Disclaimer: As always I own nothing but my original characters and the plot ideas I come up with to put them in. Thanks to all those who've been reading and a special thanks to my reviewers. I hope you enjoy this latest chapter and hope to hear from you to let me know how it was.

Moonlight Talk

Sesshoumaru kept meaning to move his head. He really did. It was just that where it was right at the moment was much more comfortable then it had been before. If he blocked out the fact that it was a human's lap his head rested in then really, there was nothing wrong with it so long as no one saw him. If someone saw him though he'd really have to kill that person. Or at least insure the person was never capable of recognizable speech again. And why hadn't she moved his head yet, Sesshoumaru wondered, getting to his biggest peeve at the moment. Was she too afraid to undo what she'd done until he told her to? Then again the slayer seemed to have pretty much lost most of her fear of him by now. After all, she was the future mother of his children. Ironically enough that should have just made him want to kill her more. But he didn't. In fact for some reason he was spending more and more of his time trying to come up with ways to defend the both of them in their current situation rather then ways to get free of her so that he could kill her himself. Of course he'd never really ever had much of a bone to pick with this particular slayer. The only times he'd ever tried to kill her were when she got in his way concerning Inu yasha and even then the intent to kill hadn't been there. Just get her out of the way. If he'd truly wanted her dead before this whole chaining together it would have been simple enough to separate her from her group and do her in. Come to think of it that would have been a much better way to pick a fight with his brother. Trying to kill Kagome had always backfired on him after all. Sango on the other hand...oh well...too late now, he thought with a sigh.

"Do you do this often? Watch the stars I mean." Sango finally asked, trying not to think about how right this seemed. She didn't even notice the aches in her back anymore. She just felt so at peace, sitting here in the silence while the heavens showed them their beauty. She'd never really taken the time to quietly observe the sky at night but it really was beautiful.

"Since I was a child." Was his response, his deep, even breathing the only sound he'd made since she'd moved his head to her lap.

"Sora told me that Dare likes to do this too." Sango offered, suddenly remembering a conversation she'd had with her daughter when she'd wanted to learn more about her sons. "I guess that explains his interest. You must have taken him with you like this."

"Perhaps." Sesshoumaru replied, hiding his surprise at the comment. Had he taken his youngest son with him to go star gazing? He usually preferred to do it alone but if the boy had shown an interest...would he have taken the son that seemed most likely to be a problem with him? After all from everything he'd been overhearing Dare seemed like the most human like of his brood. Which was ironic since Rin was the only true human in the bunch.

"Uhm...would you be mad if I asked you a couple questions? I mean I thought this would be the best time since there's no one around to hear." Sango finally said after another period of silence between them. The truth was she'd been itching to ask him several things since she'd discovered they were going to be together in the future but this was the first time she'd thought it even remotely safe to ask them. Knowing Sesshoumaru fairly well by now she decided to add on a little incentive. "You can ask me questions too if you have any."

Quiet Sesshoumaru turned her request around in his head. On the one hand he was obviously not going to like whatever questions the wench had come up with in that silly little head of hers. On the other hand the last thing he wanted was to tell her no now and have her ask them later in the company of others. The worst that could happen if he answered them now was that she might start to cry again. If he didn't like her questions he didn't have to answer them after all. Plus he supposed there were some things he wanted to know, given that he was going to have her as a mate for the rest of their life together. "Feh. Fine. Ask."

"Uhm. okay. Why did you adopt Rin? I mean you hate humans or at the very least think they're not worth the air they breath. But you treat her better then you treat Jakken and Inu yasha." Sango began, looking up at the sky since she thought he was more likely to answer honestly if she wasn't staring at him.

"After Inu yasha wounded me, the first time he mastered the Wind Scar...I was left to recover in a forest alone. I was unable to move and Rin found me. She tried to help me, bringing me food and trying to clean my wounds. I couldn't scare her away, not that I was up to doing more then speak to her harshly. She was beaten..by the people of her village for stealing extra food for me. When she was killed by the wolves I finally had the strength to move and Jakken had returned to me. I smelt the blood in the air and knew where it had come from. I went looking and found her on the road, headed for me I expect. I had brought her back to life before I questioned why." Sesshoumaru said quietly, speaking the truth since there was only her to hear his words. "She was always so happy to see me when she came. It was like I was the only bright spot in her dismal life. She wanted to stay at my side...and I allowed it."

"So that's why Kouga's stooges get so nervous when you're in the area. Were they Kouga's wolves that attacked her?" Sango asked, already pretty sure she knew the answer. She'd seen the way the girl stole glances in Kouga's direction. The girl wasn't afraid of him but definitely weary.

"Yes. He once saved Rin's life though...so she's all right in his presence." Sesshoumaru answered, shifting his head slightly to get a bit more comfortable. "My turn. The scar on your back. Where did you get it?"

