Inuyasha bit into his apple, mulling the situation over. Below his feet, Kyoko waited for his answer. The sun was descending. Finished with the food, Inuyasha tossed the core, and sighed.

Can't I be your friend, Inuyasha?

Those words triggered everything. Kyoko's desperate attempt to befriend Inuyasha and help him with his issues. If she were not a hanyou, Inuyasha would have no idea why she cared at all. But he knew the feeling well. No one in the world accepted you. You had no family or friends. And someone suddenly shows you a kindness. It didn't matter that you hardly knew them, because all that was important, was that they were different from everyone else.

Kikyo was different. Her kindness made Inuyasha fall hard and fast. The moment Inuyasha, in his blind rush away from his own emotions, found Kyoko and offered to help her, he set the same trap. Kyoko was fixated on him because he was the only one to be kind to her.

That was Inuyasha's theory, anyhow. He could never be certain why Kyoko stayed by his side. He'd be damned if he was going to ask her about it. Either way, it led to their mistake.

Kyoko knew Inuyasha wouldn't relent in his quest to be alone that day. To make him stay, she seduced him. Inuyasha clenched his teeth, and growled at the thought. She kissed him, pulled him into her grasp, and refused to let go. Inuyasha was too frustrated to care back then.

"I know you're mad," Kyoko said, looking up into the tree. "I would be too-"

"You tricked me," Inuyasha said, refusing to face her. "You knew you were in heat, dammit."

Kyoko frowned, and stood. "It was the first day of my heat, and I didn't know. I'm a hanyou, my heat is more subtle than a youkai. I hadn't noticed, and I'll tell you that a thousand times until you believe me!"

"You shouldn't have seduced me!" he growled again.

"You let me!" she snapped back. "If you would have just told me about what was bothering you and let me be helpful, I wouldn't have felt the need-"

"The need!?" Inuyasha jumped from the tree, glaring at her. "You needed to help me, and you do it by sleeping with me? What the hell was that supposed to help?" He narrowed his eyes.

Kyoko opened her mouth, and lowered her black tiger ears. "I just . . ."

"Yeah, that's what I thought." Inuyasha scoffed, walking past her.

"I'm sorry!" Kyoko grabbed his sleeve. "I . . . you're right. I didn't sleep with you to help you. It was because I didn't want you leaving me." She shook her head. "I haven't had a friend since I was young, all right? I wanted you to stay. Is that a crime?"

Inuyasha sighed. Kyoko had as many issues as he did. "No," he said, "but that doesn't change what we did." He turned to her. "I guess we're both kinda stupid."

Kyoko tried to smile. "Yes. I truly am sorry, Inuyasha. I never intended for this to happen."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Inuyasha said, and waved the subject away. "I'm still pissed at you. But we should probably talk about something else." Inuyasha glanced at her stomach. "What are we gonna do about that?"

Kyoko followed his gaze, and put a hand over her abdomen. "I have no idea, Inuyasha. Do you think I've encountered this before?"

"Of course not, idiot, but-"

"Don't call me an idiot!"

"Well, you're the one-"

The bickering continued for a few minutes, the fiery personalities clashing intensely. After a set of screams, both were panting in exhaustion. Kyoko sighed, leaning against a tree. "Inuyasha, this isn't helping. We can't keep doing this."

"Saying what's on our minds?" Inuyasha said, raising an eyebrow.

Kyoko frowned, and said, "Yelling without solving the problem." She pointed to her belly. "We have to talk about this."

Inuyasha stared for a moment, and looked away. "Yeah."

The two stood in silence. Kyoko took a piece of her hair and inhaled deeply. A faint trace of her own scent, normally undetectable by herself, was infused in it. Her scent had grown stronger, and it was the only indicator of her pregnancy. It warned other youkai that she was taken, that the father of her child would be protecting her, and they should keep away. Whether Inuyasha would do that, she had no idea.

Seducing him was stupid. Kyoko knew it. But when Inuyasha threatened to leave, to deal with his emotions on his own, she felt true fear. Fear of losing something she searched for since she lost her first friend so many years before. And karma came back to bite her for it.

"I want to keep it."

Inuyasha looked up. Kyoko was staring intently, hands on her stomach. "I want to keep the baby," she repeated. "No one is going to want a hanyou child. I think . . . it'll have the best chance if I raise it myself. With love and care." Kyoko paused, and said, "I want it to have the chance I didn't."

The words surprised Inuyasha. The way Kyoko said it, he could feel a pain behind her words. He didn't care touch that pain. "You can't raise a kid by yourself. You've got no cash, no house."

Kyoko smiled sadly. "I know. I was hoping that you . . ."

