Hey everyone, once more, thanks for all the terrific reviews! I loved the one that spoke of all the different roles poor Kouga is having to take on. He should be one tired wolf. And again, in this chapter, Kouga is gonna have to do some clean-up action. Anyways, I'm glad most of you liked the last one even though it was kinda heartbreaking at points. Some of you are still wondering about that "call me and I'll come" line in one of the earlier chapters. All I have to say is that will show up again and get explained more, but not for a very long time.

Disclaimers are as before

Nothing much else to say besides we're back to Sunday updates. I hope you enjoy chapter 17 :-)

It had been over three days and Inuyasha was still on the roof. After the first twenty-four hours, Jaken had shown up, refusing to walk any further than the threshold of the door as he shrieked at the Hanyou to come and eat. In the end, Inuyasha had grabbed the plate of food if only to stop that incessant noise. After that, it was Kadira who'd bring him a plate or two during the day. At first, the miko had attempted some form of conversation, but Inuyasha was having none of it. As far as he was concerned, that old woman was as much to blame as the rest of them. He could just see it now, all of them laughing at what an idiot the stupid half-breed was.

Grunting to himself, Inuyasha whispered, "That's because I am an idiot." Three days had been a long time to ruminate on the subject and he'd had to admit that he'd been a fool. How many times had Sesshomaru done or said something that didn't quite seem brotherly, but he'd been so desperate for affection, so desperate to believe that his older brother really wanted him there as family. "Fuckin' story of my life," Inuyasha mumbled while adjusting himself on his branch.

And, as if to add insult to injury, the Hanyou had realized the ring Shippo made for him so that he could pass as human had been carried away in the fox Youkai's hand. Feeling more trapped than ever, all Inuyasha could do was sit there on the roof trying to figure how in the hell he was gonna get out of this mess while his Youkai constantly screamed, just on the edge of his consciousness. Seemed like the damn thing thought they should haul ass off the roof and throw themselves into Sesshomaru's arms. "Stupid ass Youkai."

"Whose a stupid ass Youkai?"

Growling deep in his throat, Inuyasha didn't even bother turning his head. "Unless you wanna get the shit beaten outta ya, I suggest you get the fuck off my roof, Wolf."

"Oh?" Kouga answered, cocking a hip out and swishing his tail back and forth. "So now it's your roof? Last I checked, Sesshomaru owned everything up here." The including you part wasn't said, but more than implied.

"Kouga – "

"Really, mutt, I can't believe I ever thought you worthy of your bastard brother. Now I feel like the idiot, cause somebody strong enough to give Sesshomaru the kind of shit he deserves sure as hell wouldn't be weak enough to sulk up here about somethin' as stupid as this."

Finally riled up enough, Inuyasha leapt from his branch, immediately taking up a defensive position. "You are so fuckin' full of shit! You don't even know – "

"Know what? That you're a weak ass Hanyou who can't deal with his emotions let alone someone else's?"

Rage poured through Inuyasha's blood as he leapt at the smirking wolf before him, Kouga dodging just at the last second as the Hanyou's fist plowed towards his face. "Oh, come on. I thought you kept sayin' how much stronger you've gotten over the past few days, but that was just flat-out pathetic."

Quicker this time, Inuyasha sped towards his opponent, catching the wolf Youkai in the arm with one of his claws. "Damn, Ayame did more damage to my back the first night I fucked her – "

With those words barely out of his mouth, Kouga felt the sting of the Hanyou's claws rake his thigh, finally drawing real blood. Clutching his leg, the Wolf King grinned. "Now that's what I'm talkin' about." Spinning to keep Inuyasha's snarling form in view, Kouga leaned forwards, his weight now on the balls of his feet. "If we're gonna do this, then let's get to it, mutt." With nothing further to say, both Kouga and Inuyasha leapt at each other; pounding, clawing and generally maiming one another for the next hour, by the end of which, both were left panting and Kouga was wondering how on earth Inuyasha had managed to meet him blow for blow.

"Y-you done y-yet," Kouga wheezed.

"Not u-until you're dead, y-you lyin' piece of s-shit."

Throwing up his arms, Kouga dropped onto his ass. "Oh, c-come on. I didn't fuckin' l-lie to ya."

