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"I wonder what sort of kami resides in this lake," Sango mused, stretching out on her blanket beside the campfire. It was their first real outing since her last child was born, and now that the snake yokai was dead, she was looking forward to a small reprieve before they headed home.

Miroku leaned closer to his wife. "Hopefully, one that cannot read thoughts," he said with a lascivious grin, "or I risk great punishment tonight..."

Kagome rolled her eyes, hiding her smile as the monk blatantly flirted with his wife. "The villagers believe the kami here has the power to grant wishes."

InuYasha snorted from up in the tree he'd perched in. "Like a god of that gross pond has the power to do shit." He rolled his eyes. "'Cept maybe dirty your floors."

He would soon come to regret those hasty words.

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The kami before them would have been a truly impressive sight—were it not for his diminutive size. For all his regalia, he wasn't much taller than Myoga. 

While the rest of them offered the kami a polite bow and regarded the small being with open curiosity regarding his sudden appearance, InuYasha was neither courteous nor impressed.

"Keh. What did I tell yah?" He tucked his arms into his sleeves. "A kami this puny can't do shit. Myoga could practically sit on him." He snorted as he turned to leave.

The sudden spark in the kami's eyes was the only warning they received.

And then it was too late.

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InuYasha disappeared. His red firerat robe pooled on the ground and, for a moment, none of them could breathe. 

"Is he...?" Sango whispered to her husband, who shook his head as he leaned on his staff.

Kagome sank down, hesitating as she reached for the garments. She blinked away tears as she met the kami's smug expression, but before she could chastise his hasty actions, she heard a small cry. 

The clothing...?

Kagome grabbed the haori and froze when she saw a tiny naked infant lying curled up on InuYasha's haori.

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Miroku was the first to recover. "Ah, Kami-sama." He coughed into his fist as Kagome scooped up the infant InuYasha. "We sincerely apologize for our friend's impertinence." He bowed low, encouraging Sango to do the same. "Would you be so kind as to change him back?"

"No." The kami's tone was final.

Sango and Miroku exchanged a glance. "Through no fault of his own, our friend here was raised wild, Kami-sama, without the proper guidance, and so he does not always think before he speaks."

The kami said nothing.

"Ah, you grant wishes, right, Kami-sama?" Miroku added quickly. "Perhaps you would—"

"I see. If he was not raised correctly," the kami said calmly, "then I shall grant your wish." As Miroku began to thank him, the kami continued, "The one who bears the responsibility for his upbringing shall now have the opportunity to remedy their error."

The kami clapped his hands together, and InuYasha was gone.

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Sesshomaru stepped around the bundled infant that suddenly appeared in his path without so much as a glance at it. It would not be the first time a female had tried a more creative way of seeking his attention. Nor, he was certain, would it be the last.

His brows raised when the infant reappeared in front of him. He again stepped around it, and again, it appeared before him.

Lip curling, he said without glancing over his shoulder, "Jaken. Remove it."

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Sesshomaru stepped over the infant as Jaken scurried to do his bidding. He did not spare so much as a glance at either as he strode forward—why would he?

"Come here, you little—gah!" 

Sesshomaru did not care about the imp's plight.

He did, however, care about the infant that once more reappeared in his path.

Someone was going to pay for their impertience. 

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"Are you sure about this, Kagome-chan?" Sango gave her a dubious look as they made their way west.

"Where else would the kami send him?" Kagome shook her head. "Sesshomaru's the only family he has—that we know of, anyway."

Miroku rubbed one hand over his chin. "I cannot imagine Sesshomaru-sama would be particularly thrilled by the circumstances."

Sango's eyes widened as she met her husband's gaze. "You don't think he'd...?"

"We should make haste, my dear."

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They found Sesshomaru holding the infant InuYasha upside down by one ankle as he squawled and flailed his limbs.

Kagome rushed forward. "InuYasha!" 

Sesshomaru tossed the infant at her, and she scurried to catch him.

"What is wrong with you?" she said, glowering at the daiyokai as she tucked the crying infant into her arms. She gently rocked him in her arms, trying to soothe her friend as she made her way back to her friends.

A moment later, InuYasha disappeared.

He reappeared at his brother's feet a moment later.

The daiyokai just sighed.

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Sesshomaru reluctantly picked up InuYasha once more as the infant began to wail.

"Anyone will cry if you hold them like that," Kagome grumbled, moving to help him. "You need to support his neck and head so they don't flop around. See?"

"He is weak." Sesshomaru sniffed, but he allowed her to reposition his grip as InuYasha's wails lessened. "What did you do to him, miko?"

"He's a baby." She huffed as his words hit her. "And I didn't do anything! InuYasha did it to himself. Sort of," she added quickly when he quirked a brow. "It's kind of a long story."

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"You always were a fool, InuYasha," Sesshomaru said when Kagome finished her explanation. "You are foolish indeed to be brought so low by a low-ranking kami."

Kagome barely stopped herself from pointing out that, in a way, Sesshomaru had been impacted, too, since he couldn't get rid of the baby InuYasha, either. Jaken had already informed them of that. 

"You will show this one the lake." Sesshomaru lifted his chin. "He will speak to this kami himself."

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There was no kami at the lake.

At least, not one that appeared when Kagome and her friends requested it.

"You don't think he's afraid of Sesshomaru-sama, do you?" Sango whispered to her husband. 

Sesshomaru, it seemed, had his own idea about how to get the kami's attention. He walked up to the bank of the lake and simply dropped his brother into the water.

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The infant returned to Sesshomaru a moment later, now thoroughly soaked and squalling over the injustice of it all. 

Sesshomaru dropped InuYasha back in the water before Kagome could reach him.

"I will do this," he threatened with a smile that made everyone nervous, "until you appear."

The kami appeared a moment later.

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"Fix him." Sesshomaru held up the infant, who reappeared before him a moment later, dangling the infant once again by his ankle. "Now."

Kagome reached him a moment later, snatching InuYasha from his arms and cuddling the boy to her chest.

Before she could chastise Sesshomaru, the kami spoke. "It does not appear that your mate wishes for him to be restored." His expression was smug as Kagome gaped at him. "It does not matter, however. I will not undo that which rightfully earned."

Sesshomaru's yoki then was explosive.

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Sango and Miroku stood on the periphery, unable to get any closer as Sesshomaru's yoki became a whirling storm.

"Even Hiraikotsu cannot pierce this," Sango murmured to her husband, tucking her boomerang on her back. "Sesshomaru-sama has grown in strength."

"Of course he has! Sesshomaru-sama is the greatest yokai of all time!" Jaken crowed beside her, though he seemed a little put out.

Sango and Miroku exchanged a look. They'd honestly forgotten the imp was even there.

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The moment that Sesshomaru's rage encircled them, Kagome had quickly reassured the kami that all involved had learned a very important lesson. There was no need for further punishment.

