Rolling over onto her side, Kagome groaned loudly. Her entire body was stiff, but gratefully, she could say that she wasn't on fire anymore, and her womanhood wasn't sore, and hadn't been for three days. Her eyes opened, then squinted when the sunlight struck her. 'Ow,' She mused dryly before inhaling to see how long Sesshomaru had been gone. 'Roughly an hour,' she deduced.

According to the schedule they'd worked up, him checking up on her every hour and a half to be sure she was still there, she still had a pretty good amount of time to sneak out of the room. So, only spending a moment or so to slip on a short yukata, she crept uneasily from the room.

'Useless legs.' She thought as she slipped through the surprisingly empty kitchen. She'd expected to have to hide from a servant, but it seemed that everyone was busy elsewhere. Up the backstairs three flights, she started down a corridor. The hall was hardly ever occupied, so she wouldn't have to worry about being found. This considered, her strides became less careful, even though she had limped heavily to begin with. 'I do wonder where everyone is, th…oh no.' Quickly, she pressed herself against the wall, as though she would disappear if she did.

Turning as swiftly as she could, she started back down the hall when she heard, "Miko, even the humans' senses are not so dull."

Cursing lowly, she attempted to walk as straight as possible when she entered the room. "I feel better." She announced quickly. "So you can't send me to bed."

Sesshomaru's eyes trailed the length of her revealed arms and legs, flashing angrily at the scars that remained. They would most likely never heal. She would forever be reminded of his failure. Averting his eyes, he replied, "Come. It is time to check your wounds."

"We are glad to see you up and well, Kagome." Kikyo greeted warmly.

"Keh, the wench took long enough getting out of that bed. O-Ow, Kikyo! What'd I do?!" The hanyou of the tachi screeched, rubbing his abused ear.

Sango shook her head, though she smiled at her friend's foolish behavior. "Welcome back, Kagome-chan." She scowled deeply as she noticed her lecherous companion leaning forward to view beneath Kagome's yukata as she awkwardly began to sit down. "Monk." She growled, punching him in the arm.

Miroku sighed, stroking his shoulder. "Dear Sango, why must you abuse this monk?"

"Why must you be such a lecher?" Kagome answered for him, watching Sesshomaru's glowing hands caress her flesh.

"You are healing rather well." He said softly. "There will, however, be a bit of scarring."

"I assumed as much." She tilted her head a bit, listing the emotions that flitted across his face. "This isn't your fault, Sesshomaru."

The Daiyoukai froze, then looked up with a cold stare. "I must disagree."

Kagome rolled her eyes in annoyance. "I did what had to be done, and I told you to stay out of it. It was my doing."

"I allowed that pathetic fool to whip you." Sesshomaru growled, thinking about how said fool was residing in Kayo's room, having found a rule that stated that he could stay so long as his daughter was fine with it. "This Sesshomaru allowed him to touch you."

As though it had heard, Kagome's sex throbbed once. "I let him touch me. I disobeyed. I battled. I lost. I bled. Big Whoop."

"Now, now," Miroku lifted his hands, "calm down you two."

"The monk is right." Inutaisho's guttural voice rang through the air as he smiled and closed the door.

"H-how are you standing there?" Sango whispered, shocked.

Inutaisho chuckled. "It's rather hard to explain, I'd say." His eyes locked on Kagome's body and widened, his mouth falling open and his shoulder's trembling. "K-kagome…my-my daughter…what…Sesshomaru…Inuyasha?" He whined helplessly.

Inuyasha's brows furrowed, and he whimpered. Sesshomaru began to kneed Kagome's flesh again on the opposite leg. "I allowed her to be punished."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "You didn't allow anything. I did what I wanted." She blinked when she suddenly found herself in Inutaisho's arms.

"My poor child." He whispered, pain thick in his voice. "Oh, my pup."

"I'm fine, really." She replied quietly, a thin frown on her face.

"Fine." He shook his head. "First…first, you're placed in a dungeon, and you think I…Do you still think that I was conspiring with Sesshomaru to hurt you? When I coaxed you into returning, it was in the hopes that my son happy to hold his beloved-"

Kagome fisted his kimono. "Exactly. You don't care a thing about me." Her hands ignited with energy again.

