Over the next few weeks the amount of sleep Kagome got seemed to be less and less to her. Most of her days were spent with Inuyasha, personal and business. Most mornings were also the same, unwelcomed. She moaned as the rays from the morning sun shone on her face and she smelt something cooking? She flew out of bed and ran down the hall. Her jaw dropped when she saw Inuyasha in her kitchen- cooking! "Hey." He walked over and kissed her cheek. "Good morning." His voice snapped her out of her daze, for a moment trying to figure out if he had stayed over last night..

"Good morning." Nope, no recollection of such event.

"Did you have a good nights sleep?"

"No, wait!" Kagome shook her head "What are you doing here?"

"Cooking." He held up the pan.

"I can see that smart ass.""

"Hey calm down." Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her waist, "Boy you are not a morning person are you?" He pulled her in for a kiss. This one was different than the ones she had been receiving, it was deeper but soft at the same time, and lasted longer than most.

"Kagome?"

"Mm!" Kagome pulled away breathing heavily. She looked around the corner and saw Sesshomaru closing the door. She squirmed her way out of Inyasha's arm's and walked fast down the hall. "Hey." She jumped in front him.

"You're getting up earlier each day."

"Seems that way." She tired to control her breathing but it wasn't working. The last time she was this close him was the night of her and Inuyasha's first date. Since then she had hardly seen him.

"We need to talk."

Kagome put her hand around the back of her neck "Talk, good idea, About what?"

"About l-"

"Kagome, breakfast is ready." Inuyasha stuck his head around the corner.

Sesshomaru looked down the hall at him. Kagome's eye brows rose and she tensed. She turned on the ball of her feet. "Be right there," She sighed quickly turning back to Sesshomaru "It's not what you think."

"What do I think?"

"You mean you don't think we…" She made a circular motion with her hands.

Unsure of what that motion meant he answered "I knew he was coming, I just did not know it was this early."

Kagome walked into her living room and fell on to the couch. "Why do I even care, I can make my own decisions!" She grumbled.

"What are you talking about?" Inuyasha asked.

Kagome popped off the couch. "You know you two are making the a lot more complicated than it needs to be!"

"What?" The brothers stared.

She fell back on the couch. "I am so not a morning person. Can I just go back to bed?" Breakfast was a bit more peaceful... just a bit. Every once in a while Kagome would exchange looks with Sesshomaru to get a read on him. Was he upset? He seemed a little on edge. He would notice her looking but when he would make eye contact she was always the first to look away, and it was staring to make her mad.

"Why ca-"

"Can I get a lap top?" She wasn't sure what he was going to say but chances are it was better if she didn't give him the opportunity to finish his question.

Both brothers looked at Kagome "For?"

"To help. I'm here to help you find my father right? Well I don't feel like I have been helping much." Kagome could not keep her eye contact with either of them so she went back and forth between the two.

Sesshomaru and Inuyasha exchanged looks. "Kagome I don't think-"

"Yes, we will get you one later today." Sesshomaru answered.

"Oh I don't need a new one, I can just use and old one of yours. You have some right?"

No one answered but she didn't mind. She got the answer she wanted already.

"Inuyasha do you remember what today is?"

"Yeah, what time will they be here?"

"3:00"

"Who's coming?" Kagome asked.

"Mother and Father." Inuyasha answers

"Oh, your parents!"

"Yes, and when father and Izayio get here we have things to discuss." Sasshomaru eyed his younger brother.

When everyone finished Sesshomaru and Inuyasha did the dishes while Kagome readied herself in something more proper to meet a mob boss. Maybe it was her years of training, but something felt like she still needed to make presence know as a Higurashi. To show she is not one to be pushed around.

On the way to the house they passed by the arch and Sesshomaru stopped. Kagome turned around and watched him stare, there was something different in his eyes. She freed her hand from Inuyasha's and went to Sesshomaru. "Hey." There was no reply, he just continued to stare. Kagome looked to where his attention was focused. "Hey." Kagome waved her hand in front of his face to snap him out of his daze. "Come on." Kagome pulled on his shirt for him to follow. They caught back up with Inuyasha and left the garden gates. "Who's that?" Kagome pointed to a car pulling in the drive.

