Characters = Rumiko Takahashi

Story = Desert-Bandit

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Last time:

Smiling, Kagome made up her mind.

"Alright, I'll come and assist you."

She reached out her hand to shake his.

And when their hands met to finalize their agreement, neither of them knew that it was the beginning of a new future for them both.

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Chapter 7

Hubris

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With the exception of the occasional grunt of agreement or disagreement, Sesshoumaru had remained silent during their journey towards InuYasha's forest. Of course, what did she expect? He was silent by nature – even in battle. Starting a conversation had been easy on her end; trying to make him maintain it was the difficult part. Only a quarter of the way into their destination, she gave up all hopes in trying to converse with him, instead she focused her attention on the rushing earth below as they flew over head. She was eager to begin her new life at the Western palace and the excitement of seeing Rin again only seemed to fuel her enthusiasm and the knowledge of living with Sesshoumaru was just an added bonus.

Cheating a glance up at the stoic lord brought another bout of butterflies to her stomach. She had always thought him as handsome and though demons age slowly, she could see that his features had changes ever so slightly since the last time they met. His jaw seemed stronger now and he had lost some of his boyish features, leaving him looking slightly rugged instead of his pristine appearance; as if he'd seen one too many wars for his age. She peered down to his hands that were resting on his swords and had noticed a couple scars. Most likely from the long battle against Naraku. She could still remember everyone coming out of that assault without a single part of them unscathed; even Sesshoumaru. She could safely bet that he had more scars on him that weren't from that specific battle, leaving her to shutter at the thought. Kagome knew all too well that the West was struggling with maintaining peace with the South. Already, civil wars were breaking out on the South-Western border and knowing Sesshoumaru, he would fiercely protect his lands – even to the end.

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Landing near the Bone Eaters well, Sesshoumaru hesitated on his release of Kagome's waist. He told himself that it was only until he knew for certain that the surrounding areas were safe enough for her to venture alone to the village, not because she felt perfect so close to him.

He had already informed her that he would wait for her here, away from the public and she had willingly agreed, knowing her friends would want to bombard him with questions.

Watching her leaving the open field gave Sesshoumaru a good view of her back side, something he did not expect to enjoy so much. After mentally kicking himself he thought 'what the hell am I doing?' Not only did he enjoy the softness of her pressed against his side but now he was staring at her retreating form like some pervert. Kami, he was just as bad as Daichi! Maybe inviting her to live with him was a bad idea but he couldn't get himself to abandon her, even after she had expressed her enthusiasm of coming to stay with him, which pleased him greatly. While his time in the East had allowed him time to think upon his request of her, he had come to realize that she may be exactly what he needed. Of course, Daichi and Takeshi were constantly in his ears about it so he would never outwardly admit it but he was actually looking forward to having her stay with him. He had long ago forgone his hatred for humans and he owed it all to her and Rin.

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Kouji was the first to spot her coming out of the forest, followed by Shippou.

Together, they raced to meet her first; obviously, Shippou pretended to fall down at the last minute, so that Kouji could win. Laughing, Kagome swept the gloating child up into her arms.

"Did you see that Auntie Gome? I beat Shippou by a mile!"

"You sure did kiddo."

Kagome carried Kouji towards Shippou who still sat on the ground rubbing his head.

"You okay?"

She asked giggling.

Shippou looked up at her sheepishly.

"Heh, bumped my head there. Guess I over did the whole 'tripping' thing."

After brushing himself off, he stood before her and opened his arms to welcome her in a hug.

Letting go, he offered to take Kouji from her hold. With the young boy firmly on Shippou's shoulders, they walked the path further into the village.

"So how was the ceremony? Did Kouga keep his hands to himself Shippou asked, dropping his voice to a disapproving tone.

"The ceremony was beautiful and yes, he did. He behaved himself so well it was scary."

Together they laughed as they walked towards Kaede's hut after Kouji pointed out that that was where his mother was. Good, then she could tell them both at the same time. She figured Sango and Kaede might be the easy ones; it was her son that she would have to worry about.

