Chapter Thirteen: Dealing with Emotions

After Bokusenou had dropped him off at the hospital, Sesshoumaru had reluctantly exited the car and entered the building. He recognized the spider hanyou's car immediately, and his mind had gone red, and then black with rage. A hand on his shoulder brought his vision back to where it should be, and he swallowed.

"Control the rage. Let's see what happened." Bokusenou whispered.

Sesshoumaru shrugged off the lawyer's hand and stalked through the halls. It wasn't only the fact that Kagura had been able to keep his inner beast at bay on several occasions, it was also not the only fact that every time he had closed his eyes, her face had come to him with a radiant smile, allowing him a rather peaceful sleep, when before he had met her, he would lay awake and toss around for several hours.

It also was not just the fact that he had found her to be extremely attractive. It was the fact that her father, or step father, who had declared he had loved his daughter so much, had taken her off life support, more then likely due to the fact of the high cost, or something even deeper that Sesshoumaru couldn't quite place his hand on.

Shaking his head as they took the elevator up to the floor where she had been, Sesshoumaru closed his eyes from the emotions that raced through his veins. They were mixed with hate, rage, fear, sadness, and grief. All in all, not a familiar feeling. All the youkai wanted to do was to was slice the hanyou apart with his claws and watch his blood drop to the ground in little drips.

He knew, the authorities would be there, and he also knew if he went through with his daydream, they would lock him away for the rest of his long life, leaving Inuyasha, and Rin alone.

His shoulders stiffened. 'Rin!' Sucking in his breath sharply, he recalled the girl's immense fright upon hearing Naraku's voice. He remembered asking her if she knew the man, and she had confirmed it with a nod. Why hadn't he questioned her further on it? Turning to Bokusenou, he snarled softly.

"Did you find anything on recent murders, or missing children in the tabloids?"

Bokusenou nodded. "Now is not a good time to discuss this, Sesshoumaru. Let's first get through this."

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes at the distinct feeling that the lawyer was hiding something vital from him. The elevator signaled their arrival to the floor, and several voices erupted around him. At the end of the hall was a flurry of commotion, and in the center of it all was Naraku.

He growled loudly, and was once again restrained by a firm hand to his shoulder. Storming towards the cameras and news reporters, his approach caused several to turn around surprised. Sesshoumaru was not new to the attention, having been subjected to it with his father and lady Izayoi, but also when he had taken Kagura out on a few dates, and then when their relationship had blossomed into something he had one day hoped to be a youkai mating ceremony.

It was obviously never going to happen now. Naraku's face twisted into a scowl, and sneered at Sesshoumaru.

"Sesshoumaru Souske, can you tell us your feelings on the death of the lady Kagura?" One human reporter asked, shoving a mic into his face.

Grinding his teeth together in fury, he lifted his hand and melted the microphone effortlessly, his eyes trained on Naraku in intense anger. The mic popped and hissed as it melted to the ground in a puddle of black and silver goo.

Naraku's eyes widened slightly in surprise, and the reporters took a step back. Ignoring their comments, Sesshoumaru sauntered up to Naraku and glared at him through narrowed eyes.

"You are not welcome here, Sesshoumaru." Naraku hissed.

Sesshoumaru smirked, remaining silent. He called on every ounce of training his father had drilled into him, regarding keeping his face emotionless, and marbleized. The hanyou swallowed and turned away so fast, it made him look like a lunatic. Naraku left the hall so fast, with the reporters following closely, and he sighed.

Sesshoumaru looked down and stared at the goo from the plastic mic and wondered if Naraku's life would be so easily taken. He wished his father were there to ease his frazzled thoughts, and ease his worries. Perhaps to take care of this problem that he and Inuyasha were being forced to face.

Sesshoumaru turned away from the dead mic and followed Bokusenou out of the halls and back into the elevator. "I suppose I won't be invited to the funeral?"

Bokusenou winced at the strangled sound that came out of the youth's mouth.

Sesshoumaru's mask fell and Bokusenou flinched at the intense emotion that ran across the youkai's face. "I…I have to see her."

