Kazuko no Kinezuke

(Obligations of Family)

Part II

          On reflection, Sesshoumaru decided much later, it would perhaps have been better to simply sit down quietly once Kagome had indicated her willingness to humor Inu-Yasha and pound out the niggling details of the agreement.  But flexibility was not a trait shared by either of Inutaishou's sons, and when Inu-Yasha chose to make himself scarce for several days after the harsh words he'd spewed in the garden, Sesshoumaru had simply accepted the minor miracle for what it appeared to be, and asked no questions.  Inu-Yasha still prowled the castle and surrounding property restlessly like the mononoke the kitsune cub had once accused him of being, avoiding the regular inhabitants.  Sesshoumaru felt freed to resume his usual activities, taking meals with his mate and children, training his heir, and dealing with the achingly dull paperwork that came with having a large section of the island under his benevolent paw.  Certainly, he saw his rule as benevolent.  He didn't wander the countryside randomly decimating villages, he had no use for human females offered him as tribute and returned them to their families unharmed.  Really, he would think Kagome's influence was making him seem quite weak, except the rare humans he was forced to deal with still cowered mindlessly, and his mate's own considerable talents made it clear to any youkai that the male who could control her could never be weak.  And they were a foolish bunch for the most part, assuming force would be required to cow a spirit like hers.  It was much easier, and more pleasurable for everyone concerned, if she obeyed him out of desire rather than fear.  In private, Kagome would show her temper as it pleased her, but when facing other youkai in public, she was demure and obedient, the ideal image of a powerful lord's mate.  Until challenged, of course.  Given leave to defend herself and the children, she could and had called down purifying hellfire that licked at the fur of nearby tormentors and made them think several times over about threatening anything of hers.

          So perhaps it would have been easier for all if he had simply swallowed a bit of pride, no matter how badly it would have gone down, and worked out the details privately.  Unfortunately, it was now much too late for that.

          Sesshoumaru turned the packet, wrapped in oiled silk and sealed with the Council crest over and over in his hands.  He was reluctant to open it, not afraid, he told himself.  Fear was for what could not be controlled, and everything, everything, was subject to some kind of mastery.  There was only the matter of finding where the strings were pulled and seizing them for one's self.  But he had no desire to see the words written.  Set down on paper, they might as well have been carved in stone, immutable, and making a hash of the delicate art of negotiation.  He cracked the seals and let the silk fall open, revealing the folded and sealed massages within.  Setting aside the one marked with Inu-Yasha’s name, he opened his own and settled back to read it.

          It was not as bad as it could have been, certainly.  He was invited by special directive to attend the next series of Council meetings, where Inu-Yasha would be permitted to make his case, and Sesshoumaru to agree or refuse.  The Council would then hear from what they were terming ‘other interested parties’ then make some kind of determination.  It ruffled his fur that the Council would presume to tell him what to do with his mate, but in all truth, the answer could have been much worse.  Had Inu-Yasha been youkai rather than hanyou, they would almost certainly have ordered Kagome into Inu-Yasha keeping until she was breeding.  And that was completely unacceptable.

          The hiss of the fusama opening caught his attention, and he looked up to see Kagome standing in the doorway.

          "Hana-chan said there was a messenger."

          He nodded toward the cushion across the table from where he sat, and she entered, closing the door and taking the place he indicated.  "It’s not from Sango, is it?" she asked, toying with the edges of her sleeves.

          "We are not that fortunate.  The Council has responded to Inu-Yasha’s request," he said, tossing down the parchment in front of her.

          She scanned through it, eyebrows lifting at certain points.  "They’re making awfully free with your property, aren’t they?"

          He shrugged.  "There are laws, and they must be upheld.  Otherwise, chaos and bloodshed would rule."

          "You’re pretty good at both of those," Kagome suggested.

          His smile was a frightening thing.  "Yes.  I am."  He handed her the still sealed parchment bearing Inu-Yasha’s name.  "He should have that."

          She looked down at it.  "You know he’s not speaking to me either, right?"

          "He is also not likely to draw his sword on you.  He still needs you alive to complete this insane quest, after all."

          Kagome shivered.  "Charming thought."

          "Indeed.  Tell him you have agreed, if you wish.  It does not change the necessity of this journey.  He may speak to me whenever he chooses about the... particulars."  He picked up his copy of the summons and refolded it.  "Ask Hana to pack.  Everything must be formal.  A show of strength at this point would not be amiss, either."

          Kagome nodded, tucking the other parchment into her wide sleeve.  "And the children?"

          "Sesshouinu must go.  As heir, he is affected.  The others should stay here.  I will not willingly take them should this prove a trap."

          Kagome frowned as she stood.  "A trap?  Where are we going?"

          "The Council rotates meeting places.  You know this."  She nodded.  The Council would come to the West the following year for 8 weeks to conduct just this kind of business.  "They are near Sapporo this year."

          "Hokkaido," she said quietly.

          "Yes.  Hokkaido, and the Kita."

          "And your mother?"

          "Yes.  Tettsume-sama will be present.  You can plan on that."

          It was all very well for Sesshoumaru to say ‘give this to Inu-Yasha,’ Kagome reflected.  It was another thing entirely for her to find the sullen hanyou in the labyrinth of corridors that made up the castle, even with her improved senses.  When Inu-Yasha didn’t want to be found, he was as elusive as the air.  Finally, she simply staked out a hall near his room and waited.  He knew she was there.  When he wanted to know badly enough what she was doing, he would come to her.

          She wasn’t waiting long.  "What do you want?" he demanded, rounding a corner.  He’d been shuffling his feet on the other side for a few minutes, perhaps giving her a chance to break and run.

          Thirteen years facing off against his brother had steeled her spine.  "You’re the one who wants something, aren’t you?  Kind of hard to get it if you’re constantly ducking me."

          "You’re no good at teasing, Kagome.  There has to be some chance of getting what you’re talking about for it to work."  He folded his hands into his sleeves and stared down at her.  "Does my sainted brother know you’re here?"

          "Of course."  She slid the parchment out of her own sleeve, holding it out.  "The Council granted you a hearing.  You can state your case, try to convince them of your point."

          He opened the latter and skimmed through it.  "Hokkaido, huh?  You might get your precious way anyway.  That bitch Tettsume hates me.  She might kill me the instant I set foot there just for kicks.  Not like she hasn’t tried before."

          "You don’t know what my way is anymore, Inu-Yasha."  Kagome shook her head sadly.  "So damn impatient.  Yes, Sesshoumaru and I talked about your request the morning after you arrived.  There’s more to consider here than whether or not I'm willing to sleep with you again.  You’re asking for a piece of my life back.  You’re asking me to bring a child into this world with parents that have never been able to truly get along.  And there are things coming that scare me, Inu-Yasha.  The wars are only going to get worse before they get better.  I know human politics don’t particularly interest youkai, but I don’t want to see any of my children caught in the crossfire.  No one ever asks to be involved in this stuff, but sometimes it shows up on your doorstep and there’s nothing you can do to stop it."  She felt the tears start to form in her eyes and stepped back before he could reach out to brush them away.  "Talk to Sesshoumaru.  I’ve already agreed to be bound by whatever he considers acceptable.  We have to present a united front to the Council, whatever they think the situation is.  The Kita want a piece of the West, so they’ll try anything.  And they’ll get it over my dead body."

          Inu-Yasha blinked, staring at her.  "I didn’t know you cared that much."

          "You didn’t really know me at all, Inu-Yasha.  That’s the whole problem."

          The fusama rattled open for the second time in an hour, leading Sesshoumaru to believe that perhaps he should seek a solitary place of contemplation somewhere else.  Certainly this one was become too much of a crossroads of activity.

