Kagome didn't say anything, she couldn't. Mainly because she didn't understand what was going on. So what if Sesshomaru were still alive? What business was it of his who she dated? That wasn't the only reason she silent, she was also upset at being faced with her loss of Inuyasha twice in one day.

Kagome had worked so hard to get her life back into at least the illusion of order, why couldn't she just be left alone? Why were these painful memories being pushed back into her life?

"Are you going to invite me to grace you with my presence or am I to stand like some lowly retainer?" Sesshomaru asked, pulling Kagome out of her thoughts and back to reality.

"Yeah, sit." Kagome said without thinking.

As soon as the word "sit" came out of her mouth, more pain swelled in her heart. Kagome just wanted to go home and crawl into bed.

Sesshomaru walked around the table and sat in Hojo's now vacant seat. Pushing the chair out a little so he could cross his legs. With his right foot over his left knee and left arm casually draped over the back of the chair, Sesshomaru stared at Kagome; obviously expecting something from her.

Whatever it was, Kagome had neither idea nor intention of really talking to him. While Sesshomaru and Inuyasha had settle things enough to stop the sporadic murder attempts, he was obviously still very arrogant and viewed himself above her. That, combined with the many attempts on her life made him the last person she wanted to talk too; ever.

"Well," Sesshomaru said "don't you have anything to ask me?"

"Yes," Kagome said thoughtfully "why don't you refer to yourself as "This Sesshomaru" anymore?"

"I stopped when the Sakoku Seclusion Edicts were reversed. The country was becoming something completely different and I had to either adapt or have the head of my true form mounted on some European King's wall. The idiot Europeans didn't appreciate being talked down too, and in order to keep my position and wealth I needed to start doing business with them."

"So, the mighty Demon Lord Sesshomaru became reliant on humans? Will wonders never cease?"

A poisoned look crossed Sesshomaru's face.

"You know Kagome," He said, using her first name without any honorifics "I am here to fulfill a promise to my brother, one I am only doing because it was his dying wish. I have no desire to sit here and be insulted while there are much more useful things my time could be spent on."

A lump formed in Kagome's throat, she knew Inuyasha was dead but she wasn't quite ready to deal with it yet. That's why she had become so busy, with other things to think about, she was hoping it would sink in slowly and she would adapt as it did. But now Sesshomaru sat across from Kagome, practically rubbing it in her face! She didn't need this!

"You know what," She snapped as she stood up "I don't care why you're here. It's obvious you don't want to be and the Sesshomaru I used to fight never did anything he didn't want to! So why don't you take a page out of his book and NOT CARE!"

At that, Kagome grabbed her bag and started to leave.

"Since you're so rich, you can tip them!"

Sesshomaru sighed as he heard the café door slam. He really was too kind to his dead brother. Reaching into his wallet, Sesshomaru put a 1000 yen bill down and walked out. It's not that he was actually tipping the idiot human for good work; he just enjoyed flaunting his obvious wealth and higher station.

He looked around the street for Kagome but she was no where in sight. Sesshomaru walked around the block where his driver and his Rolls Royce limousine were waiting. He could track her by scent, but why bother since he knew where she was going.

The short, pudgy driver tipped his hat at Sesshomaru and opened the back door, making sure his masters long hair was in the car completely before closing the door. The driver then got into the front seat and started the two million dollar antique.

"You will be driving me to the Higarashi Shrine Jaken." Sesshomaru ordered

"Yes Lord Sesshomaru, will we be meeting the girl there?" Jaken answered in his toad voice.

It had been five hundred years and a spell to give him the illusion of a human while out in public later, but the Kappa was still Sesshomaru's most loyal and trusted servant.

"Is that really any of your business?"

Jaken didn't answer, his master was in a foul mood and when Sesshomaru acted as such it was best to just leave him alone and do his bidding. He might kill you otherwise. In fact, Sesshomaru had killed Jaken on numerous occasions just to use Tensseiga to bring him back.

Jaken hated that retched sword; every time Sesshomaru killed him he made sure it was a painful death. Of course there wasn't anything quite as horrible as feeling your life slip away, but to feel so many times was downright torture.

As they headed towards the shrine Sesshomaru watched the thousands of people on streets, they scurried along trying to get in as much life as they could, and it always amused him. Amongst the faces were disguised demons, some with horns, others with wings or tails, but all dressed in modern, casual clothing. There (physical) demonic attributes hidden by various charms and spells. Humanity had overwhelmed the demons and spirits of this as well as other countries, now the only was to survive was to act like them. Sesshomaru hated sinking to the level of lesser beings, but it was a necessary evil.

A traffic jam had caused the car to come to a complete stop; they would be here for awhile. How often Sesshomaru wished he could just ride Ah-Un and not have to deal with the technological "advances" of modern society. He would've been there by now!

Perhaps it was for the best. He thought when he noticed Kagome walking in the large group crossing the street in front of his car.

Quickly getting out of his car, he walked forward, grabbed her arm and swept them both into his car before anyone could notice.

"What are you doing?!" She snapped "I told you to leave me alone!"

"Yes," he acknowledged " and I told you that I agreed to fulfill a dying man's last wish. In fact I swore on the spirit of our father and I will not have my word broken."

Kagome looked away, she was going to start crying and she didn't want to give Sesshomaru the satisfaction. She didn't care what kind of promise Sesshomaru had made to Inuyasha, it meant nothing if Inuyasha himself wasn't here to make sure it was carried out.

"What kind of promise did you make him?"

"That I would find you in the future and watch over you."