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~Smo

Disclaimer: I do not own or claim to own any characters associated with InuYasha.

"We can't help everyone, but everyone can help someone."

Chapter 19

The silence was as awkward as it could get. Sesshomaru, Koga, and Christopher appeared to be in some kind of standoff to see who would open their mouth first. Kagome and Rin sat quietly, afraid to so much as make a noise other than carefully chewing on their split appetizer of seared fish. Both of their eyes were scanning the men, moving from one to the other. Finally, Rin leaned towards Kagome and whispered, "They look really scary."

It was true. Christopher and Koga were both staring at Sesshomaru. Their eyebrows were furrowed. Sesshomaru returned the glance with narrowed slits of gold. Their jaws were all tense and not one of them had touched the food they had ordered.

Kagome swallowed the last bit of her meal and winced when a toasted sesame seed got stuck somewhere along the way. Unable to fight the urge, she cleared her throat. Like wolves hearing a weakened deer, all three male demons turned to stare at her. Her heartbeat quickened. "Sorry, something got stuck," she muttered, reaching for her glass of water.

It suddenly felt rather silly to be so quiet. "Christopher, Koga and I are making a lot of progress and would like to propose an idea," she commented, hoping her voice was firm. "Sesshomaru is here because he wishes to end the mating with Kagura, but knows his father will most likely throw a fit and would therefore like to make some sort of alliance with you to have his back, although I am not sure what he could possibly offer. Rin is here for the free food."

Christopher snorted at the last remark, eying Rin as if she were a unique species. "Sesshomaru will go first then," he grumbled, leaning back in his chair and resting one of his legs across the other. "You have finally grown your own pair of manly testicles I see..." he trailed off, smirking when Sesshomaru released a low growl.

Rin leaned toward Kagome again. "What are manly testicles? Is it a kind of plant?"

Kagome's eyes widened. Koga barked out a laugh, covering his mouth with his hand and trying to make it look as if he had merely coughed. Christopher, however, actually released an apologetic smile. "Yes, Rin. They are plants that grow with one's confidence. You will learn a lot about these plants later on in life," he teased, causing Kagome to glare at him. Turning his attention back to Sesshomaru, his eyes narrowed seriously again. "Why am I involved in your scheme?"

"It appears you have a history with my father. While I am not knowledgeable about what kind of history, I have gotten the idea that you are one of the only daiyoukais that are not afraid of him. I understand over the last few months I have been... less than helpful... over your most recent project-."

"You mean me?" Kagome grumbled, hating to be referred to as a simple 'project'. Koga growled as well. It sounded as if Sesshomaru were underestimating their work.

"I meant no offense," Sesshomaru stated quickly, shooting Kagome a softened expression.

Christopher gained the attention again. "And what would you like me to help you with?" he asked.

"When I first announced my mating with Kagura, I was less than happy. I understood that it was little more than a business arrangement between my father and Naraku because our company was beginning to lose business. The way my father and I have ran our business has been by splitting the higher percentages of shares between ourselves. By mating Kagura, I will be giving my shares to Naraku. While he will not be completely in charge, as my father still possesses most of the shares, he will have enough control to make serious decisions. For example, if he wants he could sell some of our smaller headquarters and offices or create new locations. We may not know each other, but in the last few months you and I seem to have something in common. Because of this interest, I am willing to sell my shares completely to you which will break the mating between me and Kagura," Sesshomaru explained.

Christopher gave a grunt as he began to think. Kagome and Koga both sat unmoving and staring at the two demons. "You're going to give up your half of the company!?" Kagome whispered harshly. It almost tore at her innards to hear him say that. She had been there throughout his career. She knew what he had sacrificed, what he had done to make his way up the ladder - to gain his success. "You worked so hard..."

"You have pointed out that as a demon I will live for quite some time. I can always do it again," Sesshomaru mumbled, still watching Christopher. Kagome saw his eyes though. He looked troubled. She understood. It was as if she were to give up her research.

"What are you expecting out of this? You must have some sort of endgame. If I take over your shares, you will be little more than a laid off worker," Christopher proclaimed.

"Not if you allow me a place in your company, somewhere I can start over," Sesshomaru replied. Christopher gave a short laugh, shaking his head as if the idea was completely ridiculous. In a way, Kagome could see from his perspective. Sesshomaru was Daitaro's son. For centuries, Daitaro and Christopher have been in a sort of 'don't fuck with me and I won't fuck with you' relationship. Having Sesshomaru in his employ would definitely anger Daitaro, but could also be a ploy. Sesshomaru could leak information back to his father, although Kagome seriously doubted he would in his situation.

"I have no trust in you," Christopher stated. Kagome saw a look pass through Sesshomaru's eyes that only she could recognize from how close they had once been. Sesshomaru was scared, he was trapped.

Swallowing hard, Kagome cleared her throat once again. "While you are thinking about it, please listen to what Koga and I have done. Koga has located the specific," she paused, trying to figure out how she could word it in a way Christopher would understand, "key to unlocking the hanyou transformation. If we are able to clock the signal, we would be able to stop it. I would like to move our research forward. I want to try to find a way to block the transformation."

