InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ To Bear Witness ❯ Sesshoumaru's Influence ( Chapter 18 )

{Disclaimer: See another chapter because it ain't here.}

SF: For some reason, mm won't let me see any of my reviews! It sucks, and I think I'm going to have to repost the entire story to fix it. {::sigh::} But don't stop reviewing though. Someday Cinderella's prince will come, and that day I'll get to see my reviews!

Chapter Eighteen: Sesshoumaru's Influence

*5:50 PM, Outside Sesshoumaru's office in Seattle*

Kagome leisurely leaned against the desk, giving a slight nod every now and again as Sesshoumaru's secretary explained the 'essentials' for working for a man like Sesshoumaru.

"Mr. Takamada is a very interesting person indeed,' the secretary said wistfully. Kagome smiled down at her then sipped a little of her hot chocolate.

'So, she has a crush,' she thought as the secretary's cheeks turned a faint pink. 'How cute.'

'If it's so cute, then why do you all of a sudden want to strangle her?' asked a mischievous voice in her head. Kagome quickly squashed it as the secretary came out of whatever fantasy she had created in her mind.

"Oh, sorry about that." she said sheepishly. Kagome waved the apology aside. "Not to worry. What's your name anyway?"

"I'm Terry."

"Kagome, good to meet you."

Terry smiled up at her, her dark eyes twinkling. "You're so nice. Most of Sesshoumaru's temps are too nervous to talk, or they're snotty because they think that they'll somehow lure Mr. Takamada into their beds. You just seem to not care about that."

'That's for damn sure,' Kagome thought as she nodded. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. Do you have any questions?"

"As a matter of fact," Kagome started, remembering something she wanted to ask when she arrived. "I do. Why are the branches named?"

Terry blinked in confusion, then nodded. "Oh, that. Well, you know how other corporations have branch numbers like 'McDonald's branch number 001' or something like that?"

"Yeah?"

"Well Mr. Takamada wanted to be different, so he planned for names instead of numbers. You can tell the name of a branch by what the building looks like."

"I'm not following you," Kagome told her. Terry sighed, leaned forward, and grabbed a picture from inside one of her desk drawers.

"Ok, this is a picture of the branch in Jacksonville, right?" she asked as she handed Kagome the picture. Kagome nodded and gave it back to her.

"Yeah. So?"

"What's the name of the branch?"

"The Glass House."

Terry slapped the picture down and turned it toward Kagome. "Why is it called 'The Glass House'?"

Kagome leaned over and studied the picture. The window panes of the building were large and blue, giving it the impression of being entirely see through. "Because it's made of glass?"

"Right again!" Terry chirped as she grabbed another one. "Now this is us. Why are we 'The Stone Temple'?"

Kagome again studied the picture. This building wasn't like The Glass House at all. It mostly glass, but the windowpanes were tinted a dark gray, with concrete separating them. The entrance doors were like the doors to the dungeons in medieval times. Kagome nodded her head in understanding. "I see now."

"Good! You're a fast learner!" Terry lined up the two pictures and reached inside her desk as she explained. "There are ways to tell the names of a building. One is the building's location. There are 100 branches in America, twenty in Great Britain, forty in Japan, and three in Canada. Now I won't tell you the name of this next picture. Guess which it is?"

Kagome stared at this new picture, wondering if Terry confused the pictures. Before her was a picture of a roman temple, complete with statues of Greek gods. The only telling difference were the windowpanes embedded in the white marble. The sun rose from behind it, making the marble glow with a divine radiance.

"Wow," Kagome breathed. Terry nodded. "I know. It's beautiful."

"Where is it?" Kagome asked.

"In Greece, outside of Athens. Now what's the name?"

Kagome took a moment to get over her awe to study the details of the picture. 'The statues are of one person,' she noticed. 'And so are the carvings. It's a man, with a lyre if I'm not mistaken.' On the roof was a statue of the man, riding a chariot pulled by flaming lions and tigers. The light of the sun streamed around him, and it seemed as if he were pulling the sun over the sky.

'Over the sky! That's it!' Kagome smiled and pointed to the statues at the entrance to the building. "This one," she said as she pointed to the man. "Is Apollo."

****

SF: Hey, what can I say? I loved Greek and Roman mythology before I loved Sesshou. {::sigh::}

****

"Very good," Terry said again. "But what's the name of the building?"

"The Temple of Apollo, or The Rising Sun."

"Very good," Terry said. "Apollo's Temple. Not bad for a first timer."

"Thanks."

"You're very welcome. The only one to get that right is Rin, but she named that branch herself so she would."

"Hm, that's interesting…."

"Another thing to remember is that there are always similarities in the branches," Terry told her before Kagome could take the time to ask why Sesshoumaru allowed someone else to name the building when he so obviously took pleasure in naming them himself.

"Such as?"

Terry smiled and pointed to the three buildings. "No matter what differences lie, Mr. Takamada always uses one of two shapes for the buildings. Some, such as The Glass House, are in the shape of a U. Others, like us, are in the shape of an H."

Kagome nodded. 'Wow, who would have thought that a corporate brain would be so creative?'

