Chapter 3: Finding Answers

She fought a shadow demon now. Rin and Shippo were hiding and Jaken was posted in front of them, the staff of heads clenched in his hands. Sesshomaru had been knocked out, which was a surprise to her and the others. He had seemed a bit distracted over the past few days, almost a week now. She didn't know why but right now she was facing off against this foe.

"Face it weak woman, you are no match for me," the deep voice said as it attacked. He went for a slash but she dodged and shot her hand towards his stomach, a beam of purifying energy coming out of it. He barely dodged but got a graze across his side. He watched as the ash fell away and he healed. "You really are clever but I will kill that lord you insist on protecting." He charged Sesshomaru but she roared out as she transformed into a giant, pearl white dog. Two great wings ripped through the fur on her shoulder blades. The wings in question were silver.

He awoke at the roar but he was still a little weak from the attack from the shadow demon. He looked to see the cause of the roar only to see a great winged dog. He wondered if this could be Kagome's true form. He had never seen it before and it confused him. He knew she was able to purify demons with a simple touch, which scared him slightly, but she was also a dog demon, this form proved it, except for the wings. The wings threw him off.

"You are so full of surprises," he scoffed and attacked her again. "Who knew a dog demon of purity existed?" He went for a slash but she roared and dodged before she attacked with a glowing paw. It went across his shoulder and purified him completely before she went back to her humanoid form. She seemed calm, cool, and collected again as she approached Sesshomaru.

"Are you okay lord Sesshomaru?" She knelt by his side to look over his chest injury, slowly removing the top of his guy's kimono. "Any deeper and you would have died but I can fix this quickly." She lifted a hand and he growled, not wanting to be purified by the woman. "Relax lord Sesshomaru, I will not purify you." She rested a hand on his chest and closed her eyes as she was surrounded by a blue light.

He felt warmth consume him as he watched her carefully. He did not feel any pain but he could feel all the damage done to him reverse itself and come back together, leaving no sign that he had been injured at all and he could feel his strength returning to him. He was finding this woman to be so full of surprises. He already figured out what it was that he felt but he was not the kind of person to come out with his feelings. He knew that he was slowly falling in love with her and her saving his life and healing him had caused his heart to leap. It proved that she cared about him.

He could smell his brother so he ran forward to see why he was so close, Sango and Miroku behind him. They couldn't keep up but that didn't matter since they walked into the clearing to see Sesshomaru on his back with a woman at his side glowing blue. They were surprised to see that he was wounded and that the wound was healing quickly. They could see that Sesshomaru's gaze was not on them but on the woman that seemed to be healing him.

This sight enraged Inuyasha because someone was helping his brother when he felt his brother deserved to die. It didn't help that there was ash in the clearing like someone had been purified. He could tell that the woman was a demon and that there was no miko near by so where did the ash come from?

"You saved me," he said when she was done to see her smiling.

"Why wouldn't I save you lord Sesshomaru?" She stood and helped him stand before he pulled his haori back on over his chest, now noticing his other arm was back. "I also went to the liberty of returning what you had lost. I hope you don't mind."

"Of course not." This is when he noticed his brother's presence. "So you came to join us little brother," he said.

"I only came to make sure you died but I see I was wrong." He glared at the woman that had helped his brother.

"Kagome," Sango whispered once she saw her.

Kagome smiled at Sango, her eyes free of the burden she had been under when she traveled with them.

"That's not Kagome! Kagome would never help that bastard." Inuyasha was lived with anger at Sango's persistence at this woman being Kagome. "Kagome left a long time ago."

"Kagome-sama, can we come out now?" Rin asked.

"Yes you can Rin." Rin ran to her with tears in her eyes and Kagome swept her up in her arms to comfort the girl. "Everything is okay now, lord Sesshomaru is safe and well." She rubbed the girl's back and she calmed down.

"Thank you mama," she whispered as she fell asleep.

"You're welcome Rin." Her smile softened and Shippo leapt onto her shoulder. "Are you okay Shippo?"

"Yes mama, you saved us again." He smiled as Kirara joined him on Kagome's shoulder.

"Rest now Shippo." He nodded as he yawned. She placed both children under a tree together and turned back around. "Jaken, make sure they are safe, and don't screw up or I'll purify you into your next life." He gulped and nodded before taking his post. "I wouldn't want anything to happen to my children." She approached Sesshomaru, still smiling her soft smile that caused his heart to skip a beat.

"How can I repay you Kagome-san?" He looked down at her as she stopped a foot in front of him.

"Just Kagome, lord Sesshomaru. I need nothing, you allowing me to travel with you is enough." She did not lie. Traveling with him had been a relief for her and she could not ask for anything more. She was happy and felt appreciated, if not by him then by the children.

"Bitch, why did you help him?" Inuyasha drew the tetsusaiga but it would not transform. "What the hell?"

"You really are a moron to think that the sword would turn against me, Inuyasha," she said with mirth. "It wouldn't turn against the one that drew it from its resting place. It knows that it is in my debt." She chuckled but it stopped when he growled at her. "You doubt that I am who I say I am?" She lost her smile but it reappeared and she laughed. "Why would I need to lie?"

"Stop lying!" And he leapt forward to attack her with the tetsusaiga but it leapt out of his hand and stuck in the ground, refusing to attack the one that had saved it. "Stupid sword. I'll just use my claws." He continued his attack but she just dodged each attempt gracefully and without even trying, amusing Sesshomaru greatly.

