Disclaimer: I was recently made God, and so I took InuYasha for my own. But then people claimed I was abusing my power, and they kicked me out. So Rumiko Takahashi still owns InuYasha.

I have no excuse for the lateness of this update, other than the fact that I still do not believe that it is up to my usual standard, and will attempt to do better in the future. Many thanks to the living, breathing Horse Wolves who got my butt in gear.

Oh my god! This fic has been nominated on dokuga for Best Canon!!! Thanks to everyone who nominated me!

TRUST IS THE KEY


Kagome was ready to begin slowly strangling the arrogant inuyoukai once known as Sesshoumaru. What had she been thinking when she agreed to go with him? He was an annoying, stubborn, vindictive dog! If Kagome spent one more second in his company, she was going to do something they'd both regret. And the worst part was that they'd barely been together one day.

Sesshoumaru, for his part, was ready to throttle Kagome. Why he ever thought bringing her along would be a good thing was beyond him. She was obstinate, irritating, and spiteful. He was going to end up doing something the miko would regret if he spent one more second in her company. And the worst of it all was that they had only been traveling together for a few hours.

Their current argument was about a detour Kagome wanted to make. "I don't see why you can't spare a day or two. We're going passed Edo anyway. It will just take one day-"

"I will not delegate a day for your frivolities." Sesshoumaru answered, struggling to keep his voice even.

"It is not a frivolity." Kagome pretested. "It is a necessity. I need to restock my supplies, and I want to see my family."

"Your family is nowhere near Edo."

Kagome stopped in the middle of walking down the path in the forest. "Wha. . . what do you mean?" She asked nervously, something dropping to the pit of her stomach. "Of course my family is in Edo."

"Edo may be part of InuYasha's territory, but it is still a part of the Western Lands." Sesshoumaru answered. "There are no records of a Higurashi in Edo, nor in any other section of the Western Lands. Therefore, any trip to your family would be very much out of our way."

Kagome didn't move an inch as she crossed her arms. "And where exactly did you get this information from?"

Reminding himself that she was human, and she did not know better than to challenge her alpha, Sesshoumaru paused on the path. "This Sesshoumaru looked into your background."

Kagome remained frozen on the pathway and nearly growled at him. "You investigated me?" She shouted, incredulity in her voice. "When?" Sesshoumaru chose not to answer, not finding it important. Apparently, he underestimated Kagome's outrage. She suddenly ran forward, shooting passed Sesshoumaru only to stop directly in front of him. "What right did you have to examine my background?"

Sesshoumaru glared down at her. "This Sesshoumaru has every right to look into the affairs of the members of my pack."

"And what exactly were you going to do if you had found my family?" Kagome demanded. "Kill them? Torture them? Threaten them?"

Sesshoumaru bared his teeth as his eyes narrowed. "This Sesshoumaru would have followed proper protocol and compensated the family for its loss."

"You were going to buy me!" Kagome's voice reached ear-piercing levels. "I am not just a piece of property, Sesshoumaru!"

Sesshoumaru growled softly, a warning. "Do not think to question this Sesshoumaru." His voice was still its normal calm, not raising the smallest bit. But his eyes spoke volumes as an ice-like quality slowly began to bleed into them.

Kagome, unfamiliar with a true bout of inuyoukai rage, just kept going. "I can't believe you! I am not a piece of property, and I will not allow anyone to buy me like a bag of meat! I am a human, a person, and you cannot and will not treat me as anything le-"

Whatever Kagome was about to say was cut off when Sesshoumaru grabbed her by the throat in his favorite stranglehold. "You will be silent." Sesshoumaru ordered, the absolute authority echoing through his voice. "Do not speak about that which you do not understand. You will obey me as your alpha, or you will suffer the consequences."

Kagome looked up at Sesshoumaru, her eyes widening as she saw the slight ring of red that surrounded his eyes. She nodded, unable to look away from the commanding gaze he speared her with. Something in her told her that arguing or using her power was the wrong thing to do. Following that feeling, she let Sesshoumaru threaten her, not submitting, but not challenging either.

Sesshoumaru stared at her, and his rage slowly shifted to curiosity. The human female, while smelling of nervousness, had no fear. He literally held her life in his hands, and yet fear was nowhere on her face. Why? What was so different about this human that she seemed incapable of fearing him?

He let her throat go and turned away. Kagome reached up and rubbed her throat gently, releasing a small breath of relief. The tenseness hung around them, and there was the feeling of fragility in the air. Kagome, not willing to risk a repeat performance, quickly thought of a way to ease the tension. "So there's really no record of the Higurashi Family in the Western Lands?" Kagome asked.

