Summary: By nature, Kagome was anything but cruel. She was kind, compassionate, and friendly, so how in the world did she ever achieve the title of strongest girl in Japan? It was something she certainly didn't boast about. Instead, Takemichi couldn't help but notice how she seemed to regard such a thing as a burden, but why…?

Pairing: Undecided

Disclaimer: I do not own either series. Each belongs to their rightful owners.

Chapter Twelve

"Why don't you come along?"

The question, while fully inconsequential, made the raven-haired miko freeze in her tracks. Blue eyes settled on Sesshomaru's stoic face, gold eyes fixed on the papers in front of him, even though she knew he could feel her gaze burning holes into his flesh. He wasn't fazed by it, and she eventually looked away.

"You know I'm not…-"

"I'm not offering for those reasons," he cut her off before she could say anything more. He knew just how much she avoided getting involved with the sort of things he did, and he was perfectly fine with her wishing to do so. Whatever she needed to feel better, that's what mattered. If she wasn't content with it, then so be it. There was no sense in trying to sway her otherwise. Not when she could be so obstinate in her choices. Surely, it was one of her best characteristics. It was good that she didn't sway to the whim and approval of others.

She looked back at him, blue eyes once more fixating on his face. "... Then why?" Kagome asked—nothing more than confusion brimmed in her voice, a genuine curiosity concerning his offer. "If not to help out in some fashion, won't I just get in the way?" she asked.

He shrugged. Her concern was a valid one. With her, it always was. "You won't be in a place where you run the risk of getting in the way," he stated. As he spoke, it became clear that he'd run over every possible outcome just to prevent that from happening. He was a tactful person, keen to even the smallest, most minuscule of details. It was only a few of his many, admirable traits that she'd grown to appreciate in her timeframe of knowing him. After a moment, she realized he'd fallen silent, and she craned her head to the side in confusion.

"You never said why you're offering," she reminded, gently prodding at that question a second time. He'd bypassed answering that one entirely. She knew it hadn't been an accident. He wasn't the one to make mistakes like that. He lifted his gaze to match her own, but she still couldn't read the look in his eyes no matter how hard she tried. He was just another type of battle.

"Wouldn't you like to escape for a moment?" he asked, the words falling from his lips as if they were the most obvious observation he'd ever made. "All of this information must have some negative impact on your psyche."

She didn't respond at first, not even pulling her gaze away from his as he rose to the challenge presented in her eyes head-on. She seemed to think his words over, or maybe she was just trying to piece them together on her own time.

Was he wrong?

Well, no, not really. In fact, he was pretty spot on. He always was, wasn't he? Just like every time before, it felt like he knew her better than she knew herself, and he didn't even have to try. It was like he was privy to her thoughts before even she was.

"Instead of beating your head against the brick wall of a dead end, take a moment for yourself to breathe," he stated. "It's unclear when or how you will die, but letting your mind linger on it so often will only have a negative impact on you." He might not care for the vast majority of human life, but he certainly understood human minds and bodies well. Probably better than humans themselves.

Her expression fell as she glanced down at her feet, suddenly avoiding the risk of meeting his stare. She could still feel his gaze burning into her flesh. He knew he'd struck a nerve. He was right.

"The only one who can provide you with new information isn't back yet," Sesshomaru coninuted, speaking more on the fact that she'd shared with him earlier. "There's no sense in you sitting around being miserable as you wait for something that might not change your fate."

Since when did she let herself wallow in grief for herself? That wasn't like her, and it frustrated him to no end to see her at risk of weighing herself down with senseless worry.

After a pause that felt like an eternity, she eventually found her answer. She looked at him with a faint smile coming to rest on her face as she nodded.

"I guess a few days won't hurt anything." Least of all her.

Sesshomaru nodded, seeming content with her answer. He stood, swiftly collecting the mess of papers on the table before he looked back at her. "Good, because I was going to make you go whether you agreed or not," he stated.

She refrained from rolling her eyes at that comment.

It didn't surprise her, after all.

Contrary to her first assumption about the little trip she'd gone on with him, it was nothing like she thought it'd be. True to his word, she was able to enjoy things in her own world completely separate from what he was doing. It wasn't going to be a long trip, just two days. So, on the evening before they were supposed to go back, the two of them sat at the table in the joint hotel room he'd booked.

"Oh, I also found this nice little cafe," she said, absentmindedly recounting the way her day had gone. "They had samples for their teas, so I bought a few to bring back. I think you'll like some of them, too," she stated.

