Part 12: Doubt

A/N: Threads are converging, and things are moving forward. After all the drama of the past few months, let's see what's in store next for our favorite couple!

Thank you to all you amazing readers for reviewing:

Liwliwa-Janoah

Little25victor

AmorPorSiempre

Reesexxoo (A little romance and lots of drama, more to come!)

Nihao-tiger

Maria-Reynne

LuckySoksy (Glad you enjoyed the chapter and its emotional drama.)

Malmal (Glad you enjoyed, here is the next one!)

Tonimeowmeow

Disclaimer: No matter how much I wish for it, I unfortunately own nothing except my plot, and a few OC's here and there.

This place was even more depressing than I remembered from the two times I had been allowed a visit. The Jihi clinic was the horrible institution where Naraku had kept my mother locked up. I had not seen her for over two years, and a part of me was terrified of finding out what she would look like now. I was sure her physical and mental states must have deteriorated due to her being forcefully kept inside, and away from the wind for so long. We kaze youkai needed the wind to live and be healthy. I pushed down my fears and decided to focus on the positive. I would get to see my mom after way too long, and that was all that mattered. It would have to tide me over until we managed to get her out of this place for good.

"Hello, I am Mayumi Sada, a graduate student here to do some research. I have approval to go have a chat with a patient named Mrs. Onigumo." I delivered the introductory speech I had rehearsed for the past week. I had been so disappointed to have had to wait six days to get to see mom, but apparently the clinic had strict visiting guidelines. I smiled brightly at the exhausted looking front desk employee. Even if Naraku had warned the hospital staff not to let me in, I knew there was no way they would be able to recognize me based on whatever picture my dear father had given them. I had borrowed some typical college student clothes, and was now rocking a pair of jeans and a faded shirt belonging to Kagome as well as one of Sango's workout hoodies. This coupled with my side ponytail and fake glasses made me look younger. If I may say so myself, I truly looked unrecognizable.

"I'm helping Doctor Sato with his research on youkai mental illness." I added after I slipped her my visitor badge, fake ID and forged letter from the dean of the local university.

She took hold of my documents, and carefully read them over. After a shrug, she jotted down my information in her visitor log, and gave me back my forged documents.

"She's in room 304, down the hall to your right. Only 30 minutes visits are allowed though."

I wanted to protest. Only 30 minutes after being apart for two years would not be enough. Instead I just smiled. I was so close, no need to blow things now.

"Sure thank you very much." I hitched my glasses higher on my nose, and headed in the direction she had pointed me towards. I had to actually contain myself so as not to run down the corridor. No need to attract attention to myself. When I finally made it in front of room 304, my palms were sweaty and my heart was pounding. I braced myself, and threw the door open.

To my surprise, the room was small but well appointed. There was a small living space set up next to the bed with a television and comfortable looking armchair. A woman was currently sitting on the make believe leather seat, staring up at the glowing screen of the television. I cautiously walked up to her, and to my surprise she did not seem to have heard me. I knelt in front of her and took her hands in mine. I looked up at an older version of myself. Mother and I shared similar looks, but sadly her imprisonment had left her looking faded and exhausted. Gone were the brilliant crimson eyes and lush raven hair. I fought the sob rising up in my throat.

"Mom?" I whispered gently. The empty look in her vacant eyes terrified me. It was as if she was already too far gone. I took off the fake glasses covering half of my face. Mom was seeing me for the first time in over two years, I wanted her to see me as clearly as possible.

"Mommy." I said, recalling how I used to call her when I was a child.

This time my call to her seemed to have caught her attention. She blinked a few times, and her eyes finally came back into focus.

"Kagura? My baby." She mumbled. Panic suddenly appeared in her eyes. "Does Naraku know you are here?" She anxiously looked around, probably searching for one of Naraku's guardians.

"No, and don't worry." I squeezed her hands in comfort. "We have half an hour to ourselves. A friend of mine arranged it."

"A friend? Is that person like Naraku?"