Reaching Kaede's hut, she took in a large breath. Well, here goes nothing.

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Suddenly, Sesshoumaru had sensed a presence and it was approaching fast. Once it got close enough, it vanished. Standing still, he continued to reach out with his senses. Nothing until the presence quickly emerged once again. There!

Slight rustling was heard in the direction where Kagome had entered the woods from.

But there was no need to attack for he recognized the scent belonging to the Kit that Kagome had adopted. He was mildly surprised that the Kit was able to find him so quickly.

"You can come out now, Kit. I come baring no threats."

Sesshoumaru attempted to state calmly but it did nothing to quench the boy's growing anger.

Shippou leapt off a branch and landed near Sesshoumaru, though kept a measurable amount of distance between them. Smart boy.

"I come baring no threats you say? That's not what I think."

Sesshoumaru knew that the boy wouldn't have come all this way just to stand face to face with him unless there was a serious problem. The Kit was angry, he could see that, but about what? He figured it most likely had to do with Kagome.

"What is it that you want Kit?"

He was in no mood for games. The sooner this was resolved, the better and hopefully the Kit had a good head on his shoulders to not start a fight with him. He would sure hate to tell Kagome that he had to injure her son so soon after reuniting.

"What I want is to know why my mother is going with you and you better not say one fucking word about blackmail of any kind."

Straight to the point and straight to his face.

He was beginning to like this boy now that he wasn't cowering behind everyone. If this was Kagome's influence then maybe he should let her whip some of his new recruits into shape when they arrived at his palace. The boy certainly had guts if nothing else.

"I have done nothing of that nature. I merely requested her help in maintaining my lands. As you may have heard, the South is becoming a constant threat and this matter requires all my attention. To put it simply, she agreed to lend me her assistance in running my territory."

There, hopefully that was an adequate answer. It seemed to work because the boy's rigid posture relaxed slightly but not completely.

Shippou could sense that the Western Lord was telling the truth but that didn't always mean anything. He'd been lied to before when he was young and naïve and he won't let it happen again, especially when it involved his mother. When Kagome had told Sango and Kaede that she was going to live with Sesshoumaru, he panicked. Slipping out from the hut, he could faintly feel his aura. He figured that Sesshoumaru was concealing most of it to keep from being sensed from other demons. Kagome had taught him a while ago that no one could completely 'cloak' their aura, instead, they only distort it. So with much practice, and with much help from his mother's miko abilities, he'd been able to unlock part of his perception to locate demons in 'camouflage'. Once that was done, it wasn't hard to pinpoint his location.

The whole time he was running through the forest, his mind was racing on how he was going to confront the strong demon. At first, he was going to calmly approach him without being noticed but quickly abandoned that idea. Let the stoic bastard know that he was there and that he was pissed.

Sesshoumaru could see that the Kit still didn't trust him and he was glad about that. The less trust you have, the more alert you are and the more alert you are, the longer you'll survive. This boy just might make it in this world. Regardless, he was growing tired of the glares the boy was shooting at him. Taking the initiative, he finally broke the tense silence.

"Believe what you want but know this, I have a large respect for Kagome and while at my home, she will be protected severely."

This seemed to convince Shippou enough to allow his anger to recede so that it wasn't hindering his common sense. Though he didn't like the idea of his mother living under the same roof as Sesshoumaru, he knew that this is what his mother may need. She's been living her life for him and her friends. Everyone saw it. Now it's her turn. Keeping his eyes firmly on Sesshoumaru's, he approached him, making sure to keep his steps slow yet consistent. When he finally stood but three feet from him, he nodded his head.

"Fine, but if I hear that she was hurt in any way, and not just physically, then I'm coming to bring her home and then I'm coming after you."

Shippou's emerald eyes darkened considerably to show that he meant every word.

Sesshoumaru scoffed slightly.

"Do not flatter yourself Kit. It would be a fool's errand to come and face me in battle especially for one so highly inexperienced as you."