"And yet," the kami responded, lifting a brow, "your mate stands here before this one, ready to deny the will of the heavens rather than accept his responsibility. No. This will not be undone."

"You will—" Sesshomaru began, but it was no use.

The kami was gone.

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"You're not taking this out on your poor brother." Kagome glowered at Sesshomaru as he took a step towards her, his eyes reddened in obvious displeasure. "It's not his fault that he—"

"Is it not?" Sesshomaru murmured, his voice low as his yoki sparked.

Belatedly, she realized her mistake. "Okay," she said quickly, "it was grown InuYasha's fault, but he's just a baby now, so—"

Sesshomaru's gaze drops to the infant in her arms. "I should have killed the fool when I had the chance."

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"Hmm. So he refused." Miroku rubbed a hand over his jaw as Kagome quickly brought them up to speed.

"Perhaps another kami would..." Sango trailed off as Sesshomaru walked past them, scooping InuYasha up from Kagome's arms and carrying him off by the nape of his neck. "Er, is he—Kagome-chan?"

Kagome was already rushing off after the daiyokai. "Sesshomaru! Seriously, you can't just carry your brother like that—"

"It's a good thing our friend is hanyo," Miroku observed, shaking his head. "I fear that he would not survive Sesshomaru's 'care' otherwise."

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Kagome gently bounced InuYasha in her arms as she walked alongside Sesshomaru, careful not to fall too far behind so the baby would disappear again. "See?" She gave the daiyokai a meaningful look. "This is how you hold a baby. Look at how happy he is!" She cuddled the baby closer.

It was getting harder and harder to remember that InuYasha was one of her closest friends and the boy she'd once hoped to marry.

"Hnn." Sesshomaru did not even glance at the baby. "You are a fool, miko." He sniffed. "You cannot hope to protect him in this state. He would die."

"No, he wouldn't," she replied firmly. "He's got you and me and everyone else to protect him, too."

Sesshomaru snorted in response.

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"Abomination!" The monk held up his beads as he and his followers surrounded the group later that afternoon. "How dare you mate with such a creature, woman! You have forfeited your power with your hedonist ways! And you, slayer! Have you no shame?"

Kagome let out a breath as she shifted InuYasha in her arms. She would not lose her temper. "I'm not—"

"Quiet! We will not listen to one such as you!" The monk signaled to his followers as they all began to chant.

Diplomacy had failed.

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"Forfeited my power?" Kagome hissed at the cowed monks, though their leader did not look as impressed by the display of reiki. "Does this look forfeited to you?"

As Kagome continued her lecture, Sango whispered, "Should we...stop her?"

Miroku shifted InuYasha in his arms. "I do not believe anyone could stop our good friend," he replied before turning to the daiyokai watching nearby. They'd all been surprised by how, well, not deadly he'd been during the fight.

Sango followed his gaze. "You don't think...?"

"I endeavor never to assume, my dear."

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Sesshomaru's lips thinned as he inadvertently stepped too far from the miko, and his foolish half-brother reappeared in his arms. The situation had become untenable. He, the greatest of the daiyokai, should not be tethered in such a manner, and the only thing he cared about was breaking that tether. 

"Sorry, Sesshomaru." The miko smiled as she plucked his brother off of his fur before the fool could throw up or defecate on it. "I'll walk faster."

He ignored her smile.

The miko did not matter.

Only the curse did.

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"You came here to demand that I remove the punishment that another kami saw fit to bestow upon you?" The mountain kami's gray eyes flashed. "Perhaps you should reflect upon why you earned such a punishment to begin with, boy."

Kagome knew trouble the moment she heard it. Of the three kami they'd visited after leaving the pond kami's home, this one had arguably gone the worst. She opened her mouth to help, but Sesshomaru, it seemed, was determined to torpedo the situation.

"It is not my punishment."

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The kami's eyes narrowed as she lifted her chin. "Is it not?" she asked, her voice as tempetous as the seas. For a mountain kami, she wasn't the calm, refined kami that Kagome had pictured. "Perhaps, yokai, that is why it is yours to begin with."

Sesshomaru took a step forward, his claws glowing.

"We understand," Kagome said, stepping out in front of the daiyokai before he did something stupid, like get Kagome and the infant she carried zapped. "We thank you for your wisdom, kami-sama." She turned and gave a pointed look to the inuyokai beside her.

If he continued to push, she'd zap him herself.

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As Sango and Miroku whispered about how to diplomatically handle the situation, Kagome took matters into her own hands. "Okay, that's enough," she said, glowering up at the daiyokai as they left the mountain. "We've been to six kami, Sesshomaru. No one's going to lift this curse, so you need to learn how to deal with this. InuYasha deserves better."

Sesshomaru sniffed. "Least you forget, miko, that he is the reason this one is in this predicament."

"Sure, adult InuYasha did," she said, shrugging, uncaring that she was splitting hairs, "but the baby doesn't know about any of that. It's not his fault." She moved in front of him and stopped. "It's high time you gave up and learn how to parent, Sesshomaru. You're stuck with him."

And, unfortunately for InuYasha, he was stuck with Sesshomaru, too.

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"Desist your crying, vermin," Sesshomaru growled at InuYasha, "and release this one's fur. One who carries the blood of Chichi-ue, the Inu no Taisho, within his veins should conduct himself accordingly."

The infant only wailed harder.

It was most unfortunate that the miko was attending to feminine concerns at the moment. He had been forced to hold his half-brother in the interim. The miko had specifically forbidden the imp from assisting after Jaken had accidentally dropped a rock on InuYasha's head.

"You will cease your tears now. They do not become a hanyo of your lineage." He attempted to shake the infant free of his fur.

"Sesshomaru!" The miko came rushing out of the bushes with a horrified look on her face. "You can't just shake a baby like that! Are you trying to kill him?"

He briefly considered the notion as the baby wailed harder. He was uncertain as to the kami's response if he allowed the fool to die, however. Unfortunate indeed. "No."

She let out a heavy sigh. "Then stop shaking him!" 

"I think Sesshomaru-sama is handling this well," the monk whispered with amusement to his wife, "don't you?"

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"Oh, don't even give me that look," Kagome growled as she refilled the pouch with water. "This is all your fault, Sesshomaru." He looked murderous, but she didn't care. "If you hadn't insisted you could 'quiet the boy,' we wouldn't even be in this mess. Frankly, as far as I'm concerned, it's your own fault he peed all over you."

She blew on InuYasha's face before pouring water to rinse him off.

"If you had been watching him properly—"

"I said I'd help you." She glowered at him. "I didn't say I'd raise your brother for you."

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He'd insisted on bathing, and since he could not be parted from his brother—and since Kagome did not trust Sesshomaru not to drown the infant, either—Kagome sat nearby and did her best to ignore him as she cradled InuYasha. At least, she thought, striving for optimism, Sesshomaru would smell better once he cleaned up. He wasn't exactly fresh at the moment.

