It has been a few months, since Kagome and Sesshomaru, with their pups, and Inuhime, her mate, and Inuyasha returned from the sky palace and from Edo. Inuhime explained everything to her father, mother, brother why Miroku, Sango, their children, and Kaede weren't allowed in Edo any longer. If they would had stayed, they would have been injured or worse. Kagome, of course, welcomed her friends. The children were excited to see Rin and Shippo again. They met Hana, Zokushi's ward, afterwards. They seemed to head it off immediately, much to Kagome's and Sango's relief. Miroku wasn't really concerned of them not getting along or not; so wasn't Sesshomaru. Kagome, at first, was worried that Sesshomaru wouldn't like more humans around. However, Sesshomaru reassured her that he was fine with it.

Miroku, being Miroku couldn't resist flirting with the lovely females, which were the maids of the palace and even the Lady Mother, herself. Sango was very furious with him. She was a little bit of insecure with her beauty because all of the females that he flirted with were beautiful. She wouldn't speak to him in a long while. She, even, kicked him out of their room for a few weeks. Inuyasha hit Miroku over the head and called him a lecher, soon after he heard it from Kagome. Miroku regretted doing what he did. He loved her so much. Sango loved Miroku very much. So Kagome with Inuyasha's help, made a plan to get Sango speaking to Miroku again. Once they entered the room, Inuyasha and Kagome locked the door behind them. Sango ran to the door and tried to pull the door open, but Inuyasha being an hanyou was stronger than Sango.

Sango yelled through the door, "Inuyasha, let go of this door, right now!"

Kagome yelled, "No! You and Miroku need to talk! Both of you haven't talk since you found him flirting with a maid!"

Sango yelled, "But Kagome..."

Kagome interrupted her. "No, buts, Sango. I know you still love him. I see it in your eyes. Just talk to him."

Inuyasha yelled, "You, two, won't come out until you talked to each other!"

Sango sighed and said, "Fine, I'll hear what he has to say."

Miroku had his shoulders slumped and he gazed on the floor while Sango was yelling at Kagome and Inuyasha. He regretted flirting with those other women.

Meanwhile, in Sesshomaru's study, Hikaru, Sesshomaru, and InuTaisho were discussing numerous battle strategies. They decided to take a break from the war planning. InuTaisho noticed that there was a lot of tension around his daughter and her mate. He thought that now was a perfect opportunity to ask.

"Hikaru?"

"Yes, Lord Father."

"How are you and my daughter doing? As a father, I couldn't help, but noticed that there's some tension between you, two. Care to tell me what's going on?"

Sesshomaru had also noticed it. He thought something was off between them. He swore that he would kill him if he harmed his sister whether it was, physically or emotionally. It didn't mattered, if he was one of his best generals or not; he would still kill him. He also noticed that their father noticed. So, it wasn't surprising to him, whenever his father asked Hikaru about his and his mate's relationship. So, he watched, with his golden-yellow eyes, Hikaru's reaction to his father's question. Hikaru knew sooner or later either Sesshomaru or his father would ask.

He swallowed and said, "You are right about the tension between us. I tried to talk to her, but she wouldn't talk to me. However, when she did, she yelled back at me saying that I know what I did. She wouldn't let me touch her, lay near her, or anything."

Both Sesshomaru and his father rose their eyebrows and glanced at each other. They know that whenever Inuhime was really angry at someone. She would give them the silent treatment.

Sesshomaru cleared his throat . "General, what did you do," he asked in his usual emotionless tone. He knew that it must be something major if Inuhime wasn't talking to him.

Hikaru rubbed the back of his head, awkwardly. "I insulted the hanyou. She told me that we wouldn't share a bed until I apologized to the hanyou."

InuTaisho and Sesshomaru's lips quirked upwards. Inuhime loved her family. She doesn't care if Inuyasha was an hanyou or not. InuTaisho also frowned because of what the General called Inuyasha.

"Hikaru, this one doesn't appreciate you calling his younger son an hanyou. Yes, I know that's what he is, however, that hanyou has a name. He's also a prince of the Western Lands. He also deserves to be treated with respect." One could hear the warning in InuTaisho's tone.

