Mother's Castle - Part 1

"Where is Inuyasha?"

Seshoumaru gave her a bland look, "Who?"

Kagome nudged him with her elbow, "You know who? Where is he?" She tried to sit up but the arm on her shoulder was steel. He wouldn't budge.

She pushed once. Twice.

He gave her a bored look.

She knew that look.

She had been there when he had invented that look.

Her glare was lost on him and she grumbled, "I have to pee."

"You are lying."

She spluttered, "I most certainly am not!"

He just gave her a pointed look.

She scowled, "Fine. Where is that dim witted brother of yours?"

She wondered what the approving look was for; her calling Inuyasha 'dim-witted' or for her not struggling anymore.

"Resting."

Her beautiful cerulean eyes clouded over as she looked at something over his shoulder, "He's not getting better, is he?"

"Kagome."

This time when she tried to sit up, he let her. Her face was tense, "I don't know how, but I can feel that he is getting worse."

Seshoumaru was quiet, however his arm snaked around her waist positioning her so that she could lean against his chest. She looked troubled, "There is something bad festering inside of him. And I don't know how or why I know that, but," She looked up at Seshoumaru's face, "-I do. And I'm scared."

"Should I kill him?"

The words were light, his golden eyes flat and lethal, and could have been taken as a jest had they been spoken by anyone but this inuyoukai. Kagome pulled back his sleeves and traced a finger on the markings on his wrist. "He's your brother."

His arm tightened on her waist and he shifted her so that she was sitting between his legs, her back against his chest. She did not move away, instead, burrowed herself even deeper into him and her finger resumed her following his mark.

"He's your brother," She repeated. "Your family. And that makes him my family and I'm not going to let anyone hurt my family."

Her last sentence was infused by a burst of power. He doubted she knew that her hands were glowing. Or that her finger was leaving a tingling soothing path where it travelled. His eyes almost closed at the waves of contentment that flowed through his body where her touch lingered.

"I - I need to -"

His eyes snapped open, immediately alert. He couldn't believe he had let himself be coaxed into a relaxed state. What if someone had attacked her while his guard was down? Her trembling hands caught his notice, "Kagome?"

Her body was shaking as if she was making an effort and she drew a shuddering breath. "Kagome." His voice was sharp.

"I'm here. " She gasped. "Still here."

He tilted her head and went still when he saw her glowing eyes.

"What do you need?"

"Seshou." She breathed. Inhaled. Her voice was calmer, yet her body shook, almost violently. "Inuyas- Take me there."

He didn't hesitate. Picking her up, he moved so fast that he was a blur to even passing youkai. Kagome stared right ahead, her eyes burning a bright pink. However, for some reason Seshoumaru could feel her in there, calm and patient. He wondered at it but chose to keep his silence. The effort she was putting in was evident from her body. It was as a taut as a bowstring.

His mother had put the half breed in an isolated section of her castle. One that was not in use and had not been for decades. He looked in disgust at the state of the room and hoped that Kagome wouldn't be annoyed when she noticed the state of the room. He would have to have a word with his mother.

Sliding down his arms, Kagome held onto his forearms for a second, pausing to take a hold of herself, before she turned to make her way towards Inuyasha. His face was ash white. On a closer inspection it revealed that the black mark on his back had now spread to his arms. His eyes were closed and his body still. If Seshoumaru hadn't heard his heart beating slowly, he would presumed the half breed dead.

Kagome leaned over Inuyasha, and her finger touched his forehead. She trailed it down slowly, in a lover like caress. She traced the rise and dip of his delicate nose, didn't even hesitate at his lips. When her fingers reached the center of his chest, she paused and her head lowered as she let out a long sigh.

Then in an instant, golden tendrils burst out of her fingers and wrapped around Inuyasha. There was no beginning or end to them. They kept pouring from her fingers like an endless river of gold. Four of them entered his chest and his back arched. The half breed's eyes opened, filled with the color of the tendrils that defined Kagome's apparent healing abilities.

Seshoumaru watched as the force of Kagome's power kept growing and those tendrils expanded, filling the room, lifting his hair with its strength. He watched as his mate clambered over Inuyasha, straddling his body, her hands pressing down against his chest, no expression on her face.

As Inuyasha's body arched in a position that left Seshoumaru surprised that his spine didn't crack, he noted the way the mark started fading from his arm. Kagome's body relaxed slightly and as her aura receded, he felt his own recede. It made him blink warily when he realized that he had not been aware that his youki had been shielding Kagome.