Shippou's chin rose in a stubborn tilt and squared his shoulders displaying that he wouldn't back down. Not when it came to Kagome. He would never back down.

"Don't make the mistake of underestimating me; your pride just might get the better of you."

Okay, so maybe he liked this boy a lot. He defiantly has Kagome's spirit when it came to protecting someone of pack and if there's something he could relate to, it was that.

Shippou was startled slightly when Sesshoumaru smirked but just as quickly as it came, it vanished when his golden gaze shifted over his head towards the forest. It was then that Shippou caught the scent of his mother approaching.

Glaring at the demon lord one last time, he met Kagome half way to help carry her bags.

Sesshoumaru could see that the Kit had a good two feet on Kagome. If she looked that small next to her son then she must look minuscule next to him. Sesshoumaru figured he's got at least three and a half feet on her. But demons normally run taller than humans. The Kit will probably grow to be the same height as him one day and the thought had struck him. Kagome would not be alive to see her son reach his full potential and somehow that irked him to no end.

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Kagome was followed by Sango and Kaede along with Kouji and Akari.

She implored them to stay in the village, saying that Kaede needed to rest and Sango would have her hands full with her two children but as always, they ignored her and flanked her throughout the forest until their arrival in the field. Kagome saw Shippou walking to her with a look in his eyes that she knew all too well. He was upset but was trying hard to hold it in. After he took her bags from her, she turned to say her goodbyes to her friends and her 'niece and nephew', once they promised to relay her goodbyes to Miroku and Kohaku, she was escorted back to Sesshoumaru by Shippou.

"You don't want to come with me?"

She finally asked, her eyes shinning with the slight hope that he would agree to go with her.

"No. I'm needed here."

Her face looked crestfallen. He'd have to kick himself later for that. Quickly coming up with a reasonable answer, he quickly said,

"Besides, whose gonna look after the infested villages while you're gone?

Just because you're going on an extended vacation, doesn't mean that the rouge demons are taking one too."

Regardless of her heavy heart, she knew he had a valid point. She herself was worried about the fate of the defenseless villages without her handy. She knew Miroku was in no way going to allow Sango to dawn her exterminator's outfit so soon, picking up where she left off. Maybe Kohaku would be a good candidate but as always, Shippou had already beaten her to the idea. Already her son was training Kohaku to handle the continuous onslaught of crazed demons out of their minds with blood lust.

"Fine, but you have to promise to visit… a lot." Kagome said while shoving her index finger into his chest for emphasis.

Batting her finger away he agreed and swooped her up into his arms whispering in her ear,

"It's your turn now."

She didn't need to ask what he meant. She knew exactly.

Pulling her yellow pack on her shoulder she waved farewell as stood next to Sesshoumaru while he summoned his cloud. Feeling him wrap his arm around her waist once again, they ascended towards the sky and to his home, leaving her old life behind in hopes of starting a new one.

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"Is it safe to hope that Shippou wasn't giving you a hard time?"

She asked, knowing that it was probably too much to ask for.

"He wasn't."

Well, that's good but that didn't shake the feeling that she had stumbled across a private matter.

"Well if he was giving you a hard time, I apologize on his behalf."

Kagome slouched a bit.

"He could be temperamental at times and I worry that one of these days he's going to snap. I may not be fully educated on demon physiology but I do know that when a demon child is old enough, his 'beast' begins to emerge and it gets harder and harder for them to control it."

This was true. Sesshoumaru could remember when he was beginning to 'come of age' to where his beast was beginning to show itself and it could be a difficult and painful transition for both the demon and their pack.

"For how long?"

Kagome looked up at the darkening sky, trying to recall the exact date.

"A couple months now I think."

'That's when it begins to be almost unbearable' he thought solemnly. No wonder the Kit's sent was laced with uncertainty and pain. He had initially thought that he himself was the cause for the boy's anger but he was clearly mistaken.

"Has he lashed out at you in anyway?"

