Disclaimer: Do not own Inuyasha or any of Rumiko Takahashi's characters.

Chapter 13

Last time:

Maika turned and snarled at him. Not now! "What are you doing here?" she demanded much more fiercely than she felt. He had her trapped, and they both knew it.

He moved forward out of the shadows, then, making himself visible to her in the dim light. Though not unexpected, Maika couldn't help but shudder in revulsion at the unwelcome sight.

"Maika, please, we've been through this hundreds of times before. I'll admit you managed to elude me for much longer this time, but once again I found you."

Maika forced herself to not tremble and took a step back from him. She didn't want to be afraid, but his logic was pretty sound.

"I always find what is mine," he told her in an ominous voice.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Maika curled her hands into fists, and her temper flared. "I am not yours, Yukio!"

She lifted her hand and pressed it towards him, sending him flying into the wall with a firm gust of wind. She wasn't powerless without her fan, but its absence limited her.

Breathing heavily, she seethed at the spider youkai, who still leered at her even as he pulled himself from the dent he'd made in her apartment wall. He was tall, even taller than Sesshomaru, but had no markings or coloring of any kind to make him stand out from the mortals. Nor did he have a very strong aura, which only made it easier for him to hide among the humans and manipulate his illicit activities without dirtying his hands.

But that didn't mean he wasn't a threat. Yukio just used less obvious, less direct weapons.

Black eyes, brimming with contempt and lust, locked onto her. He regained his feet and straightened the rather bland, mortal clothing he wore. It was really amazing how someone so evil and malicious could come in such a nondescript, generic package.

Maika took another step back.

"I am not yours!" she repeated. "I made a mistake long ago by confusing your twisted obsession for attraction. And my family paid the price for it. Kill me, I don't care, but I'm not backing down to you this time. I have nothing left for you to take. Your hold on me is gone."

"Is that so?" Yukio questioned mildly, stalking towards her with an eerie arachnid grace.

Maika took another step back, but brushed against the disgusting, sticky fibers of a web. These were not the thin, wispy strands that one ran into on a walk through a wooded area. No, this web was as much like a real spider's web as a lion was like a kitten. From her brief contact with it, parts of the lovely kimono and a thick lock of her hair caught and held.

He closed the gap with unhurried quickness. "Then those mortals you were with today mean nothing?"

Maika stiffened, and tried to play nonchalant. "What mortals? My employer and the brat?"

Yukio smiled at her, an expression he managed to make frightening, and not in a seductively handsome way like Sesshomaru.

"Why that lovely little girl and that long-haired young man." He reached out and fingered the silk of her kimono. Maika shrank away from him, which only tangled her further in his web. "Such fine silk. Not something someone who is simply an employer would give to his secretary. Tsk, tsk, Maika, did you let a mortal sample what is mine?"

Maika's fury rose and she lunged at him, nearly breaking free of a large number of strands. "I'm not yours!"

"So he was just a passing fling?" Yukio questioned, easily moving out of her reach. "Then it should not trouble you for me to eliminate him and his brat. Mortals are no better than insects, after all, so what loss would two of them be?"

"They are not a part of this, Yukio," Maika snapped. "Stop hiding behind others and face me like a man, whether you are worthy of that label or not"

"So it seems you do have something to lose after all," Yukio told her with a grin. He lifted his hand and drove the back of it into her face. The force of the blow sent her flying through his webbing and into the wall behind. It cracked, raining plaster and paint flakes onto her.

Maika's head spun and her vision blurred. She put a hand to her cheek, nursing the swollen bruise already forming. She struggled to stand up, but his foot connected with her ribs with an even greater strength. Maika grunted from the pain and winced at the clear sound of ribs cracking. Still, she refused to cry out, knowing he would only draw pleasure from it.

The final strike landed at the base of her skull. Stars flashed and her mind reeled. Vaguely she was aware of rancid breath over her face and a gruff voice in her ear.

"You will come with me, or I will kill them both. I'll slit the girl's throat, then let her last dying moments be filled with the sight of her father being drained slowly of his lifeblood by me. You cannot escape me, Maika. I always get what I want."

Then Maika succumbed to the pain and lure of unconsciousness.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sesshomaru tapped his claws against Tenseiga's sheath as he listened to the painfully slow progress of the elevator. His heightened senses detected the large group of people waiting on the floor they approached, and he had to stifle a growl. He did not want to be anywhere near annoying groups of humans today; he wanted to have Reiku and Maika join him at his family home and savor the pure pleasure of their presence.