"But you should see the main branch," Terry said, breaking through Kagome's musings as she put the pictures away. "I've only seen it once, but I remember it clearly. It's so beautiful."

"What does it look like? Where is it?"

Terry smiled. "Oh, I can't tell you that. If you stay with Mr. Takamada, you'll see it for yourself. You're a bright girl, so you'll know it when you see it."

"Kagome," Sesshoumaru called. "Let's go, we have a flight to catch."

"Oh, sure!" Kagome ran up to him as he stepped into the elevator, waving goodbye to Terry before the doors closed.

*

"So what did you and Terry talk about?" Sesshoumaru asked as he and Kagome boarded the plane.

Kagome sat opposite him, marveling again at the simple beauty that was everything owned by him. This plane was decorated in reds and blacks, with an occasional silver decorative scattered here or there.

Kagome stood up and checked the cockpit, not wanting to repeat the experience she and Sesshoumaru shared coming to Seattle on the way home, then sat back down.

"Why do you insist on your branches having names?"

Sesshoumaru nodded. "I figured that would be what she deemed important to talk to you about. I don't want to be like the other corporations. I feel that the names give the buildings character, and a beautiful workplace inspires some to actually take pride in what they do. In that sense, they work harder, and leave feeling satisfied."

Kagome nodded. "But the buildings are so…beautiful."

Sesshoumaru leaned forward, his hand lightly swirling the glass of wine in his hand. He glanced at it, at the simplistic beauty of the hand-blown glass before turning to Kagome. "I insist that all that surround me be beautiful in some way or another."

Kagome blushed. "I see."

"Not yet," Sesshoumaru told her as he raised the glass to his lips. "But perhaps one day you will."

Kagome's blush darkened slightly as Sesshoumaru sipped a small amount of the wine. 'Perfect,' he thought from behind the rim of the glass. 'This is going to be easier than I thought.' He sat the glass down beside him and glanced back at Kagome, only to hear her startled gasp.

"What is it?" he asked as she paled before him. "Kagome are you ok?"

Kagome blinked, then sighed. "Yeah. Sorry about that. For a second, the wine dribbling down the corner of your lip looked like blood."

'Blood? Huh?' Sesshoumaru glanced at the mirror behind Kagome's head, then mentally cursed. True to Kagome's word, some had escaped his attention, rolling sluggishly down the side of his mouth. He moved to remove it when Kagome stopped him.

"Here, let me." She stood up and leaned over him, offering a sweet smile as she brushed his hand aside and reached inside his breast pocket for his handkerchief. Kagome folded it into a small triangle, using a small corner to lightly dab at the spilled liquid.

Her face contorted into a slight frown moments later as she stood up and glared at him. "It's not coming off," she muttered. Kagome handed the handkerchief back to Sesshoumaru, leaning over him again as she glanced curiously at the spot.

"Don't worry about it," Sesshoumaru told her, watching the mischievous gleam in her eyes brighten for a moment. "Kagome, did you hear me?"

"Um-hm," she hummed, nodding her head slightly. "That's what we'll do then."

"Do what?"

Kagome smiled, then closed the distance between them and leisurely lapped at the corner of his mouth. Sesshoumaru sat, too stunned to move as she cleaned up the spill, the warmth of her tongue creating a slight fog in his mind. Kagome pulled back after a moment, and smiled.

"Perhaps red wine is better than I thought…"

*

"Mr. Takamada!"

Sesshoumaru's eyes snapped open sharply, blinking as they took in his surroundings. Kagome hovered mere inches from him, waving her hand in front of his face.

"Mr. Takamada?"

Sesshoumaru mentally shook the cobwebs out of his head, realizing that they were still in the back of the limo. "What, where?" he started to say before Kagome answered him.

"We're on our way to the airport. You fell asleep. Are you alright?" she asked as she checked his forehead for a temperature.

"I'm fine," Sesshoumaru grumbled as she pushed her hand away. 'It was only a dream,' he realized as he recalled the last few minutes he could remember. 'But…it was almost real.'

"Perhaps we should see a doctor," Kagome suggested. Sesshoumaru shook his head. "No, I need no such thing. I'm fine."

"Alright then. " Kagome shrugged off his stubbornness, counting it up to male pride and other such nonsense as she came up with a bright idea.

"I know! Why don't I teach you a levitating spell? I'm sure it might come in handy."

Sesshoumaru mentally groaned, but nodded his head. 'I know whatever it is she's going to teach me, and then some. Still, it wouldn't hurt to see how vast her knowledge of the arts are.' Sesshoumaru watched as Kagome started to demonstrate with a glass of wine.

*1:06 PM, Thursday, Sesshoumaru's office in Jacksonville*

Sesshoumaru stared at the computer screen, his fingers methodically clicking on the keyboard as his mind wandered back to last night.

'I'm so close,' he mused as he continued typing. 'Kagome is nearly there, nearly ready to accept my influence. She takes comfort in me now, and she's learning to listen to me.' He released his hold on the keyboard for a moment, lightly rubbing his eyes with his forefinger and thumb. 'The only thing that bothers me are her nightmares. They haunt her every night, and every night she trembles in my arms.'