Where his new change of clothes came from, she didn't know, but she had to admit he looked good in dark blue. Still... "I'm not cleaning your clothes," she warned as he turned towards camp. She followed, figuring he was about to drop the clothes beside the imp and demand that Jaken clean them.

But he walked right past the imp without a word.

Her eyes widened as Sesshomaru reached the campfire and...promptly threw his clothing into the blaze.

Rolling her eyes, she muttered, "Drama king."

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"We will return as swiftly as we are able," Miroku concluded. His plan made sense, but Kagome wouldn't have stopped Miroku and Sango from leaving even if they hadn't planned to research the 'blessing' given to InuYasha and his brother by the kami. 

They'd been away from their children long enough.

Kagome hugged her friends. "I'll miss you both."

Sango returned the sentiment before stepping back to eye Sesshomaru and his brother. "Hopefully," she murmured, "his instincts kick in before then. Then again," she continued as Sesshomaru dangled a drooling InuYasha by his foot, "maybe that's asking for the impossible."

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It seemed that Kagome was destined to teach Sesshomaru every part of caring for an infant. Milk had been obtained already—Jaken returned with a fresh container of milk several times a day—and Sango had already shown them how to feed InuYasha using the bowl method.

"Are you trying to drown him?" Kagome took a deep breath to stop herself from snatching the bowl from Sesshomaru's reluctant hands.

"If I wished to drown InuYasha," he said with a petulant sniff as he dutifully adjusted the bowl under her direction, "he would be in the middle of the ocean, miko."

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Kagome jolted awake that night to a shrill cry, and there was nothing to do but drag herself out from under her blankets so she could reach for InuYasha—only to find air in his portable bassinet instead of the infant she'd sought.

He was not there.

Panic and adrenaline surging through her now, she leaped to her feet, wide awake as she looked for the source of the familiar cry. She'd heard him. She knew she had. He was here and he was crying, somewhere—

She looked around, desperate to find him—

And found InuYasha in his brother's arms.

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Sesshomaru wasn't holding InuYasha the way she'd shown him—in fact, saying that Sesshomaru was 'holding the baby' period was being generous—but an attempt was certainly being made.

Sort of, anyway. 

He had InuYasha in his arms, but he was holding the infant as far away as he could from his body as though he was afraid InuYasha would throw up on him again. It couldn't have been comfortable.

No wonder the boy was so upset.

Shaking her head, she moved to help. If she left Sesshomaru alone, she'd never get back to sleep.

And neither would anyone else. 

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"Like this." Kagome reached out to adjust InuYasha, tucking him securely against the daiyokai's chest while ensuring the infant's head was supported. InuYasha immediately began to quiet as he relaxed against Sesshomaru. "See?"

"Hnn." The pained expression left Sesshomaru's face as the baby quieted. "You may deal with him now that you have awakened, miko." He inclined his head to Jaken, who held the milk and bowl.

She held up her hands. "Oh, no, you don't. This is your problem, Sesshomaru," she told him firmly. "I'm only here to help." She gave Jaken a pointed look.

The imp just swallowed.

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In the end, despite his attempts to the contrary, Kagome won the battle of the wills by the simple act of returning to her bedding and wrapping herself up in the blanket.

She hated to hear InuYasha quietly fuss, but she had to make the point now or Sesshomaru would continue to try and run roughshod over her.

But she also knew the daiyokai.

She didn't so much as open her eyes or roll over as she added, "Don't even think about it, Jaken."

The imp froze, the bowl of milk just centimeters from InuYasha's open mouth.

Sesshomaru just huffed.

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When Kagome woke in the morning, she was pleasantly surprised to find no trace of a sobbing infant—pleasantly surprised and more than a little concerned. It wasn't like daiyokai to change his stripes overnight, and it was wasn't like InuYasha to be quiet, either. 

Intuition told her she needed to check on the two of them.

She quickly got up to find them. Sesshomaru stood just a few feet away, looking rather pleased with himself.

It took her a moment to realize why.

InuYasha was high up in the tree beside his brother, a wide grin on his face.

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"I still can't believe you stuck your brother halfway up a tree," Kagome huffed, still grumbling over the matter an hour later. "Have you lost your damn mind? He's a baby."

Sesshomaru sniffed as he pulled a lock of hair free from InuYasha's fists. The baby was not deterred. "He enjoyed it, did he not?"

"That's not the point here, Sesshomaru." She crossed her arms. "It's just common sense, dammit. He could've fallen. He could've been hurt—or worse."

Sesshomaru looked hopeful and then, after a moment, exhaled in resignation. "Unfortunately," he murmured, "this one has learned that hanyo bounce."

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"Hanyo what?" Kagome's stomach dropped, horror growing as she gaped at the daiyokai beside her. How could he be so calm? Heaven help her, but if he'd harmed one hair on—

"They bounce," Sesshomaru repeated nonchalantly. "Or, at the very least, InuYasha does." He shrugged one shoulder. "Perhaps it is a side effect of...his condition."

"I don't care why he does it," she growled, incensed. "We do not let babies bounce, Sesshomaru!"

He sniffed. "Then inform the boy of that. This one would not be opposed."

Kagome could only throw her hands up and bite back a small scream.

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InuYasha learned that he could scream the following day. Though he appeared to be roughly two to three months old, his milestones were all over the place, as though being of mixed blood had him excelling in some areas while falling behind in others.

Volume, however, was clearly not one of those areas, as InuYasha decided that chattering at the top of his lungs was the only way he would now communicate.

Kagome winced as he screeched again. "I wish I had earplugs."

One look at the daiyokai told her he was just as miserable. "Perhaps this one should—"

"No."

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"It is a viable alternative, miko." Sesshomaru sniffed as he ran his claws through his hair.

Kagome winced as she pulled her hair free of the infant's hands. It was getting harder and harder to see this baby as the boy she'd known and crushed on, especially now when it seemed like the 'blessing' of the kami might never be revoked. "No." She gave both of them a firm look. "No to pulling my hair, InuYasha, and no to putting your brother up a tree when you don't like something he does, Sesshomaru. And that's final."

The daiyokai just huffed.

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Three hours later, though, Kagome was seriously reconsidering her position. Perhaps she was delusional from the incessant crying, but dammit, at least InuYasha had been smiling when he'd been halfway up the tree instead of bellowing his lungs out.

And dammit, she needed a break. They all did.

But still...

"It is still a viable alternative," Sesshomaru remarked, tucking his hands into his sleeves as InuYasha took a moment to breathe.

A slight pause. 

Kagome winced as InuYasha started back up again. "No." She was tempted, though. "Knowing you, you'd leave him there."

Sesshomaru did not attempt to argue otherwise.

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Twenty minutes later, Kagome lost her resolve. She hadn't understood before, but hours of a crying baby did something to the brain that she couldn't quite explain. "Do it."