The elevator groaned to a halt and the doors slid open to reveal the agitated youkai with his arms crossed and rather impressive sword in one hand. Sesshomaru looked at the crowd of people, and they took a step back. Most exchanged looks, then sputtered excuses for why they would wait for the next one, despite the fact that Sesshomaru was the sole occupant at the moment.

He smirked to himself as the doors slid shut again without anyone boarding. It was good to be Sesshomaru.

His office's floor was quiet when he finally reached it, which meant there must have been a meeting going on in the large boardroom at the opposite side of the building. Mrs. Toyosawa greeted him with the usual notes and messages that had a nasty habit of accumulating even when he was in. Without a word of acknowledgement to his secretary, he returned the Tenseiga to its case. It had been a while since he'd used it, and he had to admit it felt good, a relief to the nostalgia for the good old days.

Sesshomaru rushed through that morning's phone conference and the stack of paperwork on his desk. He made a few last phone calls to finalize the legal process of Reiku's adoption, so that he could move her into his penthouse with him that very day. To organize the youkai ceremony he would need to meet with a few elders in person, but he would not wait for that to have her brought more securely beneath his protection.

A room had been cleared for her in his penthouse and he had instructed one to be prepared at his family home as well. Neither was decorated yet. Sesshomaru knew she would wish to imprint her own personality into the design, so they would do that part themselves. And of course he would enlist Maika for that task as well. She would know far better than he where to find the kinds of things a young girl would want.

And of course there was the added pleasure of her presence. Sesshomaru closed his eyes and let a low, hungry growl rumble in his chest as he recalled her soft skin and alluring scent. Overwhelmed by the urge to be near both Maika and Reiku, Sesshomaru wrapped up his morning's work and hurried back out onto the street.

In no time at all, he strode into the home's entrance, only to be disappointed by the lack of Maika's enticing scent and playful voice to greet him. Instead he saw a rather frazzled looking young man sitting at the front desk.

"Ah, M-m-mr. Daiginkeiko," the poor guy stuttered as Sesshomaru stepped up. "I must apologize for the mess, but the secretary hasn't shown up yet."

Sesshomaru arched an eyebrow, which must have appeared quite frightening to the young man because he continued with a rushed explanation.

"This is completely unlike her. She is really the best secretary we've had. I'm sure she probably has a good reason for being so late."

Sesshomaru smiled inwardly. He knew she had a very, very good reason for running behind today. Last night had been wonderful, and even he was feeling a bit more sluggish than usual.

"I'm sure that is so," he told the man dismissively. "See that the secretary calls me once she arrives. I shall speak to her about this tardiness."

"Yes, sir," the man agreed, but Sesshomaru was already walking down the hall, following Reiku's scent to the classroom she was in.

The teacher scarcely paused when Sesshomaru appeared in the doorway, used to the frequent intrusions. Reiku looked over at him, instantly picking up on his unspoken call, and rose silently from her chair to join him in the hall.

"Yes, Father?" she asked.

"Reiku, I would like for you to get settled in your room today. Will you fall behind if you miss the class?" he asked her, bending down to her level so that she did not have to strain her neck.

Reiku shook her head. "I will be fine. I study very hard, and this is not a very difficult lesson." She then leaned closer to him and put a hand on his brow. "Are you all right, Father? You look a little tired today. Did you have too much fun yesterday?"

Sesshomaru flinched as his adult mind filled in a not so G-rated image to go along with her innocent question. He closed his eyes and forced the memory of Maika from his mind, then replied, "No, I enjoyed yesterday greatly. I am well."

Reiku frowned as if not completely convinced and planted a kiss on his brow. "I'll be keeping my eye on you. It's my job to take care of you, too, and I don't want you to get sick."

Sesshomaru offered her a brief smile and cupped her face with his hand. "Indeed, Reiku. I know I am in excellent hands." He stood and then turned towards her room. "Come, let us gather what possessions you wish to keep, and I will take you to our home."

Reiku gasped at the word home and paused. Sesshomaru halted as well. "I wish to have my daughter at my side. Does this please her?"

Reiku smiled, ran over and threw her arms around his legs. "I never thought I'd ever have one of those. Home. Yes, I want to see our home, Father. To be with you. And we'll never be lonely again."