Sesshoumaru left his eyes for his temples, softly massaging the tender tissue to ward off another Kagome-induced headache. 'Every night, she begs someone not to leave her. She cries…why in the hell do I care?' Sesshoumaru mentally berated himself. 'The only thing that should concern me is whether or not she obeys me and my little plan works. That's all!'

Sesshoumaru sighed, then turned his chair to face the outer window. 'But I can smell her fear. Something is hurting her.' Sesshoumaru mentally snorted, turned back to his computer and began typing again.

'I don't care if she's hurting or not, just so long as she doesn't rebel against me.'

'Shame on you Sesshoumaru!' a voice that sounded a lot like him scolded in his mind. 'Shame on you for lying!'

'Lying? To whom?' Sesshoumaru nearly said aloud. The voice clicked its tongue in shame. 'To yourself, for one, and to her for another. You care about her and you know it.'

'She is human. All humans are weak and frail, so they are always hurting.'

'That's crap and you know it!' the voice argued back. 'The least you can do is admit that you are concerned! After all, you wouldn't want Rin to hurt in such a way!'

'Rin is different. She is mine.'

'Stubborn…you said Kagome was yours too.'

'Fine. If it will get you to hush, then I do care. Happy?'

The voice sighed, and from somewhere in the deepest regions of his frozen heart, Sesshoumaru could see a copy of himself shaking its head in disgust. 'Ecstatic. Ask her about the dreams.'

'No.'

The voice sighed again. 'If only I had a brick wall. That way I would have a cause for the effect I'm getting from you. Why not?'

'She would never tell me in front of her comrades.'

'Then get her alone. You want to do that anyway.'

The phone rang, postponing the conversation. Sesshoumaru sighed in relief, then picked up the receiver.

"Yes."

A moments pause, then

"Friday? I don't know. I need to check my schedule." Sesshoumaru opened his schedule file, searching for this coming Friday.

"No, I have nothing but….I see. Very well. Expect me tomorrow." Sesshoumaru hung up, then mentally went over the conversation. 'Aaaaah….now that I think about it, this might be a good thing. I need to go home anyway.'

Kagome walked in, a slight bounce in her stride as she brought him his cup of tea. "How are you Mr. Takamada?"

Sesshoumaru gracefully accepted the cup, taking a small sip as he motioned for her to sit down. "I am as I always have been," he paused a moment, then whispered in the same voice he used the night she washed his hair "Kagome."

He smirked unseen at her slight shudder, then set the cup down and leaned toward her from behind his desk. "However, I do need to tell you something."

"Shoot," Kagome chirped with a smile.

"I have a business conference in Cape Canaveral tomorrow, then I must return to Boston."

"Return?" Kagome repeated. Sesshoumaru nodded. "Yes, return. I have not been home in a while."

"So you live in Boston, right?" Sesshoumaru nodded again, watching as a thoughtful expression crossed her face. "Alright," she finally said. "Myself and the others will be ready in-"

"They're not going."

Kagome blinked, surprised by his interruption. "Excuse me?"

"They're not going."

"And why not?"

Sesshoumaru mentally sighed. He had a feeling he was standing in the calm before the storm, and he really didn't feel like arguing with her today. "They must stay here to protect Inuyasha."

"But isn't he coming too?"

Sesshoumaru shook his head. "There is no need. Inuyasha lives here, in Jacksonville. The only reason he stayed at the hotel was because of the FBI."

"So you live in Boston, and Inuyasha lives here?"

"Correct."

Kagome took a moment to process this, then "Why weren't we told that there would be a chance of you two separating?"

Sesshoumaru rested his chin in the palm of his hand. "It was not relevant at the time."

"Not relevant my ass!" Kagome hissed, standing up. "You purposely withheld information from us! Important information! Not only that, but now someone else will have to be assigned to protect Inuyasha!"

"For what?" Sesshoumaru asked, watching her in amusement.

"Because we were assigned to protect you first, him second, that's why!" Kagome huffed as if it were common knowledge.

"But they're not coming with me. You are."

"Huh?" Kagome thumped back in her chair, her eyes wide. "What was that?"

"You are coming with me. Sango and Miroku are staying here."

"But why?"

Sesshoumaru sighed; as if this too were common knowledge and he shouldn't have to even explain it. "Because Inuyasha is as confidant of them as I am of you. They will stay here with him and you'll come to Boston with me."

"For how long?"

"It's my home. For as long as I deem necessary."

Kagome nodded, her eyes closed in thought. Sesshoumaru watched her still, trying to get a feel of what she would say from her aura. 'Perhaps she has excepted her place,' he thought as the calming swirls of baby blue danced in her aura.

"Hmmmm…." she finally said, standing up. "I guess you're waiting for me to say something, right?"

"Correct."

"Ok, here it is: Change your plans. You're not going." And with that, she left his office with a huff.

Sesshoumaru smirked. "I had a feeling you would fight this," he said to himself as he picked up the phone.

"Forgive me my dear, but I have no choice."

He waited patiently for the end to connect, then smiled as a woman's voice answered the other end. "Yes, I would like to speak to Sgt. Milstrome please."

