A/N: Gotta have a bit of drama around here, right? And denial, that's fun too~

I also realized that my favorite OC that's in this story, isn't going to be around until chapter 34. -whines-

Anyways, enjoy!

The Other Side

Chapter 24

The Heart of the West

"The nerve of that guy," Kagome complained, sinking further into the water, all the while keeping an eye on Sesshomaru. "Like I would do that; like I would jump you."

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow to that before saying, "Not good enough for you? Perhaps you need one of... lesser demon qualities."

Kagome gaped at him. She opened her mouth to try and retort back. A whole lot of nothing came out. Then she pouted. The nerve of him! She focused her attention on the ripples in the water to try and distract herself. She did a pretty good job until his highness decided he wanted to know what happened with recent events.

"What can be said in front of me rather than my mother?" Kagome furrowed her brows in confusion then sighed.

"Oh." Sesshomaru merely kept quiet, waiting for her to continue. When she didn't though, he moved positions. The second he was in her line of vision, she squeaked. "No! Go back to your side!"

"I think not." He moved so that he was only about two feet from her person. She did not approve of this whatsoever. "You have a lot on your mind and while you have not said anything—everything else is being said for you. Either talk, or I'll make you."

Kagome stared like he grew a second head. "I'd like to see you try to get me to talk. I'm pretty sure you can't make a person talk if they don't want to. Plus! I would like to talk to both you and your mother; not just you, sir!" She noticed his smirk a little late.

Sesshomaru disappeared, which got Kagome both scared and concerned. Leave it to him to pull a Houdini on her. She growled lowly as she watched her surrounding areas. He was literally nowhere in sight. How was this supposed to get her to talk? Honestly? Then she heard a chuckle in front of her.

She really hoped that was Sesshomaru that chuckled at her. Slowly, she turned and in replace of Sesshomaru was a man with a wicked look on his face, aiming directly at her. Kagome gasped, covering herself as much as possible and dunking into the water where she glared from there.

The man chuckled at her. "I was waiting for when that demon left you alone." He got into the water, swimming in her direction with slow strokes. "Now it's just you and I. Where should I start first, my dear?"

"You should start by backing the fuck away from me! I mean it! Don't come any closer!" Kagome was terrified and silently begged in her mind that Sesshomaru would stop playing games with her. The man was now in front and practically molesting her with his eyes.

"You are to back away from her." Thank god for small miracles! Well, that, and Kagome's prayer was answered. The man paled the moment the demon walked back into the hot spring.

"Ugh, can't you see that I'm about to get laid? You can kindly fuck off," came the man's reply. Kagome felt her heart sink.

Sesshomaru in one fell swoop, scooped up Kagome, shielding her from this animal. He then used his whip and without looking, sliced his head clean off. Blood flew in every which way as Kagome clenched her eyes shut and tried to breathe. It was a lot harder than she thought. "Are you hurt?"

Kagome didn't say anything for a second and still kept her eyes closed. Sesshomaru allowed her to get dressed, she stumbled a few times before heading back over to him, using him for support. She shook her head, hoping that he would catch that. "Next time, please don't leave me..." she said quietly before adding, "I'll talk, just don't do that to me again."

He admitted to himself, that yes, the way he pulled it off was a bad idea. In all honestly, he didn't care if she talked now or not. It was weird though; there was no one but them there and then suddenly, as soon as he left, someone appeared, out of nothing. It bothered him more, knowing that he put her in harm's way.

It took about three hours before they were at the gates of the West. It didn't help that it had started raining half way into walking. Kagome quietly watched Sesshomaru place his hand on the metal as the gates hummed. They eased opened as guards greeted both of them before they noticed that the lord had blood on his clothing.

"My lord, are you hurt?" Sesshomaru shook his head. It didn't settle with the men around him though. Whose blood was it? "Did this woman hurt you then?"

Kagome looked at the ground when their attention turned to her. She bit her lip while trying to hold back tears. Sesshomaru glanced down at her then glared at his men. "I am neither hurt nor did she hurt me. I need Kenichi as soon as possible as well as my mother. Go get them and bring them to my study." Two guards scattered to fulfill that.

Sesshomaru led Kagome to his study, led her to a chair and gave her a small cloth to dry herself off. He then began taking off his armor and haori to get the blood of that filth off of him. "I'm sorry." He paused, having thought he didn't hear that. "For everything, I've caused. It would be better if I just went elsewhere and not caused any more trouble for anyone."

