InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Taisho's Darling ❯ The Youkai's Heart ( Chapter 4 )

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Disclaimer: I don't own these marvelous characters; they are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I merely torture them at will and put them in uncomfortable situations whenever possible.

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Chapter 4

The Youkai's Heart

~.~

"Why Sesshomaru, how terribly…medieval…of you," Kagura said, giving the youkai one of her screechy laughs. "Who would have thought you could be so old-fashioned? Would you have the taiyoukai openly take consorts again?"

Inu-Yasha and Sesshomaru were dining with Sakura and her two daughters, speaking of the recent scandal involving a high-ranking politician. The politician had died of a heart complication following a night of adventure in a hotel room with a female other than his mate. Sesshomaru had angered the ladies of the group by commenting that the demon would likely still be alive if he had just been open about the affair.

"I can't wait to hear your explanation for this," Inu-Yasha goaded, thrilled with the opportunity to make his treacherous, power-hungry, back-stabbing elder brother feel uncomfortable. Bastard deserves to rot in hell, stepping in and taking over the company like that. Don't think I can't see what you're doing, big brother. I've worked my ass off for the company for all these years and you just walk in and get handed the whole damn thing on a silver platter. Father must be getting senile. And speaking of the old fart, where the hell does Father get off, skiving out of this dinner at the last minute? Emergency meeting my ass; he's probably out gambling with his drinking buddies.

"His mate was not chosen by him," Sesshomaru drew Inu-Yasha's attention back to the conversation as he referred to the politician in question. "His marriage was arranged by his parents in order to cement alliances among the youkai of the southern lands. In a previous era, he would simply have taken this female as his consort. She would have been financially cared for and granted all the status and privileges accorded to the consort of a powerful youkai. Instead, in this supposedly enlightened age he was reduced to slinking around seedy hotels where immediate medical aid was not available to save his life. The female he desired is now forever tainted by scandal. Can you honestly say this is an improvement?"

"Well, I still say he shouldn't have been unfaithful in the first place," Kagura insisted. "His actions dishonored his mate. Any female who would put up with that in this day and age is a fool," she snorted. "But I suppose your opinions are influenced by your own father's history."

"Do not judge past actions with today's standards," Sakura reprimanded her daughter. "What Taisho did 500 years ago was considered acceptable by the morals of that day. And no one can deny that he provided well for his wife and consorts." She gave her daughter a hard look. "Had your own father been a man of wealth, he would have done the same. If such thoughts enrage you, be grateful that you have been raised in a different age."

"You're right, Mother," Kagura said, but the agreement was missing from her voice. "Perhaps we should also be grateful that Taisho has accepted the changes that came with this enlightened era. There will be no consorts after he takes you as a mate, will there?" she challenged.

Inu-Yasha swallowed in panic. Kagura had looked him directly in the eyes as she spoke to her mother; giving him no doubt she was referring to Higurashi Kagome. He could sense the tension in Sesshomaru as well. Damn Father for not being here tonight!

"Perhaps the lesson to be learned by all of this is to never take a mate for political purposes," Sesshomaru offered diplomatically. "In this age of monogamy, choosing a mate requires greater care and consideration."

"Sesshomaru, your father tells me you will be staying here in town to work at the home office," Sakura said, turning the topic of the conversation in an effort to restore good feeling. "Have you found a place to live? I hear the housing shortage is abominable these days."

"Inu-Yasha was kind enough to secure an apartment for me in the same building as his," Sesshomaru responded as transferred his food to his mouth with an elegant air. "By the way, I have neglected to thank you for welcoming us into your home, Sakura. Father was most disappointed he could not join us for dinner tonight."

How does Sesshomaru manage to eat this stuff without gagging? Inu-Yasha wondered as he surveyed the unrecognizable meal before him. The arrangement of mystery food was topped with a horrible tasting sauce, and the entire concoction resembled something normally found at the bottom of a slime pit. Unwilling to be outdone by his brother, Inu-Yasha gingerly took a bite and immediately reached for his drink in a desperate attempt to wash the taste out of his mouth.