Sesshomaru placed a hand on her head. "No, we shall not."

xxxxxxx

It took them a couple hours with the help of a car to move what Reiku had in the Home up to Sesshomaru's penthouse. Once she had that arranged, they realized just how few those possessions were. Once again on foot, Sesshomaru passed by the Home's front desk, hoping to run into Maika so he could ask her to accompany Reiku and him.

Yet she had still not arrived, or even called the Home to say whether she was coming or not. Sesshomaru was torn between annoyance and hurt. Could she have been making up the lost sleep and just hadn't felt the need to call in? Or had she not enjoyed his company last night and was now trying to avoid him? He hadn't sensed any reluctance from her last night, but then again, he hadn't been thinking too clearly. A pain jolted through him at the thought that she had rejected him after how deeply they had connected, and a flicker of self-doubt troubled the great daiyoukai. Had he been too quick to open up to Maika and trust her? The only other people he had ever been so open with were Rin and now Reiku.

No, that was ridiculous. He knew Maika. It was weak and childish of him to doubt her so quickly.

But if she were not being irresponsible, or rejecting him, why hadn't she come in to work today?

Sesshomaru's thumb idly rubbed circles against Reiku's hand as he led her back out onto the sidewalk. He took a deep breath and nearly choked on the strong scent of blood nearby. His head jerked up sharply, and his nose twitched as it sorted through the jumble of smells to pinpoint the blood's location.

He knew that blood, and the thought of smelling it in such a substantial amount had his heart racing. Maika!

His gaze nearly passed over the rather plain looking mortal, who stood just off to his right, studying something across the street with a bored expression. Sesshomaru stiffened and sniffed discretely at the mortal, no youkai. It was a weak one, almost lacking an aura at all, but it was definitely a youkai. And it reeked of Maika's blood.

At his side, Reiku shifted uncomfortably, aware of his tension. "Father?"

Sesshomaru squeezed her hand softly and silenced her with a look. Reiku nodded and obediently trotted along beside him as he took off at a brisk walk down the sidewalk. Sesshomaru debated whether he needed to get to Maika quickly, or if he should leave Reiku somewhere first? He did not wish for Reiku to see any more violence if he could avoid it, especially if it involved a woman she cared for.

Finally, he decided to keep Reiku with him. There was no safer place for her than at his side, and he would shield her from anything unpleasant should it come to that. He pushed against the entryway to Maika's apartment building, snarling as its locks denied him entrance. With little caution, he melted the locks and let himself in. He could smell Maika's blood from there, and the scent nearly had him in a rage. If he did not calm himself, his aura would overcome the charm and he would have to acquire another one. Unfortunately, that did little to help his temper.

Growling, Sesshomaru followed her scent to her apartment, then told Reiku to stand behind him. With a flick of his hand, he forced the door open. It strained against the hinges and bounced off the wall with a loud crash. There was a high-pitched scream and Sesshomaru was forced to duck as a rather nasty blade of wind sliced neatly through the air where his head had been.

"Oh my God! Sesshomaru! Don't you scare me like that!" Maika cried out as she ran to see if he was okay. Well, it was more a stiff limping, but she got there all the same.

Sesshomaru motioned for Reiku to come inside, then he shut the door behind her. It didn't quite latch properly anymore and he noticed a very large hole in the wall beside it. He winced and thought, I couldn't have slammed it that hard.

It was then he caught the scent of another male, a fresh scent, along with Maika's blood and the pungent odor of salves and ointments. He took in the disordered state of the room, the half-packed suitcase on the couch and finally Maika herself.

Apparently satisfied that he was uninjured, she returned to her suitcase and added another hurriedly folded skirt to its contents. "You shouldn't be here, Sesshomaru. Don't you have meetings and stuff?"

Sesshomaru took in the bruises and partially healed cuts on her face and the slow, stiffness of her usually graceful movements. He growled loudly and demanded, "What has happened? Who did this to you?"

Instantly, he stood at her side and ran a gentle hand over a particularly nasty cut. Maika shivered at the contact and bit her lip as if trying to hold back her reaction. With an effort, she moved away from him and said, "You shouldn't be here. This is my affair. I'm a big girl, and I can handle it."

Sesshomaru jerked the shirt she was lowering into the suitcase from her grasp and lifted her face by the chin to look at him. "And you are my affair. I will not have someone threatening the safety of what is mine. You will not leave my protection."

Maika's eyes flashed. "You arrogant baka! I'm not leaving because I want to, I'm doing it to protect you! You and Reiku both. He said he'd kill you, if I didn't. And this would not be the first time he's carried through on that threat. Just go visit the graves of my family, if you need convincing. Yukio is youkai. Mortals mean nothing to..."

