Quote: A day of reuniting is not always what one suspects it to be. - Harvey Milt

"Sesshomaru."

"Leave me be, Inuyasha." Sesshomaru ordered, though not in the same cold tone as usual. He lifted the two ice coolers and headed back toward the gathering in his backyard. He should have been making Inuyasha do the work. It had been his foolish idea to have a "family reunion." 'There can be no family reunion without her.'

"Come on, you can't seriously stay mad at me this way."

"You seem to forget, brother, I did so for over 200 years."

Inuyasha scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, I guess you did. But, still, I'm just sick of you moping. Kagome left. It was her mistake. Get over it. We're never going to talk to her, let alone even get in touch with her."

Sesshomaru cast his brother a glance as he sat the coolers down. "I called her last weekend."

"You did? Well, spit it out. What did she say?!"

His eyes narrowed in intense pain. "She did not answer. I left a message."

Not sure of exactly what to say, Inuyasha hesitated, then asked, "Well, what do you think she did?"

"She most likely deleted it the instant she heard my voice." He barked in return. "How could you ask such an idiotic question? If she left, she obviously wanted nothing to do with me." His voice was as soft as only true hurt and anger could make it. "Now, if you will excuse me, dear brother, I have a reunion to host." Brushing past the younger Inuyoukai, he headed toward Miroku and Sango. "The drinks are out now."

"Good. Very." Miroku gave his best effort to smile.

Sango...Well, Sango didn't even try. You could see exactly how destressed she was. "Not good. Sesshomaru, how are you and the pups holding up, I mean, losing her again. I know I'm doing horrible. It's like losing my sister. I guess it must be horrible for you. God, how could she just abandon us this way."

Sesshomaru's jaw ticked. Hands clenched, he replied with a noncommital grunt, turning when he felt a hand on his shoulder. "Ayu-mother."

Ayumi sported a gentle smile, sending her father and son off. "We're here, Sesshomaru. Ken thought it would be a good idea to atleast try to have some fun."

"Good." He told her with a stiff nod. All he wanted was for everyone to leave him so that he could be alone. He hadn't truly mourned properly. No one had given him time at all in the three months Kagome had been away. "We have colas, beer, and wine coolers in the cooler, ribs, steaks, and fish on the grill. And-"

"You can stop, Sesshomaru. We will go have a look. You, go in the house and breathe. You really shouldn't be around so many people after experiencing the lost of your mate once again." With a motherly pat on the shoulders and a peck on the cheek, she and her husband left to attempt to enjoy the festivities.

Sesshomaru found himself sighing contently. 'She is nearly as comforting as my mate.' Solemnly, though it did not show in his rigid spine and stony face, he walked toward the house. But before he reached the door, it slid open, giving view to a sheepishly smiling Kagome.

*X*X*X*X*X**X*X*X*X*X*X*

"Kagome, you just can't." Tsubasa reasoned.

Kagome unbuckled her seat belt without looking at him. "Watch me." She straightened her kimono as she stepped out of the car and smiled weakly. 'I hope Sesshomaru's glad that I wore the kimono he bought for me.'

He stuttered a reply, "B-but, Se-Sessho- I mean, I- I mean, you just got out of the hospital for pete's sake! I mean, you're still a little weak, ill. Just, wait a while longer."

"I can't. Wait in the car with the pups, please." Combing her fingers through her hair and checking herself in the mirror for the last time, she scurried up the steps. She used her claw to unlock the door, walking through quietly. "Sesshomaru? Sesshomaru, are you in here?" Her attention was snapped toward the backyard when she heard an older woman's voice. 'Bingo.' Dashing toward the door, she slid it open and smiled shyly when Sesshomaru looked straight at her in shock. She tried to ignore the freaky silence that followed, uttering a small, "Hello, Sesshomaru."

"Kagome." He whispered lowly.

She fiddled with her fingers, until she couldn't hold back, blurting, "I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you. I jsut, I was confused and...I'm soo sorry, Sesshomaru. I'm sorry, everyone."