Sesshoumaru growled. "Do you claim this Sesshoumaru to be a liar?"

Kagome hurriedly shook her head. "No, no, I would never say that. It's just that my grandfather always said that the Higurashi Family had lived in Edo since the Heian Era."

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow, but decided not to question. Especially when Kagome hurriedly changed the subject. "Sesshoumaru, I'm not lying when I say that my family lives very close to here. Have you ever heard of the Bone Eater's Well?" Sesshoumaru nodded slowly, wondering what the well had to do with anything. "What would you say if I told you that my family has lived on a shrine that encompasses the Bone Eater's Well for five generations?"

"I would say that you are a liar." Sesshoumaru answered. "The closest shrine to the Bone Eater's Well is the one in Edo."

Kagome smiled. "And that, Sesshoumaru, is where you are wrong." She shrugged and started walking, catching up to Sesshoumaru and passing him when he remained in place. "Of course, I could only prove it if you agreed to let me go home."

She stopped when a clawed hand wrapped around her wrist. Kagome turned to see Sesshoumaru's eyes piercing her own. "Do not think that this Sesshoumaru does not know what you are doing, woman. I will not be manipulated."

Kagome bit back a retort, and quickly went with Plan B. "Okay then, how about this. I'll prove to you that you're wrong. If I can do so to your satisfaction, you let me spend the day with my family. If I'm wrong, then I will let you decide when I get to go home. I won't complain or whine about it."

She saw immediately that the idea had captured Sesshoumaru's interest. And the prospect of not having to hear her shout about how she wanted to go home had intrigued him, albeit against his will. As he slowly nodded, Kagome sent up a mental thanks to InuYasha for his unknowing help in manipulation. "Very well. We will go to the Bone Eater's Well, so this Sesshoumaru can prove you wrong."

Kagome grinned. "You're on!"

Kagome smirked as the two of them stepped into the clearing around the Bone Eater's Well. The smirk decorating Sesshoumaru's face was priceless, especially considering that it would disappear in a few moments. "It would appear, miko, that this Sesshoumaru has won." Sesshoumaru announced.

Kagome grinned. "That is assuming, of course, that we are speaking of what you see at this moment." She walked over to the well and looked down, a grin on her face. "I told you, the shrine I live on encompasses the Bone Eater's Well. I also told you that my family has lived there for five generations." She looked over at Sesshoumaru, her smiling growing by the second. "I did not, however, tell you when this was."

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened minutes, then narrowed. "That is neither here nor there, Miko. If you cannot prove it, the point is moot." He turned to the well, the glare intensifying. "Time is not something so easily managed."

Kagome nodded. "This well has accumulated a lot of power over the years. It's been absorbing the youkai from the demons it devours, plus the purification of the mikos, monks, and priests who have attempted to purify it over the years because they feared it." She gently stroked the well's side. "Is it too much to think that something with so much power, made from the branches of the Goshinboku, could transcend the limits of time?"

Sesshoumaru thought about it for a moment, and he had to admit, it was feasible, at the very least. But still, that didn't mean that he was wrong. "And how would one access this power?"

Kagome grinned. "By having something that properly belongs in another time." Kagome pulled the Shikon shards from around her neck. "I was born with the Shikon no Tama in my body. As it rightfully belongs in this era, the well allowed me to pass. I don't need a shard to go home, but if I want to come back, I have to have something from this era. InuYasha doesn't need anything, because he has the subjugation necklace that links him to me. As long as I'm in the future, he can come through as well. On the same token, if I don't have a something from the past, I can't return here. According to my theory, if you have something from my era, you'll be able to pass through."

"And if you are wrong?" Sesshoumaru enquired.

"Then you land in the bottom of the well, no harm done." Kagome's eyes crinkled in mirth. "Unless you're telling me you won't survive a drop down a well."

Sesshoumaru bared his teeth. "This Sesshoumaru has humored you thus far, miko. Do not test my limits."

Kagome's grin fell away and she sighed. "You don't trust me, do you?"

"This Sesshoumaru trusts no one." Sesshoumaru growled back.

Kagome's look turned sad as she regarded him. "I'm sorry for you. It must be really lonely, not letting anyone close enough to really know you." Sesshoumaru growled again, and he was about to jump forward to show the bitch her place when she leaned back against the well. "Since you don't trust me, I'll just have to prove it to you." She pulled off her heavy yellow backpack and placed it on the ground next to the well. "Just remember to bring my bag with you when you come through."