My mother might be addled by medication, and weakened due to her incarceration, but she had never been a stupid woman. She knew only a powerful man would dare go up against Naraku or even have the power to get me inside the clinic and get me to see her right under Naraku's nose. I would not lie to my mother. We needed to stick together so that we could see the end of this.

"His name is Sesshoumaru Tashio." I admitted. I knew she would not like the answer, but honesty would be the best policy.

Her face became even paler. She took in a shaky breath. "The Lord of the West... Kagura! What have you gotten yourself into?!" She squeezed my hands, digging her nails into my skin. I winced in pain, and tried to remove her hands from mine. For looking as pale and fragile as she did, she had amazing grip strength. I would only hurt her if I tried to unlink our hands, so I decided to suffer in silence for now.

"Mom, don't worry. He is nothing like Naraku. He is a good man. Loving and kind to those under his protection." I meant it. Sesshoumaru was as different from Naraku as a man could be. He had a kind heart despite his frosty exterior, and looked after his family.

"Does that include you?"

"Yes. It does." I readily admitted it to myself. Despite how things had started between us, we cared about one another. "He is nothing like Naraku, so please don't worry."

"So he has never hurt you, or caused you any harm? I find that hard to believe. He is one of the Four Lords, a criminal. A heartless monster. They all are."

"Of course not. Sesshoumaru would never hurt me." I stated even as last week's attack played back in my head. Even though the marks had disappeared, the feel of his hand squeezing my throat was still fresh in my mind.

"Do not be fooled my baby. He is like Naraku. If he has not hurt you yet, he will soon enough. You say you care for one another, but for all you know he could be just using you. I once fancied myself in love with Naraku. Before I knew the kind of monster he was. " She spat bitterly. "What about Sesshoumaru? Do you even really know him?"

I faltered at my mother's question. A part of me wanted to yell that I loved Sesshoumaru, and since sharing my life with him, I had gotten to know him intimately. But the words stayed glued in my throat. Her question nagged me as it tapped into a deeply buried worry I had tried my best to ignore. My love for him, was it based on a childhood infatuation? Did I really know Sesshoumaru? When you loved someone were you not supposed to know what was their favorite food, or favorite color? Most of the information I had about him I had gained through my snooping and spying over the years; not from deep conversations. More importantly did he know me? Did he even care to know me or was I just a convenient bed warmer and another stray that needed saving he had picked up as he had Rin. I pushed those thoughts out of my head. I had meant what I had said. Sesshoumaru was nothing like Naraku. He cared for me, and I knew he would never hurt me again. Whatever had happened last week was a fluke; such an attack would never happen again. Sesshoumaru and I just needed to learn how to communicate better, and get to know each other better. If we had he would not have so readily believed in the lies I had told Naraku, and he would not have expressed his swirling emotions in such a violent way.

In truth, I could understand why mother was so upset. What she had seen of the youkai underworld had been through the gaze of Naraku, and his evil treatment of her. Of course she would paint Sesshoumaru with the same brush. I was sure once she got to know him as I did, she would change her opinion on him.

"Sesshoumaru is not like that. He cares for his family. You should see how protective he is of his adoptive daughter. Something Naraku would never have even been able to do."

"He may not have hurt you for now. But he will eventually." She stated, ignoring my words.

I shivered at the definitive tone in her voice, and wanted to change the topic; especially when I realized I almost reached up to rub my throat. It was all healed from Sesshoumaru's attack, but I knew I would never forget the way he had managed to so easily set aside whatever feelings he had for me in order to attack me.

"He's helping me get you out of here. He will help us make all our dreams come true."

For the first time since she had recognized me, mother displayed a big smile. She finally started looking like the woman I remembered from my early childhood, before Naraku's continuous influence had turned her into an empty shell.

"So we will still do as we planned and get away from this city, from him?" She did not need to speak the name for me to know whom she was referring to.