"That was a nice gesture on your behalf, Inu-Yasha, finding the apartment for your brother," Sakura's younger daughter Kanna said in her hollow whisper. As usual, the girl looked as if her mind was occupying a world other than the one her body inhabited. Her empty expression freaked him out. It was almost as if the girl was a puppet, speaking lines mouthed by another.

"Taisho works himself too hard," Sakura sighed, clearly unhappy with her fiancé's absence. "I wish you boys would speak to him about the hours he keeps. It seems Taisho isn't allowed even a simple family dinner without some emergency at the company interfering," she complained.

"We are doing our best to alleviate the situation, Sakura. Both Inu-Yasha and I have taken over responsibility for the majority of the company's daily operations," Sesshomaru informed the unhappy female in a soothing voice. "I realize trying to separate Father from his company must stretch your endless patience, Sakura, but it is difficult for him to let go after all these years of having absolute control."

Bored with watching his brother suck up to his father's fiancée, Inu-Yasha allowed his mind to wander. Kanna was still talking to him, rattling on about some political rally she had attended. Judging by her words she was quite passionate on the subject, but the effect was ruined by her toneless voice and wide-eyed stare. Did she ever move the muscles on her face except to speak?

Kanna would be a good match for Sesshomaru, he though wickedly. The Empty Mirror mated to the Imperious Ice Lord. Perhaps that wasn't fair to Sesshomaru, though. His brother might keep his face in a controlled mask, but his eyes often revealed his true feelings. And once, a long time ago, Inu-Yasha had even seen his brother crack a smile. Somehow, he doubted Kanna was capable of doing something as drastic as demonstrating happiness. She probably wouldn't even moan during sex…ugh! Where did that thought come from? I'm gonna be sick…

"So how do you feel about this, Inu-Yasha?" Sakura's high-pitched voice interrupted his thoughts. He forced himself not to flatten his ears against his head. How did his father stand listening to her speak?

"I'm sorry, what was the question?" Inu-Yasha asked, suddenly realizing everyone was staring at him.

"Try to follow the conversation, little brother. Kagura," Sesshomaru gestured to Sakura's eldest daughter, "was speaking of the recent upheavals in our city."

"Two entire sections of the inner city have been torched by rioters," said Kagura. Her voice was as cold as her sister's, but her red eyes burned with hatred. "The government is talking about reestablishing the human registration laws. I wish they would! Humans outnumber us; how can we expect to feel safe?"

"I haven't had any trouble," Inu-Yasha replied, biting back his rage. The centuries hadn't softened the disdain of many full-blooded demons, but the years had at least taught him not to be so quick to anger. Besides, human-demon race relations were a sensitive topic for anyone these days. He wasn't the only one feeling caught in the middle. "The humans living in my particular neighborhood are accountants and librarians. They're not exactly the violent type."

"Bringing back the curfews and the registrations would be a huge mistake," Sesshomaru said. "To strip the humans of their hard-won civil rights would only incite more violence, and justifiably so. They have as much right to occupy this world as we do."

Inu-Yasha nearly choked on his drink. Setting his glass down, he stared at his brother and wondered if he'd heard him correctly. Did my brother, the youkai who has proclaimed for years that humans are a hopelessly weak and inferior race, just offer a word in their defense?

Apparently Sesshomaru had surprised Sakura as well. "That's certainly a different stance than the one you've taken in the past," his father's fiancée stated coldly. "I well remember a time when you thought the registration laws were too lenient. Might I be bold enough to inquire what has caused this change of opinion?" her thin eyebrows furrowed as she sneered.

"No, you may not," Sesshomaru replied in equally frosty tones. "Merely accept that my views have altered. It would appear, however, that your opinions have only intensified over time. Do you not find it confining to live within such a closed mind?" Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at the females as he spoke, and Inu-Yasha tried to keep from passing out in shock.

Sakura abruptly pushed her chair from the table and rose. "It's getting late," she announced. "I'm certain the two of you would like to return to your apartments in order to gain sufficient rest. Please relay my regrets concerning your father's absence."

The dismissal was evident. Rising, Inu-Yasha gave his hostess a slight bow. "It was a pleasure accepting your kind invitation," he lied. He might dislike the woman, but as his future step-mother she deserved his respect. Besides, his father would kick his ass if he didn't show some manners.

