Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot and Rei.
Thank you for your reviews! I love them, they make me happy :D It was brought to my attention that someone thought Sesshoumaru has become more human... no, definitely not. He is still very much Sesshoumaru, but more mature. He has had 500 years to grow up, so as I warned in a previous chapter, he will be a little different than what most of you are used to. However, he is still very much the same sexy, dominant demon you all love, I promise! Just give it a chance :) I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Sesshoumaru drove them to a little two-story house in the suburbs not too far from his building. They parked in front of the tiny yard and she followed him. It didn't take very long for someone to answer after he knocked.
"Hi Dad! Hi Kagome!" Rin shouted, hugging them both.
"Hi Rin," Kagome said, putting on as much of a smile as she could manage.
"Were you good, Rin?" Sesshoumaru asked.
She grinned at him. "Always!"
He raised an eyebrow and almost smirked. "Not always."
She giggled and hugged him again. "Daddy! Mostly always good."
"She's always good here," said a woman's voice. Rei's mother walked up to them from inside and smiled politely.
When kagome looked at her, she gasped.
"Are you okay?" the woman asked.
'She doesn't recognize me', Kagome thought. "Uh, yeah. Sorry, you just... reminded me of someone I knew a long time ago." She held out her hand. "I'm sorry if that was rude. I'm Kagome."
Rei's mother held out her own hand with a smile, and shook Kagome's. "Not at all. Kikyo. It's nice to meet you, Kagome."
"Likewise," Kagome said, still a bit shocked.
Just then, a little girl about Rin's age appeared next to Kikyo. "Mom, does Rin have to go so soon?"
"Yes, love. Don't tell me you're sad, you just had an unplanned sleepover with her when you were only supposed to play for a few hours!"
"I knowww but she's my best friend," Rei said incredulously.
Kikyo smiled. "Oh darling, it's not the end of the world. Let's work on good goodbyes."
Rei rolled her eyes and hugged Rin. They giggled and parted. And then Kagome noticed Rei's eyes. Aside from her hair and skin, she didn't look much like her mother. It was her black dog ears and her golden eyes that sparkled with mischief and overflowing personality that shook Kagome to her core.
Sesshoumaru broke through Kagome's thoughts. "Thank you again for letting Rin stay here on such short notice."
"It is never a problem. We love having her, and I understand last minute emergencies. Have a wonderful day, Sesshoumaru."
"You as well."
When they left and walked to the car, Kagome glanced at Sesshoumaru curiously, and he glanced back. "That was... interesting," she said.
"Hn."
"Why didn't you tell me about her? I wouldn't have acted surprised."
"I thought it best for you to find out yourself."
"Sesshoumaru!" Kikyo called from her doorway. "I forgot to give you the muffins we made. Let me just wrap them up?"
He nodded. "Please excuse me for a moment," he told Kagome, and he turned, walking to the house and disappearing inside.
Kikyo was in the kitchen putting muffins in tupperware. "Sorry I forgot. I'll be just a minute."
"It is alright. Thank you; Rin loves your cooking."
Kikyo smiled. She knew that meant he loved it, too. He'd just never say it. "She doesn't suspect?" She glanced at him. He raised an eyebrow. "Kagome."
"No. I was not sure if you wanted her to know that you remember. I only knew that you were comfortable with me bringing her over here, so I did not reveal anything."
She looked relieved. "Thank you for keeping my secret. I will let her know when I'm ready. Here you go." She handed him the box and he thanked her.
When he got into his car and started it, he thought he should address the situation. He could feel the despair rolling off of Kagome and he knew she suspected Rei's parentage because of her eyes and dog ears."Rin, put your headphones on." The little girl did what she was told and was immediately lost in her world of music.
"Please tell me she's yours." But Kagome knew she wasn't.
"She is not."
Kagome sobbed. "Then this isn't the first time he cheated on me!"
"You think Inuyasha cheated on you?"
She looked at him in surprise through her tears. "How else can you explain those eyes? I've only ever seen them on you and him!"
"I can assure you that the one and only time he cheated on you was this one with his secretary."
"Really?"
"Yes. I would not lie."
"I know... Are you sure?"
"One hundred percent."
Kagome sighed. "Thank god."
"Many demons have yellow eyes, you know."
"Not gold," she mumbled.
"Perhaps there are not a lot of us, but the color does exist."
"How old is Kikyo? How did she get here? Does Inuyasha know about her? How can he not know? God, I never had a chance. I mean, I'm glad she got a second chance at happiness, I even wished for it, but now that she's a living, breathing, real version of herself with her own soul... I'm nothing compared to her. Even if nothing happened with Inuyasha and Emiko, if he ever found out about Kikyo, it'd be over between us in a heartbeat."