Following suit, Inuyasha dumped himself unceremoniously onto the grass, finally feeling his lungs expand without effort. "Like hell you didn't. You knew what Sesshomaru was up to, I know you did."

Looking off to the side, Kouga felt the same shame he'd been feeling for the past few days well up in him and with a heavy sigh admitted, "Yeah, I knew. But I also agreed with why he didn't tell ya, so I decided to keep quiet myself."

"-Keh, and you expect me to just act like everything's okay?"

"Listen mutt, nobody meant to hurt you, in fact, that's what we were all tryin' to avoid. You might find this hard to believe, but most everybody agrees that you've been through enough shit in your life, and besides that, everything seemed to be goin' so well between you and that crazy ass brother of yours. You just seemed so . . . content. I didn't wanna mess that up."

"But I was content with a lie!"

Beginning to get angry at Inuyasha's sheer stubbornness, Kouga sat up a little straighter, his blue eyes narrowing. "You know damn well it wasn't all a lie so quit tellin' yourself that just to make this little pity party you're holdin' justified."

"But – "

"Don't but me, in truth, neither Sesshomaru, Kadira, nor myself actually ever flat out lied to ya. We might have kept some things to ourselves, but you never asked if Sesshomaru wanted to fuckin' mate you so don't act like ya did."

"That's cuttin' some pretty damn fine hairs, dog-breath. I've never known Sesshomaru to not want to hand me my ass on a silver platter, I couldn't believe he wanted to even act like a brother, let alone anything else."

Smirking lecherously, Kouga answered, "Whose to say he still doesn't want your ass on a silver platter, although, I think he'd settle for it draped over some sturdy piece of furniture."

Face now red as much from embarrassment as the physical exertion he'd just undertaken, Inuyasha stammered for a response. "Y-you . . . t-that's j-just . . . "

Smirk fading into an honest smile, Kouga found the mutts response interesting. If Inuyasha had truly been disgusted by the idea of having Sesshomaru as a mate, and all that title entailed, then the Hanyou would be trying to toss his hide off the roof again, not blushing like the virgin he was. But, they could talk more about that later, right now, the Wolf King's mission was to bring the puppy down off the roof. "So, seriously, how long ya plannin' on stayin' up here?"

"And just where else am I supposed to go? Shippo's got the damn ring so until then, I'm trapped in this place cause I ain't goin' down there where Sesshomaru is. I just can't." At the last, Inuyasha's voice faded, his eyes fixed upon the blades of grass his body was currently crushing.

"What? You mean this ring?"

Looking up, Inuyasha caught the glint of silver as the small object sailed through the air. Fast as lightning, the Hanyou's clawed hand caught it mid-flight. "How in the hell did you get this?"

"It's a present from the fox."

Holding the ring in his fingers, Inuyasha frowned. He'd been so awed by it the first time he'd seen it, but now the damn thing seemed heavier, weighed down by all the baggage it now carried. "Thanks, but you and I both know Sesshomaru ain't lettin' me outta here any time soon."

Feeling rested after their fight, Kouga stood, wiping the grass from his wrinkled trousers as he made his way towards his friend. "Who do ya think sent me up here, dumbass? Your freaky brother's worried about you. I'd think the simple fact that he let my smelly wolf carcass up here is testament to that fact. He want's you down from up here and he's willin' to let me take you out on the town to do it."

Amber eyes wide and curious, Inuyasha asked, "Is this a trick?"

"You know I ain't lyin. Sesshomaru left for the office shortly before I came up here, said he'd be gone most of the day. Long enough for you to go down, take a much needed bath, and go out for a bit without worryin' about seein' him."

Worrying his bottom lip with a fang, Inuyasha contemplated the offer. It was just damn hard to believe the bastard would willingly let him leave after what had happened a few days ago.

Not liking the look on the Hanyou's face, Kouga taunted, "Come on mutt, I thought you were itchin' to get outta here for awhile."

Looking again at the ring in his hand, Inuyasha started to drop it over his finger when he glanced up at Kouga and asked, "You sure the asshole ain't gonna try and strangle me again if I put this on?"

"Doubtful. Last time he didn't understand Shippo had figured out how to change your scent and mask your Youkai." Blue eyes drifting to the sky, the Wolf King shook his head. "I don't even wanna think about what would happen if somethin' actually did injure you. Doubt there'd be any Youkai left alive in the Eastern Hemisphere."