********

"Head to the airport," Sesshomaru ordered him. Inu-Yasha glared at the command. "Please," his brother added belatedly. "I am supposed to be meeting someone important, and I lost track of the time while speaking with them," he spit the last word out as he referred to Sakura and her daughters.

"What's going on out there?" Inu-Yasha peered through windshield at the police vehicles racing past them along the streets. The emergency lights on the cars pierced through the darkness, lighting up the boarded windows of the nearby stores.

"I smell the smoke from a fire, but it's some distance from here," Sesshomaru noted after sniffing the air. "It seems to be coming from the inner part of the city. More rioting, I imagine."

"That reminds me, uh, Sess? What you said tonight at dinner…I wanted to ask you about that. Were you really sympathizing with the protests, or were you just yanking Sakura's chain?"

"While I sympathize with the human cause, I don't agree with the riots. Changes need to be addressed through the courts of law. There has been far too much blood shed in the matter as it is." Sesshomaru frowned slightly. "It negates the progress the humans have made."

"Okay, who are you and what have you done with my brother?" Inu-Yasha demanded. "You used to not give a damn as to who you killed or for what reason." He placed a hand on Sesshomaru's forehead. "Are you feeling all right?"

"I'm feeling fine," Sesshomaru growled, yanking the offending hand from his forehead. "You merely forget that you have not seen me for over a hundred years, Inu-Yasha. Certainly I can be expected to have changed somewhat. After all, the time we live in requires a new manner of thinking in order to survive. Too many youkai fail to realize this at their peril. As Kagura pointed out, the humans outnumber us greatly. If we cannot make alliances, our race will be exterminated."

"You haven't just matured; you've completely changed your attitude!" Inu-Yasha claimed. He studied his brother for a moment and then a huge grin broke across his face. "You're in love with a human!" he accused.

"I beg your pardon?" Sesshomaru asked icily.

"Don't try to hide it. The only way you could have changed this much is if there's someone playing footsie with you. This human guy who's changed your heart, what's his name? Have I met him?" Inu-Yasha was certain it was a man. He'd never seen his brother pay the slightest bit of attention to women.

Sesshomaru responded by raising a single eyebrow. "I can't keep anything from you, can I? You read me so well, little brother."

Inu-Yasha got the distinct impression his brother was hiding something big from him. Was Sesshomaru smirking? His brother never smirked.

"Yes, you could say that a human has changed my heart," Sesshomaru continued. Inu-Yasha was certain now that Sesshomaru was suppressing a smile. Inu-Yasha suddenly felt similar to a mouse after realizing it was nothing but a cat toy.

"So what's his name? Do I get to meet him?" Inu-Yasha asked, burning with curiosity. The mighty Ice Lord had a human lover in his life? This was hilarious, given his brother's past.

"Why do you think we're at the airport? We're retrieving my companion tonight." They parked the car and entered the airport. "I only hope you'll welcome this one as a potential member of our family."

As they approached the gate, Inu-Yasha followed Sesshomaru over to a young man with his hair tied up to the side. "I see you have arrived in safety, Nobunaga," his brother spoke to the young man calmly, but his eyes belied the cool attitude. Inu-Yasha could tell his brother was truly happy, and he watched Sesshomaru step forward with open arms.

At that point, Inu-Yasha turned his back. He really didn't think he was ready to see his brother wrapped in a passionate embrace with a man. After deeming a sufficient amount of time had passed, he cautiously turned around.

Nobunaga was walking back to board the plane, and Sesshomaru was holding a small human child in his arms. The young girl's chestnut hair was mussed from travel, and the little pony tail she wore to the side of her head looked to be in danger of coming loose. The child was clutching Sesshomaru tightly, with her head resting on his shoulder.

"Inu-Yasha, I'd like you to meet Rin," Sesshomaru introduced the girl. "Will you say hello to the grumpy hanyou?" he asked the girl softly. Rin lifted her head from his shoulder and beamed a huge smile at Inu-Yasha.

"So this is your companion, huh?" Inu-Yasha snorted. Sesshomaru gave him a reluctant smile, bringing the number of times he'd shown Inu-Yasha this side of his personality to a grand total of two.

