DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, and places are the sole property of Rumiko Takahashi. Any resemblance to any actual events, locales, organizations, or person, living or dead is entirely coincidental.

A/N: Now I know I took months off but I really was dreadfully busy with school, work and family going in and out of hospitals and my neighbor of 10 years, second son, who have been fighting cancer for 10 years, passed away. We had to help with the funeral and everything so I apologize for the delay.

With so much time off, I'm ashamed to admit that I can't remember where I was going with this story. So to refresh myself, I've decided to rewrite this story. Nothing is going to change...much but I want to rework it a bit, hopefully to re-jog what I was planning. Hopefully the edited version is better and worth the wait. I won't take off the other chapters, just edit them. I may take a chapter or two and merge them but nothing major. I will update the memo chapter(which should be the last chapter) every time I update a chapter to let people know what's changed.

Anyway, enjoy the story~

It had been eight years since the defeat of Naraku. The first four years was spent wallowing around in the future, aimlessly moving forward with no goal or motivation to keep going. She had actually feared never being able to move on in life until the well opened one final time, allowing her access to her true home. After saying her goodbyes to her family, she had spent the last four years in Sengoku Jidai, Feudal Japan.

Life in Edo wasn't so hard as she thought it would be. She became the head priestess for the little village there. A godmother and aunt to Sango and Miroku's three wonderful children. A mother to an ever-growing fox demon with a penchant for trouble and best friends with the most powerful half demon in Edo.

Four years ago when the well opened, she had thought to restart her life again with everyone, especially with InuYasha. He was the main reason she came back but after returning, things between them were relatively calm. InuYasha wouldn't complain so much as she watched over Rin. Sango and Miroku would tend to their children as Shippo went off to train. It was a peaceful time now that Naraku and the sacred jewel was gone but she couldn't help but feel lonely.

Everyone had moved on with their lives and here she was, lingering in a past affection with a guy who still can't get over his last love. It hurt a lot to know he had chosen the memories of a dead woman over a living one but she respected his choice. He would be faithful only to her and she couldn't fault him for it. That was two years ago, roughly six years in total, waiting for something that was never going to happen.

Most time, it was hard to believe twelve years had come and go. When she first arrived to the past, she had been nothing more than a naive fifteen year old girl worried about nothing but herself. Four years later, she managed to defeat the ultimate evil and return to her birth place. From the age nineteen to twenty-three, she wandered around until the bone eater's well opened and she didn't hesitate to return. When she was twenty-five, she gave up on the love she had for the only boy she had ever liked and now at twenty-seven, she was ready to look for love again.

She hope to find someone strong enough to carry both her and her dreams. With Shippo off training, InuYasha guarding the village and near-by villages from demons and the remaining members of her pack busy, she was left to tend to herself. Well, more precisely, she was left to watch over Rin now that Kaede's sight have nearly made her blind.

It happened when a snake demon managed to slip by InuYasha and was headed for Rin. Kaede had been the one instead to received the poison intended for the little girl when she made a move to protect her. She managed to purify the demon but it had cost Kaede her vision though she managed well for a blind woman. Still, she could no longer teach Rin the necessary things anymore and that left only her.

With Rin under her wing, it made for a very interesting confrontation with the one and only Lord of the Western Lands, Lord Sesshomaru. He was the much more attractive older brother of InuYasha and first son to the Great General Dog Demon of the West, Touga.

After InuYasha, she had started to look at other men. Koga was a definite not among her list of candidates since he was promised to Ayame but that didn't stop her from fantasizing about a certain someone's older brother.

The man was h-h-hot. You've got to be gay or blind to not notice that man. Pale skin, flowing waist length silver locks with short split bangs, amber gold slit eyes, two magenta stripes on each cheek with matching eyelids and wrists and a lavender blue hue for his crescent moon on his forehead. His clothes, after researching in the modern time, were a mix of both the Japanese and Chinese influence. His armor covered his entire midsection and extends over his left shoulder, looping around to attach in the back to form a spiky pauldron. The long flowing sash, along with his armor were both Chinese influences.

The actual fabric itself is a traditional Japanese kimono with two patches of red. Within the red patches are designs of red hexagon and flower crest, one at the collar and the other at his sleeves, leaving the rest of it, white. His pants, also traditional, appear balloon like, gathering around the ankle to allow him to wear comfortable black shoes with white stripes without tripping. The Mokomoko, always on his right shoulder, was just a manifested part of his power that couldn't be contained in human form.