Sesshomaru and Christopher seemed to stare at her blankly. Kagome worriedly gave a sidelong glance to Koga. Had she said something bad? Christopher leaned on the table, cocking his head to the side. "So you're saying you could possibly find a way to stop the transformation that has been puzzling demon society for millenniums."

When he put it that way, Kagome began to feel doubt in the pit of her stomach. Koga reached for her hand on the table, covering it and offering his support. "Technology is far more advanced, but the reason we have not gone forward is we would need a better lab, more researchers. We'd need several more specialists."

"Koga, do you think it is actually possible? Putting aside your desire to see this priestess' success, do you think you could do it?" he asked. Kagome had never seen Christopher with such a serious expression. His charcoal eyes were slightly narrowed. The usually relaxed aura around him was suddenly still and waiting for his answer with anticipation.

"I do," Koga answered instantly. Kagome's eyes widened at his sheer confidence. A smile lit up her face. Christopher leaned back in his chair and released a breath. "We're going to need a lot more donors... and hanyous."

"A cure..." Sesshomaru trailed off. Kagome could see him thinking. It meant that Inuyasha would be free on the night he usually hid inside. It would change the way they looked at him when they knew his night was quickly approaching.

"Let me make this clear. It would not be a cure. It would be like a monthly injection or pill. It's like when a woman is having a pain. There is no real cure to it, but all you can do is give her something to block it until it goes away," Kagome explained. "Inuyasha will still be a hanyou, but he would not look human on his night. I can't even guarantee that. We will have to see with the tests and studies. It will take a few years.."

Sesshomaru looked up to Christopher after hearing her words with a look of determination blazing in his amber gaze. "I will sell you my shares full price and donate the profit to her research. I do not care if you help me at all, that will be enough."

Kagome choked on her sip of water as it trickled down the wrong tube. "T-That's a lot of money," she got out around her coughs. Rin smacked her back as if it would help, and she fought a wince. Koga chuckled. The girl tried to be helpful, but moments like these she forgot that she was too strong to give Kagome a soothing whack on the back.

"All right. I will have someone write up the contract and have Kagome deliver it to you," Christopher declared. Kagome raised a brow at the mention of her. "Kagome, this is a personal matter and I don't quite trust to just fax it to his office. I would appreciate it if you would handle this piece of business."

"I will," Kagome answered, knowing that he was right. She wondering what would happen if one of the employees managed to find out what Sesshomaru was doing. They would probably run to Daitaro in fear of their job. Pushing away from the table, Kagome nodded to Rin. "It's been a pleasant dinner, but it is getting late for her. Thank you for helping us once again Christopher."

She found herself shyly glancing at Sesshomaru. "Your donation will be a great help to our research," she mumbled, find her heart unable to remain steady. The fact he was giving all of his earnings to her made her want to hug him, yet she found herself more confused than ever.

The three demons watched her and the hanyou leave the restaurant before glaring at each other. Koga and Christopher, while not seeing eye to eye, looked to Sesshomaru. "What are your plans with her?" The question was direct. Sesshomaru knew he should have been prepared for it. Here in front of him sat two demons who were now extremely close to Kagome in her new life. Of course they would feel a bit protective, extremely with his less than perfect track record.

Still, he had no answer for them. It was not really what his plans were, but how much he could try and how much she was willing to forgive. There were no plans - only hopes. "I will help her do what she wants. She deserves to be happy."

"What if her being happy means letting you go?" Koga asked. Sesshomaru had pondered the question many times. Inuyasha had brought it up after returning from Kagome's condo. What if Kagome was happier without him?

"If she told me, I would stay out of her way," Sesshomaru answered firmly, hoping he would actually be able to do it. As it was, without her, he felt miserable. His body was slowly wasting away. Every day was boring without anything to look forward to. When he had her, his days had been filled with anticipation. A smile had lit up his face - in private of course - at the thought of being with her. She was goofy, making him laugh. When she needed to be, she was serious and offered sound advice. He could rely on her to be there for him for no reason - with no ulterior motive.

"I will put you in charge of the project's fundraising then," Christopher released after a few moments of silence. "You have much greater influence in this country than I do. However, if she fails you will also take the heat. Whether you want to tell her is up to you."

Sesshomaru nodded, letting a breath of relief escape him. Koga looked less than delighted. "If you sabotage our research in any way..." he trailed on. The threat in his eyes was clear. Sesshomaru was at the bottom again, and he would need to earn respect once more.

"Your father is going to run around as if his head's been cut off, you know?" Christopher looked pleased with that idea. Giving a wistful sigh, he signed the check.

Sesshomaru bit the bullet and decided to ask the question plaguing him "What happened between you and my father?" he wondered aloud. He knew it was not his place to ask, but the curiosity was bugging him

Whatever had happened still had an impact after all these years. Christopher held a strong grudge and Daitaro was on full alert around the demon. "Your father played God with my mate."

The words were filled with a raspy undertone. He still grieved for her. Sesshomaru could tell that, although hundreds of years had passed, the memory was still fresh.