"Yes Mom, we are." This had been our plan all along. Getting mom out, and getting away from Naraku… but now the prospect of leaving suddenly filled me with such dread. To be honest, deep down, even as I spoke the words I knew they were a lie. I needed her to stay strong, and latch on to something to keep her going. If leaving town with me was it, then I would gladly lie to her face. She needed not know about my relationship with Sesshoumaru and attachment to his family. These two anchors were making it impossible for me to even think about leaving this town behind. It was my hope I would never even have to face that decision. Once Naraku was dealt with, mom and I would be free, and she would see the benefits to staying here. Once she got to know the Tashio clan as I had, I knew she would fall in love with them, as I had.

My lies brought a big dazzling smile to her lips. For once the haunted daze left her eyes, and she finally seemed at peace. I hated to think that such happiness had been brought on by lies, but I decided to go with it… for now.

She released my hands, and brought a palm to gently caress my cheek.

"I knew I could count on you my baby." She leaned forward to press a kiss to my forehead. The action reminded me of the now usual tender gesture Sesshoumaru bestowed on me every morning as he left.

For now I soaked in her love and comfort. I still had time to think over how to deal with her and Naraku.

"We don't have much time Mom, let's talk about something else. Tell me about how you are." I stood up to sit next to my mother. "While we watch some TV together as we used to."

She beamed at me, and snuggled next to my side before resting her head on my shoulder. When I was just a little girl, I used to do the same to her. Funny how the tables had turned. I was now the one responsible for keeping her safe and bringing her comfort. I could only hope that I would find a way to live up to my various promises.

I was straddling Sesshoumaru, my hands braced on his naked torso as I rode him passionately. We were in his bed, our naked bodies entwined. I moaned in pleasure as he reached up to squeeze one of my breasts.

Usually being on top was my favorite position. It was a real thrill to have such power over one as powerful as Sesshoumaru. Every single one of my movements caused a reaction in him. I had learned to savor every single moment I got to spend with him. However this time around I was unable to lose myself in the pleasure. As much as I tried, I could not block my swirling thoughts caused by my conversation with my mother.

While our lovemaking was pleasurable, it was not enough. I wanted to feel more. I wanted to feel enough so that I would stop thinking. I stopped my rise and fall movements to slide off Sesshoumaru's lap, and rolled to the side to lie on my back. He was not surprised by my action, our lovemaking was usually playful, and he encouraged me not to shy away from taking initiatives. He knew this was all new to me, but he was a kind and patient lover.

I opened my legs wide, and without a word he knew exactly what I wanted. Sesshoumaru covered my body with his, and slid his length back into me. As soon as he was buried deep, he started thrusting.

"Harder." I begged before pressing a kiss to his neck. He grunted his assent and slammed his hips harder against mine. While this felt good, it was still not enough.

"Harder!" I cried out again. I looped my arms around his neck, to bring him down for a kiss. I dug my fingers in the skin of his back. I would probably leave welts, but it would not be the first time.

He paused to slide out of me, and get up on his knees. To my surprise he grabbed my hips, and rose them to level with his, before slamming back into me. That was exactly what I needed. The new position gave him more leverage, more depth, and the angle allowed him to hit a special sweet spot. Each thrust made me cry out. This was what I needed. I was now too busy trying to keep pace with Sesshoumaru's furious thrusts to think about the afternoon I had had.

Except for the fact that I was able to see my mother, I had hated every single second I had spent in that depressing clinic. Being there only for a short time emphasized how critical it was for me to get mom the hell away from there… fast. As soon as I had made it home, I had rushed to make use of Sesshoumaru's bathtub. All I wanted was to scrub the feel of that place from my skin.

Sesshoumaru had found me sitting in his bathtub with an emptied glass of wine in my hand. Without a word spoken, he had walked up to me. To my surprise he had unbuttoned his shirt and rolled up his sleeves before kneeling by me.

He probably had been able to tell how awful I felt, and had set out to make me feel better. He had scrubbed my back and I had felt my worries melt away. I wondered how many people could boast to having Sesshoumaru-sama assist them with a bath. Soon enough his strokes went from my back to my breasts. The previous arousal I had felt at the sight of him had turned into a blazing fire. Unsurprisingly we then tumbled in bed.