Sesshomaru crossed his arms, an amused sparkle in his eye as the realization dawned on Maika and her words trailed into silence. Her cheeks flushed a brilliant red, and she collapsed onto her couch with a groan. Reiku climbed onto the arm of the couch while Sesshomaru moved the suitcase and seated himself beside Maika.

"A youkai? You don't say," Sesshomaru teased. Maika laughed, but it was cut short by a moan of pain and she put a hand to her ribs.

"Oh, shut up," she groused at him. "I forgot, okay. I just found out last night, after all. And when Yukio just appears in my apartment, catching me by surprise and beating the shi-" Maika caught sight of Reiku at that point, "er-crap out of me, I get a little bit frazzled."

"Indeed," Sesshomaru said, turning to inspect her injuries again. It hurt him to see her in pain and suffering. It touched him as deeply as seeing Reiku in such a state had. He inwardly berated himself for not having escorted her to the door and assuring that she had arrived safely.

Sesshomaru knew he loved Maika, everything about her. Even her annoying habit of knowing just how to get him to do what she wanted. He needed to protect her, care for her, but would she let him? She was such a strong, confident woman. Would she submit to him claiming her, taking her as his mate?

And was he wholly and completely willing to submit and be bound to her? Not just physically, they had already joined in such a manner last night. While he had enjoyed that immensely, Sesshomaru realized he wanted more. He would not be satisfied until they were one, not just in body, but in heart and soul as well.

He realized the instant he had smelled her blood and feared for her life that, as with Reiku, he would give his own for hers without hesitation. His instincts were roused and calling for him to tend to his female, make her his own and heal her.

There it was. Sesshomaru frowned at the enormous importance of what he was about to do. If he offered and she rejected him, he feared it might break him. Never before had he made himself so vulnerable to another, yet he realized he had no other choice but to risk it. He did not wish to continue in the emptiness he knew his life would be without Maika in it. She had wormed her way into his heart as deeply as Reiku.

His voice oddly heavy and full of emotion, Sesshomaru lifted her hand and pressed it against his lips, then said, "Perhaps I should tend to these while you explain what is going on and who this Yukio is? If you will permit me to care for you, that is."

Maika started at the thickness of his voice. Following her own arm up, she met his intense gaze over her knuckles. He was asking her for more than simple permission to treat her injuries. This was something deeper, older. Her instincts cautioned her to think her answer through and not just accept his offer lightly. Many youkai mating rituals involved a more spiritual interaction, depending more on the willingness to care for one another and a mingling of auras than any purely physical moment such as rutting or a mating mark.

And her instincts seemed to be telling her that Sesshomaru was truly asking her to be his mate. Even Reiku seemed to sense that something very important had just been said. She sat quietly on the arm of the couch, just watching the two of them.

Maika opened her mouth, trying to find the exact words she needed, and Sesshomaru tensed slightly. Closing her mouth again, Maika instead leaned into him and brushed her lips over his in a gentle kiss. Nothing solely sexual or fiery with lust, but a pure and genuine kiss filled with all her love, trust, and passion, her hesitations, her fears, her weaknesses. All of her being, both the good and the bad, she poured into that kiss.

"If it is me you care for," she whispered in his ear, "then I accept your offer. And will promise the same to you. If you will permit me to care for you, too."

Maika could almost see the tension leave his body. His eyes sparkled and he smiled at her. Releasing her hand, he moved his to gently cup her battered face. Maika shivered as his claws sketched across her cheeks and ears as he drew her face toward his. He pressed his forehead against hers and whispered huskily, "I accept your offer as well."

Moving as if by some unheard command, both Maika and Sesshomaru reached out and deactivated the other's charm. They closed their eyes as the sensations of their auras filled the air around them with a tangible energy. It danced and whirled about them in invisible eddies and currents until they began to merge. It started slowly at first, then rapidly, as their aura's mingled. Both Sesshomaru and Maika gasped and closed their eyes. Then as suddenly as the conflagration of auras began, it subsided, leaving a sense of completion behind. It was like a thirst they never noticed had finally been slaked.

