Adult-FanFiction.org : Inuyasha / Yashahime

Modern Reality	By : Tassanaburrfoot Category: InuYasha > Het - Male/Female > Shichi'nintai (The Band of Seven) > Shichi'nintai (The Band of Seven) Views: 4216 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not now, nor have I ever, owned Inuyasha. I will not recieve any compensation for this.

Chapter List
- 9
- 10
It had been three months since Kagome had been reintroduced to Rin. During that time, Bankotsu had almost completed the required training he needed in order to do the job Sesshomaru had asked of him. What was more, the steady money Bankotsu was making kept Kagome from finding a reason to work herself. They had decided to wait to tell Banryu about Kagome’s pregnancy until Inuyasha blew up at her about it over dinner. She shouldn’t have been surprised, if she was honest with herself. However, the hanyou’s anger seemed to hurt her more than anything.

She had set Banryu’s bowl in front of him before retrieving her own bowl and sitting down. The evening had been rather quiet, all things considered. Inuyasha and Shiori had kept to themselves and Bankotsu was just coming out of the bedroom, having gone in there to take a shower before joining his family for supper. Banryu was rather excited about school.

After much debate and arguing, Kagome finally agreed to allow Banryu to go to the hanyou school. She still had reservations about it, but the principal of the school had assured her that Banryu would be in good hands. It certainly looked like a nice school, and Banryu loved it.

She listened patiently as young boy went on about his day at the new school. He loved his teacher and, apparently, he had made a friend. “Can I invite him over one day, Momma?” he asked as he grabbed a bread roll. “I think you’ll like him. He’s got these wolf ears, not like Koga-sama, but more like… Well, like a wolf. Maybe like Uncle Inu’s doggie ears, but he said his dad was a wolf demon like Koga-sama.”

She gave him a soft smile. “I don’t see how that would be a problem,” she answered him once he had finished talking. “I’m so glad to hear you’re making friends.”

He nodding enthusiastically as he launched into another tale about his new friend. Kagome let him continue as her focus drifted elsewhere. Her eyes fell on Inuyasha and she froze for a moment. Uncertainty filled her gaze as she tried to determine if he was truly angry with her about something. “What’s wrong?” she asked, tilting her head to the side in concern.

The hanyou snorted. “So, we’re just going to ignore the elephant in the room?” he growled. “Come on, Kagome,” he taunted. “It’s not like we can’t smell you. Just come out with it.”

Her brows furrowed. “What are you talking about?” she asked, frowning.

He pointed his chopsticks at her. “What do you think I’m talking about, stupid? You got yourself knocked up again, didn’t you?”

“Watch how you speak to my wife, half-breed,” Bankotsu warned, glaring at Inuyasha.

The hanyou sniffed. “As if I’m scared of you. I beat you once, corpse. I can do it again,” he barked. “Is knocking her up the only way you figured you’d be able to keep her? We aren’t living in the past anymore. People get divorces all the time, and it don’t matter if you got children or not.”

Kagome’s eyes widened. “What makes you think I’m going to divorce him?” she asked, placing a hand on Banryu’s shoulder.

Bankotsu glanced from the pair of hanyou to the miko, confused. “What exactly is this ‘divorce’?” he questioned.

“It’s when a Mommy and Daddy decide they don’t love each other anymore,” Banryu answered dejectedly. The adults in the room stared at the little boy and Kagome felt her heart clench. “They decide they don’t want to be married anymore and so, they get a divorce. And then they meet other people.” Banryu looked up at Kagome, tears filling his eyes. “Also, the Mommy usually takes the kids with her and they don’t ever get to see their Daddy like they want to.” He took in a ragged breath. “You love Daddy, don’t you, Mommy? Please don’t leave him.”

Kagome wrapped her arms around the child and pulled him close to her. “Oh, baby, no,” she cooed, resting her cheek against the top of his head. “No, no. You don’t have to worry about that.” She pulled away from him just a bit so she could tilt his head up to look at her. “I love your father very much and I have no intention of ever leaving him. Uncle Inu is just being a baka, that’s all.”

Inuyasha snorted, but looked away. He couldn’t stand to see the child cry, but he still hated that Kagome was choosing Bankotsu.

The miko glared at the dog hanyou. “And what gives you that right, Inuyasha?” she asked. “Spouting such nonsense and filling Banryu’s head with such thoughts. If something is bothering you, just spit it out, but don’t you dare bring up any idea of my leaving Bankotsu, because it’s not going to happen.” She was angry with Inuyasha. Angrier than she had ever been with him.