          His half-brother stood glowering in the doorway.  "Kagome said you agreed," he said without preamble.

          "So you have yet to vanish from the castle after all.  I was beginning to wonder."  Sesshoumaru gestured to a cushion.  "You may as well come in.  I do not care to have this discussion with the entire household listening."

          The fusama slammed shut and Inu-Yasha stalked in.  "You could have fucking told me you were going to agree.  I wouldn't have written to the Council if-"

          "If you got your way?" Sesshoumaru interrupted smoothly.  "You are so damned impatient, Inu-Yasha.  That has always been your greatest weakness."

          The hanyou looked away.  "Kagome said the same thing."

          "Kagome is correct.  Yes, I have agreed, provisionally.  Certain details must be worked out first.  I am not simply going to turn you loose on my mate without a number of agreements.  Kagome has certain concerns, as do I.  When those have been addressed, we can move forward."

          Inu-Yasha leaned back a little, and Sesshoumaru could sense his agitation calming.  "Go ahead," the hanyou said.  "I'm listening."

          The hot water in the furo lapped at Kagome's chin as she soaked the tension out of her shoulders.  The whole situation with Inu-Yasha had spoiled her mood for days, and compounded with the turn in the weather keeping the children penned inside, had frayed her nerves down to the thinnest of threads.

          She felt a puff of cold air on her face as the door opened, but didn't open her eyes.  "Dare desu ka?"

          "Sesshoumaru," he replied as his youki washed over her, making her smile.  "Were you sleeping?"

          "Nope. Not sleeping.  Not thinking.  Not anything.  Very nice."

          "Shall I leave you to your nothing, then?"

          She could already hear the slide of silk against skin.  "No.  You should join me."  There was a scrubbing sound, and the splash of rinse water being poured over something, then the waves tickling her chin grew agitated as something moved into the tub.  A pair of very familiar hands lifted and moved her, and she found herself settled in Sesshoumaru’s embrace, her back pressed to his chest and his chin tucked into her shoulder.  She let her own head fall back and turned to rub her nose into a particularly sensitive spot behind his ear.  The arms around her waist tightened briefly, then he tilted his head away.

          "Do not," he said quietly, pulling her away a bit.

          "Why?"

          "Inu-Yasha and I settled on terms.  The Old Flea will be permitted to sample your blood in the morning, to assure that you are not breeding now."

          "I’m not," she said decisively.

          "The flea will settle the issue definitively," Sesshoumaru continued calmly.  "Then, when the timing is auspicious, Inu-Yasha will have his...opportunity."

          "When?" she asked with a sigh.

          "Your first heat after we return from Hokkaido.  With any luck at all, the visit will be a short one.  Certainly, we have no other business there."

          She could hear the flatness in his voice that spoke of monumental control.  "What aren’t you telling me?" she asked, shifting to look at him.

          "I have agreed not to... indulge my own desires until the matter is settled."

          Kagome stiffened.  "I don't like the sound of that at all."

          "Nor did I.  But it was a perfectly reasonable request, and I was able to use it ensure that you will only have to accept Inu-Yasha's advances on one night, rather than several.  The trade is equitable," he assured her.

          "Not to me, it isn't.  I didn't want you… inconvenienced by this arrangement."  She sighed.  "It’s not working out like I wanted."

          "There is very little choice now, Mate.  The Council could and would do much worse."

          She let herself lean back into him.  "What would they do?"

          "If you refused?  Scorch the earth, destroy this place, kill the children and myself.  I only pray they would kill you outright rather than throwing you to the rabble for their use."  His youki crackled around them and she pushed at it, trying to exert a certain amount of calm.

          Kagome swallowed hard.  "I can do it.  Whatever I have to do, I'll do it.  But I'm going to hate Inu-Yasha for a long time over this."

          "Then we are in agreement.  I may never forgive him."

          Hokkaido in the grip of winter was cold, much more so than the castle near Saigoku, and Kagome was shivering as she slid from Aa-Un’s back into Sesshoumaru’s arms.

          "Cold?" he asked.

          She only nodded, pressing herself closer to his warm embrace.

          Sesshoumaru snapped in Jaken’s direction, and the toad-demon hastened to rifle a pack and bring its contents to the taiyoukai.  Sesshoumaru released Kagome, shaking out a set of heavy fur robes and draping the over her shoulders. She pulled them close around her, and the shivering abated.

          "Better?" Sesshoumaru asked, eyeing her with concern.  Any appearance that she was in poor health could be used against them.

          "Yes, much.  Thank you."  She lifted her bow and quiver of arrows from the dragon-beast’s broad back, keeping them close at hand.  A full meeting of the Youkai Council was no place to start anything, but she was more than willing to defend herself if necessary.

          "Feh.  Didn’t bother to get any stronger, huh?"  Inu-Yasha’s mood had been even more foul since the negotiations had been concluded, certain that his brother had managed once again to get the better end of the deal.

          Kagome rolled her eyes.  "Inu-Yasha, it’s in your best interest to make sure I’m very healthy for the foreseeable future.  It would be a tragedy if I were to get pregnant, then lose your child to some kind of illness."

          "You wouldn’t," he hissed.

          Her eyes grew cold.  "I’m so angry with you right now that I don’t know what I’d do, so don’t push it."  She turned to Sesshoumaru, smile fixed in place.  "I didn’t recognize this many youkai when they came to Saigoku last."

          "Many chose not to come when we last hosted," Sesshoumaru said calmly.  He stood in front of her deliberately, Aa-Un at her back.  With Inu-Yasha on one side and Sesshouinu on the other, he was at least momentarily convinced of her safety.  "Should you feel threatened, cast your barrier.  Do not wait to determine their intentions.  I fear we have very few friends here.  Sesshouinu, Inu-Yasha, come.  Jaken, see to Aa-Un."  Setting his jaw, he led the little party into the heart of the castle.

          They were several corridors deep in the massive structure when a voice rang out.

          "Sesshoumaru!"

          "Kuso," Inu-Yasha muttered.  "This just keeps getting better and better."

          "It was your choice, Little Brother, not mine," Sesshoumaru reminded him before turning to face the speaker who'd called him.  "Mother.  I see you are well."

          Tall, thin, and pale, Tettsume's icy blue eyes looked down her upturned nose at Sesshoumaru's companions.  "I don't like ningen, Sesshoumaru.  Why are you bringing them into my home?"

          Sesshoumaru golden eyes narrowed.  "There are many, many places I would willingly take my mate before bringing her here, including Hell itself.  And Inu-Yasha was specifically invited here by the Council.  Take it up with them if you are disturbed."

          "So rude, aniki-sama," a voice said from the other side.  Sesshoumaru's head snapped around to see a dark-haired youkai approaching, gray silk fluttering gently.  "And to our own mother, as well.  The ningen really have ruined you."  His gaze swept consumingly over Kagome.  "Though I begin to see the attraction.  Perhaps we can compare notes later."

          The situation was rapidly becoming untenable.  "Kuroshinu.  It is well outside your place to lecture me on manners."  He shifted slightly, putting himself between Kagome and Tettsume while Inu-Yasha and Sesshouinu blocked Kuroshinu.  Kagome, can your barrier cover the four of us safely?

          Hai, but it when it goes up, every youkai here will feel it.

          That was my intention.  Now, if you please.

          Kagome closed her eyes, reaching in to pull forth a wave of purifying energy.  She pushed it outward, deliberately ignoring the youki from her own men and setting it over them in a dome of cold pink-white flame.  It crackled and spat, tiny tongues reaching out to lick at the youkai outside the barrier.

          Tettsume sneered from one side, and Sesshoumaru could hear Kuroshinu growling on the other.  But for the moment, they were safe, assuming Kagome could keep the barrier in place indefinitely.