*7:45 PM, Outside Sesshoumaru's hotel room*

"I cannot believe he said that!" Sango gasped after Kagome relayed to her and Miroku what Sesshoumaru said to her. "Why didn't he tell intelligence?"

"I haven't a clue," Kagome sighed, her hands balled into fists in her lap. "But he didn't sound sorry."

"The guy must have had a valid reason," Miroku said, trying to soothe the rising anger of the two women around him. Sango huffed. "I doubt it. I think it's more of a control thing. He can't separate us, can he Kagome?"

Kagome shook her head. "We were assigned to the both of them, but mostly him. He needs all three of us."

"You know what you should do," Sango said suddenly. "You should call Kaede! Have someone else protect the jerk!"

"That has already been arranged."

All three turned around, staring at Sesshoumaru casually leaned against the doorframe. He shot a glare to Sango then tossed a piece of paper in her lap, turned and left the hallway, closing the door behind him.

Kagome grabbed the paper before Sango could react. She and Miroku watched as Kagome read, her face slowly contorting to rage. "That arrogant…self-serving… ignorant…bastard!"

"What is it Kagome?" Miroku asked. Kagome took in a deep breathe before reading the paper to them, her small frame shaking in silent fury.

To: Higurashi, Kagome; Houshi, Miroku; and Taiji, Sango @stakamada.wct

From: Sergeant Kaede Milstrome @govtal.org

Due to the sudden request by one Sesshoumaru Takamada, the three of you are to be reassigned.

Sesshoumaru Takamada is now reassigned under the sole protection of Marshal Higurashi.

Marshals Taiji and Houshi are now fully responsible for the safety of one Inuyasha Hitame.

Marshal Higurashi is still team leader, and one Shippou Moraiga will still be in charge of technical support.

This new assignment is to be instated immediately.

Sergeant Kaede Milstrome, US Marshals Atlanta Headquarters.

"Are you serious?!" Sango screeched. "You mean to tell me that he separated us?!"

"Looks like it. Um, Kagome," Miroku said as Kagome stood up and opened Sesshoumaru's door.

"Perhaps you should wait until you've calmed-"

>Slam!<

"Down a bit," Miroku finished. He cast an uneasy glance to Sango as Katrina and Inuyasha stepped out of Inuyasha's room.

"What's going on?" Katrina asked. "Where's Kagome?"

"In there," Sango pointed to Sesshoumaru's room. "About to rip Inuyasha's brother a new one."

"What did Fluffy do?" Inuyasha asked, thought the idea of Kagome and Sesshoumaru fighting deemed interesting. Sango passed him the fax from headquarters and waited while he and Katrina read.

Katrina passed Sango the paper back as Inuyasha groaned. 'You've done it now, Sesshoumaru.' "I take it Kagome's not happy."

Sango reached for the door knob, her hand jerking away from an unseen barrier. "I don't believe unhappy is the right word for it at the moment. I think she's going to hurt him."

"Why's that?"

"Because it's her barrier on the door. Trust me, she used it enough when we were kids for me to know."

'Then this is something I have to see,' Inuyasha thought as he opened his room door. "I'll be right back. I forgot something." He disappeared inside, only to be followed by Katrina a few moments later. "I forgot something too," she told Miroku and Sango.

****

SF: Ok, this is where it gets a tad strange. ~ means a change of view. There are two, one being Inu-chan's and the other being the regular third person.

****

I landed on the balcony just in time as Kagome stormed into Sesshoumaru's bedroom. The look on her face promised a good fight, and I couldn't wait to see it. I mean, I know Fluffy cares about her and all, but perhaps separating her and her friends wasn't such a good idea. I wonder why he did it. Oh! Here we go! That corner by the door looks good enough to hide in.

~

"3...2...1"

>Bam!<

Sesshoumaru turned away from his closet, barely casting a glance at Kagome as she slammed his bedroom door shut.

"Just who do you think you are?" she hissed, her hands on her hips and her eyes narrowed. Sesshoumaru reached under his bed for another suitcase and set it on the bed before flinging in a pair of slacks.

"What are you talking about?" he finally asked her, though he knew exactly what was going on. Kagome scowled, resisting the urge to rip his lungs out.

"I'm talking about what you just did! I can't believe you separated us like that!" she hissed. "Do you know what kind of trouble you're in?!"

"No," Sesshoumaru replied absentmindedly. "Why don't you tell me?"

Kagome scowled again, her eyes narrowing impossibly. "You just made it easier for someone to assassinate you." She sighed and sat down in the easy chair, her head resting in her hands. "Sango, Miroku and I work together as a team. What one of us doesn't know, the other most likely does. If there's another bomb threat in Boston, I wouldn't know what to do and there wouldn't be enough time to call Sango. The best I could do is try to get us out of there, but it would still put dozens of people in danger. I can't protect you by myself."

Sesshoumaru sat down at the foot of the bed in front of her, watching as she ran nervous fingers through her hair. "But that's what you've done all along."

"What are you talking about?" Kagome asked irritably, her nerves already shot to hell.

Sesshoumaru sighed, then inwardly smirked, seeing another opportunity to bewitch the young miko in front of him. He reached over and grasped her hands in his, her open palm facing him as his thumb began slow circles in the middle of them.