He returned her glare. “Fine,” he growled. “When are you planning to announce that thing growing inside you? We’ve been waiting for days now.”

Kagome bit her bottom lip as Banryu wiped his eyes. “You got something inside you, Mommy? Where?” he asked, the tears drying in his curiosity.

“We were planning on telling everyone this weekend,” the miko stated as she turned to the child. “But I suppose this is as good a time as any. Banryu, Daddy and I have some good news for you.”

Bankotsu’s eyes narrowed as he stared at the hanyou, though he leaned closer to his wife. He said nothing as his miko continued, “You’re going to be a big brother! Isn’t that wonderful?”

…

Only, it wasn’t so wonderful, it seemed. Sure, Banryu was excited enough and Shiori spewed her congratulations. But Kagome could feel that the tension in the house had mounted to an almost unbearable height. So, while Bankotsu was at work, Kagome was busy looking through the classifieds to see if she could find a new home for her growing family.

Rin had expressed her delight when Kagome had finally told her. She had even offered to help Kagome look for a new home and, once his training was completely done, they could go with Bankotsu to scout some houses or land.

She sighed as she reached for her soda and took a sip. As she picked the paper back up to look through the classifieds again, she could feel someone’s eyes on her. Glancing up, she saw Inuyasha sitting in the chair opposite her at the table. She jumped. “Inuyasha!” she gasped, clutching her chest. “You startled me. I… What’s wrong?”

He looked away from her, focusing his eyes on a point on the wall. “I just…” he started and stopped. Taking a deep breath, he looked down at the table. “We were good together, weren’t we? Back then, when we were fighting Naraku and looking for the jewel shards. We didn’t always get along, but… we were good together.” His expression hardened, though he did not lift his eyes from the table. “We could still be good together. What happened, Kagome? How did it all go wrong?”

She stared at him, not quite comprehending what he was saying. When it dawned on her, her mouth dropped open slightly. “Inuyasha,” she whispered. “I don’t… I mean…”

He lifted his eyes to meet her gaze and she saw the sadness that had been buried so deep inside him. This hurt her more than the argument they had had. Her eyes softened as she let the paper fall to the table and reached out a hand to touch his. He dropped his eyes again to stare at their hands. He gripped her small hand lightly.

“I failed you,” he growled, though there was no malice in his voice, just an excruciating amount of guilt. “I should have gone to your era and retrieved you instead of just letting you come back on your own. I’d always done that. Instead, I let my infatuation of an ex-girlfriend who had died fifty years prior take precedence over you.” The air around him became so thick with his self-hatred that Kagome could have cut through it with a butter knife. “The one time I turned my back and you were taken from me.”

“Inuyasha,” she breathed again. “Inuyasha, I forgive you.”

He scoffed as he snatched his hand away. “How could you, Kagome?” he asked, looking at her. “It was four months before we found you. Four! And all that time you were practically right under our noses.”

“That wasn’t your fault.”

“Like Hell it wasn’t,” he bit back, heatedly. “We thought you had been taken by Naraku, but how could I have been so stupid? I should have put the pieces together sooner and realized you were with them. With him. That he had stolen you. But I was too wrapped up in the idea that it was Naraku. And now look at us.” He waved a hand at her. “You were raped and impregnated by that monster. Even now, he still consumes your every thought and action.”

She shook her head. “It’s not like that, okay?” she argued. “Bankotsu is my husband and as such…”

He interrupted her with a huff. “Do you even listen to yourself? What has he done, Kagome? How exactly has he changed? The only claim he has to marriage to you is a piece of paper. He didn’t do any of the work. He didn’t court you. He had never met your family or asked for their permission. Your grandfather is probably rolling over in his grave over what’s become of you.”

“What’s become of me?” she repeated. “What exactly is that supposed to mean?”

He gave her a mournful look, his worry for her clear on his face. “He’s hit you. You can deny it, but I know he’s done it. I’ve heard him. And some of the nights when you have sex, I know he’s raping you again. The only reason I don’t barge into your room is because Shiori stops me.”

It was her turn to look away. “How do you know I don’t deserve it? I’m sure you’ve heard us fighting as well,” she said.

“Because I know you, Kagome,” he said, reaching out to her again. She let him take her hand into his. “You were always strong, both in mind and body, but you have never done anything to deserve being raped or beaten. You don’t deserve his abuse.”