"-Keh, stop bein' so dramatic. He was just pissed cause he thought I left without gettin' permission first."

"Ya can't fool yourself forever, Hanyou. I'd hate to see what was left of the idiot who'd dare really hurt you."

Standing up from his seat on the grass, Inuyasha huffed. "Whatever. I did see what happened to that Youkai and last I saw, Sesshomaru was breathin' fine, not an inch of perfect InuYoukai flesh outta place."

With a deep frown, Kouga watched the Hanyou turn his back and begin heading in the direction of the door, easily slipping the ring on his finger as he walked. Feeling guilty, the Wolf King knew he'd failed at his task. Sesshomaru had charged him with keeping Inuyasha safe, but in the end, he'd been laid flat, unable to move by the sheer weight of the DaiYoukai's power. True, he could have demanded retribution after the fact, but in the end, Kouga understood Sesshomaru's reaction - maybe not the extent of it, but the cause underlying it. If Kouga had thought the one standing before him to be an imposter of Ayame and all that implied, he'd have probably acted the same. The difference was that Kouga couldn't destroy half the city within the space of a few seconds of unleashed fury.

Lost in thought, the wolf blinked in surprise to find Inuyasha out of sight and yelling, "Get your flea-bitten ass over here or else I'm leavin' ya behind."

"Yeah, yeah, keep your pants on," Kouga grumbled too low for even the Hanyou to hear.

"Kouga, I mean it! Get the fuck over here or – "

"Impatient pup, I said I was comin'." Without further ado, Kouga sprinted off in the direction of his friend – not as fast as he'd been in the days his legs had held the shards of the sacred jewel, but fast enough to blow more than a few leaves off their trees.

::::::::::

"I still don't see why we gotta sit back here like some pampered jackasses."

Rubbing his forehead, Kouga groaned. Inuyasha had been harping on the same damn topic since they'd entered the garage. First, he'd tried to convince the Hanyou the elevator was safe to ride, but Inuyasha had been adamant the "beast" was unnatural. After several attempts to shove the Hanyou inside (attempts leaving deep claw marks he'd have to explain to Sesshomaru later) he'd finally given up and they'd taken the stairs – all the stairs, all the way down to the underground parking garage.

But the tantrums hadn't stopped there. As soon as he'd seen the car, the mutt had wanted to sit up front with Sang-di. Truthfully, Kouga didn't give a rats' ass either way, but he knew the great Lord of the West wouldn't like it and the poor driver looked like he was about to have a coronary. And even now, as the car was speeding down the road, Kouga's ears were assaulted by more bullshit.

"I can't see anything from back here."

"What exactly do ya wanna see? The car is movin' down the road, trust me, it's all just borin' shit anyways."

"Maybe to you, but I've been like the fuckin' dead for the past five hundred years and since then all I've been able to see and smell is Sesshomaru."

Sighing, Kouga realized he hadn't thought about it that way. Leaning forwards, the wolf Youkai hit a button, lowering the tinted glass between the backseat and the driver. Catching Sang-di's worried look in the review mirror, Kouga reassured, "Nothin's wrong, just got tired of hearin' the mutt bitch."

At the last, the Wolf King felt a deep hit to his right bicep and grinned. "If ya wanna see out, then lean forwards and you'll be able to get a better view."

Needing no further encouragement, Inuyasha scooted forwards until his elbows were sitting on the seats in front of him. Amber eyes wide, he marveled at the colorful lights littering the console of the car. "Damn, that looks fancy."

Moving up to be parallel to the puppy, Kouga followed Inuyasha's gaze. "How come you don't mind ridin' in the car, but wouldn't step foot in the elevator?"

"At least this is closer to the ground. Fallin' from that height ain't somethin' either one of us would survive," Inuyasha answered with a shrug.

"But travelin' over eighty miles an hour in nothin' but a tin can is okay with you?"

"No, but I hardly think either you or Sesshomaru would let me run and jump along the buildin's like I want." In his mind, Inuyasha added, like I did when I visited Kagome's time. "Besides, this ain't so bad." Looking past the captivating car lights, Inuyasha turned his attention to Sang-di. "So, how long ya been workin' for the bastard?"