Kagome noticed Sesshomaru's amusement and smiled before tripping Inuyasha. She went to him and smiled up at him, catching his gaze with hers. Right when Inuyasha attacked again she said, "Sit." He met the floor and then there was not doubt in his mind. This was Kagome because she was the only one that had that power over him.

"Kagome," he whispered but she did not turn towards him. Instead she was focused on Sesshomaru.

"Shall we continue on now lord Sesshomaru?" He nodded and she smiled before picking up the children. He held out his arms and she gave him Rin as she held Shippo and Kirara. They left soon after, Jaken yelling and running after them.

He watched them leave, the spell not wearing away yet. He could only grumble as he watched the one person he thought he loved walk away with his cold and heartless older half-brother. But she seemed so happy with him.

"We will stop here for the day," he said when they were far away from his brother. Kagome just nodded and placed Shippo in the grass as Sesshomaru set Rin down with him. Kirara "mewed" and curled up with them before falling asleep. "Jaken, go get firewood." He squawked and left quickly so not to anger his lord.

Sesshomaru stepped closer to her and placed a hand on her cheek before capturing her gaze with his. He leaned down and kissed her gently, not forcing her to do anything. After a short while he drew back to see she had her eyes closed. A second later a soft smile crept onto her lips and her eyes opened as she tilted her head very slightly. She was beautiful, innocent, and powerful in his eyes. She could move him with a single smile and with her scent she snared him. She never tried to gain his love and yet she managed to win it unknowingly. She was his perfect match; the only thing that could make him admit that he needed more; that life was more than something he could easily take away; the one thing that made him realize that he was missing something; that she was the something he was missing.

"I think I love you, Kagome," he whispered so not to be heard by anyone but her. "I knew I was missing something but I denied it my whole life. I was missing love and I believe I have found it."

"Lord Sesshomaru…" She was cut off by him kissing her. He didn't want to be rejected by her, not her. He didn't want to lose her.

"Lord Sesshomaru, you had asked why I saved you," she whispered when he pulled back from her. "I saved you because I didn't want to lose you. In truth, you saved me." She smiled. "I know it doesn't make much sense but you did and I'm grateful for that. I saved you because if you died an important part of me would have died too."

"You…," he tried to say something but she placed a finger over his lips to silence him and it worked. She leaned up and kissed him softly before pulling back. He smiled and held her to him so she could not leave him. He nuzzled her hair and refused to let go, even as Jaken approached. He needed this moment with her and no one would ruin it for him.

She smiled as she watched them. She had managed to grant two wishes, well some what anyways but she was happy that they had found each other. To her that was all that mattered. They were happy and in love. But the one thing she never learned was that misery loved company and there was a few people that didn't want the two to be together. She was ignorant to Inuyasha's feelings and the feelings of another man that hid in the shadows just waiting.

"They look so happy together." And she left to tell her father how it was going with the guardian of the Shikon no tama and the demon lord. He would truly be proud of her now.

He looked into the mirror of the child that stood before him. He scowled at the image of the now demon Kagome being held by the demon lord, lord Sesshomaru. He didn't like how she didn't push him away or yell at him. No, she seemed to accept the demon lord's supposed confession of love. It sickened him how the lord looked content to hold the woman.

"She will be mine like she should have from the beginning," he growled out. "Lord Sesshomaru will not stand in my way of having her for my own." He turned away from the sight.

"Master, what will you do?" The child asked in a soft, monotone voice.

"Kill the demon lord of course." He left completely.

"My lord!" Jaken squawked when he returned with the firewood. "Why are you holding the wench?" Sesshomaru growled at the insult and Jaken swallowed hard before dropping the wood and bowing low while mumbling out apologies.

"Jaken, go find a hot spring."

"Yes my lord!" And he ran off again to leave the two alone.

Sesshomaru closed his eyes as her scent came to him. He enjoyed how it flooded his senses. He looked back at her before kissing her again, not aware of the eyes of Rin on him and Kagome. She smiled but didn't sit up, just closing her eyes again.

'Lord Sesshomaru is truly happy now and my family will be complete. Mama won't have to leave and I can play with Shippo. Mama loves lord Sesshomaru and me. She wants to stay with us.' The thoughts made her happy and she figured everything would be alright in her and her lord's lives. But now she would sleep.

He drew back and could hear the beating of her heart. It was fast and her breathing was rapid but he expected as much, she had put up a good battle for dominance with him but he had won it. He had everything he could possibly want but he knew he had to ask her to be his mate, to remain by his side as long as they both lived.

"I love you Sesshomaru," she whispered with a smile.

"I love you too, Kagome." He held her again. "I want you to always be by my side Kagome."

"I will Sesshomaru." She still smiled.

"It's more than that Kagome. I want to ask you an important question." He seemed so nervous about it and he knew she had picked up on it.

"What is it Sesshomaru? You don't have to be nervous." She kissed him softly on the lips, trying to get him to relax.

"Will you be my mate, Kagome?" He looked her in the eyes. He was asking for them to be forever bound together. He knew it was a lot and not to expect her to say yes, but at least he was showing her that he was serious about their relationship.

"Sesshomaru, I…" But she didn't get to finish because a tentacle wrapped around her and pulled her away from him.

Author's Note:

Here is the third installment. Half way done with posting this story. I know it is short but it is better than nothing and I had wanted to get this story done before I got writer's block. Hope you continue to enjoy this story!