She looked down at their clasped hands. She remembered the Feudal Era. She remembered the few times he had held her hand, much like he was doing now. Life was simple then. Even after Bankotsu had died and she had given birth to Banryu. Even while they were fighting Naraku. For that small time, she had felt alive. She had felt safe. She still felt safe.

“Bankotsu never hurts me,” she told him. “Not truly. We argue, of course. All married couples argue at some point.”

“Every night?” he countered. “Kagome, ever since he’s been back, the two of you have gotten into shouting matches more often than you and I ever fought. You don’t even have your job anymore because he purposely went in there and made a big scene, something even I would never have done. That’s saying something, too, because I hated your job. But I knew what it meant to you.”

She gave him a small smile. “He’s just looking out for me,” she lightly defended. “I am pregnant now and my focus should be on this child and ensuring he or she is born healthy.”

He gave her a dubious look. “If he was looking out for you, he wouldn’t feel the need to rape you all the time.”

“He doesn’t rape me all the time,” she argued. “He hasn’t truly raped me since that second month that he had me captured.”

“Just because you’re married, doesn’t mean it’s not rape,” he growled. He looked at her curiously. “I’ve listened to your arguments. There have been times when you’ve told him ‘no’ and he’s done it anyway. That’s rape, Kagome.”

She frowned as her eyes hardened. “And what do you want me to do about it if it is? I’m not leaving him. He needs me. Banryu needs him. We’re trying to build a life together after all this time. To give Banryu a proper family, and we have a baby on the way,” she explained as she leaned back in her seat.

Inuyasha squared his jaw. He couldn’t for the life of himself understand why she was defending the bastard so much. However, he knew how stubborn Kagome could be once she had her mind set. “Is it true that Sesshomaru is giving you miko lessons?”

Surprised, she stared at him. “How do you know about that?” she asked, her eyes widening slightly.

The hanyou shrugged. “Shiori and I go to I.F.A.D a lot. I’ve been attending the classes there and I’ve heard talk. I know Bankotsu has been going there for training,” he admitted. “Sesshomaru gave him some job, right? There’s also been talk that he’s offered to continue your miko training. I’m curious about that because I didn’t think he could train you given that he’s a demon, and a daiyoukai at that.”

Kagome felt the tension leave her shoulders. “He’s not,” she replied. “Actually, you’ll be surprised by this, but… Rin is training me.”

Inuyasha’s ears perked up at that and he looked at her. “Rin? As in that little human girl who used to follow Sesshomaru everywhere? How is that possible?”

Her eyes filled with wonder as she was still amazed by the whole concept. “They’re mated,” she responded. “Totosai had taught Sesshomaru this new technique with the Tenseiga that allowed him to bind Rin’s life force with his own. As long as he’s alive, she will be, too. And, from what she’s told me, she hasn’t physically aged since he bonded her to him. Well, at least, not truly. She ages with him.”

The hanyou fell back in his chair. “So, he actually got married to a human,” he commented softly. He chuckled at the thought. “For such a righteous wanna be pure and continue a pure line, he sure doesn’t give much of a damn, does he? He’s fallen right in our father’s footsteps and doesn’t even realize it.”

“He’s happy,” she stated with a shrug. “We can’t really fault him for that and he really loves her.”

He nodded slowly, still chuckling as he glanced at the papers she had been perusing. He stopped when he realized what they were. “Kagome,” he started as he pulled the classifieds to himself, “these are land ads. Why are you looking at land ads?”

She frowned as she snatched the paper from him. “I was looking to see what was on sale to buy. Bankotsu wants to build a home for us for when the baby arrives.”

“You’re moving?” he asked, a sense of dread crawling up his spine like ice.

She nodded patiently. “We can’t stay here,” she told him. “There will be four of us and I know you and Shiori will want to start a family soon, if you decide to stick together. If we were to stay here, we’ll become crowded.”

Inuyasha’s heart rate sped up as fear began to take hold of him. “But if you leave… Have you decided where you’re moving to yet?”

She shook her head. “Though he wants us to get some land in the country, like Sesshomaru has. Something where we can have our privacy,” she said.

“No,” he whispered gruffly. “No, Kagome. You can’t.” He shook his head as he stood up.

“Inuyasha…”

“No!” he barked. “No, you don’t understand. If you move to the country, I won’t be able to protect you from him.” He walked around the table and knelt in front of her. “Don’t you see? You’ll be putting yourself and Banryu in a very dangerous position.”

“He’s my husband,” she spat. “And he’s Banryu’s father. Bankotsu would never hurt us.”

