A/N: I hope you like this! It's much longer than most of the other chapters

Enjoy!

Sesshoumaru found me like that… crying on the rock… My arms clutching my sides as I fought to not fall apart at the seams.

"Kaori…?" I heard him murmur as he approached; I didn't lift my head. "Kaori… What happened…?" He sat beside me and pulled me into his lap.

I sniffled and wrapped my arms around him, gripping his shirt in the back as I tried to compose myself. His arms wrapped around me, pressing me into his warmth; his chest plate was still off. "You love me… right…?" I questioned once I was able to compose myself somewhat.

He lifted my chin so that I was staring up at him. "Of course I love you…" He murmured as his lips brushed against mine. "Why would you ask such a silly question…?"

My head spun, I lost my train of thought; he knew what he could do to me. I grasped at the thought I had been working on but I lost everything when he pressed his lips against mine. His fingers tangled in my hair while his other hand kept me pressed firmly to his chest. I shivered as his tongue flicked against my lower lip and whimpered when he nipped at it. When he pulled away I groaned trying to teach myself to breath… again…

Sesshoumaru laughed as he laid his forehead against mine.

"That wasn't fair…" I pouted, ruining the affect by still gasping slightly for air.

"You're right…" His voice was husky; it sent shivers down my spine. "But I didn't think this would have been any fairer…" I felt his hand slide up my right thigh and I moaned when he hit the right spot.

"That was mean…" I gasped as I tried not to think about things I would love to do right now.

He extracted his hand, laughing. "I know it wasn't, that's why I did it."

I growled ineffectively and rested my head against his chest. Here, in his arms, I almost forgot about what had upset me such much in the first place

…Almost…

"I know there is something still bothering you… What is it…?" He murmured into my hair.

"It's Seiko…" I whispered as I felt the tears begin to fill in my eyes.

He lifted his head to look at me. "What about Seiko…?" He asked gently.

"I… I don't think he is happy that I married you…" My voice cracked as I fought to keep control.

He lifted my chin again so I looked up at him, the tears slid out of the corners of my eyes. "Are you happy that you married me…?" He stared into my eyes as he asked the question, almost as if he was uncertain.

I moved his hand so that I could rest my cheek against it. "Of course I am happy that I have married you." I murmured as I closed my eyes. "I wouldn't have had it any other way…" I could feel the air rustle my hair as he let the breath go that he had been holding.

"He's not use to not having you all to himself… I'm sure he'll come around soon…"

I opened my eyes so I could look up at him. "I hope you're right…"

He slid his arms around me and hugged me tight. "I'll be by your side…" He whispered into my ear. "I'm not going to leave unless you wish me too…"

"Stay with me forever…"

As the days progressed Seiko became more and more distant until he and I hardly spoke… Thankfully the spring was coming and I went to the village to help ready the farm fields with the villagers.

Actually… This year I was with the children… Sesshoumaru helped the villagers in the fields… It made me so happy.

"Kaori-sama!" one of the children screamed breaking me out of my daydream; I jumped.

I turned to face the child in question. "Washi-kun…" I placed my hands on my hips pretending to be mad. "You're not allowed to scare me… Just for that I'm going to have to…" I yanked him into the air faster than he could react and flipped him upside down; he screamed and laughed.

"Me next me next!!" The children cried around me.

"Alright, alright!" I laughed as I put Washi back down. "If I catch you you're next!" The children scattered easily, laughing all the way. I looked back over to the field the villagers were working on and smiled; Sesshoumaru was there with a hoe in hand as he helped the men till the land; then I was off chasing children around.

The first one I came across was Rin; I skidded to a halt as I watched her play by herself. "Rin-chan…" I scolded as I walked over to her. "You should be playing with the others."

"Jaken-sama says it's not safe…" She murmured as she stood up.

I blew out air and shook my head. "Well Jaken-san doesn't seem to know what's safe and what's not. I think I'll have a word with him later…" I smiled down at Rin. "If you don't hurry and play with the children I'll have you punish you…" I said with a smile.

Rin broke out in a huge grin and took off in the direction one of the children had gone.

They won't notice I'm not looking yet… I thought to myself as I walked back over to the farmland. I think I'll talk to Sesshoumaru first… As I approached the field the men stopped at once, bowing to me.

"Oh stop." I complained. "You don't have to treat me like that, all of you have known me since I was little."

Sesshoumaru laughed as he walked over to me, the hoe resting against his shoulder; I smiled. "I assume you wished to speak to me… Or have you tired of watching me from a distance…?"

I blushed I thought he hadn't noticed. "I actually wanted to talk to you about Jaken-san…" I muttered as I tried to compose myself.

Sesshoumaru sobered up instantly. "What about him…?"

"Did you know that he isn't allowing Rin-chan to play with the other children…?"

He blinked at me. "He's not…?"

"Nope. Apparently it's 'not safe' for her to play with the other children of the village."

"Is she playing with them now…?"

I smiled. "Of course she is. I told her I'd punish her in she didn't."

Sesshoumaru growled. "I'll have a talk with him later."

I giggled. "Maybe you should tie him to a tree and we'll let the children have fun with him."

He was laughing as he walked back into the field with the others.

With that I turned and ran off into the village after the children.

"Kaori-chan… You wear yourself out with always playing with those children…" Suzuki chastised me as I sprawled out on the floor of her home.

I grumbled something incoherent, which caused Makoto and Sesshoumaru to laugh.

"You'd think you'd learn to take breaks more often if this is how you're going to act when you come home for the night." Makoto taunted with his wife.

I stuck my tongue out at him, they all laughed again. "How are the field's coming…?" I asked as I finally managed to sit up.