"Yes!" I shouted after a particularly deep thrust from Sesshoumaru. I could feel my end coming. I needed just a little bit more to get over the edge. As if he had heard my thoughts, Sesshoumaru reached a hand down to rub my pleasure button with a practiced flick of his thumb. It did not take long for me to break apart.

"Sessh!"

As soon as my pleasure exploded, Sesshoumaru wasted no time giving in as well. He thrust a few more times before groaning and letting go. I smiled in content when I felt his hot seed splash deep inside of me. Sadly all too soon to my taste, he let go of my hips and slid out of me.

"Thanks. I really needed that." I told him once he rolled off me to lie next to me on the bed.

"Anytime."

I chuckled at his word. He ran an appreciative hand down my curves, and even sneaked in a quick squeeze of my right breast. Sesshoumaru was such a boob man… I almost rolled my eyes.

"How did it go?"

He did not need to elaborate; I knew what he wanted to know. I sighed. The high I had experienced thanks to sex was quickly fading. Time to get back to the sad reality of the situation I was in.

"In truth, I am frustrated. Seeing Mom there while not being able to do anything about it was awful... Leaving her behind almost broke my heart. I just wanted to grab her and run out of there." I angrily slammed my fist against the mattress.

"It is only temporary. I promise we shall take her out of there soon."

I sent Sesshoumaru a sad pitiful excuse of a smile. Sadly this was the best I could muster right about now.

"I know we will. I trust you. It's the waiting that is difficult." I tenderly ran my hand down his arm. He was so generous and kind with me. Despite what I had promised mom, how could I ever bear being away from him?

"Just be patient. She is holding strong, so should you." He turned to look at the clock on his bedside table. "It is time for the meeting I called. Let's get dressed and meet the others downstairs."

I quickly did as he asked. I was too curious to find out what he was planning. Considering the grave face he had on despite the great sex we just had, it had to be pretty bad.

In true lordly fashion, Sesshoumaru was sitting behind his desk in his study. Inuyasha and Miroku were seated across from him while I stood behind him. I was too full of nervous energy to sit.

"As you know. I have long known Naraku murdered father." My lover addressed his two closest collaborators. "What I have never told you is how I knew he was responsible."

I could tell what was coming next, so I instinctively reached forward to rest a hand on Sesshoumaru's shoulder, and gave it a comforting squeeze. I was pleasantly surprised when he slightly leaned into my touch. We were not ones for public displays of affection, but the occasion warranted it. I knew how much he had wanted for this ugly truth to never see the light of day.

"I found father here. Stabbed in the back with his own sword. Naraku's youki was lingering in the room…"

"That bastard." Inuyasha growled in anger. "I fucking hate this. I wish we could kill that damn spider!"

"I understand you are upset my friend, but you cannot just waltz into his house and murder a Lord." Miroku laid a comforting hand on his best friend's shoulder.

"The night I… killed Hakudoushi, I had gone looking for evidence, but I was unsuccessful." Man, I hated relieving the events of that fateful evening. "Sesshoumaru told me about the manner of death of your father, I wanted to help, so I went looking for the sheath of Touga's sword. Naraku had it mounted on a wall as a trophy." That last bit of information caused a sound of anger and disgust to escape Inuyasha's throat. "I went where I had seen it before, but Naraku had it moved."

"Damn it!" The hanyou sprang to his feet, and started pacing. Just like me I could feel he was full of nervous energy. "We're always one fucking step behind. I wish there was a way to find out what his next move might be."

That statement caused a light bulb to switch on in my head. Something had just occurred to me. The past few days had been so full of drama that I had not gotten the chance to tell Sesshoumaru and his team about what I had been able to find out.

"During Hakudoushi's memorial service, when Naraku was trying to enlist my help, I think he may have revealed more than he intended." Three pairs of eyes locked on me.