Sighing, the lawyer closed his eyes in defeat. "Sesshoumaru…"

"Iie. I have to see her!" Sesshoumaru said firmly. "Bokusenou."

"She is gone, Sesshoumaru. There is nothing to see."

Sesshoumaru gulped audibly, and lowered his head. His fists tightened and he nodded defeated. "Hai."

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By the time Inuyasha got home, he dashed into the house anxiously. "Sess? You here?" Looking all over, he found no traces of his brother. There was only the girl Rin, sitting with a coloring book and a box of crayons at the kitchen table.

The girl waved.

Inuyasha nodded. "Hey kid. Have you seen my brother anywhere?"

The little girl shook her head. "He is sad." She whispered.

Inuyasha frowned and stared at the small girl. Didn't his brother mention she couldn't speak? "When did you start talking?"

"Today." She beamed up at him happily.

Inuyasha snorted and walked out of the kitchen silently. Where would his brother go? The death of Kagura, who had had such a positive effect on his brother was now gone. Where would he go? Shaking his head, Inuyasha walked to his room and pulled out his homework.

He was so engrossed with his studies, he didn't hear the front door open, nor did he hear his brother call him. However after a moment of looking at his math problems, his brain caught up with what he had just heard and had ignored. "Sess!" He jumped up from his desk and flew out the bedroom door and to the top of the stairs.

His brother stood at the foot of the stairs and looked up at him. Inuyasha winced at the defeated and lost look on his brother's face for a full minute, before his brother hid all signs of grief. "Kami, Sesshoumaru, where have you been?"

Sesshoumaru stepped aside and Inuyasha gasped at seeing Kagome standing there with a wide smile on her face. "I found him on the steps, he let me in." She said, waving at Inuyasha. "I came over to see if you wanted to get an early start on our project."

Inuyasha frowned and nodded. "Hai, it would be best." He said softly. For a long moment, he stared at his brother, before Sesshoumaru turned away to go into the other room. The hanyou took a step and Kagome grinned.

"Why don't you come into the living room and sit…" She paused as she watched Inuyasha cry out and tumble down the steps and land in a crumpled heap at her feet. Kagome blinked stupidly for a long while before she bent down. "Are you okay?"

Inuyasha groaned. Sesshoumaru frowned at his brother. "You have gotten rather clumsy lately. It seems you like being at that girls feet."

Inuyasha snarled and shoved himself upright. "Not a word." He glared at Kagome. "Not one word! That's the third time I've tripped with you around."

Sesshoumaru tilted his head to the side. "Third?"

Inuyasha snarled at his brother, and then sighed. "How'd it go today?"

Sesshoumaru shook his head. "I wish to be left alone. I'll be in my room." He began walking up the stairs silently, before he turned back to stare at his brother.

"Oh, hey Sess, that kid talks you know." Inuyasha said as he sauntered into the living room.

Sesshoumaru nodded and made to climb the stairs, but he paused suddenly, remembering something, and he about faced and sniffed the air following the scent to where the girl was situated in the house.

Inuyasha wrinkled his nose and waved for Kagome to follow him into the living room.

"Is your brother alright?" She asked, falling into step beside him.

Inuyasha shook his head and sat down at the coffee table. "I'll find out later."

Kagome nodded and knelt down beside him. She pulled out a bunch of books from her bag and placed them down. Inuyasha frowned and picked up one book after another and then lifted a brow in her direction.

Kagome giggled. "It's my homework. I fell behind because I got sick and missed a bunch of classes."

Inuyasha frowned and sniffed the air around the girl and found no traces of lingering sickness. "You don't smell sick."

Kagome turned her head to him sharply and stared at Inuyasha in surprise. "I'm not sick anymore, I said I was sick."

Inuyasha pressed the matter. "You don't have the scent of lingering sickness. You weren't sick. You can't lie to an Inu." He smirked.

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Whatever, it's none of your business."

Inuyasha shrugged, his smirk growing into a full-blown grin. "So what did you do, if you weren't sick, I wonder?"

"Can we just get off the topic? I don't want to talk about it. Let's just start on the project."

Inuyasha snorted and nodded. "Fine."