          Another figure moved beyond the barrier, and Sesshoumaru's gaze shifted.

          "That's enough, Tsutsuji-chan.  Call your son off before the miko brings the castle down on our heads."

          Tettsume glared at the old inuyoukai behind her, then gestured to Kuroshinu, and he stepped carefully around the barrier to join them.

          "Your mate and son are safe now, Sesshoumaru," the old dog continued.  "She may stop.  Preferably before we are buried here."

          He waited a moment, deliberately, then gave Kagome the shallowest of nods, and the barrier fell in a shower of sparkling dust.  "Ojii-sama.  Greetings."

          "Tettsume, take your foolhardy son and go.  I wish to speak with Sesshoumaru."

          She glared at her father for a long moment, the swept away, the dark inuyoukai following in her wake.  They all watched until the pair vanished around a corner, then the elder dog shook his head slightly.  "And to think that is what I have for an heir.  You are beyond fortunate there, Grandson."  His gaze turned to Kagome.  "And you, Granddaughter?  Are you well?"

          Kagome smiled.  "Well enough, Inutaijin-sama.  Thank you for your help."

          "Thank you for not toppling the castle.  You could, you know."  His gaze shifted to Inu-Yasha.  "So this is the one making all the fuss, eh?"

          "My father's younger son," Sesshoumaru said.  "Inu-Yasha, this is Kita no Tai-inuyoukai, Inutaijin-sama.  My grandfather."

          Inu-Yasha nodded, refraining from making a rude comment.  "So who's the kuro inu?" he asked, hand easing from where it had been wrapped around the Tetsusaiga's hilt.

          "Technically, your step-brother, pup.  Come.  I'll walk with you to your quarters.  I'm sure you want to hear the story."

          "So he's only half-inu?" Kagome asked, pouring tea into delicate cups.

          "Yes," Inutaijin said.  "Tettsume chose to associate with a member of the Kuro-Ryuu Clan after her return from the Nishi.  Poor choice on her part, that time.  She returned home in disgrace, again, with Kuroshinu, and proceeded to create chaos in my home."

          "She is rather… abrasive," Sesshoumaru allowed.

          "She's an out and out hell-raising bitch." Inutaijin declared.  "Not that that's any great fault for an inu female.  But Tettsume takes it too far at times.  Still, she has her supporters among the clan."  His gaze shifted over to Sesshoumaru.  "Are you sure you won't change your mind?"

          "Positive."  Sesshoumaru shot a look to Kagome, and she nodded, setting the teapot aside and rising.

          "Please excuse me, Ojii-sama, but the journey was quite fatiguing.  Might I beg the use of your bathhouse?"

          "Of course, Granddaughter.  You know where it is?"

          She offered him a charming smile.  "I'll find it, I'm sure."

          Sesshoumaru glanced at his son.  "Sesshouinu, go with her.  Jaken will bring you both fresh clothing."

          "Hai, Otou-sama."  He rose and bowed, then escorted Kagome out of the room.

          "You deliberately sent him away," Inutaijin stated.

          "Yes.  He knows he is not my son by blood, but Kagome and I have not explained the circumstances surrounding his conception yet."  Sesshoumaru heard Inu-Yasha shift impatiently and shot him a glance.  "You will continue to keep your peace on the subject if you are in any way wise."

          "He should know," Inu-Yasha argued.

          "He will," Sesshoumaru responded,  "when I think it is time."

          "You'd better start thinking about it soon, Ouson.  It will be the first suggestion the clan puts forward to solve your little difficulty," Inutaijin warned him.

          "Inu-Yasha and I have already settled on terms.  We are wasting the Council's time here," Sesshoumaru sniffed.

          "The Council is best disposed to decide how to spend its time, and you know it," the elder youkai snapped.  Then he sighed.  "You can't blame me for favoring my own blood, Sesshoumaru.  You should do the same."

          "Sesshouinu's blood is my father's blood, and therefore mine as well.  I fail to see your point."

          "You said it yourself, aniue.  There's no more Kita blood in the pup than Oyaji and I have," Inu-Yasha smirked, jerking his chin at the walls around them.  "They can't control him, and they hate that."

          "You're going to allow him to speak that way?" Inutaijin asked, eyes narrowed,

          Sesshoumaru gave a long-suffering sigh.  "I gave up long ago trying to curb Inu-Yasha's tongue.  Kagome has more patience for it than I."

          "I'm sure that's true."

          It was an ugly insinuation, and one neither brother cared for.  "Look, Kagome's only willing to do this to spike your fucking wheel, Jijii, so shut your fucking mouth about her."

          Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes.  "You see why I gave up the exercise as futile.  All the Council needs to know is that she will do what is required of her to provide Inu-Yasha an heir."

          "For your sake, Sesshoumaru, I hope she does.  Things could turn very ugly otherwise."

          Sesshoumaru went still as a stone.  "Explain."

          "If she doesn't provide the hanyou with an heir, others are bound to ask.  You cannot un-ring the bell."

          Inu-Yasha glared at his brother.  "How many fucking brothers do you have?" he snapped.

          "Two too many, at this rate," Sesshoumaru snapped back.  "What do you mean, Ojii-sama?"

          "I mean that I know Kuroshinu's temperament.  If Inu-Yasha does not succeed, he will surely ask for a chance himself.  He has no mate at this time, you know."

          Sesshoumaru growled.  "Kagome is not a tidbit to be passed from hand to hand for all to taste.  If Sesshouinu were not Inu-Yasha's get already, I would not-"

          "Now you see what I mean about un-ringing the bell.  Kuroshinu could conceivably receive support for his petition because he is my current heir."

          "Current heir," Sesshoumaru echoed.  "Meaning what?"

          "Meaning I have other grandchildren and great-grandchildren, though he is the eldest, yourself excluded.  Your mother was supposed to have two pups, you know."

          "She did, or are you breaking out new secrets?" Inu-Yasha sneered.

          "Obstinate idiot.  She was to bear Inutaisho two children, one to be his heir, and one to be mine.  With some carefully arranged mating, the Kita could have had a strong presence in every great youkai house in Japan.  But she couldn't abide his quirks."  Inutaijin sighed.  "Your father was as stubborn as the two of you combined."

          "You mean his really bad habit of not killing every human who crossed his path," Inu-Yasha said snidely.  "Oh, yeah.  That's weird."

          "You are trying this Sesshoumaru's patience, Ojii-sama.  What are you trying to say?"

          "You have a daughter, Sesshoumaru.  I have a great-grandson a year younger than your heir.  Agree to their mating, and I will arrange to make that pup my heir."

          Sesshoumaru watched him coolly.  "And will you offer a great-granddaughter for my heir as well, I suppose, and work the Kita blood back into the Nishi line?"

          "If I thought you would accept her, yes.  In an instant."

          Sesshoumaru stood abruptly.  "I must instruct Jaken.  We will speak about this later."  He bowed to Inutaijin and left the room.

          Inu-Yasha was left with the Kita no Tai-Inuyoukai.  "Well, pup.  You are supposed to be his advisor.  What will you advise?"

          Inu-Yasha snorted.  "To get as far from here as he can as fast as he can.  But I'm not the one you have to worry about.  He'll ask Kagome about the pups."

          "And what will his mate say?"

          Inu-Yasha smirked broadly.  "Not even on a cold day in hell."

          Kagome blinked for a long moment after Sesshoumaru filled her in on the offer Inutaijin had made.  "When hell freezes over," she said at last.  "Wait, no, not even if hell froze over."

          "The boy is not Tettsume's," Sesshoumaru assured her.  "My mother has several nieces and nephews.  He must be suggesting one of their pups."

          "So we can sell Himeko to the Kita in exchange for pissing off the current heir?  It would be a disaster."  She studied his face for a moment.  "What else did he say?"