Sesshomaru turned to her, his brow quirking, though it didn't hide his discomfort, either. "Do what, miko?"

"Put him in the tree," she replied desperately. They'd keep an eye on him so he wouldn't fall, but at this point, she'd take anything over the incessant sobbing. "We're not going to leave him," she added quickly when Sesshomaru reached for the child in her arms. 

"It would be a fruitless endeavor, miko."

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Kagome wasn't about to win any parenting awards in her era, but she didn't care. The relief was palpable as InuYasha grinned up at them from his branch in the tree. At least, she thought, exhaling with relief, the infant instinctively clung to the branches, his claws securing a hold so he wouldn't easily tumble down.

But the relief wouldn't last—and they all knew it.

There was a loud thud, and she whirled to see Jaken had used his staff's fire to remove a large branch. He sniffed. "The great dragon shall carry our esteemed lord's brother."

Kagome sighed.

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Kagome ignored the sight of InuYasha clinging to the large branch in Ah-Un's mouth. The baby was happy and not crying, and, for the moment at least, not falling, either. No parenting book would ever condone that, but desperation bred unique solutions, and she wasn't going to fix what wasn't broken. 

"So." She turned to Sesshomaru, who quirked a brow but otherwise remained silent. "What's the plan, Sesshomaru?"

He had to have one since the threats to the kami hadn't worked, right?

The daiyokai did not answer.

She blanched. "You do have a plan." She paused, then pressed, "Don't you?"

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He did not have a plan. At least, not one that was in any way viable.

Kagome exhaled as she pinched the bridge of her nose. Of all the stupid, harebrained ideas he could have had, this one was arguably the worst. "I can't believe that your great plan is to find some way of reviving your father so he can deal with this, Sesshomaru." 

If that were even possible, he'd have done it when his father first died, right?

"He is the one who created the problem." Sesshomaru sniffed. "Should it not be up to him to resolve it?"

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"That's fine and well," Kagome crossed her arms, "but how are you going to do it, Sesshomaru?" It wasn't like Tenseiga could revive someone long dead, after all. 

"Foolish woman!" Jaken sniffed as he stomped his staff on the ground. "There is nothing my great and terrible lord cannot do." The imp began listing his lord's many victories and virtues, which included a time he had destroyed an army for a boat and another time he had somehow destroyed an entire mountain that had been in his path—

Only to stop short when a pebble clonked him on the head.

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"This is a horrible idea." Kagome eyed the pond where all of this had begun with thinly veiled resignation as she shifted InuYasha to her other shoulder. There wasn't much point to the comment, however, since Sesshomaru had ignored her criticisms and bulldozed over her arguments.

She just hoped he wasn't about to make the situation a lot worse. 

Knowing Sesshomaru, however, she couldn’t rule that possibility out.

"My lord has never once had a terrible idea in his entire life!" Jaken gallantly defended Sesshomaru

Kagome just quirked a brow as she eyed the imp. She could think of several. 

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To her horror, Sesshomaru plucked InuYasha from her arms and once again dropped him directly into the pond before she could stop him.

"Sesshomaru! Are you serious right now—" she began to no avail.

InuYasha giggled as he splashed into the water before returning to his brother, now soaking wet.

Sesshomaru repeated his actions twice before before the Kami finally appeared, looking thoroughly displeased.

"You dare—"

"His sire." Sesshomaru lifted his chin. “Should not the one who sired two such sons be held accountable? After all, it is he who raised this one and beget the situation to begin with."

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There was a slight twitch in the kami's jaw, and that in and of itself should have been all the warning Sesshomaru required. 

Not that the daiyokai was likely to listen, however, damn the man.

"You have been warned," the kami lifted his chin as he glowered at Sesshomaru, "and still, you will not listen."

Oh shit. Kagome heard the sharp tone and realized things were likely about to go very, very badly. But she didn't have time to interfere before—

"Perhaps there is only one way left to remedy your poor behavior, yokai."

And then there was only darkness.

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They were in the belly of a beast—one Kagome had seen before, long ago. 

Never once, not in all her years, did Kagome think she'd be back here. The darkness, the gloomy atmosphere, the stone pedestal before her that had once held the very thing that had ensured her protection.

She did not need it now, which was a good thing given that InuYasha was now far too young to wield it. 

And now the three of them had returned. 

"Who dares," a low voice rumbled then, dark and full of deadly intent, "to disturb this one's—"

"Hello, Chichi-ue."

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"Sesshomaru." The daiyokai before them—his father—looked almost…resigned. "Must you continue to trample my remains as though this is your personal hunting grounds?"

"If you seek to assign blame for this one's behavior,” Sesshomaru sniffed, “should the blame not be lain at the feet of the one who raised him?"

"Impertinent pup." His father sniffed. "You may have grown in strength, but you are still the same as you were. You would—" He blinked as he suddenly seemed to realize his son had not come to the afterlife alone. "InuYasha? And…a miko? What have you done, Sesshomaru?"

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"Is this not the consequence of your actions, Chichi-ue?" Sesshomaru snorted. "Deceased after protecting a female who spurned him; one son now cursed to infancy for his behavior while another son is cursed to care for his father's mistake. Everywhere this one looks, Chichu-ue, he sees your errors rather than his own."

Kagome winced. There was no way his father was going to—

"Hmph. Must you always insist upon speaking to your father as your mother does?" His father exhaled. "How is she now, hmm?"

Kagome gaped as Sesshomaru stated, "Well enough now that you are absent from her life."

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"Your replacement is suitably appropriate." Sesshomaru ran his claws through his hair. 

His father took the insult in stride, and suddenly Kagome understood where InuYasha's bravado had come from.

He came by it honestly.

"Keh. Sounds like she misses me." His father grinned.

Kagome gaped at him. How on earth had he come to that conclusion of all things? Sesshomaru couldn't have been more explicit that his mother had moved on if he'd tried.

Well, to be fair, he had tried.

"We could use your help," she spoke up before Sesshomaru could insult his father further. "Getting back, I mean."

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His father raised his brows at that. "Use the pearl," he said as though it were obvious.

"We do not have it." Sesshomaru gave his father an irritated look. "It disappeared after a single use."

"Did it?" His father looked momentarily surprised, but then shrugged. "Then use Tenseiga. The guardians will allow you to leave."

"That would require our knowledge of their whereabouts, Chichi-ue." Sesshomaru sounded as exasperated as she felt when his father just nodded unhelpfully.

As much as she'd loved InuYasha, a lot of things were suddenly making a lot more sense.

His father was an idiot, too. 

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"Dammit, you idiot," his father suddenly hissed before smacking his son on the back of the head with a powerful wallop, "I said to find something to protect, not to get yourself and your brother killed over it!"

Sesshomaru glowered at his father, but he didn't evade the hit even though he clearly could have. Why? "Fool. We are not amongst the dead, Chichi-ue."

His father snorted. She was just recovering her surprise when his father sniffed before growling, "You have not even mated her!" And then attempted to strike his son again.  