“He’s also a murderer, or have you forgotten that?” Inuyasha growled. “He’s already raped you. He has little to no regard for life. You didn’t hear that last conversation we had before I killed him at Mount Hakurei. He loves killing, Kagome. People like him… they don’t change. Especially not so soon.”

“Hachiman resurrected him for a reason,” she insisted. “And he is changing.”

Inuyasha had felt fear when he learned that Kagome had been abducted and he couldn’t find a trace of her anywhere. But that was nothing compared to what he was feeling now. “Please,” he whimpered. “Don’t move. The house next door is up for sale right now. Shiori and I can buy that house and you can stay here. We’ll move, but we’ll be next door. There’s no reason for you to uproot. Not only are you close to Banryu’s school here, but you’re close to family. Your mom and Sota would miss you if you left.”

“It’s not like I’m going to drop off the face of the earth,” she said. “Bankotsu wants to build a house himself. Something about being a shogun, even though I told him that shoguns weren’t a thing anymore. I think he was impressed with Sesshomaru’s home.”

“Will you at least consider my suggestion?” he inquired.

She looked at him, contemplating his idea. “I can talk it over with Bankotsu and see what he thinks,” she conceded.

It wasn’t what he wanted by a long shot, but it was a start.

(II)(II)

Sesshomaru watched behind bulletproof glass as Bankotsu shot another round into his targets. The daiyoukai was impressed. After the human had learned to drive, Sesshomaru had worked on getting him everything he needed to become a full citizen of Japan. He had even set up a bank account for the mercenary and started teaching him about the new laws regarding finances. Turned out, Bankotsu had already known the basics and had just needed more upgraded information. Five hundred years had been a long time and so much had changed in Japan since then.

Along with the weapon and finance training, Sesshomaru had also begun teaching him about the other things that had become common for Japan. The daiyoukai had hired an English tutor. If Bankotsu did well with Rin, the dog demon had plans to see how he would do at managing a small business and he would need to know English. It was sheer luck for Sesshomaru that Bankotsu had already been versed in Mandarin.

“He’s doing well,” the demon beside Sesshomaru said.

The daiyoukai didn’t respond right away, though he agreed. His expression hardened as he saw Bankotsu become frustrated when he ran out of bullets. The target had been destroyed and yet the mercenary was still trying to “kill” it. “He’s passionate about killing,” the daiyoukai observed. “Perhaps a bit too passionate. We need to work on this more. I don’t want Rin to fall victim to his desire to dispatch out of anger.”

“I don’t think he’d become angry at Rin for anything,” the demon reassured his lord. “But, if you like, I can have him take a class in the art of zen. He’s already pretty self-disciplined without it, though. I will recommend that he builds a shrine on the land he buys. With his wife being a priestess, it will be beneficial as they will need a place where they can meditate and reflect.”

“I’ve already spoken to Kagome about it,” Sesshomaru stated. “She wants a small temple or shrine herself. Perhaps like the one that Rin has.”

The lesser demon nodded as he tapped on the glass. Bankotsu glanced up at the two demons and the lesser demon waved at him to return to them. They watched as the mercenary holstered his gun and marched around the glass to meet them on the other side.

“That’s all for today, Bankotsu-sama,” the demon said with a smile. “Tomorrow I’m going to set the targets to move and tonight I am enrolling you in a zen class.”

Bankotsu huffed. “I don’t need a zen class,” he replied. “In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not exactly an excitable kind of guy. For the most part, I’m mellow. And besides that, I already know the techniques.”

“And you practice them regularly?” Taikoshi asked.

“Do you want me to?” the mercenary countered as he unstrapped his weapon belt and handed it to the demon.

The lesser demon glanced at Sesshomaru and nodded. “I think it would be best,” he answered. “For an hour in the morning and perhaps another hour at night before bed.”

The mercenary frowned, but nodded. “Consider it done,” he said. “It will give me an opportunity to teach it to my son as well. If anyone could use calming techniques, it’s him.” He smirked at that and Taikoshi chuckled.

“Perhaps some time I could invite you and your family over for dinner,” the lesser demon suggested. “Something tells me that your boy would get along well with my sons.”

“If they’re kids, I have no doubt that they’d get along,” Bankotsu commented as they walked back into the main hub of the I.F.A.D.

Taikoshi smiled. “Naturally,” he replied. “I wouldn’t have suggested otherwise.”