          "He would offer one of his  great-granddaughters for Sesshouinu, as well."

          "So if they can't force their way into power in the West, they'll just breed their way there, is that it?" Kagome demanded.

          "Essentially, yes."  The whole discussion was beginning to annoy Sesshoumaru no end.  "Nothing must be decided now.  But keep the possibility in mind.  Hell freezing over may happen sooner than you anticipate."

          Kagome heard the chiding tone in his voice and backed down, keenly aware of the ears turned on them far from home.  "I understand."  She sighed.  "Is there anything else I need to know?"

          "The Council's first suggestion regarding the issue of Inu-Yasha's heir, courtesy of the Kita, I might add, will be to turn Sesshouinu over to his custody."

          Kagome chewed her lower lip apprehensively.  "He won't understand why.  I suppose they'll make it really clear when they suggest it, too."

          "They will," Sesshoumaru agreed.  "So it is probably best to explain the situation ahead of time."

          Kagome pushed herself to her feet from where she knelt on the tatami.  "All right, then.  Let's get it over with."

          "Oi, pup."

          The boy didn't move from his spot on the wall, staring out across the snowy garden.  Inu-Yasha sighed in exasperation and trudged through the drifts, hopping up onto the stone structure then dropping down to sit next to the pup.  The ice on the ledge under him melted, soaking the seat of his hakama, and he squirmed restlessly.  "Aw, fuck!"

          Next to him, Sesshouinu glanced at him and let out a barking laugh. 

          Inu-Yasha eyed him with concern.  "What was that for?"

          The pup shook his head.  "Nothing, really.  Okaa-sama said something…"

          "What?"

          "Not important."  Sesshouinu tuned his gaze back to the snowy garden.  "So you and Okaa-sama, huh?"

          Inu-Yasha blinked a moment, trying to adjust his mindset.  "Yeah," he said at last.  "It was a long time ago."  Beside him the boy snorted, and Inu-Yasha nudged him with an elbow.  "Shut up if you want to hear this.  I'm guessing that's why you're out here and not in shouting at them."

          "'S not their fault,  So what happened?"

          "Your mom's a funny kind of person, kiddo.  She believes, or at least, she used to believe, in the deep down fundamental goodness of everyone.  Once you have her trust, it takes a hell of a lot to break it.  And when you really do break it, it breaks something in her at the same time."

          "So you went and broke my mom?  Thanks a lot, Inu-jijii."

          "Watch your mouth, or your mother will do it for you, and you won't like it.  I didn't set out to hurt her, even though it seems like that's all I could do.  Anyway, we'd finished off Naraku less than a season before.  Sango and Miroku had holed up with Shippou in the taijiya village right after, and Kagome and I went after the rest of the shards.  There couldn't have been more than a handful left at that point.  It was a lot like the way it had been in the beginning; track down a shard, kill the demon, look for the next shard.  None of the 'get revenge for the shit Naraku pulled' stuff.  It was fun, almost.  I didn't want it to end.  And I kind of lost my head for a while.  I thought it could really work.  So one night, I kissed her.  I don't know why, I just went for it.  And she kissed me back."

          "Heat."

          Inu-Yasha turned to look into a pair of golden eyes that were all too knowing for the 12-year-old they occupied.  "Why the hell do you know about that?"

          Sesshouinu's expression was clearly inherited from the demon who raised him.  "I'm not stupid, Inu-jisan.  Or a pup.  Otou-sama explained mating a long time ago."

          "And you didn't jump out of your fur the first time he brought it up?" Inu-Yasha asked.

          "No.  Just the first time I accidentally walked in on him and Okaa-sama."  He shuddered slightly.  "Ick."

          Inu-Yasha had to agree with that sentiment.  "Yeah.  Okay.  So you have a pretty good idea of what happened next, then, right?"

          The boy looked at him, then his eyes went distant, and he shuddered harder, but nodded.

          "Well, trust me when I say it was a good idea at the time.  Except I'd forgotten about something.  Kikyou was still wandering around with part of Kagome's soul and a grudge bigger than Ryuukossei.  She was just staring at me when I woke up, like I was some piece of trash under her foot, but something she couldn't get rid of at the same time.  And she had her damned bow pointed at us.  So I got up, very carefully, and went to talk to her.  She was about 12 shades of pissed, and wanted to kill us both, seeing as I'd defiled another miko and broken my word to her, at least in her eyes.  She still had enough power then to purify me with a touch if she'd wanted to, so I made an effort not to make her angry.  I told her, very stupidly, as it turned out, that I would go to Hell with her if she would leave Kagome in peace."

          "Why didn't you just kill her?" Sesshouinu asked.

          Inu-Yasha sighed.  The boy had Sesshoumaru's mind-set, no doubt.  "I'd promised her my life, a long time ago.  That I would protect her, become human and live with her.  She was the first person who was remotely kind to me after my mother died.  I felt like I owed her.  I would have killed anyone who tried to hurt her."

          "And Okaa-sama killed her," Sesshouinu concluded.

          "See, you know some of this story already.  Yeah.  Kagome woke up and saw me betraying her with Kikyou, more or less.  But then, Kikyou had seen me betraying her with Kagome." Inu-Yasha sighed again.  It was getting to be one of those kinds of days.  "Don't ever fall in love with two women at the same time, kiddo.  Especially if one is the reincarnation of the other.  Nothing good comes of it."

          "Nothing?"

          Inu-Yasha looked at the pup, then grinned and ruffled his hair.  "Okay.  I was wrong.  One good thing came of it.  So anyway," he went on, picking up the tale again, "I said a whole bunch of things to your mother that she really didn't need to hear at that moment, none of which were true.  And I left her at the absolute worst moment in her life.  And somehow, Sesshoumaru found her."

          "He was looking for you," Sesshouinu supplied.  "And the Tetsusaiga."

          Inu-Yasha rolled his eyes.  "What else is new?  He couldn't use the damn thing then, not to mention it's the only that that keeps me sane.  Nice, huh?"

          The boy was quiet for a long moment.  "I'm gonna inherit the Tenseiga," he said at last.  "So I'm not gonna want the Tetsusaiga.  Otou-sama says the prospect of the two Fangs in one hand is disturbing."

          "Which means he's scared shitless of the possibilities.  And he's right.  They were just teeth the last time they were together.  Tenseiga's older, anyway.  You should have it."

          "So what will you do with the Tetsusaiga?" Sesshouinu asked.

          "That's what this is all about.  I asked your mother for a very big favor, and she's going to grant it for me as soon as we get clear of the Council.  But listen, 'cause this is the important part.  No matter what the Council says, I'm not taking you from your parents, okay?  It's not gonna happen."

          The boy nodded solemnly, and Inu-Yasha relaxed just a little.  Come what may with the Council, hopefully, the worst was over.

          It was just wrong, Kagome decided. 

          Certainly, she wasn’t opposed to formal kimono when necessary, and wore her own black robe with embroidered mon and a gold basket-weave embroidery near the bottom, another play on her name Sesshoumaru enjoyed.  And she’d seen his formal wear more than once, though he almost never wore it.

          But the image of her mate standing next to Inu-Yasha, both wearing identical black haori and full-legged hakama, rather than the variety that gathered at the ankles, was unsettling.  They both stood with heads bowed slightly, arms folded, leaning back against the wall opposite her own position.  And it seemed that Inu-Yasha had finally come into his full height, making him only an inch or two shorter than his brother.  Sesshouinu stood on Sesshoumaru’s other side, mimicking the pose of his father and uncle, though with slightly less-then-perfect results due to his restless nature and height that brought him only to Sesshoumaru’s shoulder.  She narrowed her eyes, trying to picture Taishomaru next to his brother, and another white-haired, dog-eared boy next to Inu-Yasha, a veritable army of Nishi inuyoukai.  It wasn't that bad an image, and she allowed herself a slight smile.