Inuyasha realized what she meant, and growled to himself. He didn't ask for this. He wasn't ready to settle down and have a child. If he stayed, Kyoko's unhealthy attachment to him would worsen. That she seduced him so readily without thinking was warning enough that he should cut off their relationship.

Heh. Maybe my friends are rubbing off on me, Inuyasha thought. I've never been this mature about anything. He looked at Kyoko again. At the way she held her hands on her body.

Inuyasha thought of his childhood, being raised by a single mother. She was a princess, with access to anything they might need. But the villagers rejected Inuyasha and treated him like dirt. His mother couldn't face them, she was only a woman. All she could do was assure Inuyasha that he was not the one at fault.

Would he put his child through that? Being raised by a mother who had no way to defend herself or her child? True, Kyoko was a hanyou with some power. But the thought of her trying to raise and protect a child by herself . . .

Inuyasha clenched his fist. He couldn't do that to her.

()

"Sesshomaru."

The daiyoukai looked at the miko in his arms, her blue eyes full of wonder and gratitude. "Thank you," she said, pulling away and drying her face. "I didn't mean to do that." Many minutes had passed since Kagome started crying at the thought of Inuyasha moving on without her. Looking back, it was a bit over dramatic. Feeling slightly embarrassed, Kagome turned to meet back with the group.

"No." Kagome jumped when he grabbed her hand, pulling her back to him. "Kagome . . ." Sesshomaru hesitated. Admitting the truth would be showing a weakness. He allowed it the night before, and pushed Kagome away from him to protect his pride.

But if you're so powerful, his inner youkai asked, you should be able to feel whatever you like without caring for the opinions of others.

Staring into Kagome's eyes, Sesshomaru wondered if he could do so. Follow in his father's footsteps and let love conquer his heart. His father was killed for that foolishness, dying to protect his human mistress and hanyou son.

"Um, Sesshomaru?" Kagome raised an eyebrow. "Is there something you want to tell me?"

The daiyoukai considered for another moment, wishing the internal conflict would end. To stay strong and drive away his supposed future mate. To weaken his outer shell and confide his feelings in her. For Sesshomaru could no longer deny, he had feelings. He wished more than anything they would retreat, that he could return to caring only for his two companions and no one else. Rin was risk enough, as Naraku knew of her attachment to him. To add another female he cared for was another vulnerability for Sesshomaru.

These thoughts racing through his mind, a small part of Sesshomaru, the part he showed last night to Kagome, the part that was interested in only himself and nothing else in the world, declared that it didn't care. Sesshomaru had a tenderness for Kagome, and he would be damned if he let something so trivial stir his mind around this way. Letting this conflict continue was proof enough that Sesshomaru was allowing his feelings to control him. No longer would that happen.

Sesshomaru took the miko into his arms once more, saying, "I will not release you."

Kagome blushed, pushing uselessly at his steel grip. "Sesshomaru, I'm not going to have another fiasco like last night where you pretend to care and then shove me aside-"

"This Sesshomaru is finished with that."

She stopped, and looked over her shoulder. Kagome saw his golden eyes, and in them, something she had never noticed before. "I am tired of fighting myself, Kagome. I swore," Sesshomaru said, tightening his grip on her, "that I would not be ruled by emotion. That love would not dictate what I do, because such things made me vulnerable. But I am becoming constantly distracted by my need to have you near. To avoid angering you. To provide happiness and protection. And the more I deny these feelings, the more difficult it is to act as myself."

He released her briefly, only to turn Kagome around, facing him. "I, Lord Sesshomaru of the Western Territories, am the most powerful youkai alive, and the need to prove that to any person shall not be hindered by whether or not I have a mate." Though he was making up the speech as he went, Sesshomaru felt the truth of each word as it left his lips. He did not need to reject Kagome to remain strong. "From this day forth," he continued, "I will truly take part in the Mating Dance."

They stood staring at each other for a moment, the forest quiet around them. Kagome's heart beat rapidly, her mind scrambling for an answer. Had Sesshomaru come to a revelation? Was he finished with trying to keep their mating at bay? It sounded too good to be true. Even considering his admission last night, that Kagome was another person he cared for and wanted to protect, she was skeptical. Such emotion was unlike Sesshomaru.

"And what does that mean?" she finally asked. "To truly take part in it?"

Sesshomaru paused, stepping back from Kagome. "It means," he said, "that I will put as much effort in the Mating Dance as you do. This Sesshomaru was putting in minimal work, to focus on Naraku. However, watching you attempt to move our relationship forward on your own . . ." Sesshomaru searched for the appropriate words, and found none. Instead, he looked Kagome in the eye, and hoped to convey what he wished. He was not skilled with speaking his mind this way.

Kagome was still unable to think that Sesshomaru was changing so suddenly. She waited for him to continue, and when he didn't, said, "So now you'll suddenly be affectionate towards me, because you admit you care about me?" She raised an eyebrow. "Sesshomaru, this whole thing is pretty weird. It doesn't make sense at all."