Sesshomaru didn't offer a response as he sat across from her, gold eyes fixed on her face as she showed the different boxes. There were four of them in total. Two fruit-flavored teas and two that were herbal. She might've been smiling, but that did nothing to diminish from the concern he could see still brimming in her eyes.

"I know lemon can sometimes be too much or too little, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to try it," she remarked, fingers tapping against the box she held. "If it's too tart I might be able to sweeten it up…" she trailed off, seeming to think about the possibilities.

"Let me know if you come to favor any of them," he remarked. "I'll make it a habit to go get more for you when there's time."

She looked at him, her smile widening some. "Ah, really?" she asked. "Thanks!" She pushed the tea boxes to the side, her gaze soon lifting to meet his own. Confusion flickered through her eyes as she looked at him. "Say… Sesshomaru, can I ask you something?"

He didn't offer a response, instead looking away and to the papers in front of him. Still, he hadn't rejected the idea, so that gave her all the encouragement she needed.

"Why did you tell Inuyasha about… well, y'know?" she asked. It'd been bothering her for a little while now. She knew why he hadn't passed the information onto Shippo, but Inuyasha? That one confused her.

He was silent at first, and she wasn't sure he'd give her an answer. Just as she was about to give up on hoping that he would, he exhaled a soft sigh. "Because I hoped you would tell him more," he confessed.

"Huh? More?"

"That you would tell him who it was," he clarified. "You mentioned to me that you knew who is at fault for your death in the future, but you didn't say anything more. I had hoped that you would confide that information to him."

Kagome remained quiet for a moment, thinking back to the moment Takemichi told her about how Kisaki seemed to be involved. She'd been restless that night, considering she was home alone, and she'd called Sesshomaru. In the call, she told him the update. He, much like Inuyasha, had demanded a name, but she'd refrained from giving it.

"I see…" Kagome trailed off softly. She knew she should say something, but the words all became tangled inside her as she tried to say them.

"..." There was a heavy silence filling the room. She sat across from him at the table, chin resting in her palm as she glanced at him, seeming to wait for him to say what was on his mind. "You know," he began after a long pause. "When you first informed me that you die in the future, my first instinct was to remain at your side," he stated.

"Huh?" Surprise began to form within her chest at his confession, but he didn't try to backtrack on his words as he nodded.

"I thought that, surely, if I were to stay at your side, then nothing like that could happen to you," Sesshomaru stated in a low confession. "If, by some strange manner, something did happen, then I could bring you back."

Kagome didn't tear her gaze away from him as she spoke. At the same time, he didn't lift his to meet her own. She knew that was just easier for him, though.

"Yet…" he paused, eyes narrowing as anger seeped into his usual icy gold depths. "It seems that somewhere down the line that resolve wanes," he stated. Somewhere down the line, he left her alone and she perished as a consequence. The thought alone was enough to make him see red.

"Sesshomaru…-" Kagome couldn't find the words to say, none of them able to fully form on her tongue as his confession, and the full weight of it, landed against her. She wanted to face his solemn confession and the guilt that plagued his aura in tandem with it with some form of light-hearted humor, but she couldn't find it in her to do so. It wasn't the right time to do that, she knew.

"There will come a day where I fail and leave you alone, and that will be when you die," he stated, his hand curling into a fist on the table's surface. "As a repercussion, all who dared put you in harm's way will fall by my hand, and my hand alone. They will learn what a real monster looks like."

It was a promise, from him to her. A promise of revenge in her stead. A promise to snuff out the flames of those who dared manipulate her. His words were steadfast and blunt. She knew he would never back down from his word, even if she were to plead with him.

"I'll honor your wish and refrain from acting out in the present," he stated, lifting his gaze to finally meet her own. She was stunned by the frigid rage present. "But, just know the moment your blood has been spilled, I will hunt down and eradicate the cause."

It was no time to play games, and he was never the one to try with. Wordlessly, she reached a hand out to gently rest it over his own. A small smile lifted on her lips.

This was the side of him only so few people would ever be privileged to see, the side only shown to someone who held some form of worth to him. Truly, something reserved for one in a million.

"... right," she spoke softly in response.

She didn't think it was right, but she also knew she couldn't ever stand to dissuade him from that thought, from what he'd do to make right what others will one day wrong. He'd made his mind up, and, just like stone, it wasn't possible to make him sway from his choice. There was no undoing it.

She didn't feel right having everyone worrying about her. Not her demon companions, even if they had justified right to concern. Takemichi was another matter altogether.

They'd only just met, and whether she lived or died in the future, it shouldn't matter to him. There was someone he wanted to save, and he should just prioritize saving them. If he accomplished that, it shouldn't matter to him what happened to her.