Then, to Sesshoumaru's horror, she leaned back and fell down the well.

"Sesshoumaru!" Kagome shouted, rushing into their bedroom. "If you don't get moving, we're going to be late for-" She stopped when she saw that Sesshoumaru was completely dressed, though his slacks and t-shirt was not the compliment she expected to her wine-colored evening gown. "Nishinoshu Sesshoumaru, you are not wearing that to the Winter Gala!"

"I am not going to the Winter Gala." Sesshoumaru answered, a small smirk on his face as he remained sitting on the bed.

Kagome recognized the smirk, and it was all that kept her from giving him a well deserved tongue-lashing. "Why?"

"We have returned to the future." Sesshoumaru answered. "We will be needed."

Kagome stared at him, so shocked that she didn't even notice when her purse dropped from her arm with a thud. "I've finally done it." Kagome whispered to herself. "I've driven you insane."

Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes and gently pulled Kagome into his lap. "You overreact. Surely you remember this same visit?"

"But there was no point to it!" Kagome's eyes pleaded for understanding as she placed a hand on either side of Sesshoumaru slightly weathered face. "Why would you take such a risk, if there is nothing to be gained?"

Sesshoumaru gently rubbed her back in a move that had soothed his mate through everything from her friend's death to a paper cut. "You, my dear mate, are narcissistic if you think that these visits are entirely for your own benefit."

Kagome looked at him for a long moment, her worries and doubts floating to the surface as she bit her lip and struggled not to ask. Finally, with a sigh, she lowered her head and leaned against Sesshoumaru chest. "Alright, I'll trust you." She whispered. "I'm not happy about it, and I'm not sure it's a good idea, but I'll do this."

Sesshoumaru smiled and rewarded her trust with a rather heady kiss. "Thank you."

Kagome knew she was in trouble when a red-eyed Sesshoumaru jumped up from the well. Anything she would have said was soon cut off by a growl. "Miko." Sesshoumaru snarled. "In the future, if you feel the need to act so recklessly, you will warn this Sesshoumaru."

Kagome nodded wordlessly, biting her lip to keep from making some stupid comment. Sesshoumaru took a tentative sniff, and gagged as the scents of the future filled his nose. One hand came up to shield his sensitive nose, and he focused on breathing through his mouth. "What is this?" He demanded.

Kagome blinked. "I have no idea." Kagome answered. "InuYasha's never had a problem with the future before. What do you smell?"

"I smell decaying earth." Sesshoumaru answered. "I smell smoke, something that burns my nose without having a scent, and humans." He tentatively released his nose and quickly clamped it again when the scents remained just as strong.

Kagome winced as she walked over to stand beside him in front of the doorway to the well house. "That would be a result of the pollution." Kagome answered. "Humans have made great progresses in technology. But the price has been that these technologies produce harmful products that seep into the earth and the air. The earth is slowly dying, and the air will one day be too toxic to breathe."

Sesshoumaru glared. "Where are the demons? Surely they would put a stop to this nonsense."

Kagome shrugged. "Up until about a year ago, I would have told you there were no demons." Kagome answered. "Then I met a demon who's been living in secrecy for who knows how long, as well as his mate. They have a rather large family. So I suppose there are demons here. But it would be too dangerous for them to reveal themselves. Ever hear of guns?" Sesshoumaru nodded. "Humans have improved them to the point that even children can use them with ease. It would be easy to kill a demon."

"Impossible." Sesshoumaru growled.

Kagome sighed. "Well, maybe you can meet with Kin then. He'd be able to tell you better than me."

"Kin?" Sesshoumaru asked.

"Oh, he's the demon I told you about." Kagome answered. "We'll probably meet up with him and his mate. I always seem to run into them when I come home." With that she pulled off her ref neckerchief and handed it to Sesshoumaru. "It's not much, but it should do to keep the worst of the smell out."

Before Sesshoumaru could say yay or nay, Kagome exited the building, leaving him behind. With a growl, Sesshoumaru tied the neckerchief around his face. Reduced to following a human girl around the supposed future. The kamis must truly hate him.

He stepped out of the well house, forcing himself not to clutch at his nose. He looked around, and wanted to growl when he saw that there was a shrine surrounding the well. It would appear that the miko had been right. He smelt more humans in the small building behind the shrine's main doors, and assumed that was where the miko's home was. He started towards it, when he heard a scream.

"DEMON!"