"Naraku has an interest in the Shikon jewel." I blurted out.

My words made Sesshoumaru gasp, his eyes wide in shock.

"Fuck." Okay things were bad. That was the only time I had ever heard Sesshoumaru curse. He was always so contained. Even when we were making love and I lost all control and cried out or begged shamelessly for more, he stayed calm and collected only letting out the occasional grunt or groan. Okay I had made him moan a couple times thanks to some neat tricks I had picked up in one of Kagome's many women's magazine, but that was about it. The man never swore.

"I thought you had overheard my conversation with Naraku during the service?" I was taken aback by his surprised reaction.

"This Sesshoumaru had heard enough, I left before you finished your talk." The sudden stiffness in his posture let me know he did not care to have this discussion in front of an audience. Considering what happened after my conversation with Naraku, can't say I blamed Sesshoumaru for feeling this way. If I could, I would scrub from all our memories what had occurred then forever.

"Anyways, Naraku said the next phase of the plan calls for me to keep Sesshoumaru distracted." I blushed slightly at that one. As evidenced by Miroku's mocking grin, everyone in this room knew exactly how I was keeping the Lord of the West occupied. "He also asked me to befriend Kagome, and said something about a Shikon Jewel."

As soon as the information left my lips, it was as if the air left the room.

"That does it. I'm gonna get Tetsusaiga and kill that bastard for good." Considering the way Inuyasha's fists were balled tightly, I could tell he meant what he said.

"So, is one of you going to tell me what this Shikon thing is, and what does it have to do with Kagome?" I asked hoping to distract the hanyou from his murderous intent.

Miroku, who had strategically placed himself in front of the door in case his friend decided to make his threat a reality, spoke up. "I can enlighten you. The Shikon jewel is a mystical power source created by the youki of thousands of youkai and the spiritual energy of Midoriko, the strongest miko to have ever lived. Its location is a secret, and no one really knows what it can be actually used for. Rumor has it that any youkai or human who uses only a mere fragment of it can multiply their strength beyond imagination."

"Okay, so it's some sort of magical jewel with the power to make people strong… but what does that have to do with Kagome?" I was not one to believe in tales of mythical artifacts, but considering the seriousness with which the Tashio clan was taking this information, maybe there was something to it…

"The Shikon has been guarded by mikos from the Higurashi family for over five centuries. The mikos in turn have been looked after by the Moru youkai family…"

"Moru?" I echoed in surprise. That was an extremely uncommon name. In fact I had only ever met one person with that name. "My mother's maiden name is Moru." I was surprised by the coincidence.

"Does your mother's family hail from Edo originally?"

"Yes, I think I remember mom telling me something along those lines. She was put in foster care early on, and does not know much about her family." I answered Miroku's surprising question.

"Is your mother the last of her line?"

"As far as I know, she is. Her whole family died in a house fire when she was a baby, and she was the sole survivor. She changed her name when she married my biological dad. She was very young, so she's been going by that name for most of her life. Ever since she married Naraku, she does go by the name Onigumo."

"When and how did your father die?" The question came from Sesshoumaru, and it made my heartbeat pick up.

"In a car accident when I was only a few months old. Mom got with Naraku shortly after, so after he legally adopted me, they changed my paperwork to put his name on it."

All these questions were making my head spin. Without any of them daring to say the words aloud, I knew what they were hinting at. And if they were correct… well that was quite a horrifying thought. Now that the thought had crept into my mind, I could not help but wonder if this Shikon jewel Naraku was obsessed with had anything to do with the course of my life. Could it be that my mother's heritage was the thing to have made Naraku interested in her? Was he responsible for my biological dad's death? If so was this mythical object responsible for all the pain and misery that had befallen me? Without it, would I have grown into a normal household with two loving parents?! The mere thought of it made me sick to my stomach. Too many interrogations, not enough answers.