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Sesshoumaru sat outside on the back porch silently, listening to the human girl hum to herself in a rather soothing manner. Somehow this girl Rin had a calming effect on him, much like Kagura had had when they had spent time together. The rage and extreme sadness had seeped out of his entire being as soon as he had stepped foot into the kitchen and had seen her smiling face.

Rin had immediately jumped off the chair and had raced to his side glancing up at him for a moment, before she had wrapped her arms around his legs. That one small show of affection had erased all the whirling emotions that had flooded through his veins.

Rin had detached herself from his legs and had given him such a radiant smile that all thoughts had frozen in his brain, leaving him dumbfounded. Now he sat outside on the porch, sipping purple kool-aid, the girl had asked him to make, saying it eased all anger. She played around the gardens, picking all sorts of flowers and weeds, and seemed completely blissful with just his presence.

He sighed again, his thoughts trailing after Kagura, until the girl Rin muttered something absently, and he lifted his head to glance at her.

"Sesshoumaru-san?" She asked, running up to him curiously.

"Hai?"

She held up something under his nose for his inspection and he realized that it was a slithering bug. "What is this?"

Sesshoumaru furrowed his brows for a moment. "It's a bug."

Rin grinned widely. "Is it a caterpillar?" She asked in wonder, looking into her small hand.

Sesshoumaru glanced at it for a long moment and stared at the crawling thing. It was brown, furry and wide. "Perhaps. Maybe you can look it up on the internet later."

Rin's face grew into one of complete surprise. "Really, Sesshoumaru-san?" She whispered awed.

Sesshoumaru nodded. Before he could respond, he received a face full of flowers, and the petals tickled his nose. He drew his head back slightly, and stared at the bundle and snorted.

"They are for you, Sesshoumaru-san. My mama always told me that flowers eased the hearts worries. She said they make people happy." Rin explained.

Sesshoumaru peered at the girl for a moment before taking the flowers and nodding in approval. "Arigato, Rin."

"How come you are so sad?" Rin asked, sitting beside him on the steps.

"I appear sad?" He asked softly, staring out into the backyard absently.

"Hai, very sad." Rin whispered.

Sesshoumaru sighed and nodded, lost in his intent staring of the leaves on the trees, that when he felt a soft finger on his cheek, he jumped startled. He turned his face to Rin and blinked at her for a moment, while she traced his markings on his cheeks. Her tiny fingers then found his moon and ran over the surface of it.

Frowning, Sesshoumaru saw the wonder and curiosity on her face. "Were these from your parents?" She whispered amazed.

Sesshoumaru nodded and tilted his head to the side. "Rin, I have some questions for you, if you are willing to share your memories with me."

Rin settled herself down on the steps and nodded.

"Do you remember the first time you came to the alley outside my father's place of business?"

Rin nodded slowly. "Hai." She whispered.

"How long ago was it?"

Rin counted on her fingers and then she shrugged. "Rin cannot remember. It was awhile ago."

Sesshoumaru nodded. "Would you share with me, what happened?"

Rin glanced around nervously. "Rin is afraid."

Sesshoumaru sucked in his breath and nodded. "Hai, it is obvious, you have resorted to speaking in the third person."

Rin nodded. "Rin does that when she is scared. Rin remembers her mama and papa had tucked her in. Rin fell asleep, but she woke to loud sounds. She crawled out of bed and heard people shouting downstairs and crashing." The girl shuddered and Sesshoumaru placed his arm on her back.

"If you do not wish to speak of it, I will not force you to." He whispered.

Rin shook her head. "There were a lot of people in the living room, no one noticed me though." She said in a hurry. "Papa noticed me after some big man threw him into a wall and papa had begun crying. I remember papa telling me to take something, which was that circle thing, and he told me to run."

Sesshoumaru nodded, and patted her back gently.

"Rin didn't run, she stayed and watched as they hit mama and papa over and over and over." She shuddered again and buried her face in her hands. "I heard that voice, the one from your office, I was so scared." She whispered into her hands making the words become muffled.

Sesshoumaru stiffened. "You remember Naraku's voice?"