"We're getting them done a lot quicker this time, it's been nice with the extra help." Makoto smiled at Sesshoumaru as a thank you.

"It's been interesting to actually do something for once for the villagers." Sesshoumaru answered; I smiled happily.

"The house is almost done too." Makoto continued as he sat down next to his wife.

"House…?" I asked confused.

Suzuki shoved her elbow into Makoto's ribs. "Well there goes that surprise." She grumbled.

I giggled. "Well I think I know someone who will be sleeping outside." Makoto glared at me.

"So what's this about a house…?" Sesshoumaru asked as he pinched my arm for taunting my brother; I glowered at him.

Suzuki sighed. "Well… Some of the villagers thought it would be nice that you two have a house of your own down here when you come to stay… So they've been building it while working in the fields."

I stared at her in awe. "Really…?" obviously I had forgotten I was angry with Sesshoumaru for pinching me.

Suzuki smiled. "They're almost done on it now, but I won't tell you where, they wanted it to be a surprise…" she glared at Makoto. "But obviously SOMEONE can't keep their mouth shut." He cringed.

I smiled and stood. "I'll be back…" I said to Makoto and Suzuki. "I think I'm going to go soak my feet in the river." I turned and walked out of the house. I walked along the river's edge until I found the shallower part where the current wasn't as strong. I slid off my sandals and stuck my feet into the frigid water.

As my feet numbed in the icy water I stared up at the sky, sighing. Things were almost back to normal in the village. They've begun to treat me like they use to and Sesshoumaru is starting to become more relaxed with at least the older generation. The demons have even started talking to him now that they know he's not here to harm anyone. The only thing that isn't back to normal anymore is Seiko… I sighed again and closed my eyes; what was I going to do…?

I awoke with a start; I hadn't realized I had fallen asleep.

Yanking my feet from the water I stood and stared at the area around me, someone was watching me. The wind blew at me, twisting my hair around.

"Kaori…" I heard someone whisper, almost as if it were on the wind itself; I turned in the direction I had heard it.

"Kaori…" It repeated, but from another direction.

I turned to face the new direction but the whispering had now sprung up in another direction.

"Kaori…" it repeated from the third direction. "Kaori…" it said over and over from a new direction until finally my name was being whispered in all directions as if many people were hiding and calling my name; the wind didn't stop.

"What do you want?!" I called as I turned in all directions.

"Kaori…" It kept repeating as I spun in a futile attempt to locate who it was.

"I'm here! Why are you calling for me?!" I cried as I turned in another circle.

"Kaori…" My name bubbled from the river behind me; I turned.

I screamed and jumped away from the river; there was a body under the water.

I could see them now… I could see what was calling my name… Bodies were hiding in every direction, all of them staring at me… all with faces I knew. I was staring at the ones in the forest when I suddenly felt the heat hit me from behind. I turned and the scream that had been building in my throat died in horror; my village was on fire.

"Kaori…" The voices kept calling as I stared at the burning houses.

"No..." I whispered in horror. "No… No… No, no, no, no, no." I repeated over and over and over as I backed away from the flames.

"Kaori…" This voice came from right behind me.

I turned, not wanting to see what it was that had called for me and screamed; this body looked like Seiko. Tears began spilling down my face as I tried to stumble away from the mutilated corpse.

"This isn't real!" I cried as I fell. "Make it stop! PLEASE!!" I stood and tried to move again but the bodies that had been hiding were now circling around me.

"Kaori…" They kept calling as they closed the circle. "Kaori…" was all I heard over and over.

"No…" I choked as I fell to my knees and covered my face. "NO!!"

"KAORI!!" Came a different voice. "Kaori! Kaori!" It called over and over as it approached.

Someone knelt beside me. "Come on Kaori look at me!" they yelled as they wrenched my hands away from my face.

"No!" I screamed trying to struggle free.

They grabbed my face in both of their hands. "Look at me damn it!"

I opened my eyes slowly only to see Sesshoumaru's concerned face. I yanked my head free of his hands and stared around me; everything was back to normal. I felt my lower lip quiver as fresh tears began to spill down my face.

"Kaori…?" Sesshoumaru murmured in concern.

I turned back to him. "Oh Sesshoumaru!" I sobbed as I threw myself at him.

He fell back until he was sitting instead of kneeling. "It's all right now Kaori… I'm here…" He murmured as he wrapped his arms around me. He let me cry until I slowly began to quiet into hiccups. "Shh…" Was the only thing that he said in those long moments as I cried.

"It was horrible…" I sobbed as I worked most of the crying out of my system.

"What was…?" He answered as he rubbed my back in slow circles.

"Everyone was dead… there were bodies everywhere… They kept calling for me… over and over they kept saying my name…" I hiccupped and sobbed; He waited until I had calmed myself enough to continue. "Then the village was burning… and there were more bodies… they circled me, calling my name over and over…" I broke into hysterics again.

Sesshoumaru rubbed my back over and over as he held me. "Everything's going to all right…" He murmured into my hair. "I won't let anything like that happen to our home…" He lifted my head so I was staring up at him through bleary, tear filled eyes. "We'll protect the village together… That's not going to happen I promise…"

"Oh Sesshoumaru…" I whispered.

He smiled at me and used his sleeve to clear my face of my tears. "I won't let anything happen… I promise…" He leaned down until his lips were brushing mine as he spoke. "This is our home… We'll protect it together…" My eyes closed as I felt his lips shiver against mine. "I love you…"

"I love you too…" I answered before he kissed me.

He was right… He wouldn't let anything happen to the village… It was our home and he loved it just as much as I did…