Everything about this man, or in this case demon, screamed out two things. One: "Take me! Take me please!"; and two: "Power", and lots of it. He even carries two swords. The Tensaiga, the 'Sword of Life' or the 'Sword of Heaven', which he inherited from his father and the Bakusaiga, the sword created from his own power. With so much qualities on a man like this, it's no surprise his only downfall is his pride and his aggravating personality. Still, you weren't going to find another powerful male like him and being in such close quarters is difficult. She had a feeling if she wasn't responsible for Rin's health, education and plainly Rin herself, he wouldn't even give her a time or day, the arrogant man.

Sighing, she got up from her place under the Sacred Tree where she has been musing in her thoughts. Dusting off the dirt, she picked up the basket she had carried with her when she left the hut in search for herbs and starting walking back. Thinking about Sesshomaru usually got her depressed. In Feudal Japan, Sesshomaru would be considered the top dog, no puns intended, and every female demon's dream man. Thinking this, she couldn't help but let a small laugh escape. Every woman's dream man he would be if he didn't make it his life's mission to destroy those poor woman's dream. Apparently, women were not his forte and a rude rejection just didn't seem to get through to most of the ladies at court.

She continued to let her thoughts wonder as she allowed her feet to lead her back when she felt his youki. Once a month, he would come to see her to inquire about his ward's progress. It brought a small smile to her lips when she thought about it. One of the most powerful and ruthless demons in Japan and he becomes a doting father when it came to his little girl though he'll never admit it. Stopping, she came to a halt when she felt something was wrong. His youki was spiking all over the place and if she focused her reiki enough, she could sense that he was weakening. Concerned, she tried to trace the threads of his youki as best as she could in the forest. After a few minutes of searching, she felt what she thought could be the source and flung herself forward. Grumbling on the ground, she collected herself only to gape at the display in front of her.

There, leaning against a battered tree was Sesshomaru, unconscious and bleeding. She couldn't understand what could have happened or who could have done such damage to a powerful demon such as him. Fearing the worse, she ran over to him, intending to check his vital signs when his left hand shot out and wrapped itself around her neck. Startled and gasping for air, she tried to reason with him when he started to emit growling noises.

"S-Ses-Sessho...maru...It's me...Ka-Kagome." When the growling increased, she tried to soothe him further with little facts about what they did or things of Rin. Eventually, the growling stopped, his grip loosen until she was release and his eyes which turned red returned to their normal gold hue. Catching the much needed air, she faced the demon lord and could see his confusion.

With as much care as she can muster, she ran her hand down the side of his face, wiping away little blood stains as she went. As she soothed him, he began purring slightly, probably from the soft stroking on his wounded flesh. When she was about to tend to his wounds, Sesshomaru started growling again. Grabbing her hand, he pulled Kagome into his chest, just as two demons in a similar armor to Sesshomaru, came from the very direction she came from of moments ago. Turning, she saw that they were armed and they looked ready to use their swords...on her.

"Woman! How dare you touch Lord Sesshomaru?! You shall pay dearly for your crimes with your life!" One of them said. He took a step closer and was nearly hacked in two by Sesshomaru. Startled, the men retreated back a step, confused about why their lord had just tried to kill one of his own. Before anyone could make a move, a loud screeching could be heard from behind all of them. "Men! Have you found Lord Sesshomaru yet?!" squawked out a very familiar voice. Noticing the distraction from the two men, Kagome focused some of her reiki to make a barrier, protecting both her and Sesshomaru from anymore unwanted attacks.

With her barrier in place, she looked up to see a toad demon, wearing a brown kimono while holding a staff with two heads approach. Sighing in relief, she gave a happy cry. "Oh Jaken, it's just you. Are these two guys with you?"

"Ah! Lady Kagome! It's you...and I see you have found my lord as well. I thank you kindly. The Western Lands would truly be in peril if something happened to Lord Sesshomaru." Ignoring the stiffening posture the soldiers made, he walked up to them, only to hear Sesshomaru's growling getting louder. If he was not holding Kagome, Jaken and the two men would most likely be dead. "M-My Lord? It's me. Your ever faithful servant Jaken." With the growling continuing, Kagome had to place her hand on his cheek once more to calm him. When he turned to her, she could see that his eyes were red again but were slowly returning to normal. With her reassurance, Sesshomaru slumped against her, having appeared to fallen asleep. Not sure what else to do, she turned to Jaken for help in silent plea.