Rin nodded. "It was the same one, he was shouting something. 'Where is it? Where is it? Tell me where it is? You filthy human scum. I'll kill you and your family before your very eyes.' I saw mama's body lift into the air and someone bent her backwards. I remember a loud snap and then I ran."

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes dangerously. "It's alright, child, you don't have to tell me more."

Rin nodded and shivered for a moment. Slowly she stood and wrapped her arms around his neck, startling him. "Rin is happy now though. She found you." She whispered into his ear and he gulped.

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and sighed. "Shall we go inside?"

Rin pulled back and stared into his eyes. "Do you have any ice cream, Sesshoumaru-san?"

Sesshoumaru frowned. "I am uncertain."

"Mama said ice cream helps when you are sad."

Sesshoumaru snorted. "I see. Then why don't we see if there is ice cream in the house, shall we?"

He stood up and led the way into the house, with Rin hot on his heels, and she stopped suddenly, seeing a stranger by the fridge.

Sesshoumaru felt small hands grip his pants and he grunted. "Ahh, Kagome."

Kagome turned around and gave him a wide grin. "Hello, Sesshoumaru. Oh, who do we have here?" She asked, placing a tin of cola onto the counter, and knelt down.

Rin poked her head out from behind him and waved shyly. "I am Rin."

Kagome grinned. "Hi Rin-chan. I am Kagome."

"Hi Kagome-san." Rin beamed and then looked at the fridge. "Would you like to join Sesshoumaru-san and me for ice cream?"

Kagome giggled. "Sure, mind if I bring one to Inuyasha too?"

Rin moved out from behind Sesshoumaru's legs, and he moved over to the fridge silently, listening to the happy chatter from the two humans. He opened the freezer and moved the frozen meats out of the way, searching for ice cream, but he found none. Sighing, he turned to the two girls who were sitting at the counter now.

"I am afraid we are all out of ice cream." Sesshoumaru almost rolled his eyes at the down cast looks. "I believe I saw some liver in the freezer however." He smirked at their horrified expressions. "I'll take that as a no."

Just then Inuyasha strolled into the kitchen. "I was wondering what was taking you so long to get the drinks." He snorted.

Sesshoumaru glanced at his brother with a raised brow. "Perhaps we can go out for some ice cream?" He suggested.

Inuyasha frowned. "Ice cream? Since when do you like ice cream?"

Sesshoumaru tilted his head towards the two humans by the counter and the hanyou chuckled.

Inuyasha grinned. "There was a cool little place down the road I think. Sold gilatti, or something."

Rin clapped her hands together happily. "Oh, that sounds wonderful."

Kagome giggled at the little girls excitement. "Well, why don't we go get our shoes on? What do you say Rin?"

Rin blinked at Kagome for a moment and then turned her attention to Sesshoumaru. "Sesshoumaru-san, Rin doesn't have any shoes to wear."

Sesshoumaru almost rolled his eyes. "There are the sandals you wore yesterday. I will take you out later for some clothes."

Rin nodded happily and took Kagome's offered hand, and allowed herself to be lead out of the kitchen. Once they were gone, Inuyasha turned to his older brother. "Oie, what are you planning to do with the kid?"

Sesshoumaru sighed. "She will remain here until Bokusenou finds out what happened to her family. Right now she has no one, and he is working with child services so that she remains here."

Inuyasha gaped stupidly at his brother. "I thought you hated them?"

"If I hated their kind, Inuyasha, I would also hate you. You have their blood flowing through your veins." Sesshoumaru walked out of the kitchen in a rush, leaving Inuyasha standing there flustered.

"Hey! Wait for me." He cried out indignantly, racing after them.

Kagome and Rin were already at the door when Inuyasha exited the kitchen. Once the place was locked, they began their short journey to the small ice cream place at the end of the block. Inuyasha eagerly ran into the place and Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes as the girls began their excited giggles over what kind they were going to have.

Kagome pulled out her little change purse but was stopped by Sesshoumaru, who shook his head firmly. "My treat." He declared.

Kagome almost protested, but Rin pulled her hand over to the counter. "Look, Kagome-san, the green stuff has chocolate in it."

Kagome grinned widely and nodded. "I think that is mint chocolate chip, Rin."