          What amuses you so, Mate?  Sesshoumaru's voice echoed in her mind.

          Just adding Taisho-chan and this pup Inu-Yasha wants to the picture.  She called the image to mind again and felt the echo of Sesshoumaru's wry amusement.  The West would be unbeatable.

          Implying we can be beaten now?  There is no guarantee Inu-Yasha would leave his pup with us.  Or that he would agree to take up his share of the defense.

          Well, my pup will be raised with his or her siblings.  So that should keep him pretty close.  And since he'll have nothing better to do…

          Devious. I approve.  In theory, at least.  Assuming we get through here in relative control of the situation.

          The fusama to Kagome's left slid open and she straightened, hearing the rustle of silks as the others did the same.  A court functionary emerged from the inner chamber and bowed.  "You are called, Sesshoumaru-sama."

          He nodded, and reached out to take Kagome's elbow.  "Come."

          Kagome never enjoyed this part.  From the first time she had walked into a Council meeting, leading Sesshouinu, she had felt the hostility of the youkai lords.  That same hostility was still present, some of it dispelled by her more youkai appearance now, but no where near all of it.  And she only looked youkai.  She could pull youki from Sesshoumaru, but it only served to fuel her own miko powers.  Purification was a serious threat to everyone in the room, but it certainly wasn't flashy, compared to poison whips and flying blood claws, not to mention demon swords with the power of life and death.

          They stepped one by one into the main part of the room, and somewhere near the front, a herald called out their names as they approached.

          "Nishi no Tai-inuyoukai Sesshoumaru-sama… Nishi no Miko-youkai Kagome-sama…Nishi no Koushi-inuyoukai Sesshouinu-sama… Nishi no Hanyou Inu-Yasha-sama."

          The men were a wall of black kimono and silver hair between Kagome and the members of the Council on the dais, Sesshouinu to Sesshoumaru's left, Inu-Yasha to his right, the place he was born to take.  Kagome knelt behind them, a tiny black and blue flower with silver tracery spelling out all where were dear to her on the uchikaki Sesshoumaru had given her.

          Inutaijin sat in the center of the platform, flanked by taiyoukai of various breeds.  "Well, Inu-Yasha, hanyou son of Inutaisho.  What is it you wish from the Council of Youkai?"

          It was dangerous water they were treading now, and the approach had been worked out carefully.

          "Forgive me, Inutaijin-sama," Inu-Yasha began, and Kagome could hear the edge in his voice.  Eating crow only pleased him when he got to kill it first.  "I wrote in haste.  The matter has been resolved.  There is no need for the Council to be involved."

          A grizzled kitsune from the South, Genkitsu, spoke up.  "But we are involved, now.  More questions than answers have come up since you wrote.  We will have those answers.  What is it you seek, Inu-Yasha?"

          She could hear Inu-Yasha's teeth grind.  "My mate died childless, and I have no interest in taking another.  But I have a legacy from my father to consider.  I'm asking for Brothers' Rights, to sire an heir on my brother's mate."

          "And she has whelped?" the Eastern Wolf-Lord, Yamainu, asked.

          "Three times.  All very healthy."

          "That brings up another point," Inutaijin stated.  "Kagome-sama's eldest pup is your get, is he not, Inu-Yasha?"

          Sesshouinu flinched, and for one second, Kagome would gladly have gutted her mate's grandfather where he knelt.

          "But I have adopted him," Sesshoumaru inserted smoothly.  "And I will not relinquish my claim.  His mother was my mate when he was born.  He has never been claimed as Inu-Yasha's son."

          "And Sesshoumaru and I have already come to terms," Inu-Yasha continued.  "There's nothing for the Council to get involved in anymore."

          "We are not a stick to be waved when you wish to make a threat, Inu-Yasha.  You asked for our aid in this matter, and it will be given to you."  The implication that it would be given whether he wanted it or not was clear.

          "Lord Sesshoumaru has taken a powerful mate," Kuroshinu said from his position on one side of the dais.  "A miko who can command youki.  Perhaps if Inu-Yasha’s request is to be granted, we should grant the same to others as well.  Surely this wealth of power should be shared."

          "You speak of my mate as though she were a breeding sow," Sesshoumaru hissed.  "Each child is a risk to her life.  Would you have me carve it out of your hide if she were harmed, Otouto-san?"

          "Of course Sesshoumaru’s mate should not be required to provide child after child for the great houses.  There is no precedent for such an action, and it is unconscionable to hand her around to strangers like a plate of sweets."  Inutaijin stirred, then resettled himself.  "But our law says a brother may ask this favor.  There is an agreement already in place, a process we cannot disrupt.  However, Kuroshinu shares as much blood with Sesshoumaru as Inu-Yasha does.  If the mating with Inu-Yasha should fail, I think it would be appropriate for the miko to be asked to enter into an agreement to provide a child for the Heir to the Kita clan.  Is this agreed?"

          There was  much murmuring amongst the council members, and Kagome sat through it for several long minutes, glaring at Inutaijin.  He stared back at her with icy eyes until the murmuring died down, then spoke.  "Shall we vote?"

          Kagome wanted to vomit.  Outside the Council for this decision, Sesshoumaru was forced to abstain from both the discussion and the vote.  Four members voted against the plan, and five for it.

          At that moment, Kagome could have done without seeing any of them ever again.

          Kagome watched with distaste as Myouga's body, perched again on her exposed forearm, swelled with blood, and she squashed down yet another urge to smack him flat.

          Finally, he rolled back, sated, and she pressed a thumb over the small wound.

          "Well?" Inu-Yasha demanded from where he leaned against the wall.

          "Kagome-sama has most delicious blood," the flea responded, still resting on her arm.  Kagome glared at him a moment, then turned her wrist, dumping him to the ground.

          "No one cares, Nomi," Sesshoumaru said from the far wall.  Kagome glanced over to catch his eyes, then away before the look could say too much.

          "There is no recent taste of Sesshoumaru-sama in Kagome-sama’s blood, nor is she breeding at this time."

          "No shit," she muttered, forcing herself to remain a reasonable distance from her mate.  "I’m going into heat."

          "You sure?" Inu-Yasha asked.

          Kagome closed her eyes, pushing down the humming in her blood that was drawing her toward Sesshoumaru.  "Very.  You don't want to know what I'd do right now if it meant I could be with Sesshoumaru."  She didn’t look over to him.  They were both too jumpy.

          "Let’s do this, then."  Inu-Yasha reached out to take her wrist, only to have her pull away.

          "Wait."  She crossed the room, slowly, to Sesshoumaru, and carefully rested a hand on his cheek.  "I love you," she said quietly.

          His head dipped in acknowledgement.  "I know."  She back away a little, then Sesshoumaru’s hand flashed out, catching the back of her neck and pulling her mouth to his in a searing kiss.  They were both panting when he pulled her back enough to rest his forehead against hers, their eyes locked.  "Mine."

          She nodded.  "Always."  She slipped back, shivering at the touch of his fingers against the scars on her neck.  "I’ll be back soon."

          She trailed after Inu-Yasha as he nearly dragged her down the hall toward his room, the room that had been his mother's, that had been hers the first two years she lived here.  He was leaning in to kiss her as soon as the fusama closed, and she turned away sharply, so his lips landed close to her ear.

          "Kagome…" he growled, frustrated.

          "Stop it, Inu-Yasha," she demanded, stepping back and turning away.  "I'm only doing this to help stabilize Sesshoumaru's position.  I don't have many… fond feelings for you, so don't try to bring them out.  Let's just get this over with."