Hikaru gulped. "For-forgive me, Lord Father, this one will treat Inuyasha as a prince should be treated."

"Be sure that you do, General. Not just you either. Everyone will treat Inuyasha as if he had always been here. Don't you agree, Sesshomaru?"

Sesshomaru looked at his father. He knew that tone of voice. It was like, 'you-better-agree-or-else' kind of look. He sighed, "Yes, father, this one agrees that Hikaru and everyone else who works with this one and his family's household, army, and etc... will treat Inuyasha with great respect. He had earned mine in time."

"Also, Hikaru, if you want my daughter to share a bed with you again, I suggest that you should apologize to my son," InuTaisho said.

"I'd done that, but Inuyasha told her that it was only to get back in her bed."

"Was that true?"

He shrugged. "Half true."

Sesshomaru chuckled. "Inuki knows if you are sincere or not. She's really good reading people. Why you think I had her as my adviser now?"

Hikaru nodded in agreement. InuTaisho asked, "Speaking of Inuki, where is she?"

"She's outside sparring with the han...," Hikaru caught himself and corrected. "... with Prince Inuyasha."

InuTaisho hummed. "Well, lets go see them, shall we?"

Both Sesshomaru and Hikaru nodded.

Earlier...

Inuyasha held the door to where Sango and Miroku were, while Kagome summoned two guards to guard the room. She commanded them to not let them out. She would be the one who lets them out. Also only ones other than herself were the maids to deliver their meals during the day. Afterwards, Kagome went to the palace's gardens, where she found Miroku and Sango's children playing with Shippo, Rin, Hana, and Natsume. They were playing 'tag', the game that she taught them awhile she was still living in Edo. It was bitter-sweet. More sweet than bitter. She noticed that InuKimi was there; sitting on a pillow, which was on a blanket underneath a cherry tree. She went and sat near InuKimi and asked, "Where's Inuki?" Inukimi was startled because she was so focus on the children/pups to feel Kagome's presence.

Inukimi answered, "She went to the Army's training grounds to spar with Inuyasha." Kagome hummed. Kagome sighed warily, which earned an eyebrow rose from Inukimi. "What's the matter, Kagome? You seemed troubled."

Kagome looked at her mother-in-law. She could clearly see concern on her face. Kagome sighed again. "I am worried."

"About what?"

"I am worried about this strange monk in Edo. We hadn't heard anything from Zokushi in a long while. I fear for my family, my friends. I don't know what I'll do if I loose them. Sorry, you probably think I am weak, huh?"

Inukimi gave her a look, which Kagome couldn't read clearly. Kagome thought that she would probably scoff and say something that had 'weak' and/or 'pathetic human'. So she braced herself for her insults. However, that wasn't what she received. Inukimi squeezed her hand in sympathy, which earned her mother-in-law a shock expression on Kagome's face. Inukimi chuckled at the reaction. "I don't think you are weak because you are worried about the near future. I used to not worried about InuTaisho before he died. I was confident in his power that there wasn't an ounce of worry coming from me. I knew that he would rescue Inuyasha's mother from Takemaru. I was waiting for my my mate and pups' arrival. I was shocked in disbelief that Sesshomaru told me about their father's death and how and why it happened. I immediately blame Inuhime for it because she encouraged her father. I regretted that day, but there was nothing that I could do about it now. What's done is done. I missed him so much that I..." She was on a verge of tears, when Kagome hugged her.

Unbeknownst to them, Natsume came over and said, "Is grandmama okay? Did something happened to grandpapa, daddy..."

Kagome looked at her daughter, who looked so much like her father. She smiled at her. "Your grandmama is okay. There's nothing wrong with grandpapa or anyone."

"What about you mama?"

She smiled at her, "I am alright, Natsume. Do you want to see your uncle and your aunt spar?"

Natsume nodded eagerly which made her mother chuckled. Then she yelled out the same question to the kids to see if they wished to see them spar, too. They all agreed.

Meanwhile, inside where Sango and Miroku were locked inside. Miroku said, "Sango, please, I know, I messed up. I wouldn't ever betrayed our love, marriage, and everything we worked so hard for. I..."