"It is alright," he answered her as he then heard a sniff. He turned to her, noting that she was crying with her hands covering her face. It reminded him of Rin when she did something that she wasn't allowed to do but did anyways for the fun of it.

"It-It's not alright. I've been nothing but a bother since I came here!"

He sighed as he grabbed another haori, one that clearly did not match everything else and was black before coming in front of her. He knelt down, taking away her hands from her face. Kagome stared or tried to with her blurry vision.

"Everything has a cause and an effect. You have brought a lot of... trouble I will admit but it isn't anything that I cannot handle. You don't have to worry yourself over anything. Things never go the way that you want them to," he told her, staring at her and her alone.

Kagome hiccupped before starting a whole new set of tears. Against everything that he was, he cupped her cheek, wiping away the tears. This is how both Kenichi and InuKimi found them.

"Aw, how cute!" Kenichi squealed like a little girl. Both Sesshomaru and Kagome paused, then stared at each other, then Kagome went into a fit of crying while giggling.

InuKimi smirked but wiped it off her face when she saw Kagome was actually crying, plus the scent of tears was all over the room. "What's happening? Are you alright, Kagome? Would anyone like to explain to me or do I have to force it out of you two?"

"Thank you Sesshomaru," Kagome said to him only. It was quite a fret since InuKimi and Kenichi were demons with good hearing. She even noticed both trying to listen in and failed.

"Yeah." He stood up to his full height and went over to his desk, sat down, and looked at the other two. His entire demeanor changed at that moment that everyone present felt a chill. "Kenichi, you are hereby banned from the West for the next week."

"What?!" he yelled. "Why?!"

Sesshomaru glared at his friend, intent on doing damage that Kenichi flinched. "If you had stayed, you would know why. You can ask me again in a week's time why I am doing this but until then, you may leave."

Kagome waved goodbye to him as he numbly walked out of the room. She turned back to the lord. She understood why that happened, regardless if she was unhappy that it happened to him.

InuKimi openly gaped. Kenichi has never been banned from the West; never. He was loyal to Sesshomaru through and through. What happened? She watched her son turn his attention to her. "You may sit, mother." She shakily sat next to Kagome, who weakly smiled at her.

"I don't understand. Kenichi is your friend, my dear. Why would you do this to your friend? I assure you, he meant no harm in whatever he has done," InuKimi said as Kagome noticed the tremble in her tone.

"It's my fault, really."

"What did I just say to you, miko?" Sesshomaru's tone was actually quite deadly at the moment. He was in no mood. Kagome blinked. He clearly was pissed that he showed emotion in front of others.

She lowered her head to focus on her hands in her lap. "I know, but still..."

"Now," he started as Kagome got nervous. "Tell us, explain to us, why you needed to talk to only us."

She took a deep breath in, held it and then let it out. She looked at both evenly. "When I touched the ball, Fate intervened and told me something I don't quite understand myself." She looked to Sesshomaru and said, "He said I am the heart of the West."

Kagome watched as Sesshomaru gripped his desk, claws digging into the wood. "That's impossible," said InuKimi, the heart of the West repeating in her mind over and over. "There hasn't been a heart of the West in millenniums."

"He said that not only am I the heart of the West but the heart to everything around me. These lands are mine as well as his—not Fate, the guy I'm supposed to be with—and that I have a gift unlike the Gods have thought I could have." Kagome was nerved the way that Sesshomaru was quiet and the way that his eyes kept changing from gold to red. If anything it looked like he didn't really hear what she said.

InuKimi was in awe. It was in moments like this that she wondered how she got to this point. There had not been a heart since before Sesshomaru was born, since InuTaisho was born, and that was a long time ago. "If you are truly the heart, you can see the gardens."

"And they're the most wonderful thing I've ever seen," was Kagome's response as the lady's eyes widened to their fullest. "The flowers glow under my fingertips." InuKimi gasped, her hand coming up to mouth.

"No..." Sesshomaru managed as both women turned to him. He straight up glared at Kagome. "Get out."

"My dear, you can't just—" His mother tried to say but he held a hand up to her, effectively cutting her off.

"Get out," he growled as Kagome's lip trembled. "Now!"

He watched as Kagome stood up on shaky legs, tears coming down her face while shaking her head. Both of them noticed that every distinct marking on her, her ears, tail, face markings; vanished. "I see, um, I'm sorry," she said to Sesshomaru then bowed to his mother. "Thank you for having me." The next second, she was gone.

"If she's the heart, you just broke it." InuKimi turned and left his study.

Reviews are welcomed.