Inutaisho urgently grabbed her hands. "Kagome, dear, calm down. I swear, your best interest was on my mind as well. If I didn't think you and my pup needed each other, or that he couldn't take care of you the way your needed to be taken care of, then I would have left things well enough alone. You and Sesshomaru have a family."

"I have a family with a mated man?" She scoffed, shaking her head. "You're hilarious."

"Izayoi said the same thing."

"And didn't you get her killed?"

Inutaisho's eyes widened and he released her hands. "N-no. Izayoi lived after that. She lived after I died."

Kagome laughed bitterly. "Oh, she did, didn't she? A little while longer, she suffered the life of a human who begot a half demon. You damned her."

"Watch your tongue." He hissed, glaring at her. "You will show me respect. I am your father."

"You're not." Kagome answered simply. "You bestowed that title upon yourself. My father died years ago. You're nothing to me, because your son is absolutely nothing to me."

Inutaisho's face fell for a moment before he smirked. "She is your bride, Sesshomaru. Stubborn, angry at the world, a lying little bitch, she is."

Sesshomaru mimicked his father's smirk, pulling Kagome to him and stroking her left arm. "She is."

"She is right here." Kagome winced as Sesshomaru pressed against a particular slow-healing wound. "Hey, watch it." She pouted. "Where are my pups anyway?"

"They are resting."

"That's all they do. I want to spend time with them."

Sesshomaru could not repress the tiny smile on his lips. She was so childish sometimes. "Our pups are just that, pups. Pups sleep, my miko."

"I- ish!" She inhaled deeply, snatching her arm away. "It always hurts there. My skin is raw."

"Yes, I know. I did cause it."

"Don't start that again." Kagome grunted. "I'm not dead."

"You say that." Sesshomaru growled deeply. "You say that, however, you fail to realize something. It is my duty to protect you…As your mate, I must do everything that I can to take care of you, everything in my power to insure that no one harms you…" He lowered his head slightly in shame. "I failed you, my mate."

The miko clenched her fists. "You dare to dishonor me, Lord Sesshomaru."

He frowned, confused. "Dishonor you how?"

"By calling me your mate when you have one whom is not me. You are not my mate, Sesshomaru. You are Kayo's. You owe me nothing. You are in no way obligated to me. Can you imagine, and this is only an example- Can you imagine me being mated to, say, Inuyasha, and claiming you as mine?"

The daiyoukai narrowed his eyes, then looked away, closing them. "I say you are my mate because to this Sesshomaru you are."

"You are a Lord, Sesshomaru. What goes on in that head of yours? Yeah, your counsel of elders couldn't give a shit about it if they tried. By law, you are Kayo's. Your pup with her will be Lord when you pass. And until our pups are old enough, as I've said, I will stay. But once they are old enough to decide that they want to leave, we will leave."

"I will not allow you."

"You forget. I'm not from this time. I'm not like a lot of the submissive women in this era. You hold no control over me." Kagome touched his cheek. "I wanna take a walk now."

Sesshomaru scowled at her for changing the subject, but answered nonetheless, "You will rest."

Kagome leaned forward, placing her forehead into his shoulder. "We can go pick flowers, and maybe we can spar! But no decapitating this time! Come on, help me up." She kissed his chin gratefully when he did so. "See you guys at dinner. Come, Sesshomaru."

"I am not a pet." Sesshomaru reprimanded.

"Oh, shut it! You're lucky I want you to come with me at all!" Kagome huffed loudly, the breeze she created tossing her bangs. "As a matter of fact, sit down. I don't need you." She placed her hands on his chest and shoved him.

Surprised, the Daiyoukai stumbled back two steps, then growled, grabbing her by the shoulder. "And what, pray tell, do you mean by that?"

"Like I want your lying cheating ass anywhere near me. I was only being nice, because you were blaming yourself. Remind me never to be polite again."

"You, miko, exaggerate things." Of course, he could have calmed her by telling her that she was getting worked up over nothing, that he would gladly accompany her to the gates of Hell. But come now, really, this is the great Daiyoukai Sesshomaru we are speaking of, proud and immovable to the core. "I suppose you are more human than I initially thought."

Kagome sputtered, "H-human?!" Crimson began to seep into her eyes, clouding her vision in a thick red fog. "Y-you're a jackass, Sesshomaru!"

