I do not own Inuyasha. But I do now own a white betta fish I named Sesshomaru. He is so elegant. I had never seen a white betta before, I certainly wasn't going to let the local fish fighting ring kill him so I bought him.

Please, please reveiw. Reviews make me feel better and I could use it.

Melissa had never been so cold before as she trudged along after Sesshomaru. They had stopped once, that morning, so that she could curl up in his fur and get warm. But now a storm was coming and Sesshomaru was worried. They could not stop, they had to reach his mother's castle before the storm reached them.

She stumbled and fell and Sesshomaru picked her up in his arms, hugging her close to his chest. "I know you are cold my dear. But Mother's palace is not far, I can smell it. You'll be able to get warm soon."

He had made the decision to walk to the castle for fear the wind would pull heat away from her faster if they flew. It hardly mattered now, the wind was picking up. The snow was coming down hard as well. "Jaken, we fly from here." He informed the kappa, waiting just long enough for his servant to grab his hakama leg before taking to the air.

Melissa shivered violently and hunched down in the mokomoko so that her face was protected by the soft fluff. The wind picked up and the snow came down harder. Or maybe it was snow lifted from the ground that made seeing where he was going so hard. Before long he was flying in white out conditions, trying to find his way by the smell blown into his face by the wind.

He did not see the gates but they opened by magic for the heir of the household. He saw the door to the main castle just in time to stop and pushed it open. He walked through, shaking off snow as Jaken released his leg. "We are here, Melissa. Melissa? Melissa!"

She was no longer shivering, nor was she responding to him at all. He pushed the mokomoko away from her face. Her eyes were closed and he skin was pale as ice. Her lips were starting to take a blue tint.

"Let me see her." He had not heard his mother and Kumiko enter the room. His mother reached past the mokomoko into Melissa's kimono, placing a hand over her heart. Then she placed her fingers in Melissa's armpit to see how warm her body felt.

"The Kotatsu is warm, come." His mother order turning on her heel while Kumiko darted off toward the kitchens. "She has a pulse, but it's weak and her body temerature is much to low. You should have brought her here before the snow fell Sesshomaru!" His mother scolded. He made no reply. There was nothing he could say, she was right.

"She needs to get warm right away, strip her garments."

"Strip her?" He asked.

"Do not pretend to be shy, Sesshomaru! I can smell it, your seed between her thighs."

"I was not going to deny I have taken her as my woman. I simply do not know why I am disrobing her." He had already pulled the mokomoko from her and laid it over his shoulder so he could lean her against him as he began pulling her clothing off.

"Did your nursemaid drop you on your head when I wasn't looking? It is obvious, is it not? As the clothing slowed heat from leaving her body it would also slow it from returning to her." She explained as she pushed the door open for him.

Kumiko followed them with fresh coals to put under the kotatsu. He slipped her under the blankets and crouched beside her, watching her intensly for any sign that she was getting better.

Kumiko cast a worried glance at them as she approached Kimiko. "My Lady, her feet..."

"I know. I saw them too, she may lose a couple of toes. That is unimportant. Fetch the head healer and bring him here, don't worry about picking up her clothing."

"I've already got them." Jaken spoke from near the door. He indeed had a bundle of silk and linen in his arms bigger than he was. He had picked up every item as Sesshomaru dropped them. "Should I take them to laundry?"

"If you wish to go out in the storm and freeze to death you may. However you may also put them in any out of the way spot until the laundry maid picks them up. She won't be able to wash in this weather."

Kimiko turned from Jaken and bent over Melissa, Sesshomaru knew she was scenting her. He could smell no difference in her but his mother had a more powerful nose, most females did. "What do you smell, Mother?"

"Perhaps nothing. I will have to check later to be sure. For now we will focus on keeping her warm"

It was minutes but it seemed like forever before Kumiko returned with the healer. Sesshomaru had to fight the urge to growl at him. He didn't want him to examine his woman, the man was a pervert. But there was no real choice.

"Turn your head until I say otherwise!" Sesshomaru ordered. The man did as he was told, shrewd eyes scanning the room for a mirror or other reflective surface to spy on her nudity. Sesshomaru wrapped his mokomoko around her most intimate parts. The healer only needed to see her face and frost bit feet after all.

After a brief examination the healer assured them she'd live. Infact, she'd recover well and probably keep most of her toes. One worried him, the smallest on her left foot. If he had to amputate it it would not affect her mobility long term. Short term she'd have difficulty walking until her feet healed anyway. He considered going ahead and taking it while she was unconscious but decided to see if it would heal.