This time, Sesshomaru dodged.

Kagome did not.

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Kagome staggered, blinking as blood dripped down her face from where a claw had unfortunately caught on skin.

Blood?

Dazed, her free hand moved to her head as she tried to process what'd just occurred. She was bleeding. She wiped at a trail of blood, but more flowed.

Head wounds bled a lot, she recalled vaguely. 

InuYasha saw the blood and immediately began screeching.

But his surprise was nothing compared to the unholy red gleam in Sesshomaru's eyes as, to everyone's shock, he turned and socked his father, sending him flying into his own bones. 

"That," Sesshomaru growled, "is enough."

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"Oh ho. Is it now?" His father grinned at the warning growl he received before slapping a hand on Sesshomaru's shoulder. "At least you've got some sense left in you, boy."

Was it possible, Kagome wondered, blotting blood with her last good kerchief, for daiyokai to become senile? Because if it wasn't, she had to admit, she had no damn clue what was going on anymore.

Sesshomaru had come to her defense because—well, she didn't know, but it didn't matter. He certainly wasn't about to explain anything. 

"Chichi-ue…" Sesshomaru's voice was low and warning as his father just chuckled. 

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Kagome eyed the large double-footed entrance that Sesshomaru's and InuYasha's father had led them to after that. They were impressive, but no less impressive than the guardians who stood before them to stop the living or dead from crossing onto the other side. 

But though the guardians bowed before Sesshomaru and opened the door, he made no move to leave. 

"Well, good luck." His father slapped Sesshomaru on the shoulder. "Remember to mate her, and don't let that boy eat anything weird."

Sesshomaru turned. "Chichi-ue—"

The booming voice then had them all pausing. "You. So, indeed, it is all you."

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"A kami." His father gave Sesshomaru an incredulous look, but when he received a short nod, he grinned. "Atta boy. I was never a rule follower, either."

Sesshomaru snorted as he shifted away from his father's clasping hand. 

"Only a fool would take pride in that." The scathing remark came not from Sesshomaru, but the kami.

Kagome eyed the guardians then who had glanced away as though they, too, knew who held the true power here.

And it was not Sesshomaru. It was certainly not his father.

"Perhaps this is a lesson to be learned before your next life begins."

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Kagome clutched InuYasha to her breast as she eyed the closed gates behind them. Honestly, of all the possible outcomes, she'd never expected this.

"Well, look at that." Sesshomaru's father grinned, undaunted, as he flexed his hands. "So what is next, hmm? Shall we go and greet your mother?"

Sesshomaru's father was alive. Natural or not, the kami had restored him to life.

"Here." Sesshomaru plucked InuYasha from her arms and deposited the boy onto his father. "He is your problem now. Come, miko."

And then he attempted to leave. 

InuYasha reappeared in his arms a moment later. 

Sesshomaru sighed. 

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Karma. It was the only explanation left. Kagome must've accrued negative karma in her previous incarnation as Kikyo.

"Hmm." Sesshomaru's father, who she'd just learned was called Katsuhiko—a name he'd unsurprisingly given himself—attempted to put Tessiaga into his son's hand. "You won't defeat hordes of yokai like that, boy."

InuYasha dropped it and bellowed as Kagome rushed over to stop his father from trying again. "He's an infant. He can't fight anyone!"

Katsuhiko sniffed. "I defeated an army at his age."

"A human one," Sesshomaru corrected, "and you were thrice his age. Hardly a cause for jubilation, Chichi-ue."

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Katsuhiko had such a horrified look of astonishment on his face that it was all Kagome could do not to laugh. 

Sesshomaru, however, had no such compunctions. He chucked, the sound low and deep.

It was the first time she could ever recall the daiyokai laughing.

She just wished it was under other circumstances, because Sesshomaru had absolutely caused this one. Sesshomaru had deliberately riled InuYasha up before handing him to his father. 

Katsuhiko's face and hair now were drenched in baby throw up. 

"When I can see," Katsuhiko growled through coated eyes, "I will deal with you myself, Sesshomaru."

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"Stop whining," Katsuhiko growled menacingly at his son, his eyes reddened. "You are the second son of the great Inu no Taisho, and therefore you are—"

"Tired, hungry, and afraid, that's what." Kagome gave him a stern look of her own as she snatched InuYasha from his arms. With care like this, it was a wonder Sesshomaru had survived to adulthood. She certainly wasn't about to let him mess up InuYasha, too. "He's crying, Katsuhiko-san. That's how babies communicate their needs."

Katsuhiko sniffed. "Is it not time he learn to deal with them?"

Her mouth dropped open then. Poor Sesshomaru.

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Kagome rubbed her hands over her face. The crying was incessant—and she finally understood just how hard infant crying was to handle. InuYasha had been screaming and crying for the last two hours, and nothing would console him.

Currently, Jaken was attempting to soothe InuYasha because Kagome needed a break—and Sesshomaru already had his turn.

"Feed the boy sake." Kagome glowered at Katsuhiko, who shrugged, thoroughly unrepentant. "It will work, miko."

"We are not," she stressed firmly, "giving InuYasha alcohol. Ever." No matter how much he screamed and cried.

Katsuhiko turned to Sesshomaru then, but found no ally.

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Jaken awoke Kagome that night, warning her to silence as he gestured for her to follow Sesshomaru and Ah-Un. She quickly glanced around and found that InuYasha had already been tucked into a makeshift bassinet on the dragon's back.

Katsuhiko, meanwhile, snored loudly on the other side of camp.

And the imp made no attempt to wake him.

So they were leaving his father behind. The intent was clear, and she couldn't say she was surprised, either. True, Sesshomaru had already tried several times before, mainly by wandering off when his father appeared distracted.

Kagome shook her head and followed.

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"You have indeed improved, Sesshomaru." Katsuhiko grinned as he moved to pat his son's back, only to find naught but air awaiting him.

Sesshomaru was already some distance away, an obvious look of displeasure on his face.

"Never thought you would become so adept at predator and prey," the daiyokai they'd attempted to ditch continued on cheerfully. "You were certainly not fond of the game as a pup."

Katsuhiko had clearly misunderstood the situation, but to Kagome, it had been obvious: the same tether that connected Sesshomaru to InuYasha also bound their father. 

It had led Katsuhiko right to them. 

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"Miko."

Kagome stirred without fully awakening, her dreams a confusing storm of swirling baby InuYashas, smiling Sesshomarus, and bouncing Jakens, all dancing along to a Swedish dance pop song that had once been a worldwide sensation.

"Miko."

This time, the voice was far more stern. She awoke and opened her eyes to find Katsuhiko holding out his son to her. "What's wrong?" InuYasha looked fine, if very alert, despite the late hour.

Aggravated, Katsuhiko grumbled, "He will not sleep." He exhaled as he shoved InuYasha into her arms. "Even the sake did not help."