"You've protected me by yourself since you arrived," he started, taking note to Kagome's down-turned head. "From the first day, when you tackled that would-be assassin, to last week when you slid down that elevator shaft. You've always protected me, just as Sango and Miroku have protected Inuyasha." He sighed then, palming her hands in one of his as he reached out and lifted her chin so he could stare into her eyes.

"Inuyasha trusts Sango and Miroku just as much as I trust you. So it was necessary for the three of you to separate, if only for a while. I can't stay here. If I could, then I would, but I trust you enough to feel like I can continue with my business successfully."

~

'Did I just hear that right? Did Fluffy say that he trusted her?' I shook my head in disbelief. 'No way. Fluffy trusts no one.' However, I stayed still and watched as Sesshoumaru let go of Kagome's face and started talking again.

~

Sesshoumaru waited patiently for Kagome's reaction. She stood still for a moment, a slightly dazed look on her face, but it slowly faded to mild confusion. "I don't understand. How does you trusting me have to do with your business?"

'Ahh, smart girl,' Sesshoumaru mentally praised as he sighed yet again. 'But I would have no less.' He glanced to the side, his eyes distant as he explained his choice of words.

"I don't trust anyone, no less people I don't know. But I trust you with the success of my business, the jobs of my employees, the successfulness of any future projects and much more. All of this depends on my life, and there is no one more qualified to keep me from harm than you."

Kagome blushed under the pretty words, taking them to heart even in her doubt. "I don't know about this…"

Sesshoumaru nodded, expecting her to not be so easily won over. 'Oh well,' he said to himself as he lowered his head. 'May as well put in a little overkill.' He let go of her hands, returning them to their owner before untying his ponytail.

"But I do," he said finally, glancing up at her before looking back down at his lap. "I've known since you started this assignment. For the first time since this mess started, I feel safe. I guess that's why I insist on being near you so often." His ears perked at her soft sniff, a seeming joy spreading through him at his success. Sesshoumaru glanced away again, staring at the bathroom door as Kagome stared at him.

"It's been so long since I had someone look out for me," he whispered, watching the desired effect spread across Kagome's face out of the corner of his eye. "I haven't felt as safe as I do with you since my mother died." 'And now for the killer.' He closed his eyes and willed a single tear to slide down his cheek.

Kagome blinked, not entirely sure what she was seeing. 'Is he….crying?' She watched as another escaped Sesshoumaru's closed lids, and another as shock spread all over her body. 'Oh no,' she mentally bemoaned. 'I made him cry!'

~

'What the hell?' I blinked, then rubbed my eyes before peering through the balcony windows again. 'Is he…crying? What in the hell is going on?' I watched as Kagome stood up and hugged him, listened to her whispered apologies…and watched the bastard smile. 'He's fucking toying with her!'

~

Kagome stood up instantly, moving to his side and wrapping her arms around him before one more tear could fall. "I'm so sorry Mr. Takamada," she whispered, resting his head on her shoulder. "I didn't know."

"It's my fault," Sesshoumaru whispered, ignoring the guilty feeling building in the back of his conscious. "I didn't mean to burden you-"

"Nonsense," Kagome told him, her fingers intertwining comfortably through his hair. "I didn't know. I'm being selfish. I'm glad you trust me so much." She sighed then, stood up and walked toward the bedroom door. "I'll go with you Mr. Takamada. Let me give Sango and Miroku their new orders."

"Of course Kagome," Sesshoumaru whispered. He captured her wrist before she could leave, schooling his face into total seriousness before Kagome turned back to him.

"Thank you for being so understanding," he said to her. Kagome gifted him with a warm smile, then turned and left the room, closing the door behind her.

Sesshoumaru waited until he heard the front door close, then wiped his face as a wide grin spread across it. "Well, that was easy," he said as he walked back to the closet. He then looked down at his watch. "5...4...3...2..."

>Slam!<

"What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"Ah," Sesshoumaru sighed as Inuyasha stormed into the room. "I was wondering when you'd come in."

"You still haven't answered my question Sesshoumaru! What in the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Packing, what does it look like?" Sesshoumaru replied as he walked past with another pair of pants. Inuyasha grabbed his shoulder and spun him around, ignoring Sesshoumaru's warning growl as he gave one of his own.

"Why did you separate them?" Inuyasha demanded. "You know just as well as I do that you can do business from any branch. Why'd you tell Kagome that bald-faced lie about trusting her and needing to go home?"

"Why do you care Inuyasha?" Sesshoumaru asked him. "After all, you have your own wench to deal with."

"Katrina is not……Oh." Inuyasha stepped back and leaned against the glass balcony doors. "I get it. I see what you're doing. And here I was, thinking all this time that perhaps you might be in love with the girl. You only want her, you don't love her. You want to posses what makes her so powerful. Or at least that's what you're telling yourself, right?"

Sesshoumaru shrugged. "Love is a useless emotion. Look what it did to you."

Inuyasha bristled, but calmed just as quickly, deciding to ignore the verbal barb for the moment. "I don't believe you. I think you care for Kagome more than you realize."

"And I think you're a useless romantic."

