One Week

I don't own Inuyasha

Chapter 9

Izaiyoi sighed as she gathered her clothes from the closet and folded a few of them into her suitcase.

"What's wrong?"

"You know, after all the stressing I did about the kids initially, once I started to relax, I really enjoyed this trip."

"I told you that you would."

Ultimately, Taisho was glad that Izaiyoi had stopped stressing about the kids and enjoyed the trip but he wasn't sure that he could say the same for himself. Taisho sighed trying not to think about the phone call he'd gotten from Kaede yesterday and what that meant. He tried to imagine that the kids had just simply run into their old nanny in the mall and Sesshoumaru hadn't somehow had to enlist her help in an emergency. He tried to encourage himself to have more faith in his oldest. Besides, if things were really all that bad Sesshoumaru would have called, right? Either way, the conclusion to this little trip was coming and whether or not the house was still standing, as long as the kids were safe and sound, he would try not to worry.

...

The density of grey clouds rolled slowly across the sky as Kohaku chased Rin inside from the backyard closely followed by Aun. Rin screamed as he tagged her making her officially it before she turned around and began chasing after Kohaku. He'd decided the route up the stairs was his best bet for getting away from Rin's hands. Her laughter echoed through the house as Kohaku taunted her with his ability to stay one step ahead. He ducked into Inuyasha's room.

"Hey!"

Inuyasha sat up, distracted from the game he was playing as Kohaku jumped across the screen and ran through the bathroom to his room on the other side. Inuyasha sat back shaking his head and refusing to make a big deal out of it. Kohaku hadn't messed him up from his spot in the game. Inuyasha concentrated back on the screen. He had to get through one more challenge and he would be at the end. The moment was too critical for disruption as he moved his character through the wooded paths, sword raised and ready to take down his opponent by however many moves necessary. His view was suddenly blocked.

"Did Kohaku run through here?"

"Rin! Get out of the way!"

"Did he or didn't he?"

"Yeah, yeah! Get out of the way!" He could hear the battle cry of one his opponents jumping onto the screen as Rin ran to the next room with Aun barking behind her.

Inuyasha looked to the screen in panic only to realize that his character was now laying on the ground, lifeless.

"Nooooooo!"

Inuyasha fell back onto his bed and simply laid there contemplating how long it had taken him to get to this point in the game and how long it would take for him to get back.

Sesshoumaru ignored the destressed howl of his brother coming from upstairs turning up the volume to a movie. The buzz of his phone caught his attention as he looked down the text that read a simple Yo followed by a wink. He smirked at his girlfriend's usual way of saying hello as he text her back. He anticipated her next text as thunder cracked across the sky. Sesshoumaru looked to the window noticing the eerie darkness. Several cracks followed progressively louder than the other followed by flashes of lightning that were too close for comfort lending to the flickering of lights and eventually complete darkness. He got up not even waiting for Rin's scream. She, Kohaku, and Aun had already made it to the top of the stairs. He assumed they were already in the midst of coming to him.

"Where's Inuyasha?"

Rin clamored into Sesshoumaru's arms as Kohaku found comfort in just staying close to them.

"I think he's still in his room."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm here. Hell, I couldn't finish the game for these two minions."

"The weather looks bad. Just stay downstairs."

"I'll stay upstairs if I want to."

"Fine, die alone."

Sesshoumaru regretted saying the words in front of Rin the moment they came out.

"We're going to die?"

"No Bug, I'm just trying to scare Inuyasha into coming downstairs."

"Come on Inu, don't stay.

"Fine, but it ain't because Sesshoumaru said so."

"Why do you have to be so damn annoying?"

"Because I have an asshole for a brother."

"Don't start with me Inuyasha. You've made it this far."

"Yeah, because you know Dad won't buy you a car."

"That's all that's keeping you alive right now."

"We're just going to go back to doing the same shit once you have those precious keys in your hands."

"Nothing was supposed to change anyway bastard. We both knew that. I tolerate your ass because you've got half of our Dad's blood and it's a shame it's that much."

"Shit, no one would want to be a part of your mother's bloodline anyway."

"What exactly are you trying to say?"

Kohaku frowned as Rin joined him. It wasn't unlike Inuyasha to poke their older brother until he exploded as Inuyasha attempted not to back down from Sesshoumaru.