Choking, Sang-di barely managed keeping the car in its designated lane of traffic. "Pardon?"

"You know, my jackass of a – "

"He's talkin' about Lord Sesshomaru," Kouga interjected.

"Oh, um . . . well, I guess it's going on over a hundred years now."

"-Keh, a hundred years of boredom and pissed off looks I'll bet," Inuyasha huffed.

Staring back at the black-haired looking human, Sang-di felt at an utter loss. Even Lord Kouga was not so derogatory when he spoke of their Lord. "I would not say that. Personally, I have enjoyed being the Lord of all Asia's chauffeur."

Taking a serupticious scent of the air, Inuyasha noted he could tell no lie in the driver's words and could only guess the Youkai was an idiot. "Yeah, whatever." Glancing back over in Kouga's direction, he asked, "So, where in the hell are we goin' anyways?"

With a smirk quirking up his lip, Kouga answered, "Thought ya wouldn't mind visitin' that old well ya used to hop through."

Blinking, Inuyasha's eyes went wide, his amethyst colored iris's bright for the first time in a very long while. "Ya mean we're goin' to the shrine? Kagome's home."

"Well, it ain't really her home anymore, but one of her daughter's took over the buildin' and lives there now with her daughter and her husband as well as Kagome's great-grandchildren. It's open to the public and I go there every once in awhile."

"Did you go when Kagome was alive?" the Hanyou asked, his bright eyes dimming a little.

"Yeah, I never told her who I was, but sometimes I got the feelin' she had an idea."

Nodding, Inuyasha sat back in his seat. "I woulda liked to have seen her again." Scowling, the Hanyou thought this was just another thing his bastard brother had robbed him of.

Having no idea what to say, Kouga simply followed Inuyasha's lead, pushing himself away from the seat in front of him and settling more comfortably into the cushions of the car. "Inu – "

"Not now, Kouga. Just . . . not now."

"Okay."

Although short, the remainder of the ride was taken in silence and only when the car had rocked to a quiet halt, did Sang-di announce, "Lord Kouga, we have arrived at your destination. Do you wish me to get the doors?" Had this been Lord Sesshomaru, the driver wouldn't have asked such a question, but Sang-di had been driving the Wolf King around enough to know he seldom wished such things. And, just as he'd expected, Kouga answered, "Naw, I think we're both capable." With his hand on the door handle, Kouga added, "Come on mutt, let's get out and stretch our legs a bit."

Opening his own door, Inuyasha was suddenly assaulted by the sounds and smells of the city, something he really didn't care for but knew he'd have to get used to. In Kagome's time, there had been precious little wilderness left, the Hanyou could only imagine that situation had simply worsened with both time and the increase in human population.

Crinkling up his nose in distaste, Inuyasha pushed down the sudden wave of nausea the smell of the city held, but couldn't quite hide the feeling from his face. "I know," Kouga said, "smells like shit, but that's life now."

"I forgot how bad the modern era smells." Thinking for a moment, the Hanyou's mind wandered back to the rooftop gardens of Sesshomaru's home, noting how the stink of humanity hadn't been the least bit noticeable. Vaguely, Inuyasha wondered if that was due to its location so high above the city or if Sesshomaru had done something to make it that way.

"Come on, it's not as bad in the shrine."

Eager to see such an important part of his past, Inuyasha scurried after the wolf currently masked as an ordinary human. Once inside the gates, the Hanyou needed no further assistance, this was land he knew by heart. Quickening his pace, he made straight for the sacred tree he'd been pinned to so very long ago. Pulling up to a stop, Inuyasha felt his heart leap into his throat. There, as if time hadn't moved at all, was his tree. With sutra's still dancing along its trunk, the Goshinboku stood as proud and tall as ever. In this new world the Hanyou had been thrust into, it was perhaps the only object that stood testament to his past.

Slowly walking forwards, Inuyasha let the palm of his hand gently glide across the ancient bark. "Hello old friend," he whispered and in his mind, Inuyasha thought the sigh of the wind through the Goshinboku's leaves answered his longing call.

"Didn't ya used to sleep in this thing?"