While the healer was conducting his examination Kumiko fetched some sake and Jaken put Melissa's clothes in a corner of one of the empty rooms just outside the door. Jaken returned in time to hear her prognoses was good and was visibly relieved, though he'd never admit it.

"Will she be okay?" Kumiko asked coming in with sake and cups after the healer left.

"He says she may lose one of her toes, but over all she'll be fine." Kimiko told her.

Sesshomaru meanwhile had noticed something odd, "Four cups?"

"Do you think your mother drinks alone son? No. Kumiko often joins me for a drink at night, she is as much friend as staff. Also I am sure due to his tiny size the cold has chilled your servant to his bones. He is welcome to join us for a nightcap as well."

Jaken's huge eyes filled with tears. "The Lady Mother is too gracious! I am not worthy!" he wailed.

"If you are not worthy then take your cup and sit in a corner if you wish, but drink. Once you are warm Kumiko will show you to the servants chambers for the night." She told him picking up the flask. As was polite Kumiko filled everyone's cup but her own, another had to fill hers.

"Jaken, come. Sit and quit making a scene. All that noise might rouse Melissa and she needs rest." Once the sake was drunk Kumiko showed Jaken where he could sleep then returned to help Kimiko prepare for bed in another room of her chambers. Sesshomaru went to his chambers and placed his armor on a stand in the corner. Then noticed the neatly folded kimono by his chest. Jaken had chosen to put Melissa's kimono in Sesshomaru's childhood room.

When he returned to Melissa's side the lamps had been extinguished. He knew he was probably the only person still awake. He removed his kimono and put it to the side, slipping barechested under the covers beside Melissa. He wrapped his arms around her, hoping to keep her warm if the embers died down during the night.

"Should I wake them, my lady?" he heard Kumiko asked a few hours later.

"The woman will wake when she is ready. My son is already awake. It's time to get up, Sesshomaru."

He opened his eyes and found that Melissa had turned over in her sleep and was facing him now. The color had returned to her face and her heart was beating strongly in her chest. He sat up and pulled on his kimono. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked around , slightly confused.

"We are in the palace, you passed out along the way. How do you feel?"

"My feet hurt." She whispered hoarsely.

"They were badly frost bitten last night. You may lose a toe, but the healer expects you to make a full recovery and regain full mobility once they have healed" Sesshomaru explained. The healer was sent for and he and an assistant came to examine her. When Sesshomaru pulled her from beneath the kotatsu his heart plummeted, her toe was black, dead. He held her tightly and spoke to her to distract her as preparations were made to remove it.

The healer wrapped a cloth tightly over her healthy toes, forcing them to curl under and out of his way. Then instructed Sesshomaru to hold her and his assistant to hold her leg so she couldn't jerk about, they had no way to deaden the pain or knock her out. Sesshomaru hugged her tightly to his chest and stroked her hair while speaking to distract Melissa as the healer blew blue flames on a sharp knife until it glowed red hot. She screamed in pain as with one swift movement he sliced off her toe, cauterizing the wound in the process.

"It's okay, dear. It's over. You did very well." Sesshomaru assured her as she sobbed against his chest. It was his fault she was in pain, had he brought her sooner... But he couldn't change the past.

"She did indeed. I have heard battle harden soldiers scream worse from an amputation, granted it takes longer to remove limbs." Kimiko informed them, having watched the whole thing from her bedroom door.

"You have seen amputations, mother?"

"Before you were born we were at war with the south. The youkai there were strong and everyone who could fight did. That included females with no young to nurture. You have no doubt noticed how much territory we have in the south, their men were strong, but our women were stronger."

Kumiko returned from where ever she had run off to at that moment and the men were shooed out so that Melissa could be dressed before breakfast. She received a light scolding from his mother for picking at her food, but she just wasn't hungry. Nor did she eat much lunch. She didn't feel well at all, But Sesshomaru figured it was because she'd been frozen almost to death the night before. It might take a few days to regain her strength.

Sesshomaru ended up putting her to bed before dinner was served. Kumiko went with him to lay out the futon and dress her in a sleeping yukata. She wanted to put her in the room across from his but he was having none of that, Melissa would sleep were he could keep her warm through the coldest hours of night.

"Is your concubine comfortable, my son? I can have more blankets sent to your room." His mother asked when he joined her for dinner, leaving Jaken to watch Melissa.

"She is not a concubine."

"Oh? What is she then if not your concubine? You are bedding the woman. Even now she is sleeping in your bed."

"I intend to make her my wife. It is the custom of her people to marry in summer, until then she is to be known as my intended."