Sesshomaru opened his mouth, but never got a chance to speak before Takako cut in. "Sorry isn't good enough. You hurt him. You hurt us all by just leaving that way. And nothing you can say could make it any better."

"But I-" Kagome tried, jumping when her daughter snarled at her.

"I meant what I said."

She nodded, a hand clutched to her aching chest. It seemed that everyone else was frozen. Swiveling quickly to prevent them from seeing her tears, she caught sight of Tsubasa heading toward her. "I told you to stay in the car, you moron."

Tsubasa shrugged, holding the pups in his arms. "They got restless, whining for you. I- Hey, are you crying?"

"I'm fine." She hissed, taking a pup and brushing past him.

"Kagome." A voice called out, not belonging to Kagome.

She halted in her steps. "Yes, Sesshomaru?"

Sesshomaru eyed the pup in Tsubasa's arms. "My pup? You said that-"

"I know what I said. I was afraid, unsure. I took the safe way out. But that message you left on my phone, last weekend." She faced him again, a broken smile on her face and tears threatening to flow. "I'm her." She laughed tiredly. "I can't believe I'm actually Higurashi Kagome."

"You remember?"

"No. But I believe you. I wanted to come, to make things right, but Takako's right. I hurt you all. There is no excuse for the pain I've caused you. Forgive me. I'll leave now."

"This Sesshomaru does not wish for you to leave, not again, never again." He told her.

Takako nodded furiously, along side her siblings. "Yeah, mom. If you're willing to try to remember, I'll forget that you ever left. We can be a normal family again."

Kagome wiped her eyes, smiling down at the giggling boy in her arms. "With two new additions, Haru, our darling little boy, and Haruka, our lovely little girl." Taking the girl pup gently from Tsubasa, she carried them both to Sesshomaru, handing them over. "We can really be together, Sesshomaru?"

"Forever." He kissed her forehead. (It's slightly OCC. I believe that the real Sesshomaru would probably be fed up with the constant pain and just decide to get it over with, then get with her later because he can no longer deny his feelings, but this Sesshomaru won't. He's taking her back now. Got a prob? :P)

"No. I don' tthink I like 'Forever.'" A deep voice called out as a body emerged out of then air.

"God, Master Ashi, what the hell are you doing here?!" Tsubasa gritted his teeth.

Ashi narrowed his red eyes and blew his onyx bangs from his face. "Succeding where you failed. Dearest, come to me."

Kagome's eyes became a dull grey, and she snatched away from Sesshomaru, rushing to her master and bowing. "Master Ashi, what can I do for you?"

Inuyasha, the ever-loud, shrieked, "What the hell have you done to her?!"

"Silence, you insolent pup. And as for you, " he looked at Kagome, "I told you not to call me master."

"Forgive me, Ashi."

"Better, much so." He pecked her cheek.

Inutaisho forced his sons back when they attempted to act. "Who are you?"

Ashi smirked. "Who am I? I'm Kuro Ashi, son of Naraku."

There was a gasp as many people inhaled. "Naraku."

Inutaisho cocked a brow. 'Who is this Naraku?' "I assume you ressurected Kagome."

"Yes, as I did yourself and him." He pointed to Ken.

"Why?"

"Well, first, I had to make sure that when I resurrected her, everything would go as planned. The first four, simply horrible. You wouldn't believe the shrieking, the sight of organs on the outside of the body. Jeez. Anyway, then I decided to try you. When you came out good, just to be sure, I did him. And noticing perfection, I revived her. Fantastic, isn't it?"

Inutaisho's eyes narrowed. "I meant, why did you resurrect us, her?"

Ashi tapped his chin, "Because my father, in many ways, caused your deaths. You'll understand later. As for her, I brought her back because I need a favor that only she can do. You see, I don't like Sesshomaru much. he ruined my life, in fact." Kneeling before Kagome, he commanded, "So I need you to kill him."

Her head snapped up. "What? I-I can't. I love him."