"Miroku, please stop," she yelled as she had her back facing him. "I know you wouldn't crossed the line and sleep with those women. I..." she sniffed. "I saw how beautiful those women were. They have flawless skin; beautiful, silky, shining, smooth hair. They walked with grace that no human could ever muster. I just felt insecure about my beauty. It also doesn't help that you flirt with them. It hurts."

Miroku walked to her with wide strides and turned Sango around for her to face him. He rubbed a callous thumb across her delicate cheeks to wipe her tears away. He kissed her tenderly. "Sango, I love you more than life itself. I am so very sorry that I hurt you that way. It wasn't intentional at all. I wished that I could turned back time, but I can't. Besides, you are the most beautiful woman`that I had ever laid eyes on. They don't compare to you. You have the softest, smoothest skin. Your hair shines as bright as the sun. Also I see other men look at you with lust clearly in their eyes, youkai and human alike. Why you think I'd always held you possessively? I was telling those men that you were taken; that you are mine. You're my best friend, my wife, my lover, and the mother of my children. I love you, Sango."

Sango saw the sincerity and honesty in those violet eyes of his. She smiled, a true smile. She stood on her toes and kissed his soft lips. Miroku moved one of his hands to the back of her head and gently pulled her hair to make her gasped. He, then, deepened the kiss, which rewarded him a moan from his beloved wife. Their kissing had gotten heated when they heard a little voice that said, "Eww." They pulled apart to see who had interrupted them. It was their little niece, Natsume. Soon afterwards, they heard Kagome called her daughter from the outside of the room.

Earlier, Natsume was so eager to reach the outside training area that she passed the room where her human uncle and aunt were inside. She heard them talking and some moaning and gasping. Her curiosity had gotten the best of her when she opened the door and then saw them kissing.

Kagome must had heard her daughter because she found her at the entrance of the door, where Sango and Miroku were locked inside in. Her first thought was... "Where were the guards?"

"Natsume!"

"Mama, Uncle Miroku and Aunt Sango were doing something gross." Kagome, immediately, thought the worst when she'd said that. She looked inside and saw... a clothed couple. She furrowed her eyebrows. "What was that something gross, sweetie?"

"Oh, they were doing what you and daddy do when you think I am asleep." Kagome complexion paled.

Sango cleared her throat and said, "We are just kissing, Kagome." Kagome nodded. The fact that they were kissing wasn't the reason why her complexion turned pale. It was that sometimes when her and her mate kissed, they were, most of the time, making love. Yep, that made her paled because her baby was too young to see such a thing.

Then Kagome heard a squeal coming from her daughter, that bought her out of her thoughts. She turned and saw Natsume running towards her father. She was such a daddy's girl. She reminded her of herself whenever she was younger and when her father was still alive. She would run to him every time she got home from school. Those memories had always brought tears to Kagome's eyes.

Sesshomaru immediately picked up his little girl and nuzzled her, which made InuTaisho chuckled. He remembered those times he had with his daughter. Sesshomaru sniffed the air because he smelt salt and arousal. The arousal came from the couple inside the room, which was no surprise considering who the couple were. The salt came straight down from where Kagome was standing. She stood awkwardly. She knew that he knew she was crying. He gave Natsume to her grandfather and made his way to Kagome. She had her eyes focused on the floor.

"Kagome, what's the matter?"

"Nothing's the matter." She looked up at him and she knew that he didn't believe her. She sighed. "It's just that seeing Natsume running to you reminded me when I was younger and when my father was still alive."

His eyes soften afterwards and then pulled her into a hug. She smiled and kissed him gratefully, which made her daughter said, "Eww."

That reminded her. "Sesshomaru, I believe that it's time for Natsume to get her own room. Also we need to talk to some guards that left their post. But first, we were going to watch Inuki beat up Inuyasha."

"So, we, too, decide to go and watch them spar."

Kagome turned to her friends and smiled. "I am glad that you, two, are together again. Do you wish to watch the sparing with us. The kids are going there, too. They are very excited to see them spar."

"Of course, I would mind seeing Inuyasha's ass being kicked." Miroku hummed in agreement.

So, they were off heading towards their army's training grounds to watch the duel between brother and sister. They wondered who was winning on their way over there.

Inuyasha (c) Rumiko Takahashi

Fanfiction & OCs (c) ladytari