"Yeah. My ass spent many a night on that branch," Inuyasha answered while pointing towards a sturdy and wide looking tree branch.

"I've slept in a few trees in my time, can't say I've enjoyed it much."

"You get used to it," the Hanyou answered with a shrug. In truth, Inuyasha had come to view trees as friends: saviors in a brutally violent world. Looking up with longing in his eyes, he felt an almost overwhelming urge to simply leap into its branches. In fact, he was just about ready to say to hell with it and just do as he pleased when an old and somehow familiar voice spoke, "May I help you two?"

Turning, Inuyasha's eyes blew wide. Standing before him was what appeared to be a much older version of his miko, Kagome.

"Lady Kimi, it is good to see you again," Kouga answered, not at all fazed by the human woman.

"Ah, Mr. Ashito, it has been a long time since you graced us with your presence," the human responded, a smile wrinkling her face.

As fixated as he was on the woman who looked so much like Kagome and yet wasn't, Inuyasha barely registered the false name Kouga had taken for this time.

"And it looks as if you've brought a friend with you today."

"Yeah," Kouga answered, scratching the back of his head. "This is, uh . . . " unsure what exactly to call Inuyasha, the wolf simply answered, "Mr. Taisho."

Now, that did get the Hanyou's attention. Staring disbelievingly up in Kouga's direction, Inuyasha's mouth gapped open ever so slightly.

"Oh, are you related to the owner of Taisho industries?"

"Um . . . yeah, you could say that," Inuyasha answered, privately squirming at the thought of publically claiming to be at all related to his jackass of a brother, let alone the implications in the Youkai world of him claiming that as a last name. Although he wasn't sure, the Hanyou thought he'd just made an unwitting declaration that he was indeed an heir of The Inu no Taisho and wondered what kind of a meltdown Sesshomaru would have over that. Shrugging his shoulders, he thought if the asshole wanted to make something of it, he'd simply blame the wolf. After all, it had been Kouga's idea.

Bowing low, Lady Kimi smiled again. "It is a great honor to have you at our home. May I offer –"

"Grandma!" Came an excited little girls' voice.

Turning, Lady Kimi frowned at the black-haired little girl running up to her, grass stain's clearly visible on the knees of her pants. "Hiori, where are your manners. I was speaking with two visitors just now." Giving an assessing eye at the girl's appearance, Lady Kimi added, "And exactly what have you been up to?"

Expressive brown eyes looking down at being properly scolded, the little girl known as Hiori answered, "Sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt, but Isamu is being a jerk, grandma," as if to give emphasis to her claim, the little girl stomped her foot.

Sighing, Lady Kimi placed an aged hand to her forehead. "Tell your brother I will deal with this in a moment. I expect the both of you to be waiting in the kitchen to explain what has happened."

"'Kay," glancing back at the two human looking men behind her grandmother, Hiori gave a quick bow. "Sorry to have been rude," and with nothing further to say, the child turned and began running back towards the house, all the while shouting, "Isamu! grandma said you're in big trouble and better get in the house!"

"Honestly," Lady Kimi sighed, "those children will be the death of me." Turning her attention back towards her visitors, the woman bowed once more. "If you will pardon me, I must get to the bottom of this supposed catastrophe. Please, I hope you will feel free to enjoy the shrine and find peace in this place."

Watching the elderly woman walk away, Inuyasha felt a deep sadness enter his heart. "God's, she looks so much like her, but the scent is all wrong."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. Humans are weird that way."

"And that little squirt, do they all look so much like Kagome?"

"Naw, you just happened to get hit with two of the most identical ones. Somehow, Hiori's the spittin' image of our miko."

Nodding once, Inuyasha began walking towards the building housing the well he'd used so often once upon a time. How he'd both loved and hated that thing for it was the vessel that both delivered and took away a young woman who'd become more precious than just about anything to him. No, he'd never loved Kagome as one would a mate or wife, but he'd loved her as family. Odd, how now his actual blood related family sought a more intimate role in his life.