Once they had placed their order, they sat down outside amongst a variety of people, some were youkai and others were humans. Rin happily licked at her mint chocolate chip, and Kagome and Inuyasha enjoyed their double scoops of rocky road. After some convincing, Sesshoumaru finally broke down and got himself a cone with one scoop of cookies and cream.

Once they had finished their cones, Rin bounded to her feet. "What will we do now?" She exclaimed excitedly.

Sesshoumaru glanced over at the energetic girl and sighed. "Maybe we can find a park nearby for you to burn off some of that energy?"

Kagome giggled and nodded. "There is a park around the corner. Just up the street a little ways."

Inuyasha snorted and popped the last of his cone into his mouth. He was about to say something, but Sesshoumaru cut him off. "Shall we?"

Inuyasha snorted again and followed a little more slowly, watching passerby's as they looked at him warily. Frowning, he wondered what was going on for them to look at him like he was a monster. Some of the people glanced at his brother in the same manner, but he didn't seem to notice, or he was just exceptionally good at hiding his reactions.

"Uhh, hey Sess?" Inuyasha mumbled, knowing his brother would be able to hear him without any problems.

Sesshoumaru grunted, signaling the fact that he had heard his brother.

"Have you noticed the strange reactions we are getting? Not just us though, all the youkai and hanyou."

Sesshoumaru stopped and glanced around him curiously. "Hnn." He snorted through his nose. "We have always received stares, Inuyasha. Why would this be any different?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "I don't know, it feels different."

Sesshoumaru rounded the corner and led them across the street to the park. Rin immediately raced off towards the play structure, and Kagome followed, just as eagerly. Inuyasha sauntered up beside his brother and took a seat next to him as they approached the bench.

For a few minutes, Inuyasha sat there, trying to collect his thoughts, before voicing them to his brother. Sesshoumaru prided himself on vocabulary, or lack there of and still managing to send his point across. Something that Inuyasha wished he had the ability of.

Sighing once, he finally turned to Sesshoumaru. "I wanted to tell you something, but I don't want you getting upset over it." He began.

Sesshoumaru raised a single brow in response, his eyes never leaving the girls as they played on the structure.

"It has to do with the night we had the accident." Inuyasha continued, shifting nervously.

Sesshoumaru turned his head to his brother, his full attention on the hanyou. "Oh?"

Inuyasha swallowed nervously. "I don't know if it was my imagination or something, or maybe I had been pumped full of drugs, but there are things that I remember that don't add up to what we were told at the hospital."

Sesshoumaru stilled and stared at his brother long and hard. "Go on."

Inuyasha nodded. "Well, it was right after I had been taken out of the car, I remember a loud bang and crunching noises, and then being pulled out. I might have blacked out, because the next thing I remember is laying a ways away." The hanyou swallowed hard, fear filling his aura.

"What are you trying to say?" Sesshoumaru urged, interested in what his brother had to say. To him, it seemed like it had taken Inuyasha a lot of courage to bring this information out into the open.

Inuyasha nodded and closed his eyes. "Well, I looked over to where I heard the crunching sounds and I saw them pull chichi out of the car. They put him onto a stretcher and I swear I saw him look right at me. I mean from what I can remember, he blinked and everything, and his mouth opened as though he were trying to say something."

Sesshoumaru froze. "Are you saying that father was still alive after the crash?"

Inuyasha nodded, and swallowed again. "I think so, but I can't be sure. I mean, I remember him looking at me, right at me, Sess. I saw them pull you out right after, and you were out cold. They did some stuff to you, and then put you on a stretcher. I remember seeing your arm all bloody and stuff. If I remember that, then-"

Sesshoumaru held his hand up and shook his head firmly. "Now is not the time to be talking about this."

Inuyasha frowned and flinched at his brother's sharp words. "Gomennasai, Sess." He whispered.

Sesshoumaru sighed. Every time he cut Inuyasha off, it was like the hanyou thought he was going to get chastised for something. "Inuyasha, this is something we need to talk about in private and definitely something we have to bring to Toutousai and Bokusenou's attention. This we will discuss tonight."