She was going to kill him.

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It was Sesshomaru who intervened that morning when Katsuhiko attempted to bathe InuYasha, and honestly, that was probably for the best. She wasn't sure what the ramifications of purifying a yokai brought back by a kami would even be.

But she sure as hell wasn't going to stand idly by while Katsuhiko tried dumping InuYasha in the cool river water by his ankles like they were in some sort of tragic Greek myth.

Of course, Sesshomaru's help left something to be desired, too.

"There is certainly a question of intelligence," Sesshomaru drawled, "but thus far, it has gone unanswered, Chichi-ue."

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Later that afternoon, as Kagome was forced yet again to intervene when Katsuhiko attempted to feed InuYasha yokai honey—bemusedly asking what the hell 'botulism' was—her last tiny thread of patience finally snapped.

She was not going to stand idly by and see for herself how durable hanyo were.

Enough was enough. Katsuhiko had to go.

"We gotta do something," Kagome muttered to Sesshomaru as Katsuhiko turned his attention to Jaken for the moment. Unfortunately, her only allies were the one indirectly responsible for Katsuhuko's return, an unflappable dragon that only wanted to eat, and Jaken.

They were doomed.

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"I will handle it." Sesshomaru's lips thinned as he eyed his father, who had once again distracted the imp so he could seize his infant son.

"Great." Kagome crossed her arms. "How?" Because from where she stood, it didn't seem like anything was working. She was certain that if Sesshomaru had known of a way to deal with his father, he'd have done it.

Katsuhiko immediately tried to place the boy on his shoulders.

Sesshomaru removed InuYasha from Katsuhiko's arms before Kagome could scold the daiyokai again. He turned back to Kagome, the squirming and fussy infant in hand. "Haha-ue."

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If Kagome had been apprehensive about the involvement of Sesshomaru's mother before, she was doubly so now that the woman was actually here. The daiyokai had arrived in her true form, greeting her son with a cool nod as he'd transformed to meet her. 

But she'd absolutely snubbed Katsuhiko when he had done the same. Instead, she turned to her son and nodded again as both made their way to the ground to resume their humanoid forms, leaving Katsuhiko to follow after them.

"How positively lamentable," the daiyokai said as she landed, "to see that you live once more, Katsuhiko."

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Katsuhiko grinned at his ex-wife, evidently undaunted by the clear dismissal. "Ahh, it is good to see you again, Hasuhime." He winked as her eyes narrowed at him. "I have missed your bite."

"The only thing this one has missed," Hasuhime slapped her closed fan in her palm, "is the welcome silence following your demise, Katsuhiko." 

Katsuhiko snorted. "There is no need to be coy, dear wife. Life has no doubt been dull without me around." He took a step towards her, immune to the icy glare.

Hasuhime did not even hesitate. "The quality has certainly plummeted as of late."

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"You may drop the ridiculous pretense, my dear." Katsuhiko winked at his ex-mate, thoroughly immune to her blatant displeasure. "I am aware you are legshackled to another male, but fear not. Your dear heart would be pleased to dissolve such a union for you."

Hasuhime brought her fan to her chin as her brows raised. "Would you now?" she drawled icily. "This one imagines that Gentaro would have something to say about that."

Katsuhiko's smile vanished as he suddenly sniffed the air. His jaw tightened as he suddenly glowered at his ex-mate. "Hasuhime," he growled, "you mated with my brother?" 

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"It is hardly a concern of yours what this one does after your ridiculous demise." Hasuhime did not so much as blink at the blatant rage before her. "He certainly was not opposed."

"He," Katsuhiko roared, "is my brother."

"So he is," Hasuhime smirked, "and he is having a marvelous time."

Kagome's mouth fell open. Hasuhime was savage—

Another inuyokai appeared then, one who bore the same markings as Katsuhiko, but whose size clearly rivaled even that of Katsuhiko in his tomb. It was obvious to all who he was when the other male roared out a challenge.

The brother.

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Katsuhiko transformed and took to the air a moment later, snapping and snarling at the other daiyokai as the inevitable brawl broke out. Neither Sesshomaru nor Hasuhime appeared to have any interest in the ensuing match, however, as Hasuhime faced her son.

"Your poor mother wonders why you have not simply killed that detestable male, my son," Hasuhime murmured, pausing to briefly eye the infant in Kagome's arms before returning to Sesshomaru. "Would that not be the most sensible, expedient solution?"

Sesshomaru's lips thinned. "Sensible is not in the purview of the kami, Haha-ue."

Hasuhime sighed. "That is most unfortunate."

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"One must deal with the pieces as they are, rather than where one wishes them to be." Sesshomaru brushed a lock of a hair over one shoulder.

A cry of pure rage sounded overhead, but when neither Hasuhime nor Sesshomaru so much as blinked, Kagome figured there wasn't much to worry about. The ensuing battle was still raging overhead, though it didn't seem like Katsuhiko was doing well.

"Hnn. And what interesting pieces they are." Hasuhime eyed Kagome and InuYasha again. "If his taint was not all over the boy, one might have wondered if the child was yours, Sesshomaru."

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"The jest is in poor taste, Haha-ue." Sesshomaru did not seem pleased, and Kagome personally wondered which he found more insulting: the suggestion that he was InuYasha's father—or the suggestion he might have mated Kagome.

Not that she wanted any of that, either. They were bound by circumstance, not by choice.

Hasuhime quirked a brow as she opened her fan. "Is it?" She looked even more amused. "Perhaps you should take greater care in the future then, my son, so that your scent does not continue to saturate them. One might otherwise be forgiven for assuming they are yours."

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"An unfortunate necessity." Sesshomaru would not give his mother the benefit of a reaction, all too aware of how she enjoyed her needling, though he was not pleased. 

"Is it indeed?" Amusement tugged at Hasuhime's lips. "This one presumes you refer to that mongrel's scent lingering about them."

A scent he found malodorous. His eyes narrowed. Katsuhiko's claims had been as bold and suffusing as the male himself, all but suffocating others in a foolish attempt that which was not his to claim.

The miko was not his. And because she was not, neither was the hanyo in her care. 

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"What shall this one claim as the spoils of his victory?" Gentaro chuckled as he bore down on Katsuhiko.

"You get ahead of yourself, brother." Katsuhiko sneered, deflecting the oncoming attack as he panted from the exertion. His brother had clearly grown stronger during the century following Katsuhiko's untimely demise. How irksome. 

Gentaro had parried Katsuhiko's attack. "Not that you have much to offer. Son of a mere maid, with no status save what you stole yourself, and you could not even keep that." He growled. "You attempted to steal my birthright, whelp. Did you think I would forget that?"

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"It is not the fault of your brother that you could not hold onto that which Haha-ue left to you." Katsuhiko had no regrets about that. He'd had the power and the ability, and he had done a damned better job at being the Inu no Taisho than his foolish elder brother ever had.