Sesshoumaru whirled in time to see an elderly man rushing towards him, a sutra in hand. Working off years of trained responses, Sesshoumaru rushed the man. In two moves, Sesshoumaru had the old man pinned, the sutra lying uselessly on the ground. Normally, he'd have incinerated the man, but since he was on the shrine, and Kagome had said her family lived there, he supposed the old man was related to her.

"Sesshoumaru! What are you doing?" Sesshoumaru turned to see Kagome racing over to them.

"Kagome! Stay away!" The man beneath Sesshoumaru shouted. "It's an evil demon!"

"Grandpa, shut up!" Kagome growled. "Let me guess, you saw him and decided to use one of your proven powerless sutra to dispose of him."

"They are not powerless!" Kagome's grandfather shouted indignantly.

Kagome sighed. "Sesshoumaru, could you please let him up? I promise, he'll be good."

Sesshoumaru glared at the man, then stood slowly. "It would appear that your penchant for impetuously entering a situation is a family trait."

Kagome glared as she ran over to her grandfather. "And cockiness runs in yours." Sesshoumaru probably would have growled at her again, but it was obvious she wouldn't hear him. She was gently helping her grandfather to stand, checking him over for wounds while still scolding him for attacking her guest. The old man put up an obviously ceremonial fight as Kagome nudged him in the direction of the shrine.

"If I hear of you harassing Sesshoumaru again, I'm not going to be happy Grandpa." Kagome warned. "I'll cry and cry for days."

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow, but the threat seemed to work. Her grandfather scampered off while Kagome watched him with a smile. Once he was inside, she turned to Sesshoumaru and smiled. "It was good of you not to hurt him." She chuckled. "I'd thank you, but you'd probably just shove it in my face."

Sesshoumaru's eyebrow rose again, but he didn't comment. Instead, he followed Kagome into her home. Sesshoumaru took another tentative sniff, and found the air bearable. He immediately pulled the neckerchief off his face, though he tucked it away for later use. As soon as the door closed, two humans rushed into the entryway. They both shouted to Kagome and rushed her. She stumbled back as an older woman and a boy clamped onto her simultaneously.

Kagome laughed. "Mama, Souta. Honestly, you'd think I'd been gone a year."

"It's been a month, young lady!" Mrs. Higurashi shouted. "A month with no word! Don't you ever do that to me again."

Kagome smiled and hugged her tighter. "I'm sorry, Mama."

A few moments later, Souta let go, and finally noticed Kagome's guest. In typical Souta fashion, he got a look of shock, pointed to Sesshoumaru, and shouted as loud as he possibly could "You're not InuYasha!"

Sesshoumaru growled, and Kagome deftly jumped between the two males. "You're right, Souta. Good observation. This is Sesshoumaru, InuYasha's half-brother." She turned to Sesshoumaru with a pleading look. "Sesshoumaru, this is my little brother Souta, and my mother."

Mrs. Higurashi smiled. "Well, what a pleasure. It's an honor to have you here, Lord Sesshoumaru." She bowed slightly, nudging Souta into doing the same. "Please, come inside. No use standing there."

Sesshoumaru felt his eyebrow rising. The woman was going to allow a complete stranger into her home, all on the word of her daughter. Was there no cynicism in this era?

Mrs. Higurashi brought them to the dining room. "Kagome, why don't you take your stuff upstairs? You can take a nice long soak, and then come down for dinner."

"Oh, that sounds fabulous, Mama." Kagome exclaimed. "Would you mind washing my stuff for me?"

Mrs. Higurashi smiled. "Of course not. Go wash up."

"You are the greatest, Mama." Kagome hugged her mother and then rushed upstairs, completely forgetting about a certain daiyoukai who still stood in the doorway. A part of Sesshoumaru was highly annoyed that she could so easily forget him.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, is there anything I can get you?" Mrs. Higurashi asked. "Tea, water, food?"

"This Sesshoumaru requires nothing." Sesshoumaru answered. "Though your hospitality is appreciated."

Mrs. Higurashi smiled. "If I may, I'd like to ask you some questions. You don't have to answer if you don't want to, but I promise not to ask anything too personal."

Sesshoumaru considered, then nodded. After all, it certainly wouldn't hurt anyone. And besides, the more he learned about the miko's family, the better prepared he would be to deal with them should the need arise to remove Kagome from their care. As her alpha, it was his duty.

"Ever since you tried to kill her a few years ago, Kagome hasn't told me many details about what happens back there." Mrs. Higurashi started. She saw Sesshoumaru's raised eyebrow and chuckled. "Yes, I know you tried to kill my daughter. And I also trust that my daughter wouldn't bring you here if you were still trying to kill her. But I'm hoping you can answer a few questions for me."