********

Kagome staggered from her brother's hospital room. She had received the phone call just as she'd arrived at the mansion, telling her of Sota's relapse. Leaving Shippo with Koharu and Nazuna, Kagome had rushed to her brother's side.

Sota was now out of danger and Kagome had allowed Sango to talk her into leaving for the night. It was taking a monumental effort for Kagome to remain upright. She had fully intended to find Taisho-sama and get her bite renewed, but Sota's relapse this morning had driven the thought completely from her mind. Now that she knew Sota would be all right, the awareness of her need slammed into her body.

Sango was in the waiting area, reading a parenting magazine. She tossed it to the side at the sight of her friend's condition. "Come on, we're going to find Taisho-sama right now," the former demon-exterminator ordered, dragging the girl out to her car. Kagome was too dazed to argue.

"I haven't been able to reach Taisho-sama this evening," Sango confessed as she whipped the car through the streets. "I figure the best place to catch him is at his apartment. He's bound to show up there sooner or later. I've left several messages telling him to go straight there as soon as possible.

********

"Shit!" Inu-Yasha swore. The street used as a main traffic artery to reach his and Sesshomaru's apartments was completely blockaded. He could smell smoke and hear the sounds of yelling and breaking glass.

"Watch your language around Rin," Sesshomaru growled at him.

The girl in question was sound asleep in the back seat. Inu-Yasha rolled his eyes at his brother. "She can't hear a damn thing I'm saying; she's completely out of it."

"I don't care. Her subconscious brain doesn't need to be exposed to filth," his brother asserted. "You need to clean up your language anyway. You curse like a one-eyed carpenter."

"Well, we can't go home tonight - again. Do we head back to Father's apartment?" Inu-Yasha asked. "Or should we hope for a miracle and try to find a hotel with an empty room?"

"Go to the apartment," Sesshomaru said wearily. "There's no chance of finding an empty hotel room in this city until the Autumn Festival is over. Those rooms have been booked for months."

********

"Kagome, please try to walk," Sango pleaded with her friend. "I can't carry you!" She snaked her arm under Kagome's shoulders and tried to support the girl as she stumbled to the apartment elevator. Sango frowned as she pressed the button and received no response. The lift was out of order again. Gritting her teeth, she began the arduous task of pulling the unsteady Kagome up the stairs.

As she arrived at Taisho-sama's door, Sango realized with horror that she didn't know the key code for the apartment. Kagome was so dazed that Sango didn't even bother asking her if she knew the code. Ready to throw her hands up in defeat, she stopped when she heard the faint murmur of voices on the inside. She pounded on the door, and when it opened to her knock she half-dragged the delirious Kagome through the entrance.

"Taisho-sama, I'm so glad you're here - " she cut off her sentence. Standing before her was the most handsome creature she had ever seen. She swept her eyes over his well-toned body, taking in the beautiful silver hair and amber eyes. The fuzzy little pointed dog ears on the top of his head just made him cuter, she decided.

"Oi, what do you want?" the creature snarled at her, then stopped as he recognized Kagome. "What are you doing here, bitch?" he hissed at Kagome. "The mansion isn't good enough for you tonight?"

Before Sango could jump to her friend's defense, Kagome lost her battle with her mark and collapsed to the floor. "No!" Sango screamed, unable to catch Kagome as she fell. Sango grabbed the silver forelocks of the handsome male in front of her and tugged him towards her. "Where's Taisho-sama? We need him, dammit!" she yelled.

********

Nazuna carefully moved her ingredients from the gas burner and transferred them to the waiting beaker. Her last attempt had produced some odd results, but she was confident she had solved the problem. She hummed as she flitted around the spacious laboratory Taisho-sama had installed at one end of the mansion.

Now it was time to set the flask aside and allow it to cool. If it yielded the same results as before, Nazuna would have mastered a new potion spell. No small feat for a human girl, she thought proudly. Daydreaming happily about her future success with spell-casting, she whistled as she walked from the lab.

As she arrived at the kitchen in the main part of the house, an explosion rocked the mansion. Plaster from the ceiling crumbled and fell into the eyes of the occupants, and as a group they turned to Nazuna. "I can't believe you did this again!" screamed Koharu as thick green smoke began pouring through the house. "How many times are you going to blow this place up?"

