I do not own Inuyasha.

Please read and review so I can feel important.

Melissa sighed with contentment in his arms as she cuddled her youkai, then she realized what he'd just said. She leaned back and looked up at him wide eyed. "Are... Are You asking me marry you?"

"Yes. If that would please you." He replied, stroking her cheek.

A lovely smile blossomed across her face and her eyes sparkled with tears of joy as she nodded. She kissed him gently then laid her head on his shoulder. "Yes, I marry you. I love you, Sesshomaru." She lifted her head, suddenly worried. "I not able have babies for you."

"I know that my dear." He replied, hugging her tightly. "I wish to be with you. Melissa, you are more to me than a womb for my children. One day I will take a concubine to fulfill my duty to my bloodline. For the time being I wish to have you by my side as my beloved wife."

"Duty?" She asked, "You not want children?"

He licked her cheek. "I do desire children. I have not forgotten my promise to find children for you. You will be their mother and I will be called father. However though blood does not matter to me it does to the court. I must produce an heir one day. Our found children will not be able to inherit my father's territory, my territory."

She started to cry. "You... You are going cheat on me?"

"What does that mean, my love?" He asked stroking her cheek.

"In America man has one wife, wife has one husband. To sleep with person you are not marry to is cheat on wife."

"Yes, I will have to cheat on you. It is not something I wish to do. I want you to be the mother of my foundling children and I could be content."

Melissa pulled away from him and hid her face in her hands, crying. She was torn about what to do. She wanted to marry him, she truly did, but he was going to cheat on her. He had to. It was just the way it was, he had to have a child.

"I need think." She told him standing, she pulled on her kimono and left the cave. He allowed her to leave. There really wasn't an option for him, but there was for her. She had said she'd marry him, but the idea of him taking a concubine was truly distressing to her. If she could not accept it he would not hold her to marrying him.

She walked to the creek and sat down. She drew Raven and cast a circle then sat to meditate, to clear her head. She hoped that once she was calm she'd be able to decide what to do.

He wanted to marry her, to raise children with her. But he was going to sleep with someone else. Not because wanted to, but because he had to. That woman would have a tital too, concubine. Not mistress, not nasty little slut, concubine. That's just how it was here. It wasn't viewed as wrong.

And he didn't lie to her like Josh did. He freely admitted he it. He had no choice, really. That woman would be nothing more than his baby's mother, she would be his wife. She would be the one he loved. She, Melissa, was the one he'd waited centuries to give his virginity to.

Wait... He'd waited centuries. He'd waited centuries and he was young. She'd die long before he did. She'd die and he'd still be young enough to start a family. If he could wait it wasn't cheating.

Melissa rubbed her arms as she sat in thought. It was freezing, even in her heavy kimono she was cold. Then something fluffy and white was placed across her shoulders. She looked behind her at the youkai she loved and smiled. He sat down beside her with one leg stretched out and his arms resting on his raised knee.

"Your powers are stronger. I assume you mean to keep out only negative energy, but this Sesshomaru had some difficulty walking through your barrier. A lesser youkai would not be able to cross it." He told her as they watched the little creek.

"Sesshomaru, how old?" She asked after a long silence.

"How old is what, Melissa?"

"You."

Sesshomaru frowned slightly. "When one lives as long as this Sesshomaru time means little. I am unsure how old I am. I was a young man when father died, that was over 200 years ago." He was silent for a long time before adding "360 would be a close estimate."

"Can wait to have baby? Maybe 50 years? I not want share you, but I not want you be alone, not have babies. In 50 years I maybe be dead."

"Do not speak of such things!"

"I human, Sesshomaru. We die when old."

Sesshomaru was silent for a long time. He closed his eyes as though in pain then without looking at her reached out and pulled her close. "I know, but I do not wish to think about it. Yes. I will wait."

She laid her head on his shoulder, careful to avoid the spikes as they were not covered by the mokomoko. "I not afraid of be dead, but not want to. I will miss you."

"And I will miss you as well, my dear." He kissed the top of her head then felt something cold touch his cheek. He opened his eyes and saw another fluffy white snow flake drift past his eyes and melt against Melissa's hair. He rearranged the mokomoko so that it covered her head as well as her shoulders. She smiled at him and arranged it to cover both their heads as they watched the year's first snow fall around them.

"You should get back to the cave." He told her later when he felt her begin to shiver. He stood and picked her up, still wrapped in his mokomoko.

"I not need carry."

"I enjoy carrying you. But you may walk if you prefer."

"No. You can carry me now." She replied leaning her head against him.

Once he had made sure she was comfortable he went hunting and returned with a large portion of his kill, enough for several meals. Melissa cut off a small piece to cook and he buried the rest in the snow for later.

He took a walk while she ate her dinner. He didn't go far. He was near the cave watching the moon when something collided with the back of his head. He lifted a hand and felt the cold, damp snow that clung to his silver hair. Melissa giggled behind him and he turned just in time to get hit in the face by a second snow ball.