"I am not often in the company of my brother and his pack." Sesshoumaru said neutrally. "But I will answer as I can."

"Exactly how much danger is my daughter in?" Mrs. Higurashi asked. "Neither Kagome nor InuYasha will ever give me any details. At this point, how many people are after her?"

Sesshoumaru had to think for a moment. Naraku, the infant, Hakudoshi, Kanna, Kagura. . . oh, and let's not forget the demons who will be after her now that she is a part of my pack. But I think I'll leave those out. "Five, although Naraku is the motivator behind the other four."

Mrs. Higurashi sighed. "I was afraid of that. How much of a danger is Naraku?"

"A large one." Sesshoumaru answered honestly.

Mrs. Higurashi nodded sadly. "I suspected as much. Otherwise Kagome would have told me everything, like she usually does." She sighed. "She also told me that a demon had adopted her into his pack, and that he was now going to be traveling with them. So does that mean you are protecting my daughter?"

"What makes you think it was this Sesshoumaru who adopted her?" Sesshoumaru asked calmly. "There are many in my era who would gladly have the Miko no Shikon in their pack."

"Yes, but how many of them would Kagome trust to defend her?" Mrs. Higurashi asked. "My daughter is naïve, and she is an idealist. But she is not a fool."

Sesshoumaru resisted the urge to snort at that. He was finding himself grudgingly acknowledging this human. Not only did she have basic intelligence, but she was quite insightful. He was beginning to understand where the miko came by her strange mannerisms. "I agree. She is not a fool. But I do not believe that she trusts this Sesshoumaru enough that she would willing join my pack. After all, I have tried to kill her on multiple occasions."

Mrs. Higurashi shook her head with a chuckle. "Kagome has a way of becoming friends with the people who try to kill her. Just look at the group she travels with." Sesshoumaru made a mental note to ask about that. "Besides, she wouldn't have joined your pack if she didn't trust you. I don't know what you did, or what you didn't do, but for some reason, Kagome now trusts you. My only question is if you return the feeling."

Sesshoumaru recognized a rhetorical question when he heard it, and was thankful for it. Something about this woman made him feel like a chastised pup, and he was glad to end the discussion. Once Mrs. Higurashi stopped asking questions, they lapsed into a comfortable silence. Sesshoumaru quickly became bored, and as what happened when he became bored, his mind began working. The miko trusted him? It was an absurd notion. He had tried to kill her, and one does not make friends with someone who had no problems with taking one's life. Kagome's mother had to be wrong. There was just no way that the girl could trust him beyond what was absolutely essential.

And yet, it had been there in her eyes. The same trust that he had seen on her face as she gazed at InuYasha in his father's tomb had been there when she woke in his arms after the incident with the infant. He had thought he had imagined it. But trust. . . it might explain her lack of fear. The question was, was this a good thing?

Sesshoumaru growled at himself. He had not been brought so low that the trust of human gave him pause. Even if she was an exception among the race.

"Kagome! Might I remind you that we have a deadline?" Sesshoumaru growled as he stood at the doorway. He glanced at his watch in the age old show of male impatience just as Kagome raced down the hall.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Kagome shouted. "I'm sorry! I almost forgot my purse!"

"We are going to a shrine." Sesshoumaru snapped. "What could you possibly need your purse for?"

Kagome stopped at the door and turned to her mate of five hundred years. "If you don't know the answer of that by now, then you are a lost cause." With that, she pushed herself up onto the tips of her toes and kiss his cheek. "Now, let's get going. I'll be leaving the house in about five minutes, which should give us about two hours of time with you. And my mother won't mind two people walking through her house?"

Sesshoumaru sighed. "Honestly, Kagome. Don't you trust me?"

Kagome glared. "Don't you dare question that, Sesshoumaru. You know I trust you. I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't."

"Then believe me when I say it will all work out." Sesshoumaru answered.

Kagome looked speculative and shot a weary look at her purse. "I think I'm going to need a few more minutes."

"Kagome, we have to go now!" Sesshoumaru shouted. Unfortunately, Kagome hadn't even noticed that he was trying to stop her. By the time he had finished speaking, she was already halfway up the stairs. With a groan, Sesshoumaru leaned against the doorframe. "The things I put up with for that woman."