"Kagura." Sesshoumaru's voice brought me back to the present, and away from my speculations and swirling thoughts. "I suggest we keep on the same course. Tell Naraku that you managed to befriend Kagome and her family. Maybe you can go visit the shrine a couple afternoons. That should placate him."

"I know it's the best way, but I hate for you to use my in-laws as bait." Inuyasha growled. "Before we do anything, I want to run this plan by Kagome and her family."

"Fair enough." Sesshoumaru nodded his understanding.

"In the meantime, I think we should find out more about the Shikon Jewel, and what exactly Naraku could want it for. Sango and I will start doing some research on the matter."

"We shall proceed as such. You are all dismissed." With these final words, Sesshoumaru had called our meeting to an end.

How I wished shutting my spinning mind was this easy.

"There you are. I've been looking for you."

Kagome beamed as she walked towards me. If she was worried about the talk she had had with Inuyasha regarding Naraku's plans, she was not showing it. We had scheduled my first visit to the shrine for two days from now. I was sure some of Naraku's disgusting Saimyoushou would be following me around and reporting all my moves to him. Fucking disgusting spying insects.

I just wanted all of this to come to an end, so I could move on with my life. Instead of focusing on my dark thoughts, I turned my attention back to Kagome. I had spent most of the morning holed up in the library brooding.

"So I need some help and thought you could help. I'm in this weird in between state. My maternity clothes are too loose and my pre-pregnancy clothes have not fit me in months. I can still get away with my large shirts and some of my dresses but I miss wearing skirts and pants."

I wondered why she was telling me this. Sure I had helped her by looking after Izayoi a couple of times, but still we were not best friends.

"Did you want to go shopping?" I did my best to keep in my inward groan. The last thing I wanted to do right now was go to the mall. I wanted to conduct more research on the Shikon Jewel. I intended to find out all I could about that freaking thing. Unfortunately so far I had struck out. I hoped my visit to the shrine would allow me to question Kagome's grandfather. Rumor has it the man was slightly senile, but still a treasure throve of information. It sure would beat pocking around books written in language I barely understood. Maybe, a break would actually be welcomed.

"I had something else in mind." Kagome gave me a small smile. "I wanted you to make me some clothes."

I was taken aback by her suggestion. Then something occurred to me. "Did Sesshoumaru put you up to this?"

"No." She seemed surprised by my question. "I've taken a peek at some of your sketches while you were working the other day, and I admire your sense of style. Personally I usually go to the mall and buy clothes from the same stores all the time, but I've noticed you wear unique pieces that don't even have labels. It didn't take a genius to put two and two together."

A shiver ran through me as I remembered how a few weeks ago I had accompanied Kagome during one of her mall shopping trips. It was true that she needed help in the fashion department.

"Please say yes! I need new clothes and you need something to occupy yourself with before you go crazy."

She was right, I was in sore need of a distraction; especially after seeing mom.

"I don't have any supplies and fabric though..."

"That can easily be arranged. Let me get Izayoi ready and strapped up in her stroller and let's go get everything you need! Don't worry, we'll use the family expense account."

Kagome sped out of the room, not letting me even speak a word of protest. Oh well guess it was too late for that.

I was exhausted, the good kind of exhausted. I had spent the better part of the previous evening working on Kagome's new wardrobe. Sadly the miko was sorely lacking in sewing skills. I had promoted Rin to head assistant though. The teenager was innately talented. Just as we were ending our activities to get some much needed rest, Sesshoumaru had come home. To Rin's delight, she had been allowed to stay up while we all shared a nighttime snack together before being shipped to bed. All my ideas of rest after that had been thrown out the window. Sesshoumaru and I had retreated to his room, and made love for most of the night.

And now this morning, just as I was stumbling out of the shower, Sesshoumaru was already halfway dressed. Damn how did the man move so fast?!

His forehead was creased as he hung up his phone.

"Is everything alright?" I asked him.

"Naraku called for a council meeting at his house next week."

That news surprised me. There had not been a council in years due to the tacit peace among the Lords. I wondered why now? Calling for such a meeting was no joke. All Four Lords in the same place at the same time, this called for trouble.