At the same time, she knew he'd worry about it either way. He was a nice person and had hopes too high for him to dream of reaching. He needed to realize that just because he had time to act, that didn't mean he had to go through with it.

He shouldn't try to shoulder the weight of everyone's lives on his shoulders. He was only setting himself up for failure if he didn't get his focus straight. After a moment she sighed, fighting the faint smile that tried to lift and paint at her lips.

Wasn't that just the sort of thing she tried to do?

In a way, yes, it was, and that was why she wished he'd go about different methods. Sometimes saving everyone wasn't a possibility, and when it all boiled over, it was important to save the ones who mattered the most.

It was inevitable sometimes, and she knew that better than anyone.

"If you're going to take that burden upon yourself, then do you mind if I add one more?" she asked as she leaned to rest her chin on her palm, blue eyes catching gold from across the table. There were half a dozen things that she wanted to say, yet none of them could form. So, instead, she had to go with this one. Surely one day the others would be given a voice, as well. "If we reach a point where I'm no longer a part of this world, can you look out for the ones who tried to help me?" she asked, her resolve never faltering once in the face of his impassive expression. "Can you forgive their failures enough to make sure nothing happens to them?"

There was silence following her request, but she'd anticipated something akin to that. After a minute that felt much more like an hour, Sesshomaru glanced away from her, silver hair falling in front of his face as he rose to his feet.

"You're bold to assume I hold the ability to forgive such negligence, and of humans for that matter," he stated in his usual impassive tone. A smile spread across her face, a gentle light settling in her eyes as she looked at his turned back. "How foolish of you."

His words said one thing, but his aura told her something else. She knew he could tell she'd seen through it, which was why he'd stood up to draw this conversation to a close.

She couldn't protect everyone forever, but she'd protect everyone for as long as she could. No matter what happened to her in the end. To her, at least, it was worth it.

"Thank you, Sesshomaru."

Life was far from fair, and she knew that better than anyone. It was an unfortunate lesson that everyone had to learn at some point, but, despite that, she'd fight as much as she could so that the illusion of peace remained intact. Even if it was just for one more day, she'd give everything she was to let them live in one more moment of ignorance as an act of love and compassion.

Making her way up the shrine steps, Sesshomaru silently in tow, Kagome became focused on a familiar aura loitering around at the top of the shrine. A noise of confusion got stuck in her throat, and she felt Sesshomaru's eyes on her. He'd caught onto the scent a while before she felt the aura, and he looked to her for her reaction.

If it wasn't positive, then he'd act. If she wasn't bothered, then neither was he.

"It's fine," she said, glancing at him. "That's gotta be…-"

She stepped up the last few steps, her gaze landing on two familiar figures standing there. It looked like they were standing there waiting to see if she showed up. When one of them looked her way, she lifted a hand in a wave.

"Hey, Mikey! Hey, Draken!" she called out. Her voice caught the attention of both. She easily closed the gap between them, setting a hand on her hip as she gave him a confused look. "What're you two doing here?"

What's with them just showing up out of the blue like this?

"Were you out of town?" Mikey asked, skipping over her question at first. "We stopped by yesterday, but you weren't here."

"Ah, yeah…" she nodded, lifting a hand to rub the back of her neck. "The whole thing was sorta unexpected, but I was out of town with…-"

"Here, give me your bag." There was no warning before the bag she carried was plucked from her arm. Sesshomaru didn't slow his pace any, instead merely continuing on after collecting the bag from her.

"I could've taken it in!" she called out to him. He didn't even look at her as he kept walking.

"No need," he responded. "I told you to hand it over, did I not?" His tone, monotone yet far from dismissive, put an end to any argument she could try to put up.

Kagome sighed, shaking her head before turning back to the two blonde-haired boys. "I went on a short trip with him," she said, nodding in Sesshomaru's direction. She glanced at Draken then. "When I told you about that guy who's basically a brother to me, he's the one I was talking about," she said.

"Oh, so that's him?" Draken nodded, glancing towards the figure that'd silently showed up, saying only a few words to her and her alone, before going on his way without seeming to care for either of them being there. "He's… exactly how you described him," he added, glancing at her.

Kagome glanced up at him, a wry smile on her face. "That a good thing or bad thing now that you've seen him?" she asked, and he choked back a laugh.

"Don't got an answer to that one," he remarked. Kagome smiled and shook her head. "Just… I can see what you mean about him."

"Don't worry," she said. "He's not the type to care what anyone thinks of him.