Gentaro ignored the jibe. "This one hears," he rumbled then, turning a discerning eye toward the ground, "that even your own sons despise you, Shiro." Katsuhiko flinched at the old name. "Of course," he sneered, "what could one such as you even hope to offer them?"

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His younger brother sneered, goaded by the comment. "My sons did not require their father to stand upon," he growled, incensed. "Perhaps your sons are not so fortunate."

"I have no sons." Gentaro eyed the those surrounding his mate before seeing his mate standing proudly beside her son. Her dignity and pride were gathered tightly around her, yet through their mating bond, he could sense her quiet vulnerability. Like all the others caught in the wake of Shiro's selfishness, she had suffered greatly as Shiro's first mate. "Perhaps," Gentaro growled, "this one should claim your sons as his own, Shiro."

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"The battle suddenly seems a lot more serious," Kagome noted as the low rumble between the two males became snarling and bloody.

"Bah." Hasuhime waved her fan. "It is nothing less than the fool deserves." Despite the dismissive tone, Hasuhime gripped her fan so fiercely that her knuckles whitened. "What is of interest, this one finds, is what is occurring on the ground." 

Sesshomaru ignored the comment as he glanced up, if only for a moment. "Chichi-ue does not often lose," he remarked dryly, "yet when he does, the result is quite spectacular."

Did no one expect him to win?

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"It was a draw," Katsuhiko announced a short time later.

Kagome sighed as she shook her head. She wasn't stupid enough to point out why it was a draw—or that he'd been on the verge of losing beforehand. Katsuhiko, predictably, was extolling his own version of events, anyway, as though no one had actually witnessed the outcome for themselves.

"If not been for the arrival of your daughters, of course." Katsuhiko sniffed as he gave his elder brother a dismissive look, ignoring the aforementioned four daughters entirely. "They did not deserve to witness the thrashing that awaited their father."

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Kagome caught Sesshomaru's arm as InuYasha began fussing. "InuYasha's hungry," she murmured as the two males before them readied to brawl again, "and I need somewhere quiet to feed him." 

The daiyokai's gaze dropped to the infant whimpering and grunting in her arms. "Hnn." Wordlessly, a cloud formed beneath them.

She gasped as mokomoko moved, wrapping around her to secure her to Sesshomaru.

His mother, however, had a knowing smirk as the two left. They would return, of course, but that was not the interesting thing. 

My son, you do not even realize it yet, do you?

But he would.

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"Thank you, Sesshomaru," Kagome said softly as Sesshomaru set them down in a quiet copse, far removed from the chaos of feuding daiyokai and rampant family drama. No wonder he turned out silent and stoic, complete with an unhealthy dose of dark, sarcastic humor; that was probably the only way to survive the madness. Though, she admitted to herself, she didn't exactly blame his mother, either. Katsuhiko had clearly done a number on them both.

He kept one eye on her as she settled in to feed InuYasha. "...You are welcome," he paused, and then, after a moment, added, "Kagome."

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They sat in silence as InuYasha began to eat, but it wasn't an uncomfortable one. His yoki occasionally flickered, suggesting he was not as calm as he appeared, but she scarcely noticed.

Kagome.

He'd thanked her by name.

She eyed the infant clothing InuYasha now wore as her thoughts ran wild, and suddenly recalled the firerat robes now securely bundled in one of Ah-Un's saddlebags. "How far away are we?" she asked, abruptly sitting up as she realized that Katsuhiko had not followed them.

Were they finally free?

Sesshomaru glanced over in the direction they'd come from. "Not far enough."

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Kagome let out a breath. Sooner or later, they'd have to do something about the curse that bound Katsuhiko to them—though what, she wasn't sure, since they hadn't been any more successful at returning InuYasha to his original self, either. She opened her mouth to say something, anything, about the situation they now found themselves in, but what came out instead was, "Why is your father covering me in his scent?" InuYasha, at least, she understood; he was Katsuhiko's son. But why her? She didn't have any relationship with the elder daiyokai.

Sesshomaru's lips thinned. "It is a claim."

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She'd figured, but hearing it didn't make her any happier. "A claim," she repeated slowly, just as irked by Katsuhiko's audacity as she was by the likely intent. She crossed her arms. "I'm sure as hell not going to marry him, let me tell you that—"

"It is not a claim of marriage," he clarified, lips thinning.

Her mouth fell open. "How dare he?" she hissed at the obvious conclusion. "How dare he just waltz in and assume that I'd just—"

"Would you rather be his mate than his vassal, Kagome?" Sesshomaru quirked a brow. "One would have assumed otherwise."

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Vassal. The thought did little to appease her. She didn't want to be Katsuhiko's vassal—in all honesty, she didn't want to be associated with that daiyokai in any conceivable way. "Well, it's a good thing you undid all of that," she muttered as she recalled what Hasuhime had said. Sesshomaru was muddling their scents, and, therefore, Kagome assumed he'd thwarted his father's attempt.

Sesshomaru exhaled. "It is untenable."

Her eyes widened. "Which part?" Did he oppose his father claiming her as a vassal, or claiming her to begin with, or something else entirely?

"All of it." He glanced away. 

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"All of it?" Kagome leaned closer, sensing that meant something, but she inadvertently pressed InuYasha tighter into her chest. He immediately protested, stirring from his post-meal slumber to let out a sharp wail. She jerked back, missing the way Sesshomaru's expression shifted as she rocked the infant. "I'm sorry, InuYasha. I shouldn't have done that. I didn't mean to wake you."

"Why do you apologize?" She jerked her head up to find Sesshomaru studying her, his tone mildly curious. "He will not understand."

"Maybe he doesn't," she agreed lightly, "but that doesn't change anything. I still made a mistake, Sesshomaru."

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As Sesshomaru digested that, his expression thoughtful, an idea came to her. The whole point of Katsuhiko's return was to ensure that InuYasha was raised properly this time, right? If Katsuhiko wasn't helping with that—and was actively making things worse—then perhaps the kami might undo that. Or, at the very least, sever the bond between father and sons.

If the curse on InuYasha couldn't be broken, then he stood a much better chance without his father.

"Miko, you are a most unusual—" he began at the exact moment she informed him, "We should see the kami again, Sesshomaru."

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Sesshomaru could not have been more surprised than if the miko had propositioned him—though that, of course, would have provided her with an expedient solution to the intolerable situation with his father—and so, for a moment, he did not speak. What was he even to say? Had she not been the one to insist they cease seeking the counsel of the kami?

"Not for InuYasha, of course." She smiled, yet he did not understand why. "It seems like he's stuck like this, for better or for worse." 

Ah. So she wished to remove his father from the equation. 

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"I'm not suggesting the kami kill him or anything," Kagome continued quickly, lest Sesshomaru misunderstand. She wouldn't say that she hadn't been sorely tempted once or twice, but at the end of the day, Katsuhiko was still Sesshomaru's and InuYasha's father, and she wasn't that insensitive. 