"Maybe she just wasn't worthy."

"You have the audacity to talk about who's worthy like your bastard creating mother was?"

"Hey! Stop it! Mommy and Daddy said not to fight." Rin huffed as her comments seemed to go unheard.

"Dad's been married to her for thirteen years. She must have done something right compared to your mom who he was with maybe 2 and that's a stretch."

"You're an afterthought. A freaking mistake half-breed that doesn't belong in this family."

"Can't we just get along?" Kohaku spoke in a soft tone trying to de-escalate the situation but trailed off as Inuyasha countered again.

"I can't be too much of a mistake if he tossed you and your mom aside for me and mine. Maybe the one who really doesn't belong here is you!"

"..."

Rin and Kohaku looked between the two brothers and both knew that Sesshoumaru's silence was never a good thing. It should have been Inuyasha's warning to let things go and walk away, yet Kohaku was sure that Inuyasha revelled in the moments where Sesshoumaru was trying to keep himself calm enough not to let it show outwardly. Kohaku was sure that Sesshoumaru was trying his hardest not to get into a real fight with Inuyasha, especially with their parents returning tomorrow. It was surprising that it hadn't already escalated into a physical fight. Rin hugged onto Aun as Kohaku flinched hearing and seeing a flash of lightning and crack of thunder that followed which only seemed to be a catalyst as Sesshoumaru decided to let his hands do the talking as Inuyasha didn't have time to react to Sesshoumaru taking him to the ground. The two of them wrestled along the floor as Aun seemed to play referee barking and moving with them as they fought it out.

"Inuyasha! Sesshoumaru! Stop!"

Kohaku wasn't sure how to intervene without getting hurt as his older brothers seemed to be exchanging hits, blows, and holds that were definitely going to leave bruises. He jumped back as Inuyasha took a swipe at Sesshoumaru only for the older to dodge it and attack all over again. Sesshoumaru took pleasure in making Inuyasha squirm under his grasp.

Another round of lightning and thunder struck too close for comfort as Rin covered her ears.

"Stop it! You're making it worse!"

They were all startled by a loud crack and crash. Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha had come to a halt in their fight.

"What the hell was that?!"

Inuyasha, Kohaku, and Rin followed Sesshoumaru to the back door as they looked out the windows leading into the backyard. Sesshoumaru sighed as his three siblings seemed equally shocked and disappointed by the sight of the fallen tree that had come dangerously close to the house.

"Oh no! The treehouse! Kohaku sighed as he stared longingly at the downed tree.

"Boksenu died?"

"Afraid so, Bug."

"It died because you and Inu were fighting."

"It must have been struck by lightning."

"Nope. Boksenu was sad because you two hurt each other so it fell down."

Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha looked at each other, the younger at a loss for words for their little sister's conclusion.

"Sorry, Rin."

Sesshoumaru noticed Rin look back at the roots that had been pulled up by the fallen tree and the frown that crossed her face. He knew that in honesty that he and Inuyasha hadn't caused the tree to fall but the simple fact that Rin was disappointed by the whole situation and linked the two together was disheartening. He was aware of Rin's attachment to the tree but was surprised to see that even Kohaku and Inuyasha seemed to be mourning the loss in their own way. All four of them had a connection to the tree in one way or another. The most recent addition to the tree had been Kohaku and Rin's tree house that their father had enlisted his and Inuyasha's help to build. It was actually one of the few times that they'd worked together without fighting and had actually reminisced about their days playing in the backyard and begging their parents to camp outside under Boksenu. Sesshoumaru smirked to himself remembering that their father hadn't let them sleep at all that night. He'd kept them both up with ghost stories and he and Inuyasha had huddled together with their flashlights keeping watch. As terrified as they were, it was probably their most memorable and fun time together. He was sure that Inuyasha hadn't forgotten that either and maybe that was what he was thinking about too.

"At least Dad can't hold this one against you."

"Maybe not but I'm sure you'll let him know we got into it."

"When don't we? I do shit to annoy you because it's fun. If Dad can't figure out we got into a few fights while he and mom were gone, I'm not saying anything."

"You might gain my respect yet."

A/N: One last chapter. Thanks, everyone!