Sesshoumaru was definitely not hiding. Just because he had made sure the miko would not find him when she left the house for her run, and he stayed out of the way when the miko's family left, did not mean he was hiding. He was seeking some much needed time away from annoying, intruding humans. And while the elder no longer tried to plaster him with sutras that held no power, and the youngest had stopped dogging his every move, and the mother and daughter stayed out of his way as much as possible, after two days of nonstop humanity, Sesshoumaru needed to be alone. According to his calculations, he would have about two hours of time without any of the Higurashi family interfering. While not nearly enough time as he might have liked, it would suffice.

"Hello?"

Sesshoumaru tensed as two people made their presence known on the shrine. The kamis truly loved to make him suffer.

"Hello?"

With a growl, Sesshoumaru stood from his place on the ground. He went around from the back of the house and headed for the front of the shrine, fully intending to poison them if they didn't leave immediately. He rounded the corner, and saw an elderly couple, one a tall man with silver hair, the other a shorter woman with a puff of white hair. As they turned towards him, he set his expression into a full snarl. "Leave. Now."

To his surprise, instead of shrieking in horror and fleeing, neither one moved. The woman looked at him indulgently, as if she were used to it. But the man was who really surprised him. He moved the woman safely behind him, took a defensive crouch, and snarled right back. Sesshoumaru's eyes widened at the realization that not only had the man just snarled at him, but he had just challenged him. With a growl, Sesshoumaru took a stance. But just as they were about to start, the woman moved from behind the man and raised her hands. "That's enough, both of you."

Sesshoumaru snarled and started forward. The woman turned and raised a single hand. Sesshoumaru smirked, but that quickly disappeared when he found himself thrown back from the force of the barrier the woman had raised. Sesshoumaru rolled, and the man smirked at him as he stood.

"You should not test my mate." The elder inuyoukai taunted.

Sesshoumaru sneered. "You took a human for a mate? How pathetic. I suppose that no other would have you, considering your crippled state."

The older man snarled and started forward, but a single touch from his mate stopped him. "For kamis' sake, you're eight hundred and fifty-nine! Are you really going to let him goad you?"

The man growled, but didn't move forward. Instead he pulled his mate behind him again and stood to his full height. Sesshoumaru growled at the superior look he was given as the fury drained from the man's face. "Stop it, both of you." The woman snapped. "Honestly, the two of you are no better than children." Once again, the woman went around her mate. She faced Sesshoumaru and bowed. "My name is Nishinoshu Ao, and this is my mate, Nishinoshu Kin. We are here to see Kagome."

The pieces clicked together, and Sesshoumaru straightened slightly. "You are the friends that Kagome meets the park."

Ao smiled. "Yes. And you must be Sesshoumaru. We've heard a lot about you." She started forward, but Kin held her back with a growl. She sighed. "Kin, knock it off. He isn't going to hurt me. I'm an old woman who is no threat to him. What possible reason could he have to even attempt it?" She shoved off Kin and walked forward, her entire stance daring Kin to interfere. She made it to Sesshoumaru and smiled. "I know that you have no obligations to me. But I'm really worried about her. Normally, we'll see her every few weeks at the park, but it's been a month. Is she alright?"

"The miko is fine." Sesshoumaru answered. "She is actually at the park now running."

"Shoot, we must have just missed her." Ao exclaimed. "Well, I guess the only thing to do is to wait for her to get back. Then we can give her our gift."

"Gift?" Kin asked, raising an eyebrow. "What gift would that be?"

"The one that you aren't allowed to know about yet." Ao answered with a grin. "You'll find out with everyone else."

Kin looked like he was about to say something, but then shook his head. "Where is your gift, Ao?"

"It's in my purse. . . AH!" Ao shouted. "I left it in the limo!"

Kin gave her an indulgent smile as she raced passed him, shouting about her own stupidity. Knowing her, it would take at least ten minutes, which would give him plenty of time to deal with his younger self. The only problem was. . . how did he do this again?

Sesshoumaru looked at Kin and sneered. "Where is your collar?"

Oh yeah. That's how it started. Remembering that getting angry wouldn't do anything, Kin smirked. "It is at home with the leash." Seeing the look of surprise in Sesshoumaru's eyes, Kin continued. "If you did not want the answer, you should not have asked the question."

Sesshoumaru growled. "Do not mock this Sesshoumaru."

Kin smirked. "As I said, do not ask what you do not want the answers to."

Sesshoumaru stared at Kin. Something was so familiar about him. . . but he just couldn't place it. He growled and tensed. Kin sighed and lifted his hands. "I will not fight you unless you force me to. Ao would be rather upset."

Sesshoumaru growled. "Why should I take orders from some whipped puppy?"

Kin growled back. "My patience has limits, pup. I suggest you rethink your words."

