Inuhime was walking toward her mate's barracks. She was deep in thought. She wished she could just leave without telling Hikaru. Why? It was because he'd always been overprotective of her. She knew that he cared and she loved him for it, but she wasn't a weak inuyoukai woman. She was a Daiyoukai like her father, mother, and twin brother. She could fight when the occasion calls for it. However, Hikaru was always been there for her, especially after the Toriko incident. She remembered him coming to their favorite place; not long after she'd killed Toriko for treason. He'd always known what to do, what to say, or where to go whenever he needed to find her, which he'd always found her at their favorite place on the palace estate. She did the same to him. She knew that she'd found her soul mate. However, it seemed impossible when they were younger. Impossible because their union was forbidden. Forbidden because of social status. It nearly broke her heart. She knew that he knew that they were a forbidden couple. She wanted to defy social customs and stood beside him. Proud to call him mate. No matter what. She didn't care, yet she didn't want to disappoint her father. To bring shame and disgrace to the family was also heartbreaking. To see the disappointment in her father's eyes was enough to keep her feelings for Hikaru under lock and key; never meant to be release. Ever. However, on that day that Hikaru confessed his feelings to her, those feelings escaped her mental chest, where she locked her feelings for Hikaru. She wanted to say to him that she felt the same, but it was bad timing on his part, because of the trial for the prisoners of war, awhile ago.

Hikaru sensed that his beloved mate was coming. He was already waiting for her when she knocked on his shoji door. He told her to enter. Her scent smelled like she was irritated. Also by the expression on her face was anything to go by, yes, she was very irritated. He raised one of his eyebrows and asked, while he closed the gap between them, "Is everything alright, my love?" Then he kissed her on her forehead.

Inuhime couldn't help, but to smile at him before she answered, "Hikaru, do you think that I am weak?"

He furrowed his eyebrows, "No, Inuki. You are NOT weak. Who told you that?"

"No one." She paused. "I need to go somewhere with Inuyasha. It sort of just came about."

He then straighten his eyebrows, "Why?"

"Inuyasha confided in me about a personal matter."

"What kind of personal matter?"

"Uh, well, Kikyo informed him that he wasn't able to reproduce offspring because he was an hanyou. Therefore, she wouldn't want to become his mate."

"Hn, where are you going?"

"To Zoku's hut and then we will head for Edo. I wish to confront the bitch for misinforming Inuyasha. She broke his heart. She won't be getting away with it, either."

Hikaru chuckled. "How long?"

"Uh, about a week; two at the most."

"No," he said as he turned his back to her and walked back to his desk.

She furrowed her eyebrows, "No?! What do you mean by 'no'?!"

Hikaru stopped and looked over his shoulder, "It's too long. Besides, you shouldn't go anywhere without your mate."

"And why the hell not?! I am not a weakling! I can take care of myself!"

Hikaru turned around facing her once again. "Is this the reason why you asked that silly question?" She nodded, furiously. "Well, it has nothing to do with weakness, Inuki. I've been your brother's second-in-command for a very, very long time. I have enemies out there; waiting for a perfect time to get their revenge. What perfect thing is to take away the one that I love and cherish most in this world."

"I understand what you are saying, Hikaru. I do. I just want to..."

He chuckled again. "I know, however, this is Inuyasha's problem; not yours. I know that you are trying to make up for the times that you weren't able to protect your younger brother. I get it. I do, but he's now a mature hanyou. He could face his own problems." He walked to her and embraced her. He laid his cheek on the crown of her head. He sighed. "How about a... compromise?"

Inuhime pulled away and looked up at him, with her eyebrows furrowed. "What kind of compromise?"

Hikaru pulled her to his body. He leaned down to her neck and took a delicate sniff. He smirked. He then straighten up to make the compromise. "You will go, with Inuyasha, to Zoku's hut, however, you will not be going to Edo with them. Is that fair?"

She pursed her lips. "Fine." She kissed him and walked away.

"Inuki?" She stopped and looked over her shoulder. "I know how long it takes to get to Zoku's hut and back."

"Hn." She looked forward and left her mate's office. Hikaru had a smirk on his face when she walked away like he knew she would do the opposite, just because he told her not to go with them to Edo. "This will be fun. What do you think, beast?"

"It will be fun, indeed, master."

Both him and beast had a hentai-ish smirk on their faces.

Meanwhile, with Kagome and Sesshomaru...

Sesshomaru, Kagome, the pups, and their nanny had just finished their breakfast and they were heading towards the main entrance, where they saw InuTaisho with Inuyasha standing there, somewhat patiently.

Inuyasha grumbled, "What's taking her so long?"

InuTaisho answered calmly, "Patience, pup. Women like to take their time."

Kagome spoke up when they arrived; catching the end of the conversation. "Oh, really, Inupapa?"

InuTaisho and Inuyasha turned towards the voice of Kagome. "Yes. Women, since time began always had and always will take their precious time."

Inuyasha agreed with his signature 'keh'; knowing and remembering the time when Kagome used to take her sweet time before they could get a move on during the Shikon no Tama shard hunt.