Bankotsu gave a short, respectful bow. “I shall speak to Kagome and I will let you know,” he promised as Taikoshi handed him a small cellphone. The mercenary gazed down at the phone curiously.

“I took the liberty of programming it with the numbers to the people you would most likely contact the most,” the demon stated. “I’ve no doubt that Kagome-sama will be able to give you a brief education on its use, unless she has already done so?”

The mercenary turned the odd device over in his hand. “Hai,” he commented distractedly. Glancing up, he nodded. “She’s already shown me a bit, though I haven’t actually used one.”

The demon smiled. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Bankotsu-sama,” he said as he and Sesshomaru turned away.

Bankotsu could feel the miko come up next to him as he fiddled with the new device.

“What’s that?” she asked curiously as she looked over his shoulder at it. “Who gave you a phone?”

The mercenary looked up in the direction the two demons had disappeared. “Taikoshi,” he answered. “I wonder if this is a matter of trust or control.” His eyes narrowed slightly as he gazed back down at the device.

His arm was pulled by the miko towards the doors as she piped, “It could be. Sesshomaru is being awfully nice to you. Though I don’t know why he would want to control you, but I do know that he trusts me. So, maybe he’s starting to trust you as well? I mean, if he didn’t, he certainly wouldn’t be training you to watch after Rin.”

Bankotsu looked at his wife. “My training is almost complete,” he told her. “And we have enough money to seek land for a home. Have you found a suitable plot?”

She pressed her lips together and shook her head. “It’s not from lack of trying, though,” she assured him. “I’m still wondering, though, if us moving out would be the best idea. Our neighbors are wanting to move out and Inuyasha has offered to buy their home and move next door. It would give us the home we live in and Banryu wouldn’t be uprooted. At the same time, Inuyasha and Shiori wouldn’t live with us anymore.”

“No, he’ll just live next door,” the mercenary pointed out. “Which means that he might as well live with us because he’ll be over every day. We’ll still end up sharing meals with him as well. No. Kagome, I know the idea of leaving Inuyasha scares you, but we need our own home.” He slipped the phone into his pocket and took her hands into his, stopping before the car. Touching her cheek with the back of one hand, his cobalt eyes met hers. “You don’t need him to protect you anymore. You have me. I won’t ever let anything happen to you. I love you.”

She leaned into his touch. “I know,” she whispered. “I love you, too. I’ve just never been without him. It’ll be strange.”

He gave her a soft, understanding smile. “Yes, I know, but we are a growing family,” he reasoned. “Soon we’re going to need the space and he will just get in the way. Like you said, this isn’t the Feudal Era anymore. We don’t have to worry about some random bandits coming to our home to rob and kill us. And even if they tried, they would be dead before they even had the chance.”

And she believed him. At least, she knew he wouldn’t hesitate to kill a thief or potential murderer. “What about when you’re out with Rin? People are a lot smarter these days, too,” she pointed out.

He shrugged as though it was a non-issue. “We’ll have a security system. Sesshomaru has promised to have the best system installed in our home. So, if an unwanted intruder does attempt to come to our home, you’ll still be safe,” he replied. Dropping her hands, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Now, let’s get home so we can eat. I don’t know about you, but I am famished. And we still have to pick up Banryu from school.”

(III)(III)

Koga watched from the window as the woman he loved sat at the dining table with her marker in one hand and the daily paper in the other. He wondered if she knew how adorable she looked as she stuck out her little pink tongue and stared at the paper in concentration.

“What are you doing here, fleabag?” Inuyasha asked as he walked up to the wolf and turned to look in the direction he was looking.

Koga frowned. “I just wanted to see her,” he commented.

Inuyasha knew where the wolf demon was coming from. He remembered many a night where he sat in her room or beside her by the campfire and just watched her sleep. It had been such a simple life they had. “She’s pregnant again,” he said. “And the corpse is wanting to buy land outside of Tokyo where they can raise their family. Alone.”

Koga glanced at the half demon. “Tell me you tried to talk Kagome out of it,” he growled.

The hanyou’s eyes narrowed at the comment. “I did,” he admitted. “But Bankotsu is her husband, so she does whatever he tells her.”

“Damn it!” Koga snapped. “What about the corpse then? Have you tried talking some sense into him?”

Inuyasha gave him a bored look and rolled his eyes. “Yeah, because we both know how well that would work,” he said sarcastically. “I even offered to move to the house next door and let them keep this one.

Koga’s eyes filled with worry. “Inuyasha, we can’t let them move somewhere they’ll be alone. He’ll end up killing her,” he warned.