Inuyasha nodded. "Okay."

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All too soon, Sesshoumaru stood up and glanced at the sky that was darkening far too quickly. Inuyasha jumped to his feet and called the girls over. "Hey, it's gonna storm, come on."

Rin and Kagome quickly raced over and fell in step behind the brother's, holding hands and giggling happily.

"Kagome?" Sesshoumaru said, looking over his shoulder.

"Hai?" She asked, curiously.

"I was wondering if you require a ride home tonight?"

"Iie, I don't live too far from here, and besides I have my trusty umbrella if it does start raining."

Just as Kagome finished her words a loud crack of thunder rolled through the sky and set a downpour onto them. Rin squealed and jumped a foot into the air and then giggled nervously as a shot of lightening licked through the rumbling black clouds gathering above them.

Inuyasha grumbled and shook his head, completely soaked through, and grabbed Rin and Kagome, breaking into a run before Sesshoumaru wiped his bangs out of his eyes with a rather distasteful snarl.

Sighing and trudging through the downpour, Sesshoumaru took a step off the sidewalk and onto their path leading to the front door of their house and stepped into a large puddle, quickly growing and flowing down the street.

Inuyasha chuckled from the protective confines of the house and yelled out as a crack of thunder rolled through the sky. "Hurry up or you'll need a canoe to get to the door."

Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes and jumped in a single bound and landed under the overhang above the front porch. Shaking his head to dislodge most of the water clinging to his hair and face, he finally stepped inside and glanced at the three drenched occupants of the house.

Kagome sighed and stared out the door with a forlorn look on her face. Inuyasha seemed to notice this and he snorted. "If yah want to stay until it stops, you can. Call your mother and let her know."

Sesshoumaru glanced at the little girl, who was ringing out her kimono, and he quirked half a smile. "Inuyasha, do you have an extra shirt that Rin can use for now?"

"Keh, what's wrong with yours?" Inuyasha crossed his arms.

"You are smaller then I am, one of yours would fit better."

Kagome hide her smile behind her hand and lead Rin towards the bathroom quietly.

Inuyasha shook his head and bounded up the stairs and retrieved a shirt for the tiny girl. As he descended the stairs, he saw several towels sitting along the railing and shrugged his shoulders. "Hey, what movies do we have?" He called, hearing them in the living room. Just as he spoke, the power surged and flickered off. "Keh! Never mind!" He snapped.

He allowed his eyes to adjust to the darkness, before walking the rest of the way down the stairs and finally, he turned the corner and saw the shadows of Rin, Kagome and Sesshoumaru around the small coffee table. Soon a candle was lit, and Inuyasha blinked when the sudden light filled his eyes and he shook his head.

"Warn me before you do that." He growled at Kagome, who glanced over at him.

"Oh, come on, grumpy." She giggled. "Sesshoumaru pulled out some cards, and we're going to play fish with Rin."

Inuyasha lifted a brow and sighed. "Fish, huh?" He glanced at Sesshoumaru who wrinkled his nose in his direction.

Inuyasha waltzed over to them and hovered beside Rin and Kagome who were shuffling the cards with wide grins on their faces. "Did you at least remember to call your mother?" He grumbled, handing the shirt he had gotten, to Rin.

The girl immediately got up and ran into the bathroom to change out of her damp dress, coming out in a large black shirt with a picture of Johnny Depp on it, dressed in his pirates outfit.

Sesshoumaru lifted a brow and Inuyasha shrugged his shoulders with a smirk. "Hey, it was either this one, or the one with a skeleton youkai on it."

Shaking their heads, Kagome patted the carpet beside her as Rin came walking in with her arms held out for inspection. Inuyasha took a step towards them, just as Kagome smiled broadly as Rin wandered over as well. "You look great, Rin. Come sit beside me."

All heads turned in Inuyasha's direction when he tripped and slammed into the corner of the coffee table with a sharp cry.

Sesshoumaru frowned. "What in all hells is wrong with you lately?"

"Damn!" Inuyasha muttered through the carpet, his face was currently smushed against. Slowly, he lifted his head and glared at them, wiping his nose and wincing. "I think I broke my damn nose."