********

Sesshomaru gently laid the sleeping Rin on a small futon in the corner of his father's tiny study. Brushing her tousled hair back from her face, he covered the girl with a blanket and placed his rolled-up jacket underneath her head as a pillow. Although Rin had a typically weak human nose, she seemed to derive comfort from sleeping near something that carried her protector's scent.

His fingers brushed the bar code tattooed on the back of Rin's neck, normally hidden from view by her hair. A Disposal…in the eyes of the law, she was nothing more than yesterday's trash. Legally abandoned as a useless scrap of unwanted humanity, she had spent the few years of her young life at the mercy and whims of any who bothered to care for her.

She should have despised everyone. Had she been old enough to understand, Rin certainly would have harbored a deep hatred and resentment toward the demons of her native land whose laws restricted her human parents to having only two children. One girl and one boy were all that were allowed to the humans of her country. Any extra children born were ordered terminated or the parents simply handed them over to the Disposal team. The Disposal team sold the children off to the highest bidder and cared nothing for what became of them afterward. The unwanted brats usually wound up in factories, mines or brothels, working their short lives out as little better than slaves. The children were free to leave, but the only place for them to go was the mean streets of the inner cities.

It had been on those vicious streets that Sesshomaru had found the girl; or to be more accurate, she had found him. He had been visiting her country on business when the nation's prime minister had been assassinated. The city had erupted in violence, with riots raging amongst both the demon and human inhabitants. Chaos had been given free reign, leaving all municipal services closed and stranding countless travelers.

And he had stupidly allowed himself to be caught in the downtown area with no more protection than his own poisonous claws. As a youkai he could fight with the best and come out victorious, but Sesshomaru couldn't win against a huge crowd of humans and demons carrying various weapons. Battered and wounded beyond imagination, Sesshomaru had regained consciousness in a stinking alley, unable to move for days on end.

The brat had first announced her presence by dumping a container of dirty water on his head. Although he had done his best to run her off, she appeared at his side day after day, offering him whatever food she had been able to steal. She never spoke, content to stay in the alley by his side and wait patiently for his wounds to heal.

By the time his father had sent out a search party and the frantic Jaken had finally located him, Sesshomaru was well enough to walk. The girl had followed from a distance as he left the filth of the alley and the inner city stench behind him. For a reason he was at a complete loss to explain, Sesshomaru had slowed his pace until she caught up with him. She had remained in his care ever since.

Sesshomaru had learned her name by using the tattooed bar code to look up her records. He'd had to do this because even after a year the girl never spoke. Her trust in him was complete, but she would not utter a sound. The doctors had told him there was no physical cause for her silence. Perhaps her inner pain was still too great, and silence was her only refuge.

A commotion sounding from the entry way of his father's apartment interrupted Sesshomaru's thoughts. If they don't quiet down they're going to awaken Rin, he thought angrily. He rose to investigate the cause of the disturbance.

"Please…" a pregnant woman was standing inside the apartment, begging Inu-Yasha. She threw herself to her knees before him and touched her forehead to the floor. "You have to get Taisho-sama! Kagome is desperately ill and she needs him!"

"Is there a problem, little brother?" Sesshomaru's cold voice broke through the confusion. Surprised golden eyes took in the sight of Higurashi Kagome slumped on the floor at the pregnant woman's feet.

Sesshomaru knelt beside the young woman, studying her form as she suddenly gasped and clutched her hand around the crook of her arm. A soft groan worked its way through her clenched jaw. He pried her arm away from her body in an effort to see what was causing the woman so much pain. "What the - " Sesshomaru began to ask when he suddenly felt the surge of energy race toward his hand. The woman had concealment spell on her arm? Recognizing the spell as one of his father's, he broke the seal and stared in horror as he recognized the faded mark the spell was hiding.

A frightened whimper from Sango brought his attention to the need to act quickly. He moved his body to block Kagome's arm from his brother's view. "Locate Father and tell him he has an emergency at the apartment," Sesshomaru ordered Inu-Yasha as he slid his arms underneath the unconscious woman. Inu-Yasha looked at him blankly. "Inu-Yasha! Leave!" Sesshomaru repeated. His brother raced from the apartment to summon their father.