"Why not?" Sesshomaru calmly tucked a lock of hair behind his ear. "It would certainly prove the most expedient solution to the problem."

Kagome sighed, unsurprised. She'd forgotten, if only for a moment, just who she was talking to. "Right," she replied as she shook her head. "Let's just consider that Plan B, okay?"

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"Look," Kagome glanced around, wanting to make sure she couldn't be overheard before continuing, "I know this was my idea, and I'm not saying I regret it. But," she glanced behind them again as they walked, taking a moment to adjust InuYasha in his carrier, "did everyone else need to come, too?"

"Hnn." Sesshomaru did not so much as glance behind him. But then, he didn't need to; he was well-aware of who their companions were. 

"Do not mind us, miko," Hasuhime trilled as she walked beside her mate and daughters. "You will not even notice that we are here."

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"It is time to make camp." Gentaro's gaze flickered through their odd entourage as he made the announcement.

Katsuhiko did not stop. "We press on," he said with a stern look at his elder brother. "There is still daylight remaining."

Gentaro's lips thinned as he glanced over at his daughters and Kagome. "The females grow weary."

Kagome wasn't sure if she appreciated the concern, or was more annoyed at how he'd referred to them. Still, she needed the break; InuYasha was getting fussy.

Katsuhiko did not falter. "Then they may rest on their own. My son wishes to press on."

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"You have a son?" Gentaro's eyes searched through their companions, his expression mocking. "I do not see him present here, Katsuhiko."

Katsuhiko immediately bristled. "Enough with the—" he growled.

Kagome had seen enough fights break out with InuYasha to recognize the signs, and she exhaled sharply. This was not the time for a damned pissing contest. "InuYasha is hungry," she spoke up before either brother could say anything else. "Sesshomaru," she turned to the daiyokai, "I could use your—"

"I will help you." Sayuri, Gentaro's eldest daughter, spoke up then with a small smile. "He is, after all, our brother."

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"He is quite attached to you," Sayuri observed as she and her sisters, Suzuka, Sumire, and Sayuki crowded around. Though Sayuri had been introduced as the eldest, all four appeared to be the same age. 

"Of course he's attached to her." Sayuki, the youngest, rolled her eyes. "She's his mother. Sort of," she added quickly, flushing as her sisters all looked at her. "I mean, it's not like he's got a real one."

Mother. Kagome started. InuYasha's mother. She'd taken care of him because he was her friend, but somehow, she'd never quite thought about how others would see it.

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"He has a mother," Kagome found herself saying, anger and another feeling, one she couldn't immediately identify, welling within her breast. "Izayoi-hime." InuYasha hadn't been able to forget her—he didn't deserve to forget her. No matter what he'd done, no matter how foolish he'd been, he'd loved his mother more than anything. "She did her best to raise him alone when no one else wanted to step up to help her raise a hanyo baby. She—"

"I apologize, Kagome-sama," Sayuri gave Sayuki a stern look, "for my sister's rash words. She does not always consider her words before speaking." 

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After that, though the sisters had apologized and though they were definitely more careful moving forward, Kagome sought out Sesshomaru for companionship instead. His half-sisters weren't malicious, nor had they intended to be, but she doubted they would have any sort of real relationship while the rampant animosity between the men went unresolved—and the blame for that she placed squarely on both their shoulders. Gentaro had reason for anger, but he also had reason for peace.

This feud helped no one.

"Sesshomaru?" she murmured quietly beside him, her mind made up. "I need to talk to you about something."

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"This isn't helping," Kagome began as soon as Sesshomaru confirmed they were alone. "Traveling with your family, I mean. It's ridiculous. I get that your father has his faults, and your uncle—" she paused, wondering if 'step-father' was more appropriate, "er, Gentaro-sama has his reason for anger, just as your mother does, but this is helping no one."

Sesshomaru looked almost...bemused.

"All anyone's doing is reliving the past," she continued. "And now it's spilling over onto your generation, too. Aren't you tired of this?"

He was silent for another moment, then murmured, "It is all it has ever been."

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Kagome faltered, not at his words, but at the quiet, resigned way Sesshomaru had spoken, as though he, too, tired of it, yet believed nothing would change. It only heightened her resolve. "Well, it doesn't have to stay this way," she replied firmly. "There's no reason you and your sisters have to be involved in this. It's not your problem."

Maybe she couldn't change the minds of Gentaro, Hasuhime, or Katsuhiko any time soon, fine, but that didn't mean everyone else had to get involved.

In the hope of persuading him, she added firmly, "You are not your father, Sesshomaru."

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Sesshomaru said nothing and, for a moment, she feared that maybe she'd pushed too hard, reopened old wounds, pressured too much. But then, finally, he murmured, "This one will carefully consider your words, miko."

She smiled, relieved. "That's all I can ask." She wrinkled her nose as a putrid odor hit it. "Well, that, and this." She quickly handed him InuYasha before he could refuse. "Here. I need like...ten minutes where I'm not touching someone."

His eyes widened. "Miko—"

"Changing a diaper's easy," she told him cheerfully as she turned to leave. "You'll figure it out in no time."

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As Kagome wandered, not yet ready to rejoin the others at camp, she ran into Gentaro. "I'm sorry," she quickly apologized. "I didn't see—"

"Do you intend to mate him?" Gentaro's expression was foreboding.

"Katsuhiko?" She wrinkled her nose. "Absolutely not—"

"Sesshomaru." Gentaro crossed his arms. "Do you intend to mate him?"

"No." Not that it was any of his business. "He hasn't asked, either," she added, just in case Gentaro was concerned about that, though why he cared, she couldn't hazard a guess. Maybe he just didn't want more hanyo in the family pool.

He exhaled heavily. "How unfortunate."

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How unfortunate? Kagome's mouth dropped open. "You...want that?" Admittedly, she didn't know a lot about Gentaro, aside from his deserved rivalry with Katsuhiko, but still, this was a turn of events she hadn't quite expected. She'd gotten the impression he hadn't been all that interested in her presence, neither approving nor disproving of it. "Why?"

Gentaro glanced behind her for a moment, but if he expected to see Sesshomaru and InuYasha quickly following her, he'd be disappointed. "It is the most expedient solution."

To what? She sighed; she didn't want to admit it aloud, but she was completely lost.

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"Sesshomaru isn't someone to want his future decided for him," Kagome murmured, studying Gentaro intently. He wasn't her ally, but he also didn't appear to be an enemy, either. Truth be told, he hadn't seemed to be aware of her presence at all until this moment.

"What male is?" Gentaro countered, a slight smile at his lips. 

"What woman is, either?" she countered, thinking of his mate. Hasuhime had only found her freedom after Katsuhiko's passing. "Shouldn't both be free to choose?"

Gentaro sobered. "There is truth in that as well, miko. There is indeed truth in that as well."