Inuyasha grumbled something along the lines of stubborn taiyoukai and their bloody pride, then returned back to the conversation. "Whatever, but at least hear me out."

Sesshoumaru mentally sighed, then sat down on the easy chair and motioned for Inuyasha to continue.

Inuyasha shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Look Sesshoumaru, I've been with you since Mother died, and I've watched you grow into yourself. You're lonely and you know it."

"Thank you Dr. Phil," Sesshoumaru grumbled as he stood up. "Now if you'll excuse me-"

"But with Kagome, you seem to be happy, to have fun. There's a certain way you look at her, the way you talk to her, the stuff that you allow her to do, that you don't do with anyone else." Inuyasha glared at Sesshoumaru suddenly, using a cold stare he'd seen from the taiyoukai himself. "Somewhere, subconsciously, you love her, but the way you're going about getting her is totally wrong."

"As if you would know," Sesshoumaru replied, deciding that packing while Inuyasha rambled would kill two birds with one stone.

"I do know," Inuyasha retorted, slightly miffed that Sesshoumaru would try to ignore him when he was only trying to help. He suddenly threw up his hands and opened the balcony door. "I give up," he whispered to the night air.

"But hear this Sesshoumaru: If you keep it up, she's gonna see right through it. She's gonna find you out and leave you forever. And when she does, you'll realize just how much you care for her, but it'll be too late. Don't do that Sesshoumaru. You deserve a chance at happiness." Lightening flashed across the sky, lighting up Inuyasha's form as his eyes glittered a pale amber.

"But if you keep going, you'll regret it and so will she."

In another flash he was gone, leaving Sesshoumaru with a weird feeling of foreboding. He quickly shook it off before resuming his mental celebrations as he packed.

*10:35 AM, Cape Canaveral, Inside the Space Station*

"Now Kagome," Sesshoumaru said as they stopped before one of the conference room doors. "I want you to stay here. It won't take me long."

"I don't think so Mr. Takamada," Kagome replied. "I'm supposed to be with you at all times, remember?"

"True, but this is a meeting for funding and research only. If you come in, it will seem suspicious." Kagome still looked a tad doubtful, so Sesshoumaru pointed to a glass window. "You see this? You can see me through here at all times. If anything goes wrong or you get that…what is it again?"

"Spider-sense," Kagome whispered, slightly blushing at the nonsense of it all. Sesshoumaru nodded. "Quite right. If you sense anything wrong, come in with your guns blazing, alright?"

Kagome giggled at the John Wayne-like statement, but nodded in agreement. "Alright, but my guns are still on the plane."

"Well, whatever you have. This meeting shouldn't take too long." Sesshoumaru turned and walked inside the conference room, leaving Kagome in the vast hallway outside.

Kagome sighed as she sat down, fingering the pink solitaire that still resided around her throat. 'I thought he said he would get this back,' she mused as she held it before her. She hadn't paid any real attention to it until now, and was silently berating herself for that as she stared at the pretty pink gemstone. It was a dark, almost lilac with tiny light pink and dark purple flecks throughout. 'It is rather pretty. Get a grip Kagome! You're supposed to be watching him,' Kagome scolded herself. 'I don't like this 'waiting outside' thing though.'

Kagome stared through the glass attentively, watching as two army officers walked into the room, each sitting on opposites sides of the long conference table. Others walked into the room as well as Sesshoumaru took his place at the head of the table. 'Now why doesn't that surprise me.' Kagome sighed again. 'There has to be a better way to do this.' She smiled suddenly as an idea came to her. 'Oh yeah! I could do that, couldn't I? I wonder if I still can…' She closed her eyes and concentrated, her features set and grim as the whites of her eyes turned a faint pink.

11:30 P.M.*

Sesshoumaru stared around the room as the others came inside, watching as the two officers sat on either side of him. One even dared to talk to him as others took their places at the table, some envious of his spot at the head of the gathering.

"Hello, are you Sesshoumaru Takamada?" she asked, her hand outstretched. Sesshoumaru gazed at it, then ignored it as he stared at her.

"Perhaps. And who are you?"

She smiled, taking back her hand as she tapped the tabletop. "I'm Col. Megan Starcatcher, and this is my assistant, Lt. Sandra Martinez of the United States army."

Sesshoumaru finally shook her hand. "Then I am he."

"Wow. It's good to meet you!" she said as her assistant nodded in agreement. "I hear you provided a great deal of the funding of this project. On behalf of the armed forces, I thank you for such a sacrifice."

"Sure," Sesshoumaru said absentmindedly. As Col. Starcatcher continued, he suddenly felt a small push on his mental barriers. He decided to seek out the 'intruder' before destroying them entirely.

'Who is there?' he mentally demanded. Kagome's laughter came through moments later, sounding relieved and out of breath.

'I'm so glad I reached you!' she gasped, panting between a word or two. 'I know I delved into at least two people before you.'

'What are you doing?' Sesshoumaru asked her as the last of the seats were filled.

'I just came up with this. Don't worry, I remember you saying that this was a company thing, so I'm only going to leave enough of my subconscious to be able to monitor your body. Any drastic change in heart rhythm, breathing or brain patterns and I'm coming in there.'