Shaking his head, he told her that he could not. "I am sorry Lady Kagome, but it would seem that Lord Sesshomaru does not wish to part with you."

"Then how am I suppose to tend to him if he doesn't get off? He's going to bleed to death at this rate."

Jaken motioned for the soldiers to come forward now that his lord was asleep. "They will help you. With the Lord in such a state, we can not possibly return to the palace for fear of him dying along the way. Please Lady Kagome, would you come with us?"

Confused, she simple tilted her head. Sesshomaru was asleep and a demon. His wounds would most likely heal by the time they returned to the palace...palace? "Sesshomaru has a palace?" Shaking his head, she waited until one of the soldiers answered more elaborately.

"Not yet Milady. We were in the process of completing it when we were attacked." Satisfied with his answer, she gestures for them to take the demon lord off her.

When both men tried, Sesshomaru would only growl and take a hold of Kagome's clothing, as if attempting to remain where he was. "The Lord will not release you until he is healed. I do not wish for this incident to be spread across the nation so I ask once more. Will you come with us?" Not seeing much of a choice, she nodded before instructing them to build a raft of sort to carry Sesshomaru in. With the two demons gone, it left her, Jaken and an unconscious demon lord alone. Looking down at the toad, she asked, "Who did this Jaken? Who could possibly be strong enough to hurt him like this?"

"It was the Eastern Lord Milady." Still confused, she asked him more questions. "Why would he attack Sesshomaru? Aren't they both Lord's of their own respectful lands?"

"Land Milady. As long as Lord Sesshomaru patrolled his lands, the Eastern Lord had manage to gain ground in the Western territory. But now that Lord Sesshomaru is building his palace, he will be able to govern his lands more efficiently. Of course that means he will have to return the land he was slowly taking from my Lord." Seeing where this conversation was going, she piped in. "And I take it the Eastern Lord doesn't want to give it back huh?"

"That's correct. When overseeing the remaining palace structure, the lord was ambushed. He could have easily killed them but the assailants were after the constructors. If the palace is not build, the Eastern Lord stands to steal more land before Lord Sesshomaru can officially make a claim on it and by then, the amount of land he could have gathered may be too big for Lord Sesshomaru to take back."

"So he plans on delaying the structure to distract Sesshomaru from reclaiming his lands. That jerk! It's not even his to start with! But Jaken, that doesn't explain why he's hurt. Sesshomaru's powerful and some assassins wouldn't be able to hurt him. What else happened?"

"Lord Sesshomaru was winning the fight when one pulled out a what I believe is a bomb. Generally, those things cannot hurt our lord but it was fulled with reiki. Enough reiki to do severe damage against even a Lord as you can see. When aimed at the workers, Lord Sesshomaru took the blunt force of the attack and was injured. Seeing the assassins escape, Lord Sesshomaru, though wounded followed after them. He managed to kill them but was weakened with the amount of blood loss he had suffered." Understanding began to fill her mind. If the Eastern Lord wanted to distract Sesshomaru, it would make sense to send him far away from where the palace was being built. If he's a Lord, he probably knew about Rin and was going to use her as bait. That could be he only reason why they were headed for Edo.

Looking down, she could see his labored breathing. Removing a strand of hair from his face, Kagome didn't see the look Jaken was giving her. He knew what the woman in front of him meant to his lord and why he wouldn't let go. He had hoped that the palace be built completely and fully staffed before bringing her there before the attack. Looking at his Lord now, he can understand why he choose her. She was responding to his Lord's claim, even on an unconscious level.

Hearing rustling from his right, both Jaken and Kagome turned to see the soldiers have returned and made the raft as she asked. Carefully placing the slumbering Lord on the raft, the two demons lifted their lord and began leading them in the direction of the palace. Pausing for a moment, she picked up a rock and started to carve out a message in the tree. Curious, one of the soldiers asked, "What are you doing Milady?"

"Hm? Oh, I'm making a message for InuYasha, telling him where I'll be. I'll most likely not head back to the village and he'll come looking for me soon and follow my scent here. So this way, he won't get too upset about me leaving." Satisfied with her message, she followed behind the men, watching Sesshomaru's face for any signs of pain as she awaited for InuYasha's arrival.