          Inu-Yasha snorted.  "Wish it were that simple, bitch.  I can't just throw you one the futon and ravish you.  I just don't work that way."  He stepped up behind her, pulling off her uchikaki and laying it aside.  "I know you're hurting…"

          "It's not pain," she said, trying to ignore the similarities between his behavior and Sesshoumaru's, the delicacy with which they treated her.  She was in no mood for delicate.  "It's different, deeper.  It's hard to explain."

          "Your blood tingles in your veins," he said softly, unwinding her sash.  "You'd do anything to stop the burning."

          He sounded so much like Sesshoumaru when he spoke like that, and she let her head drop back against his shoulder.  "How did you know?" she asked as the plum-blossom kimono slid from her shoulders.

          "It's in your scent, your ki, the very air around you is full of it.  I smell it, I feel it against my skin, sinking in until my bones itch to touch you."

          "Why didn't you ever tell me any of this before?" she asked as he stepped back.  She could hear the rustle of his fire-rat clothing as he shed it.

          "Was that ever what you wanted to hear from me?" he asked, sliding his hands around her waist.  "You were so hung up on being Kikyou or not being Kikyou.  You were so worried that all I could see was her in you.  You never stopped to ask if I saw you in her."

          She stiffened in his grip at the name, the mood ruined.  "I'm sure she appreciated the comparison as much as I do."  Taking a deep breath, she untied the narrow sash holding her yukata closed and slid it open under his hands, the touch of his skin on hers making her blood burn even as her mind tried to resist the urge to mate.  "Just do it," she hissed out through gritted teeth.

          "Get off me."

          "What did you just say, bitch?"

          Kagome glared up at him, face flushed and beaded with sweat.  "You heard me," she panted.  "You got what you wanted.  Now get off."

          "You said his name."

          "You should be grateful you even come close to comparing, Inu-Yasha.  Your brother is an expert."

          "You were calling his name.  What the hell, were you just pretending he was here instead of me?"

          Her body grew unbearably hot beneath him, and he scrambled back before her miko powers could burn him.  Kagome stood, collecting her yukata and slipping it on, securing the knot before looking over to him.  "I did what I had to do to get through it, Inu-Yasha.  What did you expect?"  With that, she turned and left.

          Inu-Yasha wasn't quite sure what he was seeing at first.  He'd followed Kagome here after she'd delivered that ringing blow to his pride and swept out of his room.  Honestly, he'd expected her to return to the castle's main apartments, but that area was much further down the hall, closer to the children's rooms.  Instead, she'd swept one of the fusama open and slipped through it, slamming it shut behind her.  Then there had been a soft cry, followed by some low murmuring he recognized as his brother's voice.  The rustling of fabric had followed, then Sesshoumaru…growled?  Inu-Yasha slipped closer to the door, one eye to the narrow crack where it had rebounded in its track from the force Kagome had used to close it.

          Sesshoumaru was slumped in a chair against the far wall, head tilted back almost as if he was asleep, though there was too much tension in his form for that to be the case.  One of his hands gripped the arm of the chair, claws biting into the polished wood surface, the other woven through a mass of something dark near his thigh.

          It's hair, he realized suddenly.  He's got his hand in Kagome's hair.  But what's she doing…?  It hit him then, what Kagome was doing, kneeling in front of Sesshoumaru, her head in his lap, the subtle movement, his brother's tense muscles and low-pitched growl.  She left me, he thought, and came back here to do this… to him?  His own throat started to vibrate, ready to growl out a challenge when Sesshoumaru's head shot up, crimson and gold eyes pinning Inu-Yasha in an instant.

          He's gonna lose it any second.  Abruptly, Sesshoumaru's head dropped back again, chair arm groaning under the assault of his claws.  The hand in Kagome's hair tightened, and the motion shifted subtly.  Then he could hear Sesshoumaru hiss, and a muffled gasp from Kagome, then the thick sound of heavy swallows.  Closing his eyes, Inu-Yasha turned away.  He should never have followed her, should never have seen this.  Hell, he should never have come back here, probably, though it was too late to change his mind on that front.  What he'd thought he wanted, what he'd thought was here, was long gone.

          She was still standing outside the door, Sesshoumaru noted, placing aside another page of official correspondence.  He wondered as he broke the next seal, whether she planned to come in or stand in the corridor all night.

          Finally, there was a faint tap at the door, as if she were unsure about disturbing him.

          "Enter."

          Kagome slid the fusama open and came in, closing the door carefully and sliding the latch into place to secure it.  Apparently, this was to be a very private conversation.  No children or annoying servants permitted.

          He watched her movements as she crossed the room to kneel on the other side of his table, hands modestly in her lap, head bent low.  She'd been quiet the past two days, worse than the days leading up to the anniversary of her birth.  She had withdrawn, not only from him, but from the children as well, leaving the lessons to be given by Rin and her mate Taigaku.  And those responsibilities were falling more and more on the human as Rin's first pregnancy proved uncomfortable in the mornings.  Sesshoumaru sighed to himself.  Two breeding females in the house.  Not a recipe for peace and quiet.

          He waited for several minutes for her to initiate the conversation, then folded up the papers and put them aside. 

          "I should turn this nonsense over to Taigaku, and have him bring me only what absolutely must have my attention.  He could certainly stand to do more work, and he came to us at a high enough cost."

          "Rin's very happy with him," Kagome murmured, not looking up.  "He's exactly what she wanted."

          "Fortunate for him, or she would have found herself widowed quickly enough."

          When Kagome didn't snap back at the veiled threat, he knew something was terribly wrong.

          "Kagome?  What troubles you, koi?"

          She looked up, amber eyes full of dread.  "I have a problem."  With that dire statement, she let down the walls she'd been holding between them, and the inferno of her mind swept over him.

          To Sesshoumaru's credit, he didn't flinch as the full force of his mate's heat ran though him, but it was a long minute before his voice would function above a growl, and there was no forcing the red tinge from everything he saw.  "You are not breeding."  He'd thought her brooding tied to the early, uncomfortable stages of pregnancy, but clearly, that was not the case.

          She shook her head miserably.  "I know what I should do.  I know I can choose to go back to his bed, or inform the Council and prepare myself to face Kuroshinu.  But I don't want to.  The whole time I was with him, all I could think about was you."  She hadn't said Inu-Yasha's name since he had left early the morning before to clear an infestation of insect youkai from the southern reaches of the lands.  A message could reach him in time to return before Kagome's cycle shifted, assuming it was sent quickly, and she was willing to try again.

          "I know.  You have a third option in mind, then."  He knew what she was thinking.  It wasn't even that bad an idea, all choices considered.

          "A lifetime wish.  To help me fulfill the agreement with Inu-Yasha.  I can't face the other possibilities."

          He could feel the misery rolling off her in waves.  It had been nearly 48 hours since she had been with Inu-Yasha, and though she still cycled on a human schedule, the introduction of youki made the sensations associated with her fertility that much more intense.  His poor mate had been burning for his touch for two days, and had been controlling it masterfully.  He couldn't have been more proud of her.  "You hardly need to make a lifetime request out of a wish to mate, koishii.  I am more than willing to oblige."

          He could see she was forcing herself to remain still rather than flying across the table to tackle him.  "The agreement says that the child will be hanyou."

          "I am aware of that."  Her delicate claws were digging in to the fabric of her kimono.  He stood and stepped around the table to her side.  "Come with me.  I have no intentions of ambushing you in my study."

          Her hand was shaking when she put it in his.  "It seemed like a good idea at the time."

          "Oh, it was a good idea," he growled, leading her to the door.  "I have many just like it already in mind."

          The castle was dark when Inu-Yasha entered, and he moved toward the family wing, intending to check on Kagome, when a strange sound caught his ear, and he turned his attention to tracking it down and discovering its source.

