearby acknowledged them and looked curiously at his human guest. The clouds around them were illuminated from below, accompanied by another loud clap as he set her down to watch the storm rage below them.

Then he saw something that almost never happened and his heart skipped a beat, the lightning had arced upward. Without thinking her flew off the wall in front of Melissa, intercepting the lightning bolt that came far too close to hitting her. She screamed as the jagged bolt illuminated his body, then he fell. She screamed his name as he fell below the clouds below. The guards jumped from their posts, racing down to intercept their lord's body.

A moment later they returned empty handed and Sesshomaru flew up past them. He staggered slightly on his landing and Melissa grabbed him, holding him against her as he often held her. He wrapped his arms around her and jumped down to the ground within the walls where they were safe. Before he even touched down with her she was sobbing into his chest.

"You are unharmed?" He asked. She didn't answer, she just continued to cry as he stood there staring helplessly at her. He was concerned for her, but also painfully aware of her body against him. He had always had the barrier of his armor between them, but he wasn't wearing it as they weren't leaving the palace. He also was aware for the first time that she always pressed herself to his right side. That was why she'd never been hurt by his armor, she was protected by his mokomoko.

He took her by the shoulders and gave her a shake, "Answer me! Are you unharmed?"

"Stop, Sesshomaru!" His mother ordered walking forward from an open doorway quickly. She seemed composed, but her skin was paler that usual. "The woman is panicked, yelling will not calm her down."

She gently pulled Melissa off him. "Come now, Sesshomaru is fine. I know that was frightening but it's over now. Come with me, seeing my son struck by lightening, I think I could use a drink and you look as though you could use one to. Come along my son."

'A drink... Yes, I had better come along.' He thought, eyes narrowing suspiciously. He rolled his neck and shoulders, he was going to feel that in the morning. Then he ran his hands over his hair, smoothing it back down before he followed his mother and Melissa.

She led them to the royal quarters, past their respective rooms to her own chambers. Her chambers were comprised of multiple rooms but they stopped in the first one and Melissa was bid to sit on a cushion in front of the kotatsu. In the winter coals would be placed in the grated pit dug into the floor and blankets hung over the frame, held in place by the tabletop. It would be a warm place to sit and work or nap. Right now however it was warm, the blankets were in storage and the kotatsu was just a table.

Sesshomaru sat beside her and his mother across from them. A moment later Kumiko and another youkai came in carrying cups and bottles of sake. When the cups were placed before them Sesshomaru snatched up Melissa's cup. He looked closely at the inside and rim, sniffed it, then ran a finger over the inside. Certain it had not been tampered with her placed it back in front of her and performed the same inspection on his own.

It would be rude, extremely rude, to refuse to drink. And he couldn't take Melissa and fly away, not in this storm. So he would match her, drink for drink. his mother was smaller, she would feel the effects of the alcohol sooner. As long as she was drunker than him there wasn't much danger to be had in a few drinks.

"Melissa, Mother and I are youkai, our tolerance for alcohol is high, do not feel you have to match us." He whispered. She grinned at him and he knew she'd decided to take his warning as a challenge. She, of course, was the first person affected by the drinks. Her face was soon red and she giggled at nothing. At least she was a happy drunk.

Kimiko knew her senses were dulled, Sesshomaru's should be too. She scratched her chin three times. It was her signal to Kumiko that Sesshomaru might not be alert enough to notice her slight of hand if she filled Kimiko's cup with water from the bottle hidden in her kimono. As luck would have it Melissa helped, distracting Sesshomaru with a question long enough for the cups to be filled, one with water two with sake.

"Sesshomaru... where I... I need... Not know..." When had she ever asked? Kagome had shown her their outhouse. And while traveling she never asked, she just wandered into the bushes and did her business. Now she had to pee and didn't know how to ask where to go.

Kimiko was an intelligent woman, and it wasn't hard to guess what she needed. They were drinking after all. "Kumiko, show her to the out house and render any other help she may need." It could be hard for a tipsy woman to get so many kimonos out of the way.

"This way, Merissasama." Kumiko told her, leading her through a shoji door to the outside. Melissa wobbled slightly, but not to much. Sesshomaru had already drained his cup, having forgotten to match his mother and watched her leave. While he was distracted his mother refilled his sake.

Kimiko took a slow sip of her water and Sesshomaru drained his cup again, thinking she did the same. His face was growing red as well. His responses to questions growing slower. He was distracted once again when they returned and his mother filled his cup once more.

Melissa tripped on her way to her seat and he stood quickly. She bounced back up before he could rush to her and giggled at her clumsiness. Sesshomaru smiled in return. Then he chuckled. His mother smiled, the alcohol was starting to take effect.

