Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. Props to Rumiko Takahashi; she's a wonderful author.

Chapter 12

That night, Sesshoumaru and Kagome retired to his chambers with Keiko, having been sent to get some rest by the Inu no Taisho. Touga had told them that they'd talk about the night's events during breakfast so that they might be on their way home in the afternoon. The trio settled down quite comfortably on a large futon, Keiko nestled warmly between her parents as she clutched onto her father's pelt that was wrapped around them. The girls were asleep within a few minutes but Sesshoumaru just couldn't bring himself to doze off.

Morning came quick and the foursome found themselves sitting around the table in the dining hall, the two pure-blooded dog demons not bothering with food as Kagome and Keiko enjoyed the meal made by the castle cook. The silence was pleasant for a while and they were all tempted to keep it that way but Touga wanted to explain everything as soon as possible so there'd be no bad blood between himself and his family.

"It took you a while to come around, Sesshoumaru. I must say, I'm not that surprised." He started in his silky deep voice, a glimmer of amusement in his shimmering amber eyes so full of life. Kagome wondered how someone like him could have a son so serious and cold and another with deep trust issues. They've both had rough lives, she mused darkly, but they don't have to be so alone anymore. Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru now have what most people can only hope to ever find; friendship and family.

"What are you going on about, father?" The younger of the silver-haired taiyoukai asked after a second or two of contemplation. Sesshoumaru couldn't lie; he felt a pinch of bitterness toward the Inu no Taisho for having made him believe that he'd been dead all those years when in reality his essence was hiding in a damned crystal ball. He knew though that he would fast get over it and simply enjoy his presence like he'd learned to do in the last couple of years before Inuyasha's birth.

"The reason I was preserved in such a way, son. I did it with you in mind, you know. I knew that someday, with your wanderer's heart and resentment toward your duty as lord, you'd find yourself a woman and would want your freedom more than ever." Touga smiled knowingly at his first born son and couldn't help but glance at Kagome who was cutting up Keiko's food but also listening and smiling at his words. She knew just how true his words were; Sesshoumaru had the soul of a gypsy and he despised what he was raised to do, though he demanded a certain amount of respect despite his lack of desire to rule. He was born to rule and that alone made him want to do anything but.

"So…you have the intention to rule again in my place so that I may do as I please with my life?" Despite his calm façade, the younger demon felt a blossoming feeling of warmth and relief in his chest. Could he truly be free of this burden and live out his life like he'd always secretly wanted? He could finally understand how Kagura felt the last moments before her death when she was free from Naraku's grasp, as the wind should be. To have nothing expected of you, no worries and no duty to keep you from being who you really want to be? Was that how she felt when she smiled at me, even as her body was being destroyed by the miasma? Was it freedom that made her die happy? He wondered if he had anything to do with it, too. I had developed a certain amount of affection for her…had she felt the same? She seemed so content when I told her that I'd known it was her I was approaching, not Naraku like she had believed. And now, did she ever truly become the wind? Is she the breeze that rustles fabric and blows around our hair on sunny days? Such thoughts would have felt pathetic to him not long ago. However, now he felt that they were just fine. He was allowed to care.

"Exactly. If you would relinquish your title to me, I would happily take over all of your duties so that you could live freely with Kagome and Keiko at your side. Is that what you want, Sesshoumaru? You would have no more obligations to the west. If I were ever to perish, then I would appoint Inuyasha as my successor. He was not raised as you were but I believe he's doing a great job of being a leader as it is." Kagome looked up with wide eyes at that, acknowledging the compliment Inuyasha had no idea he was getting from the father he'd never known. If he knew that Touga spoke of him with such pride in his voice…Kagome's eyes watered. It was all her best friend had ever wanted; to rise up to the expectations he believed his father had of him.

"Father, you are a fool if you believe I would refuse such an opportunity. Kagome," he turned to the young miko at his side that was attending their beautiful little girl like any good mother would. "Do not cry. What's wrong?" His voice was soft as he brushed her bangs away so he could look into her eyes when she turned to him. She was smiling, showing a happiness that contradicted the salty smell of her tears.

"Nothing, I'm fine," She giggled at her pathetic tone of voice, helping Keiko who was trying to crawl over her lap to reach Sesshoumaru in the oblivious way children had of getting around with gentle hands. "It's just that Inuyasha would be really happy right now." She wiped at her damp lashes and laughed some more at the soft look he was giving her with those magenta lined lidded amber eyes of his.

"So you've cared for both of my sons, huh? You worry about both of them and help them find the error of their ways. Kami know they need it, hm?" Touga chuckled, unfolding his legs and standing up, noticing that the meal was finished for his grand-daughter and her mother. He signalled in his ever-loyal servants to clean up the dishes and gestured for the little family to follow him out into the hallway that lead to the gardens. Oh how he missed the fresh air and the smell of lilies. Sesshoumaru picked up Keiko and held her tightly in his arms as he followed his father, not resisting the urge to give a playfully soft pinch to her ear. The silky triangle flicked at him abruptly and she giggled, her same eyes shining in merriment. Kagome watched them fondly from a step beside where she too followed the Inu no Taisho into what promised to be a wonderful day.