          He traced it to the great audience chamber, and pushed the door open to see Sesshoumaru seated casually on the floor, leaning back against the edge of the dais, drinking sake straight from the flask and humming some low tune.

          He rubbed his eyes, but the strange sight refused to resolve itself into something that made sense.  "Sesshoumaru?" he called softly into the moon-lit room.

          The taiyoukai lifted his head and gazed coldly at the hanyou.  "Ah.  Little Brother.  Have a drink, Little Brother."  He scooped a corked flask from the floor and pitched it toward Inu-Yasha, who batted it out of the air before it could hit him in the face.  It shattered on the ground, adding to the scent of sake.

          "What are you doing here, drinking in the dark?" Inu-Yasha demanded.  "What kind of way is this to protect Kagome?"

          "Ah, yes.  My mate.  Congratulate me, Little Brother.  This Sesshoumaru is going to be an uncle."

          The words gripped Inu-Yasha’s heart.  Then it had worked, despite the cold, unfeeling nature of their night together.  Kagome was pregnant.  He’d left the morning after, almost before dawn, unable to face her anger, or worse, her condescension.  "I should see her," he muttered, moving further into the room.  "Where is she?"

          Other smells started to override the sake in the air, and Inu-Yasha was almost sorry he asked.  "Resting," Sesshoumaru informed him.  Then his tone turned taunting.  "We ‘celebrated’ her condition quite thoroughly.  And of course, she tires more easily now."  He drained the sake flask and flung it at the wall where it ripped through the delicate rice paper to shatter against the stone of an exterior wall.

          "Kagome’s going to shit a brick when she sees what you’ve done," Inu-Yasha gritted out, keeping a firm grip on his temper.  A rare moment of insight allowed him to understand exactly what Sesshoumaru was feeling.  He’d felt it himself, when Kagome had thrown in his face years ago that she was pregnant with the taiyoukai’s first true child.

          "Kagome," Sesshoumaru intoned, "is a very understanding woman; more so than either of us deserve.  And you still have matters to attend to.  Toutousai must be contacted, and provided with adequate material from which to craft a suitable sword."  He pulled a small packet from inside the folds of his clothing and tossed it to Inu-Yasha.

          This missile he caught, and unwrapped carefully, to reveal a long white fang, clearly pulled from his brother’s mouth.  "Why?" he asked, confused.  "The pup’s going to get the Tetsusaiga.  Why would he need another kiba?  And shouldn’t it be mine..."  His voice drifted off as realization washed over him.  "Oh, no...  You bastard.  What did you do to her?"

          "Contrary to popular opinion, I do not desire your death.  Or at least, not usually.  Certainly not anytime soon enough to necessitate passing on your sword right away.  And as to the other, anything I did to spare my mate pain or degradation is solely my own affair.  You will have your hanyou heir, capable of wielding Father's Steel-Cleaving Fang.  Do not presume to hope for more."  With that, Sesshoumaru lapsed into silence, leaning against the dais.

          There was a brush of silk on straw behind him, and he turned to see Kagome slip into the room, white yukata belted firmly closed under a loose kimono.  He watched her as the moonlight touched her fair skin and tousled hair and realized that she was nearly glowing.  "Tadaima," he said quietly.

          "So I see.  Okaeri nasai," she murmured.  She slipped past him quietly, skirting him so that not even her shadow touched him, and knelt before Sesshoumaru, reaching out to touch his face and make him aware of her.

          "It’s cold tonight, my Lord.  Come back to bed."

          Never in his life had Inu-Yasha heard Kagome speak so formally, and he wondered for a moment if he had broken some part of her spirit yet again.

          "Kagome?" Sesshoumaru asked, as if just seeing her.

          "Hai.  Come back to bed, atashi no ai.  I can’t sleep without you."

          Sesshoumaru stood and walked out of the room, passing Inu-Yasha as if he weren’t there.  Kagome rose to follow, pausing for a moment next to him, but refusing to look at him.

          "He told you what to do, right?"

          "Yeah."

          "Then do it.  Bring the sword back with you.  Maybe by then, I’ll be able to look at you without wanting to throw up."  She walked away, leaving Inu-Yasha alone in the dark.

          Kagome's spine stiffened at the sound of a familiar pair of feet crunching their way through the leaves of the orchard.

          "Kagome!"

          She turned slightly at Inu-Yasha's call, habitually pulling the edges of her over-kimono a little tighter, hiding the roundness of her frame in its soft folds.  "You certainly took your time getting back," she commented, stepping back a little as he came closer.

          He shied at the rebuke in her tone, stopping well out of arm's reach.  "The jijii took half-forever making the damned sword. Wanted to know why the hell I was bringing Aniki's tooth as source material.  Took for-damned-ever understanding things, too."  He slid the second sheath riding at his waist free and held it out to Kagome, baring and inch or so of blade.  "Cut yourself with it."

          "What?"

          Inu-Yasha sighed.  "The jijii said you have to cut yourself with it before it's complete.  You don't have to cut anything off; just slice your finger or something."

          She looked past him to where Sesshoumaru was approaching, deadly silent in spite of the autumn leaf-fall on the ground.

          "It is normal," he said, taking the sword from Inu-Yasha's grip and approaching her.  "A shallow cut will suffice.  The blade will know the child's blood through you."

          Kagome pursed her lips and nodded, sliding one finger along the shining edge.  So sharp was the blade that she didn't realize she was cut until she saw the thin ribbon of blood stain the polished metal.  The exposed metal flared pinkish-white for a moment, and once the light faded, Kagome could see that the blood had vanished.  "Where did it go?"

          "Into the blade," Sesshoumaru replied distractedly, pulling the rest of the blade free from the sheath.  "Why a wakizashi?" he snapped to Inu-Yasha.

          The hanyou shrugged.  "The jijii made the decision.  He said he couldn't see why anyone would have a use for two katana," he replied, aiming a pointed look at the mis-matched hilts at Sesshoumaru's waist.  "Anything else?" he asked, taking the short sword back and settling it back into place next to Tetsusaiga.

          'It has a name, I assume?" Sesshoumaru sniffed.

          Inu-Yasha gestured to Kagome.  "Ask her.  I'm sure she knows it already."

          "Kagome?" he asked gently.

          Kagome was still there, she was sure, but she felt disconnected, apart from the mild sibling rivalry occurring around her.  "Hamaiga," she whispered.

          "The Demon-Rending Fang.  Appropriate, to protect the child of a miko," Sesshoumaru concluded, moving to cradle Kagome possessively from behind.

          "Yeah, whatever," Inu-Yasha muttered, the subject starting to circle emotions he was reluctant to confront.  "The damned jijii had me stoking the fire for his fucking forge for more than a month.  I'm going to bed."

          He was turning away when Kagome trilled his name.  "Inu-Yasha?"

          He turned back.  "What?"

          "I'm dying for some peaches, Inu-Yasha.  I can't tell you how happy it would make me to have some right now."

          He scuffed at the crackling leaves around his feet.  "It's a little late in the season here, isn't it?"

          "I know.  But I really want them."  There was a glint in her eye now, almost a challenge.

          "They may still be in season in Kyushu," Sesshoumaru offered blandly.

          "Fuck."  Inu-Yasha's shoulders slumped, defeated.  "Fine.  Peaches from Kyushu.  You want anything else while I'm there?"

          "Not really.  A surprise, maybe.  Make sure they're a little green.  I want them to crunch when I bite into them."

          Inu-Yasha shuddered, but didn't argue.  "The surprise will be me actually finding them."

          "A pregnant bitch must be humored, Inu-Yasha," Sesshoumaru patronized.  "You should hurry.  Summer even in the south won't last much longer."

          "Yeah, right," he said turning to leave again, this time heading for the wall circling the gardens in the distance.  "Ja ne."