His mother asked again where Melissa was from, getting much more detail this time. 500 years in the future, how was that possible? She asked him if he was sure an learned his brother's wife was too.

She had been about to take a sip but stopped and slowly set down her cup. "I did not realize you were on speaking terms with Inuyasha."

"I am not. We are civil only for the sake of the women." He replied, taking another drink.

"That's to bad. He is your only brother and your father's son. I must admit I was quite fond of Izayoi."

"Mother, you tried to kill her."

"Only once." She replied lightly picking her cup up and taking a small sip.

As the night wore on Sesshomaru's answers became less and less clear. But his mother was able to piece together a lot of the story he told. Melissa stopped talking in Japanese entirely but kept trying to talk to them regardless, giggling like a maniac the whole time.

Then she tried to tell his mom about Ring Around The Rosie, but she could only remember one line and kept singing it. Kimiko smiled indulgently at the intoxicated young woman. Sesshomaru started laughing. His mother was certain he couldn't understand Melissa any better than she could, but he was obviously familiar with the joke she was attempting to tell.

Then Melissa fell over against him, causing her to laugh again. His mother watched them, wondering how he'd react. Many women had tried to cozy up to him when he was intoxicated, hoping he'd be more receptive to their advances. He'd pushed them all away in disgust. So many so that his mother had begun to wonder if his preference went the other way.

He pushed Melissa now, but not out of disgust. He smiled at her as he helped her sit up straight once more. Then refilled her cup, spilling a copius amout of sake as he did.

At one point he got to his feet and staggered out to the outhouse. He fumbled with his hakama and took forever to retie the ties when he had finished. He did a poor job and they started to shimmy down his hips as he walked back to his mother's quarters. He pulled them up before he slid open the door and staggered back to his seat.

A short while later Melissa staggered to her feet with her hand over her mouth. Kumiko grabbed her by the shoulders and quickly guided her outside. A few minutes later they returned, the smell of vomit wafting through the door as it was opened. Sesshomaru looked at her in concern and spilled more sake into her cup, hoping it would help her feel better.

A few minutes later she slumped against him again. He pushed her back to an upright position but she didn't stay up right, she flopped over to the other side. He blinked at her in surprise then it hit him that he pushed her over and he picked her up, slurring apologies as he gathered her to his chest. He tucked her head up under his chin and rubbed her hair as he continued to mumble slurred apologies.

"Perhaps I should take her to her..." Kumiko began, she was cut off by a glare and a growl from Sesshomaru.

She tried again and reached for Melissa. He snarled and snapped at her, she was very lucky to draw back her hand with all her digits intact. Not being a dog she didn't even realize he'd spoken. "MINE!"

"Kumiko, do not attempt to take her from him again or he will likely kill you." Kimiko informed her maid in waiting. "Even if you do survive your usefulness would be much diminished."

She then addressed her son "Sesshomaru, your friend is unconcious. She needs to be put to bed."

Sesshomaru stared at his mother, then held Melissa back from him to look down at her and saw that she was indeed passed out. Then he wrapped one arm around her and held her tightly to his shoulder as he pushed himself to his feet, swaying as he did. He staggered toward the door. Stumbled several steps sideways then stumbled toward the door again.

"Be still!" He barked at the door as he stood before it swaying. He growled at the door for being uncooperative then grabbed the frame and pulled them through. He clunked Melissa's forehead on the frame as he did so, and realizing he hurt her he whimpered slightly and raised her higher on his shoulder so he could lick her wound. His mother watched his every drunken move.

His mother and Kumiko followed as he continued to stagger down the hall. His poorly tied hakama shimmied down his hips again and they exchanged a glanced and smothered their laughter with their hands as his full moon shone in the hallway. He nearly dropped Melissa as he bent down to grab the garment and pull it back up. He was distracted by the garment and walked right past their rooms then stared in confusion at the door when he reached the end of the hall.

He turned and staggered down the hall again, Melissa in one arm and the other hand holding up his hakama. He walked past the doors again but didn't reach his mother's door this time. He stumbled back to their rooms and looked from one door to the other. Then he looked at both ends of the hall, which direction had he come from? Which room was hers?

He made a decision and slid back one door, not realizing her carried her into his chamber. He laid her on his futon and once he thought she was comfortable he stood to leave. As he turned away the room started to spin. He swayed and didn't notice his hakama fall down again. A moment later he sat down hard on the edge of his futon.

He flopped over on his back next to her. He'd get up and go to his room in just a minute. He just needed to room to stop spinning and he'd leave. His mother smiled and slid the door closed as he barked at the ceiling to be still.