He lifted his right shoulder in a half shrug. "And you are a wench."

"Bastard!"

"Whore," was his snarled response.

"Ugh, you're so…You're a…I can't…You're insufferable!" Whirling on her heels, she swept out of the room, Sesshomaru on her heels.

"You are not to walk away from your Lord!"

"You aren't my lord!"

"I shall prove otherwise!"

Miroku sighed, "I don't think they're getting anywhere."

Inutaisho chuckled. "Believe me, monk. What just happened means they're closer then they've ever been before. Now, my son, why don't you introduce me to the fine young miko at your side."

Inuyasha blushed deeply, squeezing Kikyo's hand. "This is Kikyo."

"Kayo," Sesshomaru called softly as he slid the shoji closed. No, he did not like her. And yes, id he could have her gone, he would, but she was carrying his pup. And he had, in a sense, led her on, to believe that he would mate her, that she would be lady of the Western Lands. She deserved the slightest bit of hospitality.

Rising halfway off of the futon, she turned bloodshot eyes to him, then look away. "Milord."

"Where is your father?" He slowly made his way across the room. The Eastern Lord's scent was stale in the room by a few hours.

"He left to meet Lord Takeshi, whose returning to the palace with him."

Spine rigid, he thought over her words. Takeshi, his cousin Takeshi, the very one that had tried for Kagome's affections at his mother's gala. This would simply not do!

'Not now, master. We deal when time come. Now, feed pup.'

Exhaling, he agreed with his beast, placing the tray in his hand on the futon. "Sit up and eat."

"I'm not hungry."

"You will feed our pup, Kayo."

"Our pup?!" She hissed, glaring at him. "You don't give a damn about our pup! It's all about that wench and her bastards!"

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Watch-"

"How I refer to them?! That's all you have to say! What about me?! I'm your mate! I'm carrying your heir!" Her voice lowered as her eyes did. "I never…I never expected you to care for me, that is a foolish human hope. I only expected to receive what was promised to me, you and this kingdom. I expected your protection, your attention, and you give them to her."

"Ka-"

"What have I done to deserve this, my lord?" She fell into his chest, sobbing.

Sesshomaru blinked slowly. He'd never anticipated such of her, a demoness. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer to him, his lids lowering half way. This was the woman who had first attracted him, this fragile, weak, submissive thing. This was what had made him mark her. It had been because she was the complete opposite of Kagome, but considering it, he realized that she was feeling the same things as his Kagome. "You've done nothing wrong, Kayo."

Sniffling, she looked up at him, her eyes trailing over his thin, sculpted lips. "M-milord, may I?"

Hesitating, the lord considered it. Before he could reply, she pressed her lips against his, wrapping her arms around his neck. Sesshomaru found himself quickly complying, kissing her back almost as easily as he could have kissed Kagome, though there was an intense ache of guilt in his stomach.

When they separated, he pecked her once against, cupping her cheek. "In another place…at another time, Kayo, perhaps things would have been different." Setting her upright and away from him, he rose from the futon, "Eat well, Kayo." He left the room with that, stiffening the second he felt Kagome's aura in the room nearby. Had she heard, or worse, seen through a crack in the shoji. A quick analyze of her aura, however, let him know that she was asleep.

Relieved, he breathed out. He could not afford her getting angry with him, not after they'd had two hours of peace during their walk, and yet another when they played with the pups. Things were looking up with his miko, and he wanted nothing to jeopardize them. Quietly, he opened the shoji to her room and smiled lightly. She looked peaceful there, even with her legs sprawled out, her hair a mess, a thin trail of drool streaming from her mouth. His hand rose to his obi as he prepared to loosen it and take off his haori, but a voice stopped him.

"Lord Sesshomaru?"

Turning, Sesshomaru arched a brow at Kohaku. Once the slayer had become infatuated with Akane instead of his woman, their relationship had become far less tense. "Yes, Kohaku?"

"Sorry to bother you, but there's news that Naraku is attacking a village just outside the palace barrier. Miroku thinks he's trying to coax us out and into a battle."

"And we will give him one. Tell Inuyasha and the other's to ready their weapons. We leave soon."