Opening the door, the Hanyou moved towards the dormant well, no longer a portal to anywhere but a dirt filled floor. With silence filling the darkened room, Inuyasha could both feel and hear the wolf's heartbeat, knowing that it was anxiety making the organ beat just a little bit faster. Sighing, Inuyasha knew it was the situation between he and Sesshomaru that was making Kouga feel this way and he also knew he couldn't put off talking about it any longer. Problem was, he still wasn't sure what to say. By now, he'd had enough time for his anger to cool, but that only left confusion in its wake. Running a hand through what appeared to be midnight hair, Inuyasha finally conceded. "Just say what's on your mind, dog-breath."

"I think you know what's on my mind, mutt."

"Probably, but I also know ya ain't gonna be able to let it go until you spout off your opinion, so just do it and let's move on."

Moving up beside him, Kouga hauled his body up, sitting down on the edge of the old wooden well earning a raised eyebrow from the Hanyou beside him. "What? Figured I might as well get comfortable."

"You'll be comfortable until you break the damn thing and fall on your ass."

"I ain't that heavy."

"Okay, but don't blame me when that ancient as fuck wood busts under ya."

Giving a shrug, Kouga merely dangled his feet, idly kicking them back and forth before he asked, "So, do you still hate your brother?"

"You know I never hated him, even now, I can't hate the bastard."

"So . . . what? How do you feel about him?"

Rolling his eyes, Inuyasha felt his hackles rise. "I ain't gonna get all girly and talk about my feelin's with ya, you mangy flea-bitten wolf."

"Always so sensitive," Kouga taunted, "but whether you wanna face 'em or not, you gotta think about this."

"Fuck Kouga, what do ya think I've been doin' the past three days stuck up on that roof? I ain't been playin' fuckin' Mahjong." Palm of his hand covering his eyes, Inuyasha took a deep breath. "I . . . what in the hell am I supposed to say?"

"Okay, maybe for now, you don't say anything and just listen to me."

"As if I've really got much of a choice in the matter."

"Well, as long as we're on the same page." Ignoring the low growl he'd elicited, Kouga continued, "I know it's hard for you to accept, but Sesshomaru's damn serious about this. Don't ask me how or why he changed his mind about you because I sure as shit ain't got a clue, but the point here is that it don't really matter. What does matter is that you've got the most powerful Youkai in probably the whole fuckin' world literally after your ass." Taking a deep breath, Kouga watched Inuyasha's face pale. "I know that sounds scary, but the way I see it, how this goes is all up to you."

Letting out a heartbreaking laugh, the Hanyou asked, "How the fuck you figure that?"

"Well, I think we both know that if your Lord Bastard brother wanted, he'd of already taken you by now – by force."

Feeling a cold chill seep deep into his veins, Inuyasha shivered and answered a quiet, "Yeah, kinda figured that."

"But, the point here is that he hasn't and I think that's what you need to focus on. Sesshomaru can beat, pummel, torture and literally fry the ass of damn near anybody he wants, but what he can't do is get you to accept him – all of him without the use of intimidation and fear. He doesn't want a mate who simply submits due to force, but because they honestly want to. That's what he wants from his little Hanyou brother."

Eyes lidded and shoulders slumped, all Inuyasha could do was ask, "Up until the last couple of weeks, all he's ever done is hurt me. No, he's more than that, he's berated, beat, starved, and belittled me. How in the hell does he expect me not to be afraid of him?"

Swallowing hard, Kouga knew how difficult it had just been for Inuyasha to admit to him that he was in all honesty scared shitless of his brother. And, if he were continuing to be honest, the wolf Youkai didn't have a clue how the Hanyou was going to see his elder brother as anything other than a threat. "I don't know, but you gotta figure it out. All I can say is that, in a way, I've known Sesshomaru longer than you and since you've been back, the icy bastards started to thaw. The way he looks at you . . . I've never seen that look in his eyes before. I ain't gonna sit here and tell ya that he's never gonna hurt you again. At the end of the day, Lord Sesshomaru is fuckin' dangerous as hell. He's cold, manipulative, and doesn't hesitate to slice and dice anything in his way. No amount of time is gonna change that."

"And that's supposed to make me feel better?"

"No, what will is that he will direct that towards anybody dumb enough to even hint at meaning you harm. Think about it - all your life, you've never felt safe. Even when you were fightin' and had your pack, it was always you who was the protector. I ain't sayin' the other's were weak, because for human's they more than did their share, but when the shit hit the fan, it was your blood coverin' the ground most often. With Sesshomaru, that shit ends this very moment."

