AN: Sorry I'm so long in updating this – I hate school. This week was FCAT for us, so I'm pretty well bored. Already passed the stupid thing last year and I don't have to take it again but I still have to show up and pretend I care. Go fig. Anyways, for the sake of my sanity and my bad case of writers block let us assume that because Kagome wanted Sesshoumaru and Rin to come through the well they could. Sorry to whomever of you wanted to actually see that, but it is not important to the story.

All That I'm Living For

Sesshoumaru sprang from the well, cradling a sleeping Rin in the crook of his arm. Kagome had warned him about the drastic changes, but she had failed to mention all the new scents and sounds. Not that he had expected her to think of everything; after all, she was only human. She probably didn't even notice the scents.

She gracefully climbed from the well and blanched. "I'd forgotten how bad it smells here." she muttered. "Well, my family is gone for the week and Inuyasha can't come through the well, so we'll have some semblance of privacy." She motioned for him to follow her and led the way out of the well house to a larger, more sturdy building. It wasn't as big as Sesshoumaru's castle, but certainly bigger than any other human building he'd seen. She guided him through the sliding glass doors, through the living room, up the stairs and into her room. He smirked when he saw the sign on her door – "Enter and Die". (AN/ couldn't resist that )

He watched silently as Kagome lay Rin on her bed and began caring for the child. She explained everything she did to the taiyoukai; she was very well aware of how protective he was of the girl and she didn't want him to think she was poisoning little Rin. Sesshoumaru was grateful for her explanations even if he didn't show it. He would have been reduced to asking questions about something he was only mildly curious about.

"That should do it for now." Kagome said finally. "I'll have to keep an eye on her so I'll know when she needs more medicine, but that shouldn't take any less than six hours." She settled herself on the floor next to the bed and motioned for Sesshoumaru to do the same. He sat opposite her against the wall. Now he could finally get some of his questions answered.

"Where is your family?" he asked in his usual monotone.

"Well, my brother has some sort of skateboarding camp, and my mother and grandfather are at some conventions in Kyoto." she explained. It suddenly occurred to Sesshoumaru that her voice was unnaturally quiet, that she had not raised her voice to him once since he had first encountered her that night in the rain. She was but a shadow of her former self.

He mentally shook the stray thoughts away. "What of your father?"

Kagome shook her head. "Don't got one." she said bluntly. "Souta's only my half-brother, and his dad died in a car accident about five years back, but I don't know what happened to mine."

Sesshoumaru nodded. This was something he could understand, for his father was lost to him even before he had sacrificed himself for his human mate and their hanyou child. Did she remember anything of her father? Did she ever even know him?

Once again he forced himself to shake the stray thoughts away. He was interested in what had become of the woman who had once dared attack him, not in anything else. And yet . . .

"Why can Inuyasha not come through the well?"

Kagome shrugged. "I don't know. The subjugation spell has stopped working as well." She sounded pained, and suddenly she turned her head away, refusing to look him in the eye. "I don't want to talk about it."

Sesshoumaru didn't push the subject. He would get his answers soon enough. "What happened to the rest of your group?" he asked quietly.

The girl visibly stiffened. "I told you they're gone." she snapped. "And anyways, what do you care? You don't care about anything but Rin." She wasn't angry, but rather stating fact as she saw it. She turned and lay down on her trundle bed and turned out the lights, plunging the room into darkness. "Good night, Sesshoumaru."

Sesshoumaru allowed himself to fall into a light sleep. He didn't notice when Kagome continued staring at him, nor did he hear her when her broken voice whispered, "You're all that I'm living for. Please don't leave me."

---------/

AN: How was that? I know it's pretty short, I'll have to work on making the next chapter longer, but hopefully that'll do ya. If I ever get around to editing this thing I'll put in Kagome bringing Sesshoumaru and Rin through the well. Review, please!!!!