"Well, I mean, who else would have? Most people are afraid of Sesshoumaru and the rest spat at Inuyasha for being a hanyou. There are only a few people besides myself who actually take the time to appreciate your sons for who they are, you know. Years of loneliness create barriers and who better to break a barrier other than a priestess?" Kagome laughed at her failed attempt at humour, inciting a low laugh from both males in her company. It was quirks like that which made Sesshoumaru love her.

"The red Tetsusaiga, perhaps?" the younger male mused jokingly after setting Keiko down to let her chase a butterfly she'd spotted. She reminded him of Rin with her love for everything pretty and her will to touch every colourful thing she saw like the flowers she passed by while she ran. An instant smile stretched on his lips, a thing that made Kagome beam brightly back.

"Red Tetsusaiga? What has Inuyasha done to my fang?" Touga questioned in bewilderment, regretting his dormancy somewhat. So many things had happened and he had no idea about any of it. A red Tetsusaiga? The only forms he knew of Tetsusaiga were the Wind Scar, Backlash Wave and the Meido Zangetsuha which came from the Tenseiga.

"It's a technique among others that Inuyasha acquired during his battles with the sword. The red-bladed Tetsusaiga breaks barriers. There is also the Adamant Barrage which shoots spears of adamant at his opponent. He's learned to cut through demon vortices, too!" The miko listed off proudly, thinking fondly on how her best friend had grown so much stronger since she'd first met him. Actually, all of her friends had. Even she could reserve the right to boast about her own acquired strength.

"Ah, I've missed out on so much. My younger son has mastered my fang better than I and my eldest so has a new sword made of his own demonic energy. What's next? Now that they do not rely on my strength, what good am I? Oh, the tragedy!" Touga dramatized teasingly as he fell into a sitting position near the pond at the center of the palace gardens. Kagome sat down also with a giggle while Sesshoumaru stayed standing so he could watch over their daughter as she ran around without his view being obstructed by flowers and shrubbery.

"Hey, Tenseiga is still one of a kind! And Bakusaiga, in all honesty, suits him more. With those two in his possession, your son is invincible." The pretty miko winked at the Inu no Taisho, sharing a smile with the older inu. She would have never thought he'd be so playful and kind with the reputation he had as a ruler. He was essentially a big puppy, just like Sesshoumaru.

"That's what scares me the most, Kagome. He has so much potential and he could defeat me so easily if he wanted to. Hell, Inuyasha could defeat me. I am no longer the strongest male of my line." Sesshoumaru locked eyes with his father and raised his chin with a slight curve to his lips. Oh how his childish soul sighed in bliss at the knowledge. He'd wished so long ago to defeat his father in battle to prove that he was stronger and now he didn't even have to fight to prove it; it was just a fact. He was stronger than the Great Dog Demon himself.

They spent all morning telling Touga of their feats. Kagome talked about Sango and how fierce she is in battle. She spoke of Miroku who had been a great opponent when he had the Wind Tunnel but who was still a formidable fighter with his staff and sutras. She openly expressed her pride for Shippou who was working everyday to become stronger with his fox magic and she even told him about how powerful and loyal Kirara was. When she failed to mention her own accomplishments, Sesshoumaru took over and described to his father just how great she was. Her barriers, her purification powers and her archery skills were all mentioned; a special little praise at her ability to reach targets by making her arrow disappear before an object blocking it and making it reappear behind it so it can hit the desired target. After being satisfied that he'd ruined all her attempts at humility, he went on to tell his father about Rin and Ah-Un. He even went as far as mentioning Jaken, Kohaku and Kikyou. Kagome picked up from there and expanded on Kikyou before giving merit to Kouga and his tribe. Sesshoumaru even had time to address the whole Kagura matter. By betraying Naraku, she'd helped them in their journey to destroy him once and for all. That got Kagome going on Kanna and their last encounter with her and her mirror demon.

"That was quite the adventure, huh?" Touga commented with wide eyes once the pair finished their resume of their adventures. Kagome nodded and Touga simply shook his head at the two who were parents to the awe-inspiring little girl who now sat in his lap so she too could listen to the retelling of their journey. Sesshoumaru's eyes kept being drawn to the thin crescent moon shown from the parting in her bangs caused by the red tie that had once held his armour together. It felt weird to not wear his armour for such a long period of time. As strong as he was, he felt vulnerable when he thought of his disassembled armour that was left in his chambers since their arrival. "I thought I had quite a list of accomplishments under my belt but you've all surpassed me. You've defeated foes I could have only dreamed of being able to down. And what's better, you've found love along the way. You've made friends, found people to consider as family and even had some little ones. Tell me, will you let me come with you to your village when you leave? I'd love to meet everyone you spoke of."

"Well duh!" Kagome exclaimed without pause and they laughed at her eager tone.

Kagome and Keiko ended up having lunch in the garden while Sesshoumaru and his father went hunting together. Surprisingly, the men were back before the girls had finished their own meal. After eating, the little group separated to get ready to leave so they could return home to Kaede's village. Much to Kagome's enjoyment, the Inu no Taisho offered to carry Keiko so that Sesshoumaru could carry her and they could run all the way. Keiko, who already seemed to love her ji-chan, was thrilled at the idea of going with him. With that, the foursome was off to surprise the group of friends and family that had been left behind in Kaede's village.

