A girl played in the river, splashing up water and smiling, her father on the river banks trying to clean his red top.

Sesshomaru came to a stop; with no words, he just stood there, his boots just in the line of sight of the man. Sesshomaru never looked at the man, just the child. Her hair was dark, and her ears were like her father's. She noticed him and stood straight, looking at him with eyes almost void, much like her mother's.

She never took her eyes off him; it was apparent her father taught her something.

"She dont speak,"

Sesshomaru looked down, and his brother looked up. "My kid doesn't speak,"

"It matters not,"

And it didnt.

"Why are you here, Sesshomaru,"

"The Miko has returned,"

Inuyasha looked away. "You dont think I know that?"

"You have seen her?"

Inuyasha didnt answer.

"Why do you hide?"

Inuyasha stood. "She dont need me in her life,"

"Are you angry with her?"

Inuyasha looked off at his child. "How can I be angry at her," He made his choice known; she was just doing what he wanted. This, this was his fault, but he would not change it, Maybe some of it, but he loved his wife and his daughter, and that he would never change. He knew, deep down, death would come for its stolen prize. It wasn't fair, but it wasn't Kagome's fault. But seeing her that would hurt too much, and the feelings it would bring up would not be fair to her; this was for the best.

"Why do you avoid her?"

"Why are you here, Sesshomaru," Inuyasha looked at him again, his fire rat cloth in his hands,

"She needs closer,"

"She doesn't need that from me," Inuyasha rings out his top. "That still doesn't answer why you are here," Their eyes meet, and slowly but surely, Inuyasha understands, and he wishes he didnt. "K, like you give a shit what I think,"

"The Miko needs -

"She does, or you do?"

Sesshomarus's eyes darkened, as does his expression. "I seek nothing from you, Inuyasha; for the last time I sought your aid, you abandoned me,"

"She doesn't need my blessing, she isn't mine to give or deny,"

"And yet she hesitates because of you,"

"Dont blame that on me, buddy,"

"And yet it is the truth,"

"I ain't going back with you; if that is why you are here you are wasting your time."

"So you will never see her again?"

Inuyasha put his top back on. "Oh, I'll see her; I will always see her. You can bet that,"

"Yet you will deny her the same,"

"Yes," But he could not really never because forever was a long time.

"Selfish of you, but I would not expect anything less," Sesshomaru turned,

"Selfish, that's rich coming from you; no, what would be selfish is going back and putting false hope into her; selfish is getting in her way of growth. Do you really think if I went back and said, hey, sure fuck my brother, I'm cool with it, she would?"

Sesshomaru had him pinned to a tree; the child watched with no fear or surprise.

Sesshomaru growled,

"If I go back, she will never move on, especially with you, because I would never give you my blessing, handing her over to you; how could you take care of her when I couldn't?"

Sesshomaru tightens his grip before releasing him.

"I saw you go back and forth from the well; I knew well before you did what was happening," Inuyasha rubbed his neck. "Me staying away from her, that is all I can do, its all my heart can do, and it is for the best for her, and if you want her, if you if you can love her, then you dont even need me, the rest is up to you,"

Sesshomaru turned away,

"If you hurt her, I will kill you,"

Sesshomaru took a few steps before stopping and looking at his brother again. Gold-met Gold: "If I do, I will let you,"

Then, after just like that, he vanished.

Inuyasha dropped to the ground, his back against the tree. The fact that Sesshomaru sought him out meant that he really did care. Once Kikyo died, Inuyasha was headed to the well to seek something familiar to ease his pain; what he found was his brother, confused at first. Inuyasha realized Sesshomaru was feeling what he was feeling, homesick, but it wasn't home. It was a person.

Kagome.

He wondered how long it would take his brother to get it, to realize what he really wanted, what he missed now that it was gone.

But she was back, and he had no right to her heart, no right to stop her from loving whoever she wanted to love, even if it was his brother.

"K, what you can't kill, mate," Inuyasha laughed, half expecting his brother to pin him against the tree again. His smile faded as he realized Kagome would; she would be mated to his brother, bonded for life, mother of his children. He would like to say that it didn't hurt, but deep down, it did and that was selfish of him.

Inuyasha stood and made his way to his kid. "Come on, let's go,"

Inuyasha went East, and after a month of traveling, Sesshomaru returned to the West.