Sesshomaru sighed quietly. "I will not be affectionate toward you, as I have not developed feelings that deeply for you." He closed his eyes. "I am not openly affectionate towards Rin, you will notice, despite having been her substitute father for years. It is not in my nature. But," he opened his eyes, "I am not averse to listening when you need assistance." Sesshomaru clenched his teeth slightly, before saying, "If you still hold feelings for the hanyou . . . I will be open to helping you overcome the heartbreak."

Kagome felt a twinge in her chest. "N-no," she said, "that won't be necessary. I don't love him anymore. It's just . . . you know, it shocked me to see him with another girl. A pregnant hanyou, of all things." She shook her head. "I don't want to think about it. And I won't ask for help with any of that, I don't need it." She looked Sesshomaru in the eye. "Are you sure about this? That you actually care about me, and want to be a part of this relationship?" Kagome brushed a piece of hair back and took a deep breath. "No offense, but I don't want you to say this, only to act cold like you always do."

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes. "This Sesshomaru is many things, and a liar is not one of them. I may act as I normally do, Kagome. That does not mean I will not talk with you and protect you, as you said many days ago, both physically and emotionally. I stay by my word."

"And why now?" Kagome asked quietly.

Sesshomaru gazed at her for a moment. "Because the Hana no Shukumei would not pair those together that are not compatible."

()

"This is boring!"

Rin turned to Shippo, sighing. "Lord Sesshomaru and Lady Kagome have been gone for an hour. I say we go on an adventure."

"But," Shippo protested, "Jaken is-"

"Asleep." Rin pointed to the imp, dozing against the leg of the two headed dragon. "Let's go exploring." She jumped down, and brushed the dust from her kimono.

"No, thank you." Hatori scooted closer to the dragon youkai's neck. "I will stay here. If Jaken wakes up, I can tell him what happened to you two."

"You sure?" Rin tilted her head to the side. "Coming with us will be more fun!"

Hatori smiled, and shook his head. "No, Rin. You and Shippo go."

Shippo hopped down as well, the two watching Hatori for a moment. "I'm fine," the neko hanyou insisted. "Go ahead."

"If you insist." Rin shrugged, and began walking away. Shippo looked between her and the group for a moment, before following. As much as he worried for his mother, Shippo had to protect Rin first.

The two wandered through the woods, underneath trees that were slowly changing color with the coming fall. Rin began humming a soft tune, and swung her arms as she walked. "Rin," he said, "this isn't safe. What if a youkai comes along?"

Rin turned, pouting. "You're no fun! Lord Sesshomaru will always come to the rescue, so don't worry about it." She resumed walking with a soft hum. Shippo sighed, meeting her pace.

"Listen, Rin," he said, "I learned a few things, traveling with my friends. I didn't have a protector." Shippo thought of Kagome, the day she told him to grow up a few months ago.

You're ten now, Shippo. As your mother, I'll always be here for you, but I can't always protect you. Remember to improve your battle skills, and grow into a strong warrior.

"We have to be responsible," Shippo continued. "And that includes staying with our group when we should. Even if we want adventure."

Rin looked into Shippo's eyes, and saw the determination. She thought Shippo was a careless child, like her. Rin didn't think about responsibility because Lord Sesshomaru took care of everything for her. "Well," she conceded, "I guess that's true. But it's only for a little while!" Rin smiled. "You know, to be honest, I was glad Hatori didn't come with us."

Shippo raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

She shrugged. "He's nice. But really quiet. Not like you, Shippo. You're smart and fun." Rin giggled, twirling on the grass. "I wanted to hang out with just you."

Shippo felt his face turn red. "Thanks, Rin."

Far off, the sound of water flowing could be heard. Shippo turned to it, and said, "Uh, why don't we get a drink and go back?"

Rin looked where Shippo had turned. "So soon?"

"Mama and Sesshomaru might be worried," Shippo said, walking toward what he guessed to be a stream. Rin followed reluctantly, and soon they came upon the source of the noise. It was slightly bigger than the average stream, and running quickly.

"We're close to the mountains," Rin said, squatting on the bank. "This must be where the snow runs off." She dipped her hand in, and shivered.

"Here." Shippo took her hand gently, and whispered, "Fox fire." A blue light appeared just under Rin's hand, warming it.

"Wow!" Rin flexed her hand as heat dried the excess water. "That's impressive, Shippo."

The fox beamed with pride. "My fire used to be just an illusion. Now it gives off real heat. It's almost actual fire." He waved his hand through the fire, and it dissipated in the air. Shippo bent down, scooping cold water in his hand, and summoned more fire. It warmed the water to a comfortable temperature, and he drank greedily.