A tall old man stepped out. "We are here sir." Another man came out, His hair as silver as Sesshomaru and Inuyasha's. He had it pulled into a pony tail. He had the same pointed ears and markings on the side of his face as Sesshomaru. After him a young women stepped out in a pink dress. Kagome couldn't help stared in aw, she was beautiful. All of the mob members and servants in the house were out on the half circle steps.

"Good morning." They said in unison. The female smiled a nodded her head.

"Boss, you have some early as always I see." A greeting from one.

"It is good to have you Sir." A greeting from another.

"Myoga, Jaken how's it been, where's old Totosai? And how about those sons of mine, where did they get off to?" the man bellowed.

"Here father." There three of them walked up.

"That's no way to greet your father, especially after being late to your parents arrival!" He seemed like a jolly man.

"You and Izayio are early." Was Sesshomaru's reply.

"Haha I guess you got me there!" Sesshomaru's father looked to Inuyasha and saw him holding Kagome's hand. "Well, who is this young lady?"

"Kagome Higurashi." She took the moment to introduce herself, her goal to come across as tough as she could. Most people in the house were used to her being there. Not all were happy about it and if left alone she had no doubt some would try to kill her. It was a bold move to acknowledge her past in front of this man.

She wasn't sure if she made the right choice when she saw his demeanor shift. "Well it's nice to meet you." He pulled her into a hug. "I'm Tayisho and this is Izaiyo." He introduced them. Not the reaction she was expecting.

"Pleased to meet you." She managed to choke after he released her.

"Inuyasha!"

"Father." Inuyasha walked passed to his mother "Hello mother." he hugged her.

"Hello son."

"Why don't we move this little party inside shall we? We have important matters to discuss." Tayisho put his hands on his sons shoulders.

"We can go into my office." Sesshomaru offered.

"Great idea. Kagome, seeing as how you are with my son you could talk to Izaiyo."

"Come." Izaiyo immediately pulled Kagome by the arm.

"So," Tayisho began once in the office "Kagome Higurashi, how did you manage to get her Inuyasha?"

"I owe it to Sesshomaru really." He sat and kicked his feet up. "He kidnapped her and she came to dinner one night."

"Dinner?" He raised a brow. "Sesshomaru, I do not doubt you kidnapped her to get to her father and I know why you seek him, but I told you to let it go. But it appears that you will not, so then I will ask you to be careful. You don't know what she is really capable of."

"And I suppose you do?" Sesshomaru eyed his father.

"As for you Inuyasha," He brushed of his sons snide comment. "I hope you are not using her to help your brother. Or for your own personal gain for that matter. If so I give you the same advise."

"Feh, like I would help him," Inuyasha spat. "and I do what I do for my own reasons. This is no exception. I am nothing like Sesshomaru."

"Stop your babbling half breed. You are helping in the situation."

"I repeat, for my own reasons!"

"Lower your voice."

"Don't-"

"Inuyasha don't be childish. We are only here for a family gathering, I just wasn't expecting to see a Higurashi. Especially on the grounds of my house, and certainly not alive." Their father put an end to the bickering.

-outside-

"So Kagome, how long have you known Sesshomaru?" Kagome wasn't an idiot she knew what the roll of a mob wife was supposed to be. They were like moles, they gained the trust of people and then used what ever information they gathered to turn over the the men.

"Two, almost three weeks." Short and sweet.

"I see. You have made quick friends with Inuyasha." Izayio smiled.

"I suppose so," she blushed "Sesshomaru is a nice guy too, even though he doesn't show it." she sighed.

"Sesshomaru is full of sadness, and regret."

"Sadness and regret?" Kagome repeated.

"Yes, since his mother left he was never the same."

"She left?"

"Yes," She stopped in front of the arch way. "his mother would always bring him here, she is the very reason this garden held such life, such beauty. It was a reflection of her heart."

Kagome looked around for a moment. "It looks alive and beautiful to me, it is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen."