The half breed closed his eyes and bowed his head. “I don’t know what choice we have,” he murmured.

Koga turned his attention back to the miko. “I have an idea,” he said. “I don’t know if they’ll go for it, but if we play our cards right, they might just accept it.” The wolf and dog made eye contact as the wolf said, “Follow my lead and trust me for a moment, all right?”

Curious, Inuyasha tilted his head, but followed as Koga decided to enter the house. Koga continued to the table as Inuyasha hung back, watching the scene with his arms crossed over his chest. The wolf vaulted over the table and crouched next to the miko.

“What’cha doin’, Kagome?” he asked nonchalant.

Her eyes swirled up to his before falling back onto the paper. “Wishing you wouldn’t jump over my table,” she answered. She sighed and sat back. “I’m trying to find land. Bankotsu wants to build us a home, our own home, and he wants to do it somewhere in the country, but these places are all far too expensive.”

Koga joined her in looking at the paper as his brow creased as he thought. “You know,” he said after a moment. “I might have something for you. How much land are we talking about?”

She looked up at him. “Bankotsu wants enough land so we can build a nice sized house with room for a garden and somewhere that he can train,” she told him. “And we were talking about having a temple where I can do my meditations.”

Koga smiled. “Well, I might have just the place,” he answered. “It has a nice view, too, and I think there’s even a sacred tree there as well, so you’ll have a spot for your miko stuff.”

She looked hopeful. “What is the price on it?” she asked.

At this, Koga’s smile faltered. “I’d have to talk to the owner,” he admitted. “What’s your price range?”

Kagome looked anxious and weary. “With the money I’ve saved and what Bankotsu has, plus the extra that Sesshomaru keeps giving him… Well, if Sesshomaru keeps giving him money, we should have nearly 900 by the end of the year,” she said.

Inuyasha’s ears perked up. “Why is Sesshomaru giving him money?” he asked.

She shrugged. “Bankotsu works for him now,” she explained. “He gets ten thousand every week for training and I think when he actually starts working, Sesshomaru is going to give him twenty.”

Koga gave a low whistle. Honestly, it still didn’t help the wolf, but he could work with this. “Tell you what,” he offered. “I can take you and your husband to this land. I know the guy who owns it. We’re talking 21,000 square meters. If the two of you like it, I can get you a steal on the land. He’s really wanting to sell it.”

Kagome’s eyes widened. “Where do you find that much land available in Japan?” she asked.

Koga smirked. “Trust me, sweetheart. You’ll love it,” he promised. If Inuyasha couldn’t convince the couple to continue living in this house, perhaps Koga could convince them to move into the heart of wolf territory… That way, they’d be alone while the wolf would still be able to keep an eye on the love of his life.

Kagome stared at him as she thought it through. “That much land must be expensive,” she wondered aloud.

The wolf huffed. “I doubt it. I mean, sure, if you’re some ordinary human. But,” he leaned against the table. “You aren’t an ordinary human, are you? You’re Kagome Shimazu. What’s more, you’re friends with demons, particularly demons who have great connections.” He threw her a smile. “You ain’t got nothing to worry about, sweetheart. I got your back. We both do,” he concluded, waving a hand at Inuyasha.

The dog hanyou grunted his agreement. Kagome offered her own smile as she put her highlighter down. “Bankotsu is due back soon,” she told them. “I can talk to him and see what he says.”

Koga gave a single nod. “Let me know what he says,” he said as he pushed himself up. “I have to get back to my pack. I’ll see you later, Kagome.”

“See you later, Koga,” she replied as she stood and went into the kitchen to begin making dinner.

Inuyasha followed the wolf out the front door. “So, what’s your plan?” he asked.

Koga paused and turned to look at him. “I don’t trust that mercenary,” he admitted with a furrow of his brow. “He raped Kagome repeatedly and I believe he’s convinced her to sympathize with him. Mark my words, mutt, if he’s able to get her completely alone, he will end up killing her. Maybe not on purpose, but it will happen.”

The younger man frowned as he folded his arms. “That doesn’t tell me what you plan to do about it. You boasted about having a plan, something that would keep her safe. What it is?”

“I’ll need to speak with your brother,” the wolf leader stated. “I’ll need his backing to convince the mercenary to take the land I’m offering.”

“You said you knew a guy.”