Sesshoumaru smirked. "I see no reason to. I have no whore at my neck."

The response was immediate and swift. Sesshoumaru jumped out of the way as the elderly demon rushed forward, teeth bared and claws slashing. Sesshoumaru let loose his poison whip, aiming it with expert precision at Kin's neck. Kin rolled to the side and stood, ending up exactly where Sesshoumaru would have to land. Sesshoumaru growled and summoned his youkai cloud, pulling himself up. Unfortunately for him, it was not before Kin could jump. Though Sesshoumaru pulled away as fast as possible, Kin caught onto his ankle. Sesshoumaru tried to swipe at him, but Kin swung around so that he landed on the cloud in front of Sesshoumaru. With a single swipe, Sesshoumaru was pushed back and off the cloud.

Sesshoumaru flipped in midair and landed on his feet, expecting to see Kin fall as well. He looked up in shock as his youkai cloud dissipated, only to be replaced by another cloud. Sesshoumaru growled and jumped, intending to create his own cloud and continue the battle. But as he rose, he was knocked down by a green flash of light. He growled and looked up to see Kin retracting his poison whip.

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened as the pieces clicked. One arm, a poison whip, silver hair, a youkai cloud. . .

"Enough!" Sesshoumaru was once again flung back as a barrier pushed him away. Sesshoumaru twisted so that he landed on his feet and turned to the source of the power. His eyes widened further as he saw Ao glowing a bright pink, one hand extended to each of the two demons. "What the hell is wrong with you two!"

Sesshoumaru thought he couldn't be more surprised. But that voice, with that look of outrage, the stubbornness in the face of danger? There was only one person who could fit with all those things. "Miko!"

Ao's eyes widened. "Oh no."

"Are you sure that Sesshoumaru will be okay?"

Sesshoumaru barely recognized the voice. When had the miko returned?

"He will be fine, Kagome." Sesshoumaru couldn't place the second voice, though it was familiar. "I should have known better than to leave the two of them alone. Two alphas in one place does not bode well for one of them, and Kin has had over eight hundred years to sharpen his skills. Sesshoumaru is a pup in comparison."

Now Sesshoumaru knew the voice. It was that older woman. . . Ao.

"Are you absolutely sure?"

"If Kin said he would be fine, then he will be." Ao said soothingly.

Kagome answered, and Sesshoumaru could almost hear the scowl in her voice. "He assaults the guy who saved my life, and then says he'll be fine. Why should I believe him?"

Ao sighed. "Look, I'm not going to defend him. He should have been more in control of himself, and we both know it. But even though he's messed up, I have to trust him. He's my family. If I can't trust him, I can't trust anyone."

Kagome hesitated. "I'm being weird, aren't I?"

Ao laughed. "Just a bit. But it's to be expected after all. Just like Kin is my family, Sesshoumaru is yours. I would probably think less of you if you weren't slightly suspicious." Ao chuckled. "Though was it really necessary to kick him out?"

"If they got into one fight, they'd just get into another." Kagome answered primly. "Now, let me get your coat. You did say you wanted to get to Kin."

Ao laughed, and Sesshoumaru heard Kagome's footsteps walk away. Then Ao stepped up to the couch, where he lay in false slumber. "Sesshoumaru, I know you're awake."

Sesshoumaru opened his eyes and pinned Ao in a cold stare. "I was defeated by an old man?"

Ao shook her head with a smile. "A more experienced man. It sounds better when you say it like that." She looked at Sesshoumaru closely. "You know, I must say I'm rather surprised." Sesshoumaru raised a questioning brow, and Ao explained. "This girl trusts you. Why, I don't know. She faced down a red-eyed Kin because she trusted that you hadn't done anything worth being killed for."

"Why does this surprise you?" Sesshoumaru asked. "Do you not claim to be her friend? If so, then you would know that such behavior is characteristic of her."

Ao shook her head. "That's not what I meant. The fact that she trusts you was a given the moment she mentioned you. What surprises me is that you don't trust her."

Sesshoumaru growled. "The miko has given me no reason to trust her."

"But what reasons do you have to distrust her?" Ao asked.

Sesshoumaru couldn't answer. So instead he bared his teeth in warning. Ao chuckled and stepped away. "Think about what I said, Sesshoumaru." Ao said cryptically as Kagome reentered the room. "You might surprise yourself with what you find."

"What he finds where?" Kagome asked.

Ao grinned and embraced Kagome. "It was good to see you, Kagome. Until next time."