          Kagome waited until he was clear of the wall before relaxing back in Sesshoumaru's grip.  "That bought us a few more days, at the least.  Maybe even two weeks."

          Her mate followed the constant motion beneath the skin of her rounded abdomen.  "We shall have to think of something else to drive him off when he returns."

          Kagome let her hands slide up his arms until they were wrapped behind his neck.  "Maybe the Northern borders will need patrolling by then."

          He leaned down to nuzzle her neck, inhaling the fragrant perfume of hormones she gave off.  "I can almost guarantee it."

          Sesshoumaru looked up from where he sat behind Kagome, holding her up as she panted.  "You are satisfied then, Inu-Yasha?  You make no further claim on my mate whatsoever?"

          Inu-Yasha couldn’t tear his eyes from the black-haired infant squirming restlessly in his arms.  "What?  No.  Nothing more.  She’s done more than enough."  He shifted the little boy until he could get a hand free to trace the delicate fingers, and smiled when his own finger was wrapped in a warm infant grip.  "Hey, you.  You’re pretty strong for a little pup."

          Sesshoumaru curled back over Kagome, forcing her to curl up as well, and murmured in her ear.  "Now, koi.  It’s safe.  Do it now."

          Inu-Yasha’s contemplation of the baby was shattered when Kagome let loose an ear-rending shriek in counter-point to Sesshoumaru’s growl and delivered another infant into the hands of the waiting midwife.  He watched, stunned, as the taiyoukai slid out from behind Kagome and helped her to recline comfortably, then moved to the foot of the bed to accept the still, silent bundle from the solemn midwife.

          "Oh, shit," he muttered, cradling his own squirming bundle closer as Sesshoumaru knelt near Kagome’s head, stroking her face with one hand.  She stirred restlessly under his touch but didn’t wake, clearly exhausted by the ordeal.

          "She is very weak, My Lord," the midwife stated quietly.  "It is, of course, your decision, but it might be best for Kagome-sama to concentrate her energy on the boy instead, as he seems very healthy already..."

          Sesshoumaru refused to grace her with so much as a glance.  "See to Kagome-sama’s needs.  By law, the girl has a month to improve, and I will not deny her that.  Kagome, you should see her," he went on, attention focused once more on his mate.  "She is as beautiful as you."

          "What’s wrong?" Inu-Yasha asked the midwife, trying not to look as she cleaned away the evidence of Kagome’s labor.

          "The girl-child is very weak, barely breathing," the woman said softly, trying not to catch Sesshoumaru’s attention.  "I fear she will not survive until dawn."

          Inu-Yasha blinked, trying to wrap his mind around the situation.  Another woman he loved, another life over before it could even begin.  Did the kami just hate him, was that it?  There was a soft melodic piping tickling his ears, and he flicked them, trying to ignore the sound, until he remembered the first time he’d heard it, waiting around for Tetsusaiga’s sheath to be repaired, talking to Myouga, Shippou, and Kagome, and his eyes went wide in realization.

          "Fuck, no!  Kagome, wake up!" he shouted.

          Sesshoumaru turned to glare at him, eyes starting to bleed red, growling low in his throat.

          "Cut that out!" Inu-Yasha demanded.  "There’s no time.  The Tatarimokke’s coming for her."  He gestured to the infant in Sesshoumaru’s arms.  "You’ve got to wake her up!"

          "Even I cannot change fate, brother.  Would you have her watch as the child’s soul is taken?  I cannot be that cruel."

          "Then get your damned sword and do something."

          "There must be some will in the target to live, Inu-Yasha.  She lacks even that slim hope."

          Inu-Yasha snarled.  "Damn you for a quitter, then."  He kicked the futon frame, and Kagome stirred more.  "Wake up, wench.  That Soul Piper’s coming for your baby.  You gonna let him have her?"

          Sesshoumaru would have tackled him had it not been for the infants they both held, and that fact alone held him back as Kagome’s eyes opened, squinting at first, then growing wider as the piping music grew louder.  "No," she murmured, still half-asleep.  "Go ‘way."

          "Make him, Kagome," Inu-Yasha urged.  "You stopped him before."

          "Youki... can’t..."  He head rolled toward Sesshoumaru.  "She’s...?"

          "She’s very small, Kagome.  Very weak."  He was starting to understand Inu-Yasha’s desperation as the piping music grew louder.  "I would not have forced you to see her if she would not be staying with us."  He turned the baby a little, so Kagome could see her tiny face.

          She reached out and brushed the thin dark fuzz on the baby’s head.  "Human."

          "Yes, until dawn."  He didn’t state the obvious, that dawn was too far away now to help her.

          "No," Kagome stated, quiet but firm.  "He can’t have her."  She let her hand rest on the girl’s head and closed her eyes.  Then a  flash of rose light erupted from them, forcing everyone to hastily shut their eyes to avoid being blinded.

          Inu-Yasha cracked an eye open when he heard a baby coo, but it wasn’t the son he had clutched to his chest.  Instead, he looked over to see Sesshoumaru, staring at a white-haired youkai infant in his arms, amazed.

          Kagome looked into her tiny daughter's pale blue eyes again.  "They aren't changing at all," she commented, shifting the little girl down to finish her meal.  "She's going to have blue eyes."

          "So it would appear," Sesshoumaru agreed from across the room.  "Sorame, then?"

          "I suppose.  Since Midori's probably out.  You're going to have to take my blue uchikake and have it added, you know.  I want her name on there.  And please tell me Inu-Yasha has made up his mind.  'My boy' is getting old, and frankly, a bit irritating."

          "He has, indeed.  And before I finished drawing Toukijin, even.  He chose Tenkashi.  'Divine Gift from Heaven.'"

          "That's not too bad," Kagome mused, brushing her fingers over Sorame's azure-striped cheek, encouraging her to eat.  "Just a little more, sweetheart," she murmured, then looked up at Sesshoumaru.  "She looks like your mother, you realize."

          "That does not mean there is any reason for Tettsume to see her.  The further that particular bitch is from my children, the better."

          "True," Kagome said, passing the baby into her father's practiced grip.  "What about this visit you were talking about?"

          "Ryuujin and Kazegawa should arrive in a few weeks.  Ojii-sama has made discreet inquiries about advancing Ryuujin to a position as heir."  He shifted a squirming Sorame expertly as she brought up a tiny bubble of air.

          "Then Kazegawa's the girl they want to give us for Sesshouinu?"

          "Hai.  She is Ryuujin's younger sister."

          Kagome shifted, suppressing a wince.  "Two very direct ties to the Kita.  It doesn't seem very smart if we're trying to distance ourselves from the North."

          "Ginkitsu has a great-granddaughter he wants to offer for Taishomaru.  It would provide a link with the South.  I understand from him that the girl's father would be a pleasant surprise for you."

          Kagome frowned, fussing with the collar of her yukata.  "And have you found a suitable mate for Sorame as well?  I don't like the idea of selling out children off willy-nilly to the various great houses.  Shouldn't they have some say in it?  And Taisho-chan still thinks girls have fleas."

          "Kazegawa will become Nishi if we agree.  And it is a compliment to you that so many of the great houses are seeking alliance with us now.  Ginkitsu will agree to settle his seat on Taishomaru in exchange for the match."  He sat on the edge of the futon, careful not to disturb his still-tender mate, or the daughter who was sliding quickly toward sleep.  "Youkai do not seek mates for love, Kagome.  You know this."

          "Yeah, but it's a nice side-benefit," she murmured, slipping further beneath the covers to sleep.

          Sesshoumaru waited until she was well and truly asleep before stretching out next to her, Sorame carefully cuddled between them to keep her warm.  "Aa.  That it is, koi.  That it is."