Laughing Melissa darted behind a large tree. She scooped up more snow and packed another snowball. She cautiously peeked around the tree, where was he? She felt a tap on her shoulder and as she turned Sesshomaru shoved a large handful of snow in her face.

She laughed and wiped snow from her face. She looked up into the face of the man she loved, he had a beautiful smile. She wished he would smile more often. He cupped her face in his large hands, "Your lips look cold. Allow me to warm them, my dear."

She placed her hands on his breast plate as they kissed and he did not feel her hands slowly move across his armor. She slid them up and to the sides while he was distracted kissing her. The kiss broke and they stared into each other's eyes. She then dug her fingers into his armpits, forcing a deep, rich belly laugh before he pulled away.

He glared at her and she gave him one of her dazzling smiles. He smirked then lunged forward. He pushed her down to the snowy ground, attacking her ribs with his fingers until she cried for mercy. When he finally desisted he did not let her catch her breath but covered her lips with his.

He laid over her in the snow and caressed her rosy face as he gazed into her sparkling eyes. How was it possible to be so beautiful and still look more lovely with each passing day? He picked her up and took her back in the cave. They undressed and kept each other warm while their kimonos dried by the fire.

Jaken returned 10 days after he left. Melissa was sitting by the fire meditating while Sesshomaru hunted when she heard the tiny kappa "M'lord, I have completed the errand. May I come in?"

"Come in Jaken." She called. Jaken's face appeared in the opening of the cave as he cautiously peeked in to make sure he was not interrupting them. Seeing her alone and fully dressed in entered the cave.

"Where is Sesshomarusama, m'lady?"

Melissa blinked in surprise at the tital 'lady'. Well, Jaken wasn't stupid. A spazz sometimes, but not stupid. He obviously knew what had been going on in his absence. He had accidently walked in on them getting hot and heavy after all. She then wondered if he could smell Sesshomaru's semen, turning bright red.

"Sesshomaru go hunt." She answered stirring the fire to avoid looking at the kappa. "Come, is cold. Get warm."

"Thank you m'lady. You are most gracious. Many would disagree because you are a human but I believe m'lord chose quite wisely to make you his concubine."

"Wife." She corrected, smiling. "He ask me for marry him."

Jaken's beak dropped open and he was rendered speechless for several moments. Then he began his usual ass kissing about what an honor his lord had chosen to bestow upon her. She wasn't listening though, she was a million miles away, lost in a very indecent daydream about her groom to be.

They left bright and early the next day, Sesshomaru was tired of being cooped up in the cave. Bored with the grey stone walls. While Melissa did keep him well entertained one could only fuck so many hours of the day.

After only a short while Melissa called his name and her turned to see her shivering violently with her arms wrapped tightly around herself. He pulled the mokomoko from his shoulder and wrapped it around her. "This will help. Let me know if you need to stop and build a fire." She smiled gratefully and nodded.

It was shortly before lunch when she asked to stop early through chattering teeth. He nodded and instructed Jaken to gather wood. He held Melissa in his lap with his arms around her to warm her until Jaken had a blazing fire going. Then he went to hunt while she stayed by the fire to keep warm.

They had to stop early for bed as well. It was simply too cold for Melissa to continue on. Sesshomaru held her while Jaken built the fire again. After she had eaten he transformed into his true form. He then began to dig through the snow until he had uncovered a large patch of dry ground below. He turned around three times then lay down and looked at he expectantly.

She knew what he intended and cuddled up against the soft warm fur of his side. He lay his giant head beside her and curled his tail over his nose. She sighed in contentment and cuddled down into his warm fur until she was completely covered, safe and warm.

The next morning he waited for her to awaken before he stood and shook off the fine covering of snow that had fallen in the night. He began to trudge on, Melissa following through the trench he created and Jaken following her. It was not long before they came to a busy town.

Sesshomaru and Melissa went to the town so Melissa could stock up on tampons then have lunch at a tavern. Sesshomaru suggested spending the night so that she could sleep in a real bed. She agreed and they left town to tell Jaken then returned and visited a bathhouse before retiring. It was an uncomfortable experience for Melissa, bathing with complete strangers. One of whom seemed sick but insisted on talking to her then coughed in her face.

It was Melissa who insisted they leave early the next morning, but they soon had to top and build a fire. Sesshomaru realized he couldn't keep her out in this weather, he had to find a place for her to live through the harsher months. There were two options, one was Inuyasha's village, the other was his mother's palace.

He had killed Kojo, and Inuyasha and Kagome would be happy to put her up. But she had not lived among them through the year. The villagers might not appreciate a share of rice going to one who had not helped bring in the harvest as Rin had. He, of course, would pay for her keep, but from whom would they buy extra food? And Inuyasha's village was a week's walk away. More as frequently as they now had to stop.

His mother on the other hand had more than enough to share. And while not everyone would approve of his choice of wife his mother had given her blessing before he even realized he loved Melissa. She would see that she was well protected. And she was probably much closer.

"Jaken, where was my mother's palace when you located it?"

"Not far at all m'lord. A day's walk, perhaps a little more in this weather. It may still be there, we've not had much wind."

"Let's go."