The demon nodded. “Yeah. I do. He’s me,” he told him. At Inuyasha’s shocked look, the demon scoffed. “Don’t look so surprised mutt. I’ve been around for a hell of a lot longer than you have. And I’m the leader of the wolf demon nation. After you and Kagome had gone through the well that final time, Shippo sought me out. He told me about where you had both gone. I wasn’t really wanting to believe him at first, but that monk and demon-slayer backed him up. I knew I’d see you both again in 500 years, so I continued my life, keeping my rank and acquiring land as needed. As time went on and many of my pack either died of old age, disease, or murder, I even reduced some of the land I owned, keeping a certain amount aside for Kagome for whenever I saw her again.”

Inuyasha frowned. “You had planned this all along, hadn’t you, fleabag?”

Koga sniffed. “I don’t know how much you think I planned. I sure as hell wasn’t counting on that asshole coming back to life. However, I was planning on wooing Kagome myself. Offering to help her take care of her kid and maybe, just maybe, she would decide to mate with me, become my wife.”

“So, you’ve been waiting for her this whole time? For all you knew, she and I could’ve…”

“But you didn’t,” Koga pointed out. He looked at the hanyou inquisitively. “Why didn’t you, by the way? You’ve had every opportunity. Seven years just you, her, and the boy. You could have easily made her yours. What held you back?”

Inuyasha glanced back at the door. Pursing his lips, he walked further out towards the road. Curiosity alone caused Koga to follow him. Once they were at what Inuyasha deemed a safe enough distance, the hanyou sighed. “Kagome hasn’t been the same since she was kidnapped. I don’t know what that dick did to her, but…” He looked at the wolf hopelessly. “For the longest time, he was all she ever talked about. There were nights when I would hear her crying over him. Sometimes she would fall asleep on the couch and I’d catch her whispering his name. About a year after us being in this world, I learned that there were such things called psychiatrists. I suggested she see one, but she told me she was fine.”

Koga growled, “Why didn’t you insist?”

“Seriously? Koga, you know how she is. Since Banryu was born, she’s become even worse,” the hanyou acknowledged.

Koga stared at the half demon. “I’ll speak to your brother. If he agrees, we’ll get her the help we need. And, hopefully, we’ll get her away from that predator before it’s too late.”

As the demon turned away, Inuyasha barked, “Don’t expect him to help us, Koga. He’s been known to do things in spite of me and from what Kagome has told me, he likes that carcass.”

(IV)(IV)

Koga stood silently in the pristine office. His eyes wandered over the various artifacts, resting momentarily on the Tenseiga before moving on to others. He had known that Sesshomaru had traveled a lot. After the second World War, the daiyoukai had even gone to America to expand his businesses. It was a smart move, one that Koga had mimicked some twenty years later. Despite living the life of a nomadic wolf, Koga was pretty well endowed… well, as far as money was concerned, that was.

Sesshomaru entered the office, calmly walking to the fireplace. “Have a seat, Koga-sama of the East,” he said, giving the wolf a respectful nod of his head to indicate the two armchairs which sat in front of the fireplace.

“Arigato,” the wolf replied as he took the seat facing the daiyoukai.

For a moment, neither said anything as the little imp demon ran around them, pouring cups of sake and placing a plate of sweet meats on a small table between them. “Leave, Jaken,” the dog demon ordered.

Koga paid little attention to the imp as he groveled at the daiyoukai’s feet. The wolf took a sip of his sake, letting the cool liquid soothe him. The cackling of the fire, the slow creep of the alcohol. It was peaceful. After a moment, the wolf heard the door to the office shut and he knew the imp was gone. “This is good sake,” he commented, licking his lips and taking another sip.

Sesshomaru neither agreed nor disagreed with him, but that didn’t faze Koga. It wasn’t the first time they had spoken, so he knew the daiyoukai’s character. “What has Inuyasha said?” he asked, cutting right to the chase.

Taking a piece of chocolate and popping it in his mouth, Koga told Sesshomaru about the conversation he had with the hanyou, as well as his plans for Kagome’s land. “The land already belongs to her,” he rounded out, “but I know she won’t take it if she thinks it’s charity. Nor will she take it if she knows it’s my gift to her.”

“Is it your gift?” Sesshomaru asked, staring into the flames. He took a sip of his own sake.

Koga cast his eyes away a moment. “It was meant to be her wedding present,” he admitted.

The daiyoukai glanced at the younger demon. In many ways, they were equal, but in others they weren’t. Sesshomaru was older than Koga, certainly, but that wasn’t saying a lot. He remembered a time when their parents would get together and discuss the Warring States of Men. Sesshomaru was older, but they did spend some time together, even then. “Why haven’t you? She’s married now…” he halted as the full meaning of the wolf’s remark hit him. “You planned on taking her as your own.”