He touched her forehead and beckoned her memory again. "And now, you can't even remember him. So, let us kill Sesshomaru, shall we?"

"Of course, master." Kagome stood, gazing upon Sesshomaru with terrifyingly empty eyes.

Sesshomaru gave his pups to their older siblings and reached out to her. "Kagome, I am sure you can fight this."

Ashi shook his head. "Oh no. I'm sure she can't. I'm much stronger than my father because of my mother's immense powers. I-"

"Less talking." Kagome bit. "More dying." Flexing her claws, she launched herself at Sesshomaru, slashing furiously at his face and neck.

Sesshomaru ducked and leapt out of the way to avoid strikes. When he was struck in the face, he growled and touched his wound. "Kagome, enough, stop this nonsense at once!"

She showed no signs that she'd even heard, instead scratching and attacking twice as fast. 'Why is he so hard to kill?' She raked her claws down his chest.

"Enough!" He bellowed, pushing her roughly.

"Sesshomaru/Father!" Screams came.

Kagome licked the blood from her lip and formed a sword with miko energy, pouncing gracefully and swinging in his direction.

Each time she swung, he felt the stinging of miko energy. His beast roared, jerking at his chains.

She thrust her sword out, inflicting a wound on his left peck.

Outraged, his inner youkai broke free off it's bounds and he roared out, striking out at her with his claws. It all had happened so fast, but the next moment, his claws, drenched in blood rested at his side, and Kagome's left arm, at his feet.

"Sesshomaru, snap out of it! Look what you've done!" Inutaisho yelled at his son. "Look at your mate, Sesshomaru."

His eyes flickered a few times as his nostrils flared. Once he'd fully calmed, he blinked a few times, not believing the sight before him. he looked at his hand and cringed. 'Her blood.' "Kagome, I didn't-"

Kagome's clutched her arm, backing away from him and into Ashi.

Ashi grabbed her arm and nearly wailed. "How dare you harm her?! Who do you think you are?!" He cried, tears in his wide, child like eyes. "Are you alright? What can I do? Should I get you to a hospital? I-"

"SHUT UPPPPPP!" Kagome shouted, slapping him with such force that he flew across the yard and into the fence.

He clutched his cheek and whimpered. "I- I don't understand."

"You don't? It's your fault. It's your fault that I attacked him. It's your fault that he did this!" She looked up at him with wild crimson eyes. Grinning, she yelled as she ran toward him, "You are dead!"

But her claws never made contact because he yelped, "Mom!"

Quiet followed.

Kagome lowered her arm and took a step back. "What do you mean by that?"

"Y-you're my mother." His lip quivered as he forced himself up onto his feet.

"And just how did you get that insane idea? I know no Naraku."

"You do. You-you and he-"

Sesshomaru growled. "When your father raped her, she did not get pregnant."

Ashi glared, then looked at the ground. "Whatever. He took some of her, her essense, mixed it with his, and created me. So when I say mom, that's what I mean. Your blood is in me, as well as your jeans. See, my hair isn't pure black like dad's, but it has a bluish tone like yours, mom. And, and my eyes turn hazel when I'm doing something nice. And-"

"You don't smell evil."

"I'm not. Father is. I'm like you. Just, father said that we could be a family if Sesshomaru were killed."

Kagome rested her head against his neck, her shoulders shaking.

"U-um, don't cry, mom."

She fell to her knees laughing. "You've got to be kidding me!"

"Wh-what do you mean?"

"Not you." She turned and pointed at nothing. "Him. He honestly thinks I can't sense him. Show yourself."

Takehiko cringed. "Daddy, is mommy losing it?"

Sesshomaru grimaced a little. "I'm not sure."

"I said to show yourself." She swiped her claws in the direction she'd pointed, growling loudly. "Stop being a coward." She shot a lash of purification energy. Suddenly, she felt herself be jerked back, he rwrists held in an invisible hand. "You must be Naraku?" She questioned.

He appeared then, a smirk on his face. "Why yes."