'But you won't hear any of the meeting?'

'Nope.'

Sesshoumaru sighed. 'Good. What if I need to speak with you?'

'Then just whistle.' Her voice changed to a giggly version of Marilyn Monroe's. 'You can whistle, can't you big boy. Just press your lips together and blow.' Then she burst out laughing before finally fading away. Sesshoumaru shook his head at her as the last person came into the room.

He was short, with curly dark hair in a horseshoe around his head. Sesshoumaru restrained from wrinkling his nose at the man. He reeked of nervousness and gin. His gait was tense and his white lab coat was buttoned haphazardly, with a few buttons in the wrong holes.

He hefted a large briefcase onto the podium as he waited for the others at the table to quiet down. He cleared his throat when he finally had their attention, motioning for someone to turn off the lights. He turned on the projector beside him and turned to the conference table.

"Thank you all for coming," he stammered, rubbing his bald spot with the back of his hand. "I'm Dr. Robert Kelson, and I'm the technician in charge of the Tetsusaiga project."

Kelson placed a clear sheet onto the projector, then picked up a pen and pointed to the white projector screen. "A lot of you here are wondering: Just what is the Tetsusaiga? Well my friends, it's the newest piece of intelligence since the invention of the satellite itself."

He pointed to the picture on-screen of a satellite orbiting Earth. "Disguised as a common weather satellite, the Tetsusaiga is actually a military spy cam, fitted with infared lasers capable of seeing at least 100 meters below the Earth's surface. This is especially useful for terrorist cells that use the caves and tunnels of deserts and mountains to hide in."

He switched pictures to a close-up of the satellite, pointing to the back of it. "The Tetsusaiga is designed to behave as a normal satellite would, except for one function: It can be re-positioned by remote using a set of discretely hidden rockets on the back of the satellite." He motioned for the lights to be turned on as he turned the projector off. He returned to the podium and pulled a small model of the satellite out of his briefcase.

"This is but a model of the real thing," he said as he passed it to the nearest officer. "But it does give you an idea of what it looks like. The Tetsusaiga is made of at least 10 tons of titanium alloy, and is 20 kilometers long, and 18 kilometers wide. It will do the job of a weather satellite as well, broadcasting weather reports from around the world."

Sesshoumaru passed the model to the lieutenant beside him as Kelson opened a door on the far side of the room. "If you would follow me please."

Sesshoumaru stood first, moving to walk beside Kelson as the others instinctively stepped out of his way. Kelson led them out of the room and down another hallway as he continued the meeting. "As some of us are aware, the Tetsusaiga was supposed to be released into orbit three months ago during the spaceship Mercury launch, but was sabotaged before countdown. We have corrected the damage, and the Tetsusaiga will be above our heads in two weeks time."

He opened another door, this one made of metal, and stepped to the side as Sesshoumaru and the others walked onto the platform. Below them sat the real thing, the original Tetsusaiga satellite, with technicians scurrying about ensuring this and counterbalancing that as the meeting participants looked on.

"This, ladies and gentlemen, is the Tetsusaiga," Kelson said wistfully, his eyes slightly glazed over as everyone awed at the completed satellite. They stood for a moment, silent witnesses to the hustle and bustle below before Kelson spoke again. "That's it for this meeting. Thank you all for coming. For those who can't be here in person for the launch, we have scheduled a private televised broadcast for you. Just leave you're email addresses on the table in the conference room. Mr. Takamada, if you'd come with me please." He motioned for the navy general to accompany them as well as the others walked back to the conference room.

"Well," the general asked. "What about the photon cannon?"

"The photon cannon is there as well, along with something I came up with last week." Kelson grinned suddenly, obviously proud of himself as he pulled out another model. This one was of the Tetsusaiga, with a photon laser cannon hidden on the inside.

"I equipped it with an automatic guidance system. Not only can it fire upon any target on Earth with incredible accuracy, it can now focus better on individual targets underground."

The general patted Kelson's back as Sesshoumaru shook his head. "I agreed to finance the satellite, and the weapon, but not the targeting system. It's not necessary."

"But of course it is!" the general argued. "How can we guide the laser without the targeting syste-"

"If I'm not mistaken, the laser was built with a basic targeting system." He glared at Kelson, watching the little man squirm under his gaze. "Well Dr. Kelson? Am I?"

The general glared at Sesshoumaru, then at Kelson as he nodded. "Yes, it was equipped with a basic system but-"

"Why would you want two targeting systems?" the general asked. "Shouldn't the first one be enough?"

"It's only for back-up, I assure you. But I'm sure we won't need it, since Mr. Takamada has the key," Kelson replied quickly. Sesshoumaru's glare intensified until the man visibly shook.

"It does not sound like 'back-up' to me," he told Kelson, releasing a small amount of his youki. He felt it wrap around Kelson, snaking it's way up the man's leg like a miasma. "I would suggest you remove it."

"O-of course!" Kelson stammered, completely unnerved by what he would call later 'the willies'. "As you say, Mr. Takamada!"