"This might be the chance to find out even more about whatever it is he is planning."

He seemed to chew over my words before nodding his head in assent. "Indeed. I will be home late tonight, do not wait up."

"Roger that!" I tried to infuse some humor into the situation to dispel the fact that I was curious to death about what he was planning on doing. "I'll see you later then."

I opened the door to take a peek in the hallway to check if the coast was clear, and swore under my breath. I quickly slammed the door shut and wrapped the towel more tightly around me.

"Is something the matter?" Sesshoumaru asked as he started buttoning his shirt. Good thing he was covering his glorious naked body, or I could be tempted to tackle him back to the bed and ravish him once more. Damn I was turning into a real wanton. The more I tasted Sesshoumaru, the more I wanted him. We had made love three times during the night and fooled around in the shower. We could have gone for one more round but Sesshoumaru had an important meeting to get to. I was pleased to hear the angry growl in his voice as he told me as much. Obviously he craved me just as much as I did him.

"I need to go get dressed. I was planning on running to my room before anyone saw me, but the kids are playing on the staircase." My little walk of shame had become a usual occurrence, and I had yet to get caught. I seriously did not want the kids to see me running out of Sesshoumaru's room covered only by a towel.

I headed to his rumpled bed and sat on it. I may not be a dog demon, but even I could tell the sheets were drenched in our combined scents. Delicious.

"I'll just hang out here until the kids go down for breakfast." I crossed my arms over my chest, causing my breasts to almost peek out from behind my towel. Just because he said he had to go to a meeting did not mean he could not go in late. I was down for a quickie.

After taking a quick interested look at my breasts, Sesshoumaru forced his gaze away. "Just bring your things here." He said matter-of-factly as he finished looping his tie around his neck.

My teasing thoughts flew out of my mind. "You want me to move into your room?" The pace of my heart quickened.

He took the time to put on his suit jacket before he answered. "You spend much of your time, and all of your nights here anyways."

Butterflies flew around my stomach, but I prevented the goofy happy smile I could feel coming from appearing on my lips. Once he left for work, I would have all the time to do a happy dance. For now I tempered my emotions.

"My clothes can't fit in your closet..."

Sesshoumaru picked up his two cell phones from the bedside table and put them in his pockets. "The room is spacious. Jaken will move an additional wardrobe in here..."

"And a vanity with a stool." I had always wanted one of those, so why not take advantage?!

Sesshoumaru nodded his agreement, and was this an amused smile I saw tugging on his lips?

He walked up to me, and leaned forward to press a small kiss to my forehead. The action reminded me of the same show of endearment my mother had bestowed on me only days before. This brought me back to the talk we had had. No, I decided to push down all negative thoughts. I would just enjoy this for as long as I could, and worry about what could come next later.

"I will see you later." With this now usual parting ritual he left our bedroom, and I let my joy explode. I threw myself back on our bed and squealed in happiness. He couldn't have made things more official. We were a couple. A couple that lived together. All that was missing was him telling me he loved me. He showed it in his actions everyday, but it would be nice to hear the words. I managed to push away all the doubts I had experienced during my conversation with mom. Things would work out between Sesshoumaru and I; they had to. I had always known we were fated to live happily ever after together.

Suddenly the door of the room was thrown opened by none other than the man I had just been thinking about. I wondered if he had heard my happy reaction. The unusual mocking grin faintly gracing his lips let me know he had. Damn him! How mortifying.

"This Sesshoumaru just wanted to let you know that I sent the children to the dinning room to take their breakfast. You can go get dressed."

"Sure. Thanks." I was blushing red, but I was too happy to be really embarrassed. Things were starting to click into place, but I could not help but feel like something dreadful was just around the corner.

To be continued…

A/N: Naraku is moving pieces on his chessboard. Are Kagura and Sesshoumaru getting closer to the truth? Will they manage to make a relationship work while taking down that devious spider? Let's find out more next time! The chapter will be named Council.