During the run, which to Kagome's surprise was much faster than with Inuyasha, she had the opportunity to speak with Sesshoumaru alone as they were ahead of Touga and their daughter. She decided to speak to him about their short courting period and the new developments in their lives before they were once more in someone's ear shot.

"Listen, Sesshoumaru, I've been thinking…" She started as they sped through the trees, her speech surprisingly not rendered difficult by the speed or the wind.

"You have had little time to do so in the past days, I imagine," He teased, causing Kagome to look up at his face. He was looking straight ahead with his chin up and a cocky grin on his smooth lips. Kagome couldn't help herself from giving him a playful snarky reply.

"At least I wasn't shocked mute for almost an entire day, hm? Did you get a lot of thinking done then or was it just internal sputtering?"

"There was a war between rational thought and instinct, I'll have you know. This perfect little thing that looked and smelled like both of us was there as her own person instead of a pup in your stomach. The beast knew she was ours but my mind could not comprehend. I suppose it was all sort of blank." He admitted sheepishly with a barely noticeable squeeze of his claws around her ribs.

"As I was going to say," She decided not to comment on his minute moment of weakness, knowing that such a remark might not be wise to do if she wanted him to keep being open with her. "I've been thinking about our very short courting period and what all happened since the whole curse situation…" She began again in hopes that he'd understand she was being serious. Kagome was overjoyed that he was feeling so jovial as to kid around but she needed to speak to him seriously for a moment in private. He seemed to understand though as he glanced down upon her soft yet suddenly serious face.

"Hn, go on, I am listening." He conceded with an encouraging nod. She clutched her free hand into the material of his haori covering his chest in a subconscious act before continuing with her statement.

"Sesshoumaru, I know I love you and I know that I could be happy spending the rest of my life with you. What I'm saying is that despite our technically short time together, I want to be your mate. You've admitted to loving me too and you're the one who mentioned being mates in the first place so I was thinking I should come out to you with that information since I don't really know anything about tradition and the like. To be honest I feel kind of embarrassed admitting that." To prove her point, a pale pink glow took over her cheeks. She was just glad that he didn't make it openly obvious that he was looking at her while his face was aimed forward.

"Would you like me to tell you of mating tradition?" He offered upon her admission, feeling none of the embarrassment she felt at the subject. It was a thing he'd grown around, hearing adults talk of the purely physical private ceremony that resulted in permanent bonds and pups.

"Please do." She smiled up at the handsome taiyoukai with a gentle curve to her lips, trying not to mind the wisps of his flowing silver hair that came to brush against her face as he took a sharp turn around a big tree.

"Though the mating bond is ultimately spiritual, it is consequent of purely physical action. Two beings come together and share their bodies in the privacy of a bedchamber or even, as I've heard before, in a secluded cave. During the physical affections, the dominant inu speaks his vows of forevermore loyalty then waits for the accepting nudge of, in this case, the female. To show acceptance, the female places her nose below the male's chin and nudges upward. Once undoubtedly accepted, the male proceeds to place his mark by biting his chosen female on the neck, right below the ear. If done correctly and with good intention, the bite is painless. Then there is a banquet held by friends and family where they feast and congratulate the newly mated couple." As beet red as the explanation rendered her, Kagome was easily accepting of the tradition. There was one thing that sparked her interest though…

"You said 'in this case, the female.' Does that mean that two males or two females can properly mate? Like your childhood friend, is she mated with her lover even if they can't have children together?" He chuckled at her question as if it was obvious. He wondered if maybe things were much different in her time.

"Of course. A mate is not defined by gender, Kagome. A mate is based on love and the merging of two compatible souls. Plenty of same gendered mates merely adopt orphaned pups who have been robbed of parents due to attacks or war. Who is to stop a pair who loves each other from being together in the most basic form there is?"

"Boy are you going to be astounded when you learn about Christianity…" She couldn't help but mutter under her breath, thinking of the ongoing conflict for equal rights in her time, especially in the more religious parts of the world.

A gust of wind passed the couple by then, two flashes of silver hair just like Sesshoumaru's brushing up on them in a teasing manner. Kagome watched contently as Touga and Keiko slowed their pace down a few steps in front of them to taunt them with their speed.

"Look mama, we're first now!" Keiko happily exclaimed from where she clutched onto her grandpa's elegant kimono. Kagome smiled at her daughter, noting the cocky grin on the Inu no Taisho's face.

"Yes you are, baby."

Author's note:

It's been a while and this is very short and I am very sorry for the rushed chapter but I needed to get something out there despite my rough week! If there's anything you're wondering about or don't fully understand, ask and I'll answer as best I can! The next chapter, to make up for this one and the last, will be extra long and full of juicy stuff (by juicy I do not mean lemons, people. I don't write lemons.) I predict that it'll be up by Friday and it's sure to be a fun time! I hope you have a good morning/afternoon/evening/night and smile lots! –Nat :) ^.^