Inuyasha groaned and opened his eyes blearily. Amber eyes met a pair of cerulean blue ones. He stared at her. She stared right back. It was then that he noted their respective positions. With a yell, he started back, making her fall over him in an even intimate position. If his face got any redder than that, a vein might burst.

"What the shit - fuck, I mean - get off me, wench!"

Kagome snarled, "Stop moving, you overgrown dog!"

"What did you call me, you crazy bitch?!"

"Something way less offensive than what you called me!"

Before the fight could escalate into a physical one, Seshoumaru swiftly grabbed his mate by her waist just as she swung her fists at his half brother who was growling. He swung her around so that her back was to his chest and ignored her attempts to get free of his grip.

"I'm going to rip those ears off his head!" Both her hands were on Seshoumaru's forearm which was trapping her against him as she tried to push it away. Hearing her threat made Inuyasha touch his ears, instinctively in a protective gesture.

"Keep that crazy bitch away from me!"

"Call me that one more time, you braying, shit headed jackass!"

"That insult was so dumb that it didn't even sting!" Inuyasha sneered, and then immediately recoiled when Seshoumaru visibly loosened his arm, "Don't let her near me!"

"Yeah, that's right. You'd better be scared!"

Satisfied with having the last word, she wiggled against Seshoumaru, trying to get free. However, she didn't anticipate his reaction. His arms tightened across her waist and his lips brushed her ears as he murmured, "I would stop moving if I were you, Kagome."

Blushing as she felt something behind her, she fell still and after a minute or two he released her.

"Woah," She muttered, as the room spun for a second. When Seshoumaru moved forward, she raised a hand, "I'm good. I got this."

Inuyasha moved his arms and stood up and stretched. His gaze was wondering, almost worshipping when he looked at her now, "You fixed me." He words were a hoarse whisper.

Kagome looked at her hands and then at him. She looked a little uncomfortable, "Yeah, I think so. Yes."

Inuyasha swallowed and looked everywhere but at her, "Why?"

Kagome dragged her attention from studyign her hands to give him an incredulous look, "Were you dropped as a child? No, never mind," She frowned, "I don't want to know."

When he spluttered, she scowled at him, "Because you're family, shit head." She looked at Seshoumaru, "I'm starting to like this word. It suits him."

Seshoumaru nodded approvingly.

"We're not - You and I have - Since when are we family?"

Kagome gave him a cool look, "Nobody asked you. And none of your business" An afterthought, "Shit head."

"Nothing that comes out of your mouth makes any sense. Dumb bitch."

Kagome flipped her hair, "Yes well. This dumb bitch just saved your life."

Wait. She frowned. Did she just call herself a dumb bitch?

Seshoumaru looked towards the door, "Mother is coming." Kagome blinked, "Where are we again?"

"At Mother's castle."

Kagome's gaze turned thoughtful, and she murmured, "I see."

Seshoumaru directed his gaze towards his brother, who was flexing himself as if finding it hard to believe that he was alive, "Go distract the wolf, pup. I require a word with Kagome."

Inuyasha gave the two of them a look and then left the room, mumbling something under his breath.

Makign a mental note to teach his brother polite language, the silver haired inuyoukai turned his attention to the girl in his arms.

"Kagome."

"Yes?" She turned her head to look up at him, a question in her eyes.

He lowered his face till their lips were inches apart, "This Seshoumaru is the only one you may straddle. If I ever find you in an intimate position with anyone every again, I will rip them to pieces."

Kagome paled and Seshoumaru felt a sadistic sort of satisfaction. He had wanted to kill Inuyasha when his mate climbed onto him.

His wandering thoughts halted when a sharp sting on his nose let a whine escape from his lips.

Kagome was furious and she was glaring at him, her teeth clamped on his nose, in a gesture of dominance.

His eyes widened and he unconsciously loosened his grip.

Taking advantage of that, she slipped out of his grasp and with gritted her teeth, "You are a jerk! I'm not talking to you! Bad Seshou!"

He stood there stunned, a hollow feeling building in the pit of his stomach as he realized that her eyes had been brimming with tears.

He didn't even move when he heard his brother let out a startled, "What's wrong, wench?" and her half sobbed, half snarled reply, "Seshoumaru is a jerk!"

He could hear Kouga's muffled words and a thud as the wolf youkai was evidently thrown aside. His brothers voice trying to get something out of his mate was not lost on him.

Seshoumaru just stared at the door.

He had made Kagome cry.

A.N: Oh, long time, long time. Yeah Seshoumaru can be kind of a jerk. He's not perfect. Also, I realize that my last authors note promised some events and they will follow...in the second half of this chapter which will be updated in a few days.