Was that concern in his voice?

Kagome looked at him but averted her gaze slightly.

"Only a few times. The first time it was only an argument; things were thrown but never towards me. The second time was my fault; I got in the way of a fight he was having with another kid in the village."

She lifted her sleeve to show four scars on her shoulder.

"Superficial, really."

Superficial, my ass Sesshoumaru thought. It angered him to know that she was hurt trying to protect her son but how could she know not to interfere when a demon was in the throws of extreme inner pain? It's almost like part of you is being ripped to shreds and there's no way to relieve it short of dying. His father had thought of one way to release some of the pressure building by beating him senseless until he was battered and bruised but it also affected his beast long enough to stay down for a while until its master's body could heal enough to survive another onslaught of growing pains. If the boy doesn't get help soon then he'll have to intervene and he's not sure if Kagome would like his methods. But if it'll help, then she'll just have to deal with it.

Trying to change the subject for her sake, he decided to play it safe and mention some of the features that are open to her while during her stay.

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The way Sesshoumaru described his palace gave no justice to the beauty that lay before her.

The grounds were crisp and green with trees scattered around every so often, providing shade.

The smell of the ocean wafted up from over the cliff where the sun was receding quickly.

She noticed that the gardens were large with cobblestone pathways winding through many flower beds and rose bushes - for Rin, no doubt.

And her room.

Her room was absolutely amazing. Cream with gold accents littered the furniture and bedding. Soft satin curtains flowed gracefully from the open balcony doors, letting the ocean breeze tickle her face.

"I don't think I deserve a room this nice."

She admitted. Seriously, if this room was only a guest room then the main rooms would probably be a sucker punch to the stomach but in fact; she was told that this was his mother's old room. With that knowledge, she quickly turned to face him.

"Now I really don't deserve this room. Lord Sesshoumaru, isn't there a room that would better fit my standing as just the 'hired help'?"

She was nervous of staying in his mother's old chambers; he could clearly see it in her eyes but this was one of his ways of showing her that she wasn't just the 'hired help'. She was a respected ally of his and as such, will be treated accordingly and with time hopefully she will see that.

He stepped closer to her and lifted her chin so her eyes met his intense gaze.

She found that she could easily get lost in those golden eyes of his. He slowly pulled her closer to him and she self his soft breath against her face. His hand rested on her hip as the other splayed across her lower back as if to keep her from putting any distance between them. He was pleased when she didn't immediately pull away from his soft advances. Maybe this arrangement wouldn't be so bad after all.

Focusing on the foreign feeling he was solely responsible for giving her, she wanted nothing more than to succumb to its siren call. To feel his strong arms encircle her made her heart beat faster and a desire of wanting him to show her what she was denied for so long slowly consumed her until she was suddenly thrown back into reality when her mind began to work its way through the fog that clouded her reason. Stepping back from him, she adverted her gaze to anywhere but him. There was in no way a guy like him, demon or not, who could ever have serious feelings for her. They had only just reacquainted last week. No way could a romance blossom that quickly, especially when that romance was between the two of them.

Sesshoumaru enjoyed knowing that he was able to chase the shadows of confusion from her deep blue eyes and saw that they had begun to cloud over with a hint of desire. The slight sent of her arousal assaulted his nose until it vanished just as quickly as it came and she stepped away. He wanted to reach out for her again but was interrupted suddenly by a large explosion. Objects and debris fell around them as they both fought for balance in the trembling palace. Another explosion was heard – closer this time. Kagome had somehow been thrown from his reach as she fought for control of her body being forced through the air. Harshly landing against the hard floor, she attempted to regain her equilibrium before the second crash caused larger debris to fall above her making a sickening connection to her head. The last thing she remembered seeing before blacking out was Sesshoumaru reaching for her with a look of slight fear in his eyes.

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So very sorry this chapter took forever to be posted.

Please enjoy and thank you for reading.

chapter 8 is on the way, I promise.

Review if you have a chance!

Desert-Bandit.