"Kikyo was reborn, not reincarnated. I have kept her from Inuyasha ever since I learned of her existence because of you, and to protect her. She has had a hard life since her rebirth. She and her sister lost their parents when they were very young, and they grew up in her grandparents' house. She is twenty-seven with a ten-year-old child."
Kagome thought for a moment. "Kaede? Kaede was reborn, too?" He nodded. "Wow, and Kikyo was only sixteen when she got pregnant?"
"Hn. She was cast out of her home for it and I took her in. I put her in an apartment in exchange for working for me. It was difficult, but I managed to keep Inuyasha from finding out because she was able to work from home. If you wish to know more, you will have to befriend her and ask her yourself."
Kagome grew quiet. She now felt guilty for feeling sorry for herself when Kikyo had a rough life. Forced to grow up so quickly, just like in her last life. "I'm sorry," she said quietly.
"Don't be. You are going through an emotional and traumatizing situation. Seeing someone so prominent from your past can only add fuel to the fire." They arrived minutes later and parked. Rin pulled off her headphones and unbuckled herself. Kagome took a deep breath, not yet ready to face her family. "What is the matter?" Sesshoumaru asked.
"My mom called me a ton of times yesterday, but I didn't answer. I turned my phone off. She must be worried sick."
"Didn't you ask her to watch your kit last night?"
"Yeah but I texted that to her with an apology and she said yes, but when she asked me to call her, I didn't. I just texted I can't, and then I shut my phone."
He could feel and smell her sadness and worry. "I am sure they are worried about you more than upset that you did not explain."
She sighed again. "I know."
"Your mom gave you life, Kagome!" Rin piped up. "She loves you and cares for you and worries about you, and if she ever gets mad, I'm sure she gets over it quickly because she loves you and wants you to be happy! Just like my dad!"
Kagome turned around and smiled at her. "You're right, Rin. Thank you."
Rin grinned and they all got out of the car after Kagome expressed that she would like them to go with her. Shippo, being a youkai, was the first to notice them walking up the steps to the shrine. He burst through the front door of the house and ran to her. "Mom!" He practically leapt into her open arms and she grunted, forced to take a step back.
"Oof, you're getting too big for that, Shippo."
He grinned. "Sorry! I missed you and I was worried about you because grandma and great grandpa were worried about you."
"I'm sorry, baby. I know I must have worried you guys."
His face fell. "You did... hi Rin! Hi Sesshoumaru-sama. Grandma was worried more than anyone else. She was so sad about you, but she and great-grandpa wouldn't tell me what happened to you, just that you couldn't come get me last night. Are you okay? Please tell me what happened!"
"Let's go inside and we'll talk, okay?" she said, eying her mother in the doorway. She was frowning and her eyes looked like she had been crying. Kagome walked up to her and they hugged. "I'm sorry, mama. I didn't mean to worry you. I just couldn't talk to anyone yesterday."
"I understand, but don't you ever shut off your phone, again. Don't cut off communication with me. You can at least text me where you are."
"I know. I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking. I couldn't think."
"I'm so sorry, baby. There are so many things I want to say about him, but there are children present. Let's go in. I'll make tea and lunch."
With Mrs. Higurashi in the kitchen and able to hear them, Kagome began telling Shippo the story. "My love, I'm so sorry for keeping you in the dark for even a day." She sighed. Her son felt her grief rolling off her, so he hugged her. She squeezed him and kissed his head. "I think the best place to start is by saying Inuyasha and I are no longer together."
Shippo violently pulled himself away from her in shock. "What?! Why? What happened?" Then his demeanor suddenly changed and he looked pissed. "What did he do?"
Even Sesshoumaru was slightly impressed with Shippo's almost-growl. Kagome's eyes widened in surprise at her son's aggression. She could have sworn she saw a tinge of red flash in his eyes. "You're upset with him, not me?"
Shippo looked surprised. "Why on Earth would I be upset with you? He obviously did something terrible if it made you break up with him. And you're my mom. He's not my dad."
"But you love him, don't you?"
"Yeah, I guess. But he doesn't act like a dad, he acts like a big brother." His face fell. "I want a dad." He slapped his hands over his mouth. "I'm sorry!"
"Why are you sorry? I wish you told me that, sooner. I didn't know that bothered you. That's important, Shippo. Your feelings and wishes are important to me. Now, what was that spurt of fury all about?"
He looked embarrassed, so Sesshoumaru saved him. "It is a youkai thing." Kagome glanced at him. "Humans get fiercely protective over their family and friends, but youkai have an inner... being, if you will, that is as much a part of us as anything else."
Kagome nodded. "Inuyasha told me about that."
"The kit's inner youkai just showed itself for the first time, if I am correct." He looked at Shippo, who nodded. "He felt his mother was upset, so his beast reared its head to protect."
"I'm sorry if I scared you, mom."