Kohaku nodded, then paused, shifting his eyes to Kagome, then away. "I don't think she should see Kakudan just yet."

"Of course not. She will be staying here. If she is to awaken and find out, then I, myself, will deal with her anger." Yes, another reason for her to be angry with him. Once Kohaku left, he leaned over his miko, placing a kiss on her forehead. "This is for your own good."

Kagome inhaled, reaching out in her sleep to hug his arm. "Sesshomaru."

"Sleep until my return, dear miko." Slowly, he slid his arm from her grip and left the room, praying that she did remain asleep.

"My throat burns." Kagome mumbled to herself as she stalked out of her room. Turning onto the next hall, she found a pitcher of cool water and a note, saying that it was for her, from Akane. "You always know, Akane." Smiling, she poured herself a cup and continued down the hall toward the nursery, pausing when she heard Rin's voice come from Shippo's room. She slid back the shoji a little and peaked in.

"Shippo-kun?"

Shippo opened one eye, while keeping the other shut tightly. Once Kagome had left, he had taken to mediating with Sesshomaru, Miroku, and the others'. The improvements in his power would be crucial when the pups were a bit older and they began roaming again. "Yeah, Rin-chan?"

The young girl blushed at her playmate's suffix, then scowled at herself for getting off track. "Um, do you think it was right for them to leave okaa-san behind?"

Kagome's eyes widened, her ear pasted to the wooden frame of the shoji. 'Who left without me? And why?!'

"Well, that all depends. Do I think they did it to keep her happy? Yeah. Was it fair to her? No. So, it depends on how you look at it."

"I know, but-"

"What would they have told, momma, though? 'Kagome, wake up. We're going to battle Naraku.' She-" He froze at the sound of breaking glass, and then a whimper. Rin pushed back the shoji, and they both whispered their mother's name as she stepped back, pressing her form against the wall.

Kagome dug her claws into the wood wall behind her. "The-they," she breathed, "they went after Naraku." Heart racing, she fled down the hall, following Sesshomaru's stale scent out of the castle. Naraku was near, which meant that her son was near! Which also meant that her friends had known, and had chosen not to tell her, but she would be angry later! For now, she needed to get her son back!

"Hiraikotsu!" Sango swung her bone carved weapon, smirking as it whipped toward Naraku's head. Her smirk fell, though, when he smacked it away effortlessly with a tentacle.

"Try again, wench." He narrowed his eyes as Miroku grabbed the prayer beads on his cursed hand. "Fool, you think I am so ignorant?" A low hum spread over the village as the hanyou's Saimyosho began to appear in the air.

"I'm so sick of your shit, Naraku! Windscar!" Inuyasha swung his sword down with skill he had acquired during the year with his brother.

Naraku placed a barrier around himself, smirking as the attack flared around him, before fading. Kikyo's flying arrow, glowing brightly with energy, rebounded off of another raised barrier. "Come down, sweet miko. Did you honestly think that would work?" Narrowly, he managed to dodge Sesshomaru's Dragon Strike. "Damn you!" he hissed, patting out the fire on his robe. 'I foolishly lowered my barrier! Damnit!'

Kakudan drew his legs to his chest, watching helplessly as Hakudoshi and Kiyoshiyuki attacked his past companions. Lifting his head, he gazed at Kagura's back. She was mumbling about having to babysit a brat, obviously him, instead of joining in the action. He sighed. 'She's only so lucky as to not be in the action, dirtying her hand's with their blood.' He took a deep breath, then froze. Th-that scent. It couldn't be. He leapt from the feather he sat on.

"Yo, kid!" Kagura called after him as he hit the ground running.

"That scent!" He shouted back.

Naraku froze, turning to face his son, then inhaling fearfully. It was her. Slowly, he began to walk that way, a barrier protecting him from the onslaught of attacks the Inu tachi sent his way, until they too realized what had caught his attention, and halted. And then, there she was, in his line of sight. "Kagome." He whispered.

Kagome skidded to a stop, her eyes on her son. "Kakudan." Then she heard her name called, and looked to his father. "Naraku." She ran toward him, calling his name a little louder. At first, he'd thought, quite foolishly, that she would run into his arms and kiss him. But when she was a few feet away, she whipped her swords from her sides and screeched, "Na-ra-kuuuu!"