Maika opened her eyes, breathing heavily, but Sesshomaru still had his shut as he gripped her face. It was then she realized she could feel him within her, healing her injuries, mending the broken bones. It was a foreign sensation, but not an unpleasant one. Curious, she prodded his consciousness, attempting to return the favor and see if he had anything that needed healing. All she encountered was a rather large, thick scar, not on any part of him physically, but on his soul. She reached out with her senses to touch it. He flinched slightly, but Maika did not let up. Finally, he relented to her insistence and allowed her to explore the old scar.

It was so cold. Tears well up in her eyes as she felt the pain and anguish that had marked him so. How could someone have suffered so much? She had lost her own family, but she had been able to heal, to move on and enjoy life. But he had held on to his grief, locked it and himself away behind that icy scar. Gently she breathed upon it, willing her own warmth to enter it.

Suddenly, Sesshomaru's voice whispered in her ear, "Not yet, my love. Not even you could heal that wound all at once."

His words drew her back to reality, and her eyes popped open with a start. His warm golden eyes bore into hers. She blinked and two fresh tears trailed down her cheeks. Sesshomaru caught them with his thumb and wiped them away.

They sat there looking at one another for a moment, until Reiku suddenly asked, "So, does this mean Maika will be my mother now?"

Sesshomaru laughed, and Maika chuckled softly. They glanced at one another and Maika answered, "I would be honored, Reiku, if you'd like me to be your mother."

Reiku bounced happily on the arm of the couch then threw her arms around the wind youkai. "Of course! This means I have a family."

Sesshomaru cleared his throat and drew both females' attention back to himself.

"Now, you must tell who this Yukio is, and by what presumption he claims you as his?" he reminded Maika sternly.

Maika planted a quick kiss on his cheek, then stood up.

"Let me make some tea. This might take a while," she announced as she walked into her kitchen and filled a pot with water.

Presently she returned with two cups of tea and a bottle of juice for Reiku. A soft sigh escaped her lips as she sank down beside Sesshomaru.

"I'll likely end up owing repairs on this place. And I know my deposit's gone."

Maika took a deep sip of her tea and waited to make sure Sesshomaru was pleased with his before beginning her tale.

"Yukio. Yukio is a spider youkai with about as much power on the underground side of business as you have in the corporate world. I first met Yukio when I was just a teenager, very stupid and easily swayed by a few sweet words. Yukio was full of them. He made me feel beautiful and loved. He was older and so much more powerful than me at the time, and well, I fell for him. My parents didn't really approve, but of course that didn't matter to me.

"Well, we had been following the human ritual of dating for a few months, when he changed, rather he showed his true colors. He drew me aside in a dark alley on the way home one evening and tried to move our relationship up a level. I was scared, but he was stronger than me, and he had planned ahead. He had a trap laid for me, forced me into one of his webs."

Maika paused and Sesshomaru laid a hand over hers in a comforting gesture.

"He hurt me. Badly. Then he drew some kind of knife and carved a mark shaped like a spider onto the back of my shoulder. I thought he had poisoned it and that I was going to die, it burned so badly. Then he told me that I belonged to him and he let me go.

"I was terrified. I ran home as fast as I could. My parents were harsh with me. They said they had warned me that Yukio was no good, but then they tended my wounds. They and my brothers all lectured me until I swore I would never see Yukio again. And after that incident, I was more than willing to promise that.

"And for about a month I thought I had put Yukio behind me, until one day the spider mark on my shoulder started to burn. Yukio attacked me without warning. He was still more powerful than me and he caught me by surprise. I told him to go away and that I never wanted to see him again. He struck me and told me I was his, then warned me that bad things would happen if I refused to admit his claim on me.

"My mother went first. Then my brother. So we ran. And Yukio followed. His attacks were never direct. My mother had been poisoned by an order of take-out. My brother caught a bullet to the brain while walking down the sidewalk. Yukio never sullied his own hands.

"By that time even I had grown more powerful than Yukio, but the fear was deeply ingrained. And he never attacked unless he had an unfair advantage. That was when I took off on my own. I figured if I ran, Yukio would follow me and leave my family alone. I was wrong.

"My other brother lasted the longest. He was determined to protect me, and he was killed, cut into tiny pieces and tossed into the ocean. Yukio made me watch that one. I ran. I was too terrified by what I saw, and I knew that I would be next. I made it here and took a job in your company. For a year I heard nothing, not even a twinge of pain from the mark. I thought I'd lost him until today.

"I entered my apartment and he was here waiting for me."

Sesshomaru growled. "I should have escorted you home. I could have sensed his presence and protected you."