"You didn't, love. I'm proud of you. I think a congratulations is in order." He smiled brightly, beyond ecstatic that his human mother wasn't afraid of his inner youkai. "But we'll talk about this later. You asked me a question, so I'll answer. Inuyasha did something terrible, you weren't wrong. He cheated on me." Shippo's eyes went fully red. Kagome, a little afraid for him, glanced at Sesshoumaru, but he just urged her to continue. "You must understand, he never meant to. I know that is no excuse, but his secretary drugged his drink." That didn't help. It only made Shippo worse. Now he was overloaded with protecting his mother from his friend and his friend being drugged by someone.
Sesshoumaru felt the need to step in. "Kit," he commanded, "calm down. Your mother is fine. She is hurt emotionally, but she is in no danger." Shippo's eyes flickered. Sesshoumaru let loose a loud growl only youkai would understand while his own eyes tinged red. Shippo bowed his head, and his eyes turned back to normal.
"Sesshoumaru-sama," he said shakily, "what's happening to me?"
"Your beast, coming through for the first time, is very hard to control. It is the equivalent of human puberty, though much worse. You will need a youkai to help you through this. I assumed Inuyasha would, but now that is not possible." He gave Kagome a knowing look. "That offer is still and always will be available."
"What is he talking about, mom?" Shippo asked.
Mrs. Higurashi, who heard everything, walked in with tea and sandwiches. "What offer?"
Kagome looked conflicted. "Sesshoumaru offered us the apartment beneath his in exchange for working for him while I get back on my feet. He is the one who found me yesterday, in the park in the rain. He brought me to his place and let me stay there for the night."
Mrs. Higurashi smiled at Sesshoumaru. "That was very nice of you. Thank you for helping my daughter."
He nodded respectfully.
"I appreciate the offer, Sesshoumaru," Kagome said gratefully. "I just really don't want to impose on you and I can't figure out why you want to help me. We made our ammends long ago, but we don't know each other."
"Kagome," her mother scolded, "never question kindness."
"It is alright," he said. "She has every reason to, and she is still unaccustomed to who I am now as opposed to who I was in the past." Kagome's grandfather, who had been sitting and listening silently, raised an eyebrow. Sesshoumaru addressed Kagome. "I will say again as I said last night, you would not be imposing. I am offering. No one has lived in that apartment in years. I need a competent assistant and I know you would be a perfect fit. As for today's reasons, your kit needs a youkai to help him through this time. No youkai should go through that alone."
She nodded. "Well... thank you. Very much." She started crying and Shippo, her mother, her grandfather, and Rin all hugged her.
"Cry, darling," her mother said. "Let it out."
So she did, because she couldn't keep it in any longer. Her grandfather was the first to let go of the pile of people, and stood up. He motioned for Sesshoumaru to follow him into the other room. When they were alone, he turned to face him. "I know who you are, Lord of the West, as most do. I also know that you have tried to kill Kagome in the past. However, I know you have changed. What you are doing for my granddaughter is unrivaled, and I wanted to thank you personally. I don't know why, but that is unimportant. As my daughter said, don't question kindness. Unless, of course, you have reason to. I am appreciative. But I am also suspicious. Not of ill intentions, just of motive. Please do not hurt my granddaughter. She has gone through enough."
Sesshoumaru knew exactly what he was referring to, and he felt that he should address the old man with traditional respect. "Respectful elder, I promise that no harm will come to her. I have no intentions for her but to help her. As for my motives, they are not as you seem to suspect. Even if I did have feelings for her, she does not need that kind of stress on her right now." He bowed his head, and the old man was impressed.
"And should feelings ever arise?"
"I cannot speak for that, as I cannot predict the future. However, I can assure you that that is not on my mind. First and foremost, we have an equal exchange."
"Are you helping her only because you need something in return?"
Sesshoumaru stalled. The answer was no, but he didn't want to admit that. For some odd reason, he liked Kagome. She was never boring, and Rin adored her. He enjoyed having her around, but feelings? No, there were no feelings for her. "I need an assistant."
"That is not what I was asking." But he had a knowing smile on his face. "I don't know how she did it, but she wormed her way into your heart, as she does with every person she meets. Well, perhaps everyone but Naraku."
"She is good to Rin, and she is interesting."
"She is fun to talk to, is she not?"
Sesshoumaru paused to think of what to say. "She holds interesting conversations."
Mr. Takemaro chuckled. "In any case, no matter what happens, I thank you for taking care of her, motives aside. You are a good soul, and you have good intentions."
"Thank you for your compliments."
The old man nodded. Then he suddenly clapped his hands together. "So! I believe it is time for ice cream." He raided the fridge, handed Sesshoumaru six bowls, and they proceeded to the living room, where the two children and Kagome cheered. Ice cream made everything better.
Thanks for reading! Again, I hope you enjoyed. If you liked or loved it, or if you have suggestions or constructive criticism, please send it my way!