Draken gave a faint laugh as he nodded. "Good to know."

Kagome glanced between the two of them, arching a brow. "Okay, so really, why are you two out here?" she asked. "Did you need something?"

"Just wanted to talk to you about something," Mikey said. Kagome caught the tone he spoke with, and she gave him a curious look.

"Oh?" she asked. "What about?"

"Toman will be facing off Moebius on August third," Mikey stated. For a moment, Kagome was confused.

"Yeah? What's that got to do with me?" she asked. "I never agreed to join up with you." Every time the subject was broached to her, she shot the idea down with ease. "You know I'm not interested in joining," she stated. "I'd cause too much trouble if I did. Following someone else isn't my style."

"I'm not asking you to join," he responded, a smile appearing on his face when he caught the look of confusion that overtook her expression.

"Then why…?"

"Well, you never argued it," Mikey said, catching her gaze. "You're nosy and do what you want. Isn't that right?"

Kagome felt a hint of red dye her cheeks when he repeated those same words from that one night after a Toman meeting.

"Plus, I figured you should know," he shrugged. "Since you've gone to the last few meetings. Surprised you missed the last one."

She knew what he was getting at, even if he wasn't outwardly saying it. She glanced to Draken for support, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he looked at her with a knowing light in his eyes, as if he, also, was calling her out on her bluff. After a moment, she folded her arms over her chest, pursing her lips in a pout that made Mikey laugh.

"You're pretty adorable making that face," Mikey taunted, reaching out to prod at her cheeks.

"Cut it out!" Kagome huffed, swatting his hand away with no real malice. At the same time, her face burned a deeper red. "Show some respect! Who's the older one here, again?"

"Dunno if you can really call yourself older when you're so short~" Mikey teased. Kagome glared at him, brow twitching in faint annoyance.

"You are so annoying," she grumbled.

Mikey laughed again. "Now you're the one acting like a child."

"As if!" Kagome hissed. Even though she argued against it, a part of her knew that he was right. However, that didn't mean she was going to admit and own up to it.

An arm fell to land on her shoulder, and she lifted her gaze until she caught Draken's stare.

"Just…" he began, putting himself between both of them to prevent any more teasing. He sent her a knowing smile and patted her shoulder with a warm hand. The touch was comforting and warm. "Filling you in. Just in case, y'know, you wanna go around being nosy."

Her face burned a deeper red as she huffed and turned on her heel. She folded her arms across her chest indignantly. "Don't go around being stupid and getting hurt, whatever you do," she stated. "I'm not gonna get involved…"

She said that, but she knew she couldn't just stand by and just watch as it all unfolded. Her arms fell back to her sides and sighed, turning to face them both.

"But… where you go, I'll go," she said after a moment. "Someone's gotta patch up you idiots after a brawl, and I happen to be used to doing it," she admitted. She could tell her words caught them by surprise, but she didn't elaborate on her claim. "I'm not gonna join a gang any time soon, but I'll be damned if I let anyone get hurt on my watch."

She meant those words, too.

Her life had been full of loss ever since she fell down the well. Full of loss, violence, fighting, and pain. She hadn't chosen this path, and, if it'd ever been up to her, she wouldn't choose it. Not even in a million years.

That didn't mean she couldn't make the best out of a bad decision, though.

Maybe one day she'd be free from the burden, but, until then, it was up to her how she lived her life. She could only hope that she had no regret when it came time for her to die.

Auroua-chan: I wanted to add this part to the last chapter, but I felt like it'd be better on its own.

Kagome's made her stance clear when it comes to Toman and gangs in general. It's perfect even ground, but she'll eventually go back on those words in one timeline that led her to joining Bonten, at least.

Also, Sesshomaru's made his stance clear when it comes to Kagome's imminent demise. He's sworn a vow, and Kagome's asked a favor of him. He didn't say he agreed, but that doesn't mean he won't do it.

Y'know, I don't think I ever mentioned the idea of SessKag being the pairing for this story. It's not impossible, and this chapter shows that he cares a lot for her. She's realistically the only human he values in the present, even drastically more than his cohorts, and he possesses some sort of grief and remorse for knowing that one day something will happen to her when he's not there. Now, whether that comes from a familiar love or a more romantically charged one, is unclear.

Just because I'd rather have an x-over pair, doesn't mean I'm against a bit of SessKag here and there.

Anyway, that's it for now! Thank you all for reading and I hope you all enjoyed. Hopefully I caught all the errors before posting but if not, sorry.

Please remember to Review, Favorite, and Follow, thank you!

Bye for now~