Blushing that he'd noticed her scar before Sango was thankful for the darkness. "The first time I met Naraku he manipulated my brother Kohaku into killing our entire party including our father. The scar is one Naraku forced him to inflict upon me."

"I remember him. The one Inu yasha confronted me about." Sesshoumaru said absently, able to picture the boy easily enough. The boy was memorable if for no other reason then the look in the boy's eyes when he'd had the child by the throat. He'd never seen such dead eyes in his a living thing before. Then again it was a stretch to say the boy had been alive.

"Why did you spare him? Inu yasha said you let him go of your own will. That's not like you."

"And how would you know what's like me? Do I have a reputation as a child killer? Human or not." Sesshoumaru asked silkily, raising an eyebrow at her comment.

"Well no but...he tried to kill Rin."

"And had he I would have snapped his neck like a twig."

"Well...either way I am grateful you didn't. If you'd killed him then I wouldn't have had a chance to say good bye..before the shard was removed." Sango said softly, a slight catch in her voice that Sesshoumaru's sensitive ears picked up on. At least she wasn't crying though, Sesshoumaru thought to himself as he waited for her next question. He didn't have to wait long. "It's my turn right?" She asked and when he nodded his head slightly she paused to think of proper wording for this one. "Have you...I mean...I uhm..."

"Say it or don't bother asking."

"Have you had many relationships?"

Absolute silence greeted that question while Sango's face went as red as a tomato. She hadn't meant to ask. She really hadn't. Oh God but he really was going to kill her now.

"Relationships? Are you asking how many demonesses...?" Sesshoumaru began, choking slightly on the words as he got up and leaning on one elbow stared at the slayer. Judging by her complexion in the moonlight that was exactly what she'd meant.

"Never mind." Sango blurted out, waving her hands in front of her rapidly. "Forget I asked."

"A lot less then your monk friend." Was his blunt response. "And obviously none but you in my future. There won't be any Kikyos popping up if that's what you're wondering about."

"Well there might be. I mean this is you we're talking about."

"Are you insinuating that my idiot half brother inherited his terrible taste in females from me? Because if you are I'd point out that reflects as badly on you as it does me."

"I just mean that...well...you're really beautiful. Your personality leaves something to be desired a lot of the time but with your looks and position I'd think that demonesses must flock after you." Sango said, looking down at the ground because even if she couldn't see his eyes clearly she could certainly feel them boring into her own.

She thought he was beautiful? Not exactly the most masculine word she could have used but he was well aware that his face was too feminine. He'd even been mistaken for a female in his youth before he'd grown into his now more masculine build. That and anyone that still made the mistake of making an error in judging his sex didn't live very long. As for the remark about his personality..well he couldn't really argue that point either. He knew he was a cold bastard and that's the way he liked it. Better that then a hot headed simpleton like Inu yasha anyway. As for the demonesses chasing after him...well it was sort of hard for them to do that since he was never in the same place very long. He'd had offers of course but he'd seen no reason to settle down with any of them, especially since they had nothing he overly wanted. "I saw no reason to follow in my father's footsteps. Taking a mate for the sake of having one never appealed."

"Oh." Sango said, seeing the logic to that. Sesshoumaru had grown up in a home that was hell, largely because his parents should have never been together. It was only logical that Sesshoumaru be cynical about the whole idea of marriage.

"Apparently I change my mind later on." Sesshoumaru said dryly, well able to figure out what was going on in that head of hers. It was rather nerving how quickly he was beginning to read her without effort.

"Well I can't say I ever saw myself marrying a demon, that's for sure." Sango said with a small smile, well able to see the irony in all this. After all, what demon slayer would ever see herself marrying the very thing she specialized in hunting?

"We should ask Sora just how old Kohaku is." Sesshoumaru said absently, sitting up so that he sat beside her now.

"Why would his age have to do with anything?"

"Because he at least would explain why I broke my vow never to take a mate." Sesshoumaru replied bluntly, waiting for his meaning to hit home.

It didn't take long. "ARE YOU SAYING YOU MIGHT HAVE HAD TO MARRY ME?"

"Marry? Oh, your human term for taking a mate. It was simply a thought and a logical one if you think about it. While I've never found human females interesting in that way you aren't without appeal."

Face bright red Sango drew back her fist and punched him not too gently in the shoulder. "I'M NOT THAT KIND OF GIRL!"

Shocked by her action Sesshoumaru stared at her, noting her heavy breathing and the fact that he could practically see flames erupting from her body. Apparently he'd hit a nerve. "I was simply pointing out a possibility. If you were in the habit of being free with your...charms then I'd never have considered you as a mate."