Kagome pursed her lips into a pout; knowing that they were probably right. However, she countered, "We, women, take our time to look our best for you. Either that or we wanted to punish you for your past transgressions." Sesshomaru chuckled and said, "You can always take your time, omae. I am a very patient youkai."

Kagome looked up to him and smiled. Inuyasha grumbled, "Kiss ass." That earned him a punch on top of his head by Sesshomaru after he said in his cold tone, "Silence, half-breed."

"Enough! Inuki's coming."

"Feh, about damn time."

Inuhime was fuming. She grumbled incoherently as she walked pass them like she didn't see them standing there. They all blinked. Inukimi witnessed her daughter fuming as she walked to them. "Taisho, is everything alright?"

InuTaisho chuckled, "It seems that our daughter's mate told her something that she doesn't like."

Inukimi giggled. "She's as stubborn as you."

InuTaisho quirked his eyebrow. "Ha! Stubborn as me? More like stubborn as you."

"Really?" They continued their little banter until Sesshomaru rolled his eyes and said, "We're leaving, Father! Mother!"

"Oh! Sesshomaru..." InuTaisho patted him on the back and smiled a hentai-ish smile. "You'll have a great time at the Sky Palace. Especially in the bedchambers." He then wiggled his eyebrows, suggestively. At that, Kagome blushed prettily and Inukimi slapped her mate's arm playfully. She smiled and said, "Pervert."

Sesshomaru hm-ed and said, "Come, omae. Let us leave." Kagome, while still blushing, smiled and nodded. Rin and Shippo hugged their grandparents goodbye. Nanami handed them Natsume, so they could hug her goodbye, which earned them a few baby gibberish, coos, and playful growls. Inukimi, who was holding her, pouted because she wanted to spend time with her first blood grand-pup. Yes, she loved and would always love her adopted pups, but she just wanted... hell, she wanted to spend time with all her grand-pups, blood or not. She and InuTaisho; lets not forget Inuhime, missed their pup bonding time with Akihiko. She didn't want to miss out on Natsume. Rin and Shippo were not of that age anymore. Kagome noticed Inukimi's pouting face. "Mother, maybe next time, whenever Sesshomaru and I going somewhere, you both could watch the pups. Right Sesshomaru?"

"Hn," he grunted as he got Natsume from his mother.

Inuhime had calmed down while she walked a little ways from the others. She returned in a nick of time and said, "You aren't leaving without giving your auntie any goodbye hugs, are you?"

Shippo and Rin quickly ran and hugged their aunt, then returned to their parents. Sesshomaru walked to his twin, so she could hug her niece. Inuhime smiled as she gave Natsume back to her father. She looked at Inuyasha. "Inuyasha, are you going to give your nieces and nephew hugs goodbye?"

Inuyasha hated to be put on the spot. "Keh, why? They'll be back."

Inuhime frowned. "Inuyasha...," she said in a warning growl-like tone, but she interrupted by Inuyasha.

"Yeah, come here, little runts. Give me a damn hug." Rin giggled; not taking any offense to it, like Shippo hasn't done every since he meant him. They ran to Inuyasha, which knock him flat on his ass, and gave him a hug, while they were on the ground laughing.

Sesshomaru, at first, didn't take it likely to Inuyasha calling his pups 'runts', because to him the word 'runt' means 'weak'. His pups ARE NOT weak. Kagome, who was sensing his anger, looked up at him. She touched his arm. He looked down at his lovely mate. She shook her head. She whispered so low, that the other youkai couldn't hear, but Sesshomaru. "He doesn't mean 'weak'. He is being... well him. Please, anata, don't take it as an offense. Look. Rin isn't taking it badly, neither is Shippo. And I am not taking it as an offense, either."

Sesshomaru, then, looked at their pups. Indeed, they weren't taking it badly. His beast and himself decided that ONLY Inuyasha could get away calling their pups, 'runts'. He nodded in understanding and Kagome rewarded him with a big, bright smile.

Afterwards, they said their final goodbyes and that they would be returning at the end of the week. Then, suddenly, Jaken came running down as he yelled, "Wait for me, milord!" As he passed the Lord and Lady-in-standing of the West, InuTaisho's voice stopped him in mid-step, "Jaken, you are staying with us." He had a tone that there was no argument.

Jaken squawked, "Yes, milord." He sighed as he watched his lord, his lady, and their pups leaving.

Sesshomaru, who was still carrying Natsume, held Kagome close to himself as he gathered his youki to form a youki cloud to fly. Rin, Shippo, and Nanami were on Ah-Uh flying towards to Sky Palace. Inuyasha and Inuhime also watched them go before leaving to their destination. Inuhime turned to her mother and father, then gave them a hug. Inuyasha did the same. He, even, hugged his stepmother, which surprised her. She gladly returned it to him.

Inukimi said, "You, two, be careful."

"Keh, always."

"Hn," Inuhime replied in a Sesshomaru-like manner and left them behind.

Inukimi sighed. "Taisho, will they be find?"

"Yes, love. They'll be find." Inukimi smiled at his reassurance.

Inuyasha (c) Rumiko Takahashi

Fanfiction & OCs (c) ladytari