The younger demon wrinkled his nose. “I still plan on taking her as my own,” he pointed out.

“And the corpse? She’ll have his second child soon enough.”

Koga gave him a sidelong glance. “At least I know she can bear children. She’s fertile,” he said with a smirk.

Sesshomaru lifted a single brow. “That does not mean she will bear your fruit, old friend,” he reasoned. “You’ve been obsessed with her since the days of Naraku. Koga, she’s wrapped around that corpse now.”

“He raped her, Sesshomaru! Consistently!” Koga growled. “He kept her locked in a manor in the mountains and raped her repeatedly until she gave in. He did it so much that even after seven fucking years, she still goes to him and leans on him. There’s something wrong with her and, according to your brother, she refuses to see someone about it.”

Sesshomaru’s eyes narrowed. He didn’t really care to be spoken down to, but as the youkai’s words sunk in, combined with what he had observed on his own, he could see what that which the wolf spoke. “And the land can offer her protection because, as humans, neither Kagome nor Bankotsu will ever know you were there,” he sighed as he sat back in his chair.

“Am I under your protection?”

Her words echoed in the daiyoukai’s mind. “She is human, therefore her death in inevitable,” he surmised. “If she dies by his hand, you could kill him in her defense and she would be completely free of him once and for all.”

“Are you sure about that?” Koga asked. “We thought she was free of him the last time he died. Hell, she never should have even met him to begin with because he should have stayed dead the first time he died.”

Sesshomaru drummed his fingers on his armrest. It had been a habit he had picked up some time in the early 1980s during his short stay in England. He wasn’t exactly quick to quell it, either. “He’s said that it was Hachiman who had resurrected him this time, and I’ve been watching him in training. He’s a fast learner.”

“He’s also a descendant of samurai,” Koga pointed out. “Kagome’s told me that he has been training his entire life, or at least until he ran off and started his Band of Seven.”

The daiyoukai met the youkai’s eyes. “You’ll need to figure out how to get past Hachiman,” he deduced. “And you’ll need to find some way to open her eyes back up. Rin has indicated the same as you have about Kagome. The miko believes her powers are being held back because she’s married with children. We both know better.”

Koga raised a brow. “He can’t hold back her powers. He’s not the Shikon no Tama.”

“No, but her fear can. As can her lack of belief in herself, which can be caused from the trauma you’ve described. Rin has started the process, but this isn’t going to happen overnight,” Sesshomaru told him. “And thanks to my idiotic brother, she’s had seven years to stew on this. We all have our work cut out for us.”

Concerned, Koga looked at the daiyoukai. “What are you training him for?” he asked.

The dog waved a dismissive hand. “He needs something to do. If I don’t give him a job, he’ll find something else. This way, I have some measure of control. Rin is already protected as her life is tied to my own.”

“You don’t trust him,” Koga stated.

“Neither do you,” Sesshomaru said, looking at the wolf. He took another sip of his drink. “If Bankotsu turns down the idea of viewing your property, I will convince him otherwise. You told Kagome the property was owned by a friend?”

Koga nodded. “I have this plan to have one of my wolves pose as my ‘friend’. In reality, it’ll be me,” he said. “Unfortunately, I’ll have to charge her something for it.”

“Whatever money she gives you, if you don’t wish to keep it, I can make sure it gets redistributed back to her. Or, if you like, I can put it in a bank account strictly for her without her knowledge and we could hold onto it until the despot is dealt with accordingly. Once he’s gone and you’ve made your claim, I will return it,” the Lord of the West assured.

“And if he kills Kagome?”

Sesshomaru glanced at the demon. “I can bring her back, Koga,” he said.

Koga’s eyes hardened. “I want you to tie her life to mine as you tied Rin’s life to yours,” he growled.

“I won’t be able to do that until the two of you are mated,” the daiyoukai told him. “Any children you have with her will be hanyou, whether she is bound to you or not.”

“If she’s alive and safe, I could care less,” the youkai commented. “We’re a dying race, Sesshomaru. Eventually, there will be no youkai left. Hanyou children are our future.”

What Koga was asking was risky on so many levels, but Sesshomaru knew he wouldn’t turn the wolf down. “Am I under your protection?” The answer was no, she wasn’t. She was under their protection. The youkai whom she had managed to captivate.
- 9
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