"I've never even really been kissed and those times Miroku felt me up don't count. He does that with every woman he meets. And I always hit him." Sango practically snarled, her virtue in question regardless of what he'd said. How dare he insinuate that Kohaku might have been the reason she'd married him. Just because he was gorgeous in face and build didn't mean she couldn't control her hormones where he was concerned. She'd never lay with a man without being married to him first. How dare he suggest otherwise. She'd bet her life she'd come to him a virgin and...and...oh dear God, Sango thought as her cheeks fired up for a whole other reason again.

"He's been wise to refrain from doing so." Sesshoumaru said with a tinge of ice to his words. Now that he knew she was going to belong to him he would be obligated to kill the monk if the leach were to try to put his hands on Sango.

"I must have been out of my mind to end up with you." Sango muttered under her breath, crossing her arms in front of her chest as she silently fumed. She couldn't even leave because she couldn't go anywhere as long as she was chained to the object of her fury.

"Given our five children your insanity must have been long term." Sesshoumaru shot back coolly, his own pride no small thing. "Especially since it's quite obvious they're all mine."

"Well if you're my mate then yeah, they would be, now wouldn't they?" Was Sango's sarcastic reply, not pleased to be reminded that they had five children and were somehow happy in the future. Maybe she had lost her mind and never regained it, Sango thought darkly. "Now that I think about it I guess it isn't so surprising that I've never seen you with any female other then Rin. With your personality only a child with no other options would put up with you!"

Okay. That was it. Reaching out with lightening fast reflexes Sesshoumaru grabbed the back of the slayer's head, yanking her forward so that their noses were practically touching. "You'd do well to watch your tongue, slayer. I have no feelings regarding you one way or another at the moment. I have no problems killing you once these cursed chains are off."

"I thought you weren't one for feelings one way or another." Sango shot back, too mad to think about how incredibly stupid she was being.

"I'm not but you certainly seem quite talented at arising negative ones. Do you realize I can count on one hand the number of people who've spoken to me as you're doing and lived to tell about it?" Sesshoumaru snarled, his eyes mere slits now as he tried to intimidate her into backing down. He was the demon and she was the weak human. Humans weren't supposed to talk back to him and they certainly weren't supposed to yell at him. Who the hell did she think she was anyway? He was the demon lord of the west. His name was known throughout the era and he was feared and respected as befitting his lineage and abilities. Where did she get off acting like she could speak to him in this fashion?

"Given your personality that doesn't surprise me in the least." Sango snarled back, not backing down even an inch. Oh it was on now. She was no little woman, letting some man tell her how things were going to be. She didn't care if she was going to end up married to him in the future. The ways things were right now killing him once they were unchained sounded like a damn good idea to her. "The only thing I can't get is how the hell I ended up with a jerk like you. You make a life stuck with a pervert like Miroku sound pleasurable! He's probably better with women then you are! "

King of remaining cool no matter what the situation. Lord of keeping his emotions under wraps. The best when it came to allowing nothing and no one to get under his skin. Over a century of well honed control snapped in a second as Sesshoumaru absorbed the slayers words. Never, not his mother, his father, Inu yasha or the idiot's mother had ever pissed him off this badly. He didn't even care that killing her now would mean his own death as well. Right now there was nothing in his head but his need to shut her up and shut her up good. "Don't...EVER...compare me to that monk." Sesshoumaru snarled, Sango for the first time realizing just how hard her barbs had hit. "I am not some weak, pathetic human whose only alive because he's had my idiot brother to take care of him."

"I..." Sango began, not sure what to say now. She knew she was in a hell of a lot of trouble and that he might be perilously close to killing her right now. She could actually hear the rage in his voice. She'd practically put her neck in a noose and jumped.

"You what?" Sesshoumaru demanded, his fingers beginning to dig in painfully.

There was only one thing she could think to do. Leaning forward Sango kissed him. Pressing her lips against him Sango put everything she had into it, hoping against hope that her mother's former advise was true. That the best way to get your man to cooperate was to kiss him into forgetting why he was objecting in the first place. In this case not addling him could possibly lead to her untimely death so finding motivation wasn't hard. His lips were surpassingly soft for such a harsh looking mouth, Sango thought, her eyes closed since she didn't want to see death coming if that was his intent. He wasn't stopping her though. Finally she moved away, opening her eyes to stare into his. "I'm sorry." Sango said in a small, if hopeful voice. Oh please don't let me end up dead. Please don't let me end up dead.

After a long pause he finally spoke. "You weren't lying..when you said you'd never been properly kissed." Watching her mouth open in outrage, obviously realizing that her little ploy hadn't worked Sesshoumaru drew her head closer once more with the hand still holding her head in his palm. "If you're going to try and distract me from killing you..do it properly." He informed her with a faint, rather rakish grin before he closed the gap and showed her the proper way to kiss someone until there wasn't a thought left in either head.