"You, woman," Sesshomaru gestured to Kagome's companion. He hoisted Kagome into his arms and carried her slight form down the hallway. "Open that door and we'll put her in the bedroom, unless you'd like to leave her on the floor of the entryway?"

The woman gulped audibly and went to Sesshomaru's assistance. Once they were in the bedroom, Sesshomaru deposited his burden on his father's bed. "Why is her slave bite causing her such agony?" he asked as he propped a pillow under Kagome's neck, forcing her throat back in order to clear her air passage. Her breathing was becoming more labored by the second.

"Her former master administered the bite improperly," the woman answered hesitantly. "Taisho-sama has to renew it every time it begins to fade or Kagome will die." She wrung her hands together. "What's taking him so long to get here?" she moaned.

"He's probably at some card game halfway across town. That's usually the only time he turns off his cell phone. Inu-Yasha knows where to look for him." Sesshomaru continued his inspection of Higurashi Kagome. "How much time does she have left before the bite fades?" Sesshomaru wanted to know.

"She…I don't really know," whispered the pregnant woman. She raised terrified eyes to the youkai. "The mark has never been allowed to deteriorate this badly. Our master Taisho-sama is usually so careful," she said worriedly. At his questioning glance, she introduced herself. "My name is Sango. I…I have belonged to Taisho-sama for six years now."

"You live at the mansion as well?" Sesshomaru asked, his face a frozen mask. It was requiring a great deal of energy on his part not to curse his father aloud for his actions. He's keeping female slaves…if he's caught he'll be arrested, that is, if Sakura doesn't get her claws on him first. "Are there others besides you?" he asked, fearing the answer.

Sango lowered her head. "Yes," she murmured. "There are five others besides me and Kagome."

A choking sound came from the bed. As Sesshomaru and Sango watched, Kagome opened her eyes and attempted to sit up. Her body stiffened, and she collapsed back into the pillows with a soundless scream. Her eyes closed once more and a great shudder racked through her body before she fell ominously quiet.

"Kagome, no!" Sango cried, rushing to the woman's side. "Please hang on, Kagome! Taisho-sama will be here in just a few minutes!" she sobbed.

"He'll be too late," Sesshomaru told her. He pulled Sango away from Kagome's body and bent close to her still body in order to better listen. "Her heartbeat is almost silent."

Sango opened her mouth to say something and then closed it. She gave Sesshomaru a push, trying to get past him to Kagome. When Sesshomaru refused to budge, she ran from the room sobbing. Unable to accept her friend's death, the color drained from her face and she fell to the floor with a thump.

********

"Now what are we going to do?" Koharu coughed, trying to clear the smoke from her lungs. The mansion's inhabitants were standing outside in the cool night air. "We can't stay here tonight. There isn't a single room in the mansion that's inhabitable. Nazuna, you just had to go and mess around with those stupid demon spells. The stench won't clear until the magic wears off!"

"I said I was sorry, okay?" Nazuna sniffed angrily. "I can't help it if some of these spells are complicated. Even Taisho-sama says it's not a perfect art."

"We'll just have to go to Taisho-sama's apartment," sighed Miroku. "There's nowhere else we can stay. All of the hotel rooms in the city are occupied by visitors to the Autumn Festival."

********

The woman was fading before his eyes. Sesshomaru wrapped his hand around her delicate wrist, searching for the faint pulse. She looked so peaceful lying there. Death was a slave's freedom, wasn't it?

He couldn't allow her to die, he realized. Releasing her from the slave bonds was the correct action to take as far as the law was concerned, but to allow such fire and spirit to be extinguished would be a greater crime than allowing her to live. Besides, his father cherished this woman; Sesshomaru knew this for a fact. Grasping Higurashi Kagome's arm, he brought his mouth to the delicate skin of her inner elbow and sank his fangs into her flesh. The tang of her blood crossed his tongue, causing him to shudder with the memories of ancient bloodlust. A quickly muttered incantation; and she was now his slave.

His slave? Oh, hell. What had he done?