Shaking his head, Inuyasha stared down into the blackness of the empty well. "I ain't weak and I've never needed a protector."

"Never claimed ya did, and I ain't sayin' Sesshomaru want's some pansy ass mate by his side. If anything, he wants you because you are so fuckin' capable. What I am sayin' is that for the first time in your life, somebody'd have your back. Somebody no one would dare fuck with." Of course, what went unsaid was that anybody looking to hurt the Lord of all Asia would see Inuyasha as a definite means to an end. But whether the Hanyou agreed to be his mate or not, the simple fact that Inuyasha was the DaiYoukai's little brother combined with the inescapable fact that he cared for the young InuHanyou would put a whopping target on Inuyasha's back no matter what.

"He's my brother – "

"-Feh, Youkai mate their siblings all the time, that's not – "

"Idiot, I know that, what I'm sayin is, why can't he just be my brother? I've never . . . I mean, you've been more like family to me than him, so why can't he just be happy with me as a sibling?"

Leaning back on the edge of the well, Kouga's eyebrows shot up. "Let me ask you, can you just be happy with him as your brother, nothin' else?"

Flushing to the tops of his concealed puppydog ears, Inuyasha stammered, "I-I . . . of c-course . . . "

"Really? So, if you reject him and one day he drags home some tricked out Youkai prince or princess, you're really gonna be happy about that?"

The denial was right on the edge of his lips. The Hanyou had even opened his mouth to utter the words, but they died on his tongue. The truth of the matter was that over the past few days, since learning of his brother's wishes, Inuyasha had had more than his fair share of disturbingly erotic dreams with Sesshomaru as the lead player. How many times had he woken, his dick half hard and desperate for attention? God's but the thought . . . "I d-don't know."

"Yeah, like hell you don't. But, I guess ya didn't automatically deny it so I gotta give ya some credit there."

"Ass," Inuyasha mumbled while Kouga finally jumped down from his perch.

Now on his feet, the wolf moved closer, placing a hand on his friends shoulder as he became serious. "I think this could be good for ya, mutt. Just promise me you'll consider it."

Nodding, Inuyasha remained silent, hoping Kouga would be happy enough with that as an answer because right now, that's all he thought himself capable of.

"Well, better get back before his lordship has a meltdown thinkin' I helped ya escape. Although, I haven't got a fuckin' clue where in the world I could hide you that he wouldn't find."

"Once again, not makin' me feel a whole hell of a lot better."

Laughing, Kouga slapped the Hanyou on the back. "Yeah, sometimes the truth is a scary ass bitch."

Rolling his eyes, Inuyasha simply followed the wolf out of the shed covering the well. With a reverent glance at the Goshinboku, he made his way back towards the car, all the while wondering just what the hell he was going to say to his brother the next time he saw him and, somehow Inuyasha got the feeling he was bound to see Sesshomaru pretty damn soon. The DaiYoukai had left him alone for the past three days and nights and that was showing a tolerance the Lord of the West rarely if ever indicated. No, Inuyasha was sure he'd be seeing his brother tonight, he just wished he had something to say in return.

Although his talk with Kouga had been surprisingly enlightening, the Hanyou was still confused. How in the hell was he supposed to decide something like this? Lost in his own thoughts as they sped down the road, Inuyasha's mind wandered down highways he'd never considered, avenues spread before him like the branches of a tree . . . and, just like that, he knew what he wanted to do. No, what he needed to do. Tomorrow . . . tomorrow he'd go see the one who'd set all this into motion. Tomorrow, somehow, Inuyasha would find Bakusen'O.

Whew, another chapter down. Just as an aside (think of this as fun facts regarding your author), when I'm confused and ruminating over something difficult, I do play Mahjong to de-stress and help me think. Also, I have found that all too often, truth really can be a scary ass bitch.

So, as the ending of this chapter indicated, Bakusen'O will be making his reentrance into the story next chapter. I've missed the old demon tree. Ah . . . if only I had a Bakusen'O in my life, or a Sesshomaru, or an Inuyasha, or a Kouga, or even a Shippo . . . until next time, thank you all for continuing to read this story. As always, I honestly look forwards to the reviews I get and more than appreciate the time you take to write them.

lunamist.