Both Kagome and Sesshoumaru frowned and shook their heads. "Please watch what you say, there is a little girl present." Kagome shook her finger at Inuyasha.

"Keh! That makes four times-" Inuyasha stopped what he was going to say and blinked for a moment, before glancing down at the stupid necklace that still graced his neck. "Just hold on one damn minute here!" He growled loudly.

Sesshoumaru noticed Inuyasha's gaze travel to the rosary and he snorted, having forgotten all about the antiquity. "I forgot all about that thing."

Inuyasha lifted his eyes and narrowed them at Sesshoumaru and Kagome. His hand wrapped around the beads and lifted them, but a strange buzzing noise filled the two brother's ears when it reached Inuyasha's jaw line.

"What the hell?" Inuyasha snarled, flopping over onto his back, tugging at the blue and white beads. "They won't come off me!" He shouted.

Kagome blinked, and reached over to help Inuyasha out when he snapped. "Stay away from me, that's the fourth time I've been pulled down by these damn things and all four times it's been around you."

Sesshoumaru furrowed his brows and stared at the girl and Inuyasha for a moment. "Fourth? I thought this was the third."

Inuyasha rolled to a crouched position and glared at his brother. "The fourth was now, third was the stairs, second was at school and first was last night. Damn, and all four times you said one word that was the same!" He growled, turning a dangerous glare at the human girl whose eyes widened.

"What word was that?" She asked innocently.

"Sit, Dammit."

Kagome's mouth opened to protest. "Are you saying that every time I say sit…" Her mouth dropped open as Inuyasha slammed face first into the carpet again. "Oh, Inuyasha, I'm so sorry."

Inuyasha growled and snapped his teeth at the girl as she reached out for him. "Stay away from me!"

Kagome snatched her fingers back as his fangs came mere inches from them. "Well I'm sorry, but I didn't know." She snapped.

Sesshoumaru glanced at Rin and the girl glanced over at him. Both shrugged and began shuffling the cards with small smiles on their faces as the human girl and Inuyasha argued back and forth.

"I didn't mean it, I had no idea that this would happen. It's not like I had this planned or something." Kagome defended herself.

"Feh. Take em off." Inuyasha demanded.

"Kagome gave a slow grin. "No."

Inuyasha stalled in his tirade and stared at the girl for a moment. "Nani? Tame nani…"

"I said no. This might come in handy, just incase you decide to run out on the project." Kagome crossed her arms and gave him a glare.

Inuyasha scowled. "Take them off!" He growled, raising his fist.

"You take them off, if you want them off so badly." Kagome grinned.

"I can't, baka!" Inuyasha raged.

Sesshoumaru and Rin glanced at one another again, before shaking their heads and finally starting their game. "Do you have any fives?"

"Go fish."

"I said take them off!"

"Make me!"

"Do you have any jacks?" Rin asked.

Sesshoumaru handed Rin a card and sighed, trying his hardest to ignore the two arguing forms beside them. "Do you have any aces?" He asked, blocking out Kagome and Inuyasha.

"SIT!"

"Go fish."

"Gah!"

Sesshoumaru reached into the pile and picked up a card, glancing over at the sprawled body of his brother. It was going to be a rather long night if they kept this up. Finally, snarling loudly, Sesshoumaru glanced at them out of the corner of his eyes. "Will you two please keep it down, or go somewhere else to argue?"

Kagome and Inuyasha slumped.

"Feh." Inuyasha sat up and crossed his arms, and Kagome glared at the hanyou.

The phone rang and all eyes turned to the phone. Kagome blinked and stood up. "It's probably my mom, returning my call."

She picked up the phone resting it against her ear. "Moshi, moshi." Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru stared at her when she gasped softly, and her face drained of all color, and her large brown eyes widened. Her pupils grew larger as she listened to the voice on the other end.

Inuyasha jumped to his feet and dashed towards the girl, but Sesshoumaru was faster and took the receiver from her.

"Who is this?" Sesshoumaru growled.

"An old friend." Came the answer, soft and grainy.

All eyes locked onto one another for a long moment, before they stared at the phone as though it were a poisonous insect.