********

Sango blinked, wondering what happened. Her body was cradled against something firm and warm, and she curled into the wonderful sensation. The pillow under her head rose and fell gently with each heartbeat.

My pillow's breathing? She struggled to sit up and looked into those marvelous amber eyes she had seen earlier. The hanyou adjusted her on his lap and ruined the effect by glaring at her. "Um, what happened?" Sango asked hesitantly. They were both sitting on the floor.

"I came back to the apartment and found you passed out on the floor, wench," the hanyou said scornfully. "I figured you'd be more comfortable like this. Don't want you losing the pup you're carrying over something as stupid as a faint. I'm Inu-Yasha, by the way," he offered. "Since you're sitting in my lap, you ought to at least know my name."

"Thank you, I'm Sango," she said, turning pink with embarrassment. To have fainted like that was shameful to a former demon-exterminator. Her eyes widened as she remembered the reason for her collapse. "Kagome!" she gasped, tripping over Inu-Yasha's legs in her efforts to rise. As she pitched to the floor again, he caught her.

"Are you always this graceful?" Inu-Yasha sneered.

"Higurashi will be fine," Sesshomaru's cool voice floated from the bedroom. He walked into the front room, followed by a wan looking Kagome. "Inu-Yasha was unable to locate Father, however."

"Then…how?" Sango asked, bewildered. Kagome was no longer doubled over in pain and the color seemed to be returning to her cheeks. If Taisho-sama hadn't arrived, how had her bite been renewed?

"I took care of the situation," Sesshomaru said evenly, giving her a look that told her to keep her mouth shut. He obviously didn't want Inu-Yasha to know of their status as slaves. This made perfect sense to Sango, who understood the trouble her master Taisho-sama would have if he was caught doing something so illegal.

She stared at Kagome's arm, wondering what lay under the concealment spell. What magic did Sesshomaru know that enabled him to help her friend? Was there a new spell, one that could remove the blood bond from Kagome without killing her?

Wait…Sesshomaru said he took care of the situation. Did he…no, he wouldn't do something like that, would he? As Kagome fell wearily into the nearest chair, Sango realized exactly how Sesshomaru had taken care of the problem.

He's taken over Kagome's slave bite. Oh Taisho-sama, you promised Kagome you'd take care of her. How can you do that if she belongs to Sesshomaru? Sango snuck a glance at the icy inu youkai and shuddered.

********

A/N: Oh no, Kagome belongs to Sess now! This ought to make her behave more respectfully towards him…yeah, right. Kagome is Kagome, and she knows Taisho won't allow Sess to take advantage of the situation. (Unless, that is, Kagome wants Sess to take advantage of the situation.)

The rest of the slaves are now on their way to Taisho's apartment. How on earth is Sess going to explain them to Inu-Yasha without revealing their status as slaves?

Some responses to questions and comments:

How is Sango pregnant, and with whose kid?

I realize that I glossed rather quickly over this part. Sango is pregnant from a drunken one night stand with an inu youkai who is now deceased (see Chap 1). Nothing more has been said about him at this point, but some new information will eventually come to light - leading to more misunderstandings, of course.

Sesshy seems rather ooc, but that's ok…Also, why does he care so much that he's being put in charge of the company? Shouldn't he be glad? U gave me the impression that Inu held a higher position in the company than Sesshy prior to the promotion. Did he?

Yes, Sess is a bit ooc, but I'm trying to portray him as someone whose heart has changed a bit because: the passage of time has matured him, there is a genuine need for demons to adapt to living amongst humans, and Rin has influenced him. If I don't succeed with my portrayal, well, it's Alt/U (insert excuse here).

Inu and Sess are both equally ranked Vice-Presidents (Chap 3, Jaken refers to them as such), but Sess has been put in charge instead of the more experienced Inu-Yasha because Taisho feels Inu isn't mature enough. Basically, Inu feels he has been cheated and Sess knows his brother isn't going to take this without a fight. Family tensions = unhappy work environment.

Where's all the action and fluff?

I really should warn people in advance. If you've read any of my other stories on ff.net, you'll know I tend to take my time with the character set up - 40 chapter stories are the norm for me and I don't expect this one to be any different. I promise the plot will eventually begin to move and great clouds of fluff will cover the land :>D Lavender