"You should have seen it when his mother was here, it held its beauty even in the most ugly rain storms and the coldest winters." Kagome kept her focus on Izayio. "Sesshomaru does not think of me as a mother."

"Because you are human?"

"No, I don't think that's it. He thinks I am trying to take his mother's place, that is how it seems to me. But that is not at all what I am trying to do. I am only trying to be there for him as a mother figure, not as his mother. I know I will never be her, and he will never feel as strongly for me as he does for her, but I am content with that. However, I will always treat him as my own, nothing more nothing less."

"Why do I think there is more to it then that?" Kagome sighed.

"He thinks I am part her-"

"That will be enough for today Izayio." Kagome turned to face Tayisho. "If you don't mind I could like to speak to the young lady." He held out his arm. This gesture played with Kagome a bit. All her life growing up she was trained to kill this very man and his family. The countless hours she spent in the gun range and hand to hand combat, not just for day to day mob jobs but specifically to kill this family. She hadn't thought about any of that until she was alone with this man. "I am very impressed, not many people have the patients to deal with my sons alone. You have managed both them in the same room." He laughed.

"It's been hard, but I have managed." Kagome laughed.

"Is there a reason you have been so cooperative?" The way he asked his questions was completely different from Sesshomaru would have. It was more like holding a conversation with a friend. Non the less she knew what was really being done.

Kagome stopped "What are you trying to say?" she glared.

"Before you take it offensively, all I am saying is I know how your family works."

"First of all if by 'family' you mean my father, I am nothing like him. Second, the reason I am working with them is to free myself and more importantly my brother from my father's shadow."

"Just as feisty as your mother." He laughed.

"What do you know about my mother?"

"Plenty, when you work as close to your father as I did you know things. But I suppose it was my fault for the most part, I knew he could not be trusted and yet-"

"I did not come here with you to talk about my life." What ever he was going to say she didn't want to hear because no matter what it was it would leave her with more questions.

"I'm sorry but I wanted to talk to you about Sesshomaru. I know he can seem a little cold, but give him a chance."

"A chance, you mean he can be nicer?"

"You know that garden house you stay in?" Kagome nodded. "When his mother and I met, that is where she stayed."

"But why would-"

"Father, Kagome."

"Sesshomaru." Taiysho looked at Kagome, who was busy in thought.

"We need to start planning."

"I will go find Izaiyo, would you mind walking Miss Kagome back to the house? I have enjoyed our talk." Kagome stood as he walked away.

"Are you okay?"

"Uh, yeah." They walked back in the direction of the house when they passed the arch way. Kagome stopped to look 'It's like a sacred garden'

"Kagome?" She looked up at him trying to figure out how to word the question in a way he would answer. "Come here." He grabbed her hand and pulled her inside."

"Sesshomaru wait, oof." She ran into his back. Now she could clearly see the difference between this part of the garden and the outside.

"This is what I have let it become, my reflection." After a moment he turned to her. "Why are you crying?"

"I was talking to Izaiyo."

"About?"

"She told me the garden use to be so much more beautiful, that it was a reflection of your mothers heart." Tears flowed from her eyes' "I know your not fond of her."

"She is not my-"

"She is not your mother and she never will be. She knows that, she only wishes to be there for you. I don't know why your real mom is not here, but I do know what it like not to have her here to dry your tears, to have to do it on your own, not to have anyone here to comfort you. You are able to have that again, but you push it away." She turned to face him. "Do you think she was the reason your mother left?"

"I don't know. Maybe father made her leave because they were not in love. They were forced to be together by my grandfather. Then he found Izaiyo and she was forced to leave. She ended up being murdered."

Kagome wrapped her arms around his neck "Let her be there for you, please."

"Kagome!" A voice called. When they heard his voice she separated from Sesshomaru and he led her out of the garden to Inuyasha.

"Hey" he approached her with a kiss and wrapped an arm around her waist. "What's going on?"

"We were just walking back to the house." She tried to smile.

"Well mother would like to take you some where."

"And where would that be?"

"You will see." The three of them walked back, Kagome in Inuyasha's arms the whole way.