"Can you do that for me?" Rin grabbed water for herself. Shippo heated it above freezing temperature for her to drink. Rin smiled when she finished, exclaiming, "You're so talented, Shippo!"

He blushed again, knowing what was happening to him. Shippo felt this way many times before with human girls. And for once, he wouldn't be leaving this girl behind in a village. She was here to stay.

()

Hatori watched the two leave. The moment they vanished, he dismounted from Ah-Un and walked in the opposite direction. The dragon could watch over the imp for now. In the meantime, the miko and daiyoukai needed his attention.

The two had been gone for quite some time. Hatori looked for their scents, sneaking quietly through the bushes. After a few minutes of following their trail, he caught the scent. They were a few hundred feet away. Hatori closed his eyes, focusing for a moment, until he knew his own scent was masked. The plan would be ruined if they detected him.

They stood across from one another, Kagome staring at Sesshomaru. Hatori sat on the forest floor. He double checked that the branches hid his body from sight and that his scent could not be picked up. Neither person seemed to notice him. Settling, Hatori watched their exchange keenly.

"I will truly take part in the Mating Dance."

As Hatori listened, this declaration by Sesshomaru caught him by surprise. As they continued, Hatori continued to be astonished as Sesshomaru revealed his true feelings about Kagome. That the great lord would ever succumb to such weakness was unexpected, and unprecedented.

Hatori smiled to himself.

He knew from the beginning this would work. Hatori didn't like deceiving Kagome or her friends, most especially because his hanyou presence bothered the great daiyoukai. However, if the two were to make any progress at all, they needed someone who knew the ins and outs of the Hana no Shukumei. The rose that tied the two together was more than a representation of the red string.

Kagome was skeptical of Sesshomaru's sudden change. Hatori frowned. The two did nothing but make the Mating Dance more complicated for one another.

Hatori stood, closing his eyes. He whispered a few words under his breath and clasped his hands together. In his mind's eye, he saw an inu youkai and a human. Two being from centuries ago. The human held a blue lily in her hands and begged the youkai to stay with her. She confessed her love to him. The youkai hesitated, spoke of his power and subjects. He could not take a human concubine. It would only endanger them both.

The refusal was there, as with the inu youkai's son. But the father was not refusing for his own sake. Rather, he knew that those who envied his power would attack what they believed to be his weakness. He refused in order to protect the human.

Brought back to the present, Hatori continued watching the miko and inu in front of him now. So like his father, the inu, and so different. He had affection for humans, thought them interesting despite their weaknesses. He did not acknowledge this about himself. If Kagome continued to raise suspicions, Sesshomaru would become fed up with her and retreat back into himself. Hatori's ears twitched with expectation as the daiyoukai spoke of the Hana no Shukumei.

"Sesshomaru." Kagome looked into his eyes. "Do you believe that?"

He nodded, taking a step toward her. "You are powerful and kind, Kagome. You treat Rin with respect and nurture her along with your own son. You feel the need to protect my companions and have not abandoned your friends, despite not being with them any longer." He paused, wondering once again if he could allow himself to care for her. He clenched his fist. If he had to depend on deception and lies to maintain his strength, he was not a daiyoukai at all. "I will no longer avoid the Mating Dance, Kagome."

Hatori watched with baited breath. To think that Sesshomaru was willing to accept Kagome. He smiled. The two would be united sooner than he had hoped.

Kagome gasped as Sesshomaru took her hand, gently rubbing her fingers with his own. The contact filled his heart with warmth, though part of him continued to loathe this fact. Sesshomaru stood in silence, holding her hand. Kagome felt another blush covering her face.

They had not been in the Mating Dance before. This moment was the true beginning.

()

Hi, everyone! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I have a few things to say.

First of all, yay! Sesshomaru is finally coming to terms with his feelings for Kagome! I wouldn't say he's all the way there just yet, but as far as his treatment of her, he can definitely be nicer now. And Kagome is going to enjoy this new side of him, I'm sure~

Secondly, I'm going to change things up. Tomorrow I officially leave for college (yeek!), and I won't be able to update weekly any more. I refuse to let myself abandon this story the way I did the last time my life got busy. I'm finishing, dang it. So, to decrease the stress on me that I'm sure will come once classes start getting intense, my updates will be bi-monthly, i.e. every two weeks. The chapters will probably update Saturdays, though sometimes they might be late and come on Sunday instead. I'll try not to be later than that.

For those of you with good math skills, that means the next chapter won't be up until Sept. 8th or 9th. In the meantime, thank you so much for reading! I appreciate all of my reader comments and critiques. Some of you have been providing insight into the characters, and that's been helpful in writing the last few chapters. Thanks so much!

I'll see you all in a couple of weeks. Ja ne~