"Good." Sesshoumaru sniffed, quickly regretting it as soon as the stench of the humans around assaulted his nose. He resisted the urge to gag this time before excusing himself from the meeting. The general excused himself as well, following Sesshoumaru down the hallway to the conference room.

Kelson waited until the two men disappeared from view, then pressed his back against the wall. He shivered, quaked nearly as he wiped the sweat from his brow.

"Man," he sighed. "I really hate that guy."

"From what I understand, you're not the only one."

Kelson whirled around, then sighed in relief at the figure behind him. "Oh. It's only you. What are you doing here?"

The figure waved the question aside, holding her mirror in the palm of her hand. "That's not important right now." She brushed aside a pure white strand of hair, then pointed the mirror directly at Kelson. He shuddered for a moment, then relaxed, sliding to a sitting position on the floor.

"What is important is for you to keep that targeting system online."

"But Mr. Takamada-"

"Lie to him if you have to, but keep it on. Our master commands it." She walked past him, ignoring him entirely as she disappeared in mid air.

*

Kagome watched as the meeting attendants left one by one, until only Sesshoumaru and a navy general remained. An army colonel sat beside her, her hand outstretched and a smile on her face.

"Hi! Are you Mr. Takamada's assistant?"

Kagome smiled back and shook her hand. "Yeah, I am. I'm Kagome."

"Col. Starcatcher. I just have to ask you: Where did you get that necklace?"

Kagome stopped playing with the solitaire long enough for Col. Starcatcher to take a closer look. "It's Mr. Takadama's."

"Really? Looks a tad too girly for him, but it is pretty. Is it a topaz?"

Kagome looked at it again, then shook her head. "I don't think so. I had a ring like this when I was a kid, and I don't remember it being so perfect."

Col. Starcatcher palmed the solitaire momentarily, weighing the little stone in her hands. "You know, I took geology in school. I bet I could tell you what it is."

"Wow. I thought about taking that. Sure," Kagome replied as she moved to take the necklace off. A heavy hand on her shoulder stopped her.

"I don't believe we have time for that Kagome," Sesshoumaru told her as he nodded to Col. Starcatcher. "Thank you for the offer."

"Sure, not a problem," she said as she stood up. "But you really should get that appraised. It looks like a pink topaz, but it's too heavy, like a diamond or something."

"Thank you again," Sesshoumaru called as she walked away. He retrieved his suitcase from the other side of Kagome and followed with Kagome beside him.

"Can I ask you a question?" Kagome said as they entered the limo. Sesshoumaru gave a curt nod for her to continue.

"Why didn't you take this back? You said you would after the ball."

Sesshoumaru thought over it a moment, then shrugged. "I fully intended to, but I don't believe I will now. It doesn't look like anything myself or Rin would wear. You may keep it."

"Ohhh no. I don't think that's a good idea," Kagome said as she moved to take the necklace off again.

Sesshoumaru leaned his head against the back of the seat and closed his eyes, readying himself for another battle of wills. "And why not?"

'Because I can't. It's yours."

"And now it is yours. Take it." He peered at her out of one eye, the pale brown glittering in the sunlight. "I insist. It is the least I can do."

Kagome sighed, but relented. "Alright. But only if this is the last gift."

Sesshoumaru sat a moment, slightly stunned at how quickly she accepted the piece of jewelry. He shrugged after a while, then closed his eyes again. "As you wish."

"Where to next?" Kagome asked.

"Boston."

"I know that! Are you going home?"

Sesshoumaru shook his head. "No. I'm going to work."

Kagome started to laugh. "You're joking, right?"

"No, I'm not."

"But we've been up since 3:00 this morning!"

"And there is still enough time for me to get some work done."

"Aw man…" Kagome groaned, slumping in her seat. "This is gonna be a long day!"

-------

SF: This chapter is for everyone who's asked me: Where is the Tetsusaiga? Well here it is.

Kagome: Why in the world is the Tetsusaiga a satellite?

SF: You obviously weren't paying attention to the above chapter.

Kagome: Hm!

Silver Fox: I like the idea personally. The Tetsusaiga is a photon laser hiding inside a satellite-

SF: Nope, that's not it.

Silver Fox: Then what is the Tetsusaiga?

SF: The Tetsusaiga is the satellite without the laser.

Sango: What I don't understand is why Naraku even wants it.

SF: And I'm going to get to that shortly. We're almost to the home stretch. I estimate at least 10 more chapters.

Silver Fox: Of course she can't be sure because she hasn't finished the next chapter.

SF: Shut up man! Anyway, the preview is below.

Chapter Nineteen: Home Sweet Home

"Are you doing this?" "I hope so, but if not then I appreciate you humoring me." …"I am Ah…" "…and I am Un," 'Perhaps Lord Sesshoumaru's idea wasn't the best one. I wonder if you die before the pain or after when you're purified?' … "You'll be happy here, my pet," he whispered as he kissed her forehead. "You'll see. I won't let anyone hurt what is mine." … Kagome stood up and walked out, leaving a very pleased taiyoukai behind.

SF: {::sobbing::} Have you guys heard? FF took off Elexies' 'Obsessions of a Seraph'! It's not bleeding fair! {::crying really gets out of hand::} What are we going to do?! She was on a really good part too! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!