"But where is Sesshoumaru. . ." Kagome let her voice trail off as Ao left. With a scowl, she turned to Sesshoumaru. "Are you alright? Kin really did a number on you."

"This Sesshoumaru has no injuries." Sesshoumaru answered automatically. His mind was still processing what Ao had said. Realistically, she was right. He had no reason to distrust the miko, and in fact, all her actions had said that she could be trusted. But there was still that ingrained voice in his head that reminded him that, in the end, no one could be trusted. Which was the right voice now?

"Sesshoumaru?" Sesshoumaru looked up to see the miko look at him nervously. "Look, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to. But I was wondering if you would tell me where we're going."

Sesshoumaru stared at her for a moment, assessing the pros and cons of the situation. Then with a sigh, he made his choice. Perhaps if he told her part of the truth, he could see from there if she could be trusted. "Bokuseno."

Kagome looked confused for a moment. Then her eyes widened. "Wait a second. Isn't that the tree that the sheaths of Tenseiga and Tetsusaiga were made from?"

Sesshoumaru nodded. "Bokuseno is the oldest demon in existence. In addition, the elements themselves deliver information to him. He will know the reason for Naraku's interest in the barrier between life and death."

Kagome grinned. "Reliable information. Kami, I forgot how wonderful it was to have that. We're usually following rumors and myths." Kagome looked at Sesshoumaru and bowed. "I look forward to meeting this Bokuseno. He must be a powerful demon for you to speak of him with such respect. I'll try not to embarrass you."

Sesshoumaru stared after her as she left the room. That last bit had revealed quite a bit about the miko, but most of all how easily she read him. He did not recall any obvious hints of his respect for the older demon. Could it be that the young miko was more shrewd than she at first let on?

Sesshoumaru growled at himself. It was utterly ridiculous for him to question himself in such a manner. He shook his head and went outside. All this humanity must be getting to him.

Sesshoumaru knew he was in trouble. Not because Kagome was screaing at him, but because she wasn't. She hadn't yelled, glared, shouted, or done anything that would normally mean he was in trouble. It was even worse: Kagome was ignoring him. As they sat across from each other in their limo on the drive home, Kagome reached down to the floor compartment and pulled out a book. That's when Sesshoumaru knew he was really in trouble.

"Kagome?"

She didn't answer him.

"You look beautiful."

"Flattery is not going to help you." Kagome answered.

Well, at least she was answering now. "I think we should stop by the cafe and get some of that delicious hot chocolate."

"Bribery isn't going to help either."

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and sighed. "I am immensly lucky that my beautiful and intelligent wife thought to bring along a memory sutra so that I wouldn't remember meeting myself."

"Yes, you are."

Sesshoumaru winced at the slight growl in Kagome's voice. That was never a good thing. "Kagome, I'm sorry."

The book slammed shut, and Kagome's eyes blazed. "Well, you've finally said something right. Now, how about you keep going. Mabye you'll strike gold."

Definetely smarter to keep quiet. But Sesshoumaru was nothing if not a risk taker. "I'm sorry. I was wrong. I didn't know that there was a block on my memory. I only knew that we fought, and I lost. Had I known I would be caught, I would not. . ." He sighed. Lying would do more harm than good. "I would have been more careful."

With a sigh, Kagome put the book back into the floor compartment. "Why?"

"For the same reason you meet with your younger self." Sesshoumaru answered. "It is necessary."

Kagome looked at him for a moment longer, then sighed again. "Don't take such risks again, alright? It took alot of power to make that sutra. I don't know if I can do it again."

Sesshoumaru smiled and moved to sit beside his mate. "I will be careful." Then he kissed her softly on the cheek, officially ending the fight.

Author's Rant


Horse Wolves: We've finally tracked down OG after eight updates without her. Unfortunately, seeing as how everyone else in incapacitated *cough cough, Valley Girl Sesshoumaru, cough cough* I have to find her on my own. [stops nearby passerbyer] Excuse me, is there a muse by the name of OG somewhere around here?

Isabella Swan: Oh, her? She took up camp with the Volturi. Something about Edward's speeches being a bit too much when they're actually said in real life.

Horse Wolves: Wait, the Volturi? As in the people who could potentially eat her?

Isabella Swan: Oh, was that bad? I was too busy trying to get Edward to have sex with me.

Horse Wolves: [shudders] Too much information.

Edward Cullen: Bella, love, what's going on? I wanted to make more babies!

Isabella Swan: [evil smirk] I knew taking those love potions from those Harry Potter guys would pay off. Well, tootles!

Horse Wolves: Love potion! That explains so much!

End of Author's Rant