"I will make the staff aware. However you know until this summer she will still be called concubine behind our backs."

"I am aware. I am also aware not all of the staff will approve of my choice, nor her presence here. She will need protection for the times when I must leave, I cannot neglect my duties but it will not be safe for her to accompany me until spring returns. And our ways are not hers, she will need help with knowing our customs and manners when in polite company."

"Don't worry so, my son. Your mother will see that she's well cared for. I already have a few loyal ladies in mind for he lady in waiting. By morning I'll have chosen one. And her safety will be assured as well."

Sesshomaru woke suddenly early the next morning. He heard the sound that had woken him again, Melissa coughing, and opened his eyes to see her shuffling away on her painful feet. She had a hand over her mouth and was moving toward a chamberpot someone put in the corner for her. Half way there her legs gave way and she ended up on her hands and knees as her stomach contents came up forcefully. He jumped from bed and went to her, before his hand even touched her back he could feel the heat coming off her body though she shivered as though cold.

He heard a knock and the shoji door slid open before he could answer. He grabbed up the hakama he'd discarded in favor of sleeping nude and pulled them on quickly.

"Oh Maruchan, how many times did I wash your little hiney? You have nothing I haven't seen before, my little lord." The woman laughed stepping into the room and sliding the door behind her.

She was as tall and he was and twice as wide. Though dressed well her brown and grey streaked hair escaped her bun in several places, giving her a shaggy appearance and her warm, dark eyes were full of laughter. He stared in shock, his mother had sent his nursemaid to care for Melissa?

She spotted Melissa crumpled on the floor behind him and rushed past tsking. "Oh dear, dear, dear. The lady mother was afraid you were falling ill. You were starting to smell of sickness. You're burning up, well let's get you back in a bed now, up we get."

She had placed a large hand against Melissa's forehead. A hand that had surprisingly short stubby fingers, giving it a paw like appearance. The thick dark claws didn't help. Then picked her up in large arms like a child.

"Where do you think you are taking her?" Sesshomaru asked stepping between his nursemaid and the door.

"Maruchan she should be moved so you do not catch whatever is ailing her. I intend to put her across the hall. She really shouldn't have spent the night in your bed anyway, you are not married and you do not wish her to be called concubine."

"I will decide where she sleeps. Put her back in that bed." He stated firmly pointing to his futon.

"Oh, you want to get sick do you?"

"This Sesshomaru does not get sick."

"Because this Sesshomaru doesn't get close enough to others to catch sick. But you are not a God, Maruchan, you should keep a safe distance until she is better. You can't keep a safe distance sleeping on the same futon"

"She stays!" He told her firmly.

"Fine." She huffed, "If you insist. We both know I am right but she needs to be warm in bed. I will be more than happy to gloat while you are laying weak as a kitten beside her."

She tucked Melissa into the bed. "There you are. Just rest and get well. My name is Ume, but you can call me Granny, everyone does."

"Thanks, uh, Granny, but I not want make Sesshomaru sick."

"Nor do I want him to be sick, but you know how stubborn Maruchan is. Oh child, I could tell you some tales!"

Sesshomaru didn't think much of that idea and told them so with a warning growl. That was a mistake. She jumped to her feet eye's snapping.

"Excuse me?! I did not just hear you growl at me, cub! Do not think for a moment you'll ever be so big I'll hesitate to turn you over my knee! Your mother has not revoked that right just because you think you are grown, cub! You apologize now or I will embarrass you infront of your lady friend!"

Instead he pulled back his lips and exposed his teeth as he growled at her again. With a speed he'd forgotten she had Granny grabbed his arm, crouched down, and tossed him over her raised knee. Shock rendered him paralyzed long enough for her to pull down his hakama and land three painful blows that turned his pale ass cheeks a rosy red.

He jumped away when she let him go, shocked. He stared wide eyed and unconsciously rubbed his sore butt just as he had when she'd spanked him as a puppy. Part of him wanted to strike her down, but he could not. Quite aside from the fact she was his mother's employee he'd always loved her like a grandmother. What ever she did she was safe, all he could do was scowl at her.

"One for each century you've lived. Show your teeth to me again and I'll make it each decade!" She warned.

A moment later Jaken appeared in the doorway. "M'lord, I ran in to your mother on the way up, she wishes to speak to you if you have a moment."

"Stay with Melissa, do not allow anyone to remove her from this room!" He ordered as he stalked out.

AN: I seem to remember some one in the comments saying he needed a spanking a while back. I quite agree. You're welcome.