"No," Maika corrected. "His aura's too weak. He's almost indistinguishable from a mortal. He caught me by surprise and we had our usual exchange. I told him to leave me alone, or just kill me because I had no one else for him to take. That was when he threatened you and Reiku. He said, he said he would kill you both unless I admitted his claim to me."

Sesshomaru frowned. "I can see why you feared him. What he lacks in power he makes up with cunning, and he manipulated you from such a young age. But I have dealt with those both more cunning and more powerful. And what exactly does he look like?"

Maika narrowed her eyes at him. "Are you planning on just jumping in and eliminating him with a flick of your wrist?"

Sesshomaru opened his mouth about to chide her for asking such a foolish question and assure her that of course he would eliminate any threat to her. Yet something about the firm set of her mouth and the hard glint in her eyes dissuaded him from saying that. Yukio had hurt her, both physically and mentally, and his instincts screamed for him to seek and destroy the source of her pain. However, the only way for her to completely free herself from Yukio was to do it of her own strength. If he were to step in and destroy the filth, Maika would still have that fear hanging over her.

With an effort, he forced back his instincts and shook his head. "No, as much as I would enjoy doing just that, he is your enemy, your prey. I will not permit him to cause you any further harm, but his death is in your hands. I will not interfere unless you ask it of me."

Maika's face softened and a smile curled her ruby lips. She squeezed his hand that still lay over hers and said, "Thank you. Thank you for understanding me."

"So, is this the spider mark?" Reiku questioned, interrupting the silence. Sesshomaru leaned back to look at the place on Maika's shoulder where Reiku was pointing. It was a harsh, puckered scar crudely shaped like a spider. Sesshomaru frowned and wondered why that had not been healed along with the rest of her injuries.

As if she knew what he was thinking, Maika replied, "That is the mark. It is cursed, somehow. My theory is that it'll go away once Yukio dies. I even tried slicing it off once, but it came back."

Sesshomaru nodded. In all likelihood that was correct.

They were interrupted by a low growl. Reiku pressed her hands to her stomach and grinned. "I think my stomach is saying that it's hungry."

"Then perhaps we should go get some lunch," Sesshomaru suggested, but Maika shook her head.

"You two go ahead," Maika told them. "I need to wait here for Yukio. I'm not going to give him a chance to ambush me or set up another of his little traps. I want to get this thing with him over."

She smiled and gestured towards the open suitcase. "Besides, I need to do some unpacking. Looks like I'm not going anywhere."

Sesshomaru stood up and shook his head. "No. Go ahead and pack."

Reiku jumped up and clapped excitedly. "Yes, you have to finish packing, so you can move in with me and Father."

Maika glanced up sharply to look at Sesshomaru. He inclined his head slightly.

"We're a family now. Why should we live alone when we have one another?" Reiku pointed out.

Maika opened her mouth as if to say something, then closed it. She turned away from them, but Sesshomaru could smell the salty tang of tears. She dried her face quickly and turned to them with a brilliant smile.

"You've got a point, kid," she said. "But you two should still go for some lunch. I'm afraid I've neglected the grocery shopping."

Sesshomaru shook his head and pulled his cell phone from his pocket. "I understand that Yukio is your prey, however I will not leave you alone. I will be here to ensure that it is a fair fight without any of his tricks or schemes. Okamoto's?"

Maika crossed her arms and pursed her ruby lips as she tried to glare at him. Finally she smirked at him and said, "You know what to get."

Reiku ran over to Sesshomaru and latched onto his leg. "I don't want the bugs. I'll have noodles again."

Sesshomaru nodded and called in their order.

Maika reactivated her charm and tossed him a deck of cards. He looked at the cards, then back up at Maika. "So you two won't get bored while you wait. I had a dvd player, but well, none of that survived this morning."

Sesshomaru pocketed his phone and carried the deck over to the couch. "I managed to keep myself entertained for centuries before television was even invented," he informed her wryly. "I believe I can manage a day without it."

Maika stuck her tongue out at him as she moved into her bedroom to gather more clothes.

"You ought to activate that charm of yours, too," Maika called out. "Yukio won't come if he senses an aura as strong as yours here. And not all of Okamoto's delivery guys are youkai."

Sesshomaru did not reply, but he did reactivate his charm. He then opened the deck and shuffled it, smiling as the memory of his first experience with cards came to mind. Reiku climbed up beside him and curiously leaned against his shoulder as she watched his nimble fingers manipulate the cards.

"Reiku," he asked suddenly, "have you ever played Go Fish?"