A/N: I now have enough time to continue my hobby of writing fanfiction. I plan on finishing whatever I have left incomplete and starting on new ideas. I apologize to my respected readers.

Title: What Winter Brings

Rating/Genre: T/Family

Characters: Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha, Rin, Jaken, Kohaku, Kagome, Miroku, Sango

Warning: Language, and that I am rusty and I hope that you enjoy :)

What Winter Brings

It was a single gust of bitter wind that soon welcomed the downpour of soft snow, dropping down its crystal specks from the heavens, silently covering the Edo landscape as if erasing any trace of lush and lively forest color in a blanket of sheer white. And as it continued its gentle fall, Sesshoumaru could not help but gaze about his surroundings in a secret act of bliss; winter was his secret love, the only season capable of administering even the slightest of sentiment from his icy persona. What the great inuyoukai found marveling was the way this mystical season seemed to effect life around him; freezing life, creating life, ending life, and altering life in a particular way he found himself unable to describe, that only his deceased father could put into terms. What was it? Oh yes, A season's beauty will soften the strongest of hearts, maybe even yours, Sesshoumaru."

Hn, what rubbish.

"Eh-Achoo!"

"Honestly, Rin!" Came the irritant squawk that broke the mighty lord's train of thought almost instantly, "cover your mouth! Ah-Un certainly doesn't appreciate your nasty little human illness all over his back!"

"Sorry, Ah-Un." Rin managed through a stuffy nose. Curled up in a mountain of blankets, the small child wiggled herself deeper into the warmth. Behind her sat Kohaku comfortably wrapped in only one blanket and, like Sesshoumaru, having his pleasurable distraction in the snowy environment around him broken by the now humorous scuffle.

The slapstick arguing, however, withered at the instant the group noticed their leader's stiff stance. Head rose slightly and eyes narrowed quizzically, Sesshoumaru sniffed the air in an attempt to fully decipher the odd scent that carried in the wind.

"Sesshoumaru-sama! There's something in the bushes!" Rin yelped, and just as Sesshoumaru set his eyes on the said rustling bushes in front of him he laid one hand lazily on the hilt of Bakusaiga, preparing for what Jaken announced to the children as a 'foolish beast gladly handing over his death certificate'.

'Rustle Rustle'

"Ghrngg…shit…damn snow…"

'Swhoom!' 'THUD'

A foolish beast indeed, thought Sesshoumaru with utter perplexity once his advanced eyesight took in the fire rat robe and messy silver hair.

The newly announced presence sluggishly rose out of the feet of snow in which he collapsed, stumbling to two feet he drug himself through the snow toward the stunned group. Kohaku was the first to find his voice, "I-Inuyasha-sama!" he exclaimed, taking a few steps forward to get a better look.

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes, wishing that when he reopened them the illusion would be gone.

He opened his eyes.

The hanyou was still there.

'Damn…'

After a long sigh, Sesshoumaru started calmly, "Inuyasha, to what do I owe—"

"Hey, Fucker." Inuyasha barked slowly, still making a staggering journey through the snow towards his brother.

Not one to like being interrupted so rudely, Sesshoumaru breathed in another sigh and began again, only to be cut off by Jaken's indignant rant.

"How dare you, Hanyou, interrupt Sesshoumaru-sama when he is addressing yo—"

A swift snowball to the mouth instantly silenced him.

"Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru replied sternly this time, "state your business or leave. I do not have the time nor patience for you."

Inuyasha chuckled softly which then turned into sarcastic huffs of laughter, "a'course ya don't, ya never have…heartless bastard." Being use to the rude retorts of his foulmouthed sibling, Sesshoumaru found this particular comment odd and struck him slightly. What was wrong with his halfbreed brother? Had he finally caught ill and was going mad? Perhaps…

A slight breeze whipped between the two of them, carrying with it a distinct smell that filled in the gaps to this puzzling sight.

"The Hanyou is inebriated…"

Sesshoumaru sniffed the air two more times.

"…strongly inebriated."

Rin was the first to react, erupting through the blankets in a fit of giggles, followed by Kohaku who couldn't help but find the more humorous side of what was happening put a hand to his mouth to muffle his laughter.

"FUCK you!" Inuyasha roared, face taught and fangs bare while his arms flailed in attempt to stay on two feet. His glazed eyes never broke his brother's grounded glare. The halfblooded boy snarled, "Always thinkin' your bigshit…you ain't nothin! Bitchass—"

In a flash Sesshoumaru was inches from Inuyasha, his large hand wrapped painfully around his halfblooded brother's throat, the claw of his thumb poised threateningly at his jugular.

"Enough, Halfbreed," Sesshoumaru spat, "I have half a mind to drain that alcohol-induced blood from your body."

Through the swirling vision, Inuyasha's eyes met his brother's as he whispered, "…Do it."

A long few minutes passed in complete silence. Rin, Jaken, and Kohaku watched on, all truly wondering if this time Sesshoumaru-sama really would take Inuyasha's life.

Sesshoumaru continued to stare into the glassy half lidded eyes of the drunken boy, thoughtless and unsure at his next move. His claws twitched with options, but each one was dismissed with a lag of hesitation. Just taking in the hanyou's features; the ice that had began layering over the top of his head and canine ears, the bluish color of his skin that shone almost more visibly than his cherry red cheeks. But all of these were not what made Sesshoumaru slacken his hold, no, it was the look in those golden eyes; raw emotion just beneath the haze of drunken rage threatening to break through it's weak limiter.

'It is times like these that make me despise you, Father.'

In one fluid motion, Sesshoumaru lifted Inuyasha by his neck and tossed him, twisting his wrist before release making sure Inuyasha landed face first into the snow. Turning back he walked to his group who meanwhile had been taking in the sight of all three pairs of eyes now watching the rare display of family relations. Sesshoumaru walked to Ah-Un, and Rin could have sworn she saw the satchel on Ah-Un move but was distracted as Sesshoumaru spoke.

"Jaken, make camp. Kohaku, prepare a fire for Rin and yourself, I will return shortly."

Without another word Sesshoumaru strode away, snatching Inuyasha's collar and began dragging him towards the shadows beyond the brush, the hanyou's howls of curses echoing throughout the forest before fading in the distance.

"Well then," Jaken scratched his baldhead, "l-lets not waste any more daylight, shall we?"

Another chilled breeze picked up, bringing Kohaku out of a dazed stare. 'Another blanket would be a good idea,' he thought. Opening the satchel on Ah-Un's side he searched for an extra blanket.

"Eh?"

"Hmm?" Rin turned to Kohaku curiously, "Something the matter, Kohaku-kun?"

"I was…sure there was another blanket here. Oh well."

-:-:-:-:-

As the snow piled upon the branches above, it cast somewhat of a nighttime appearance over the forest as Sesshoumaru continued his path, using his natural sense of direction to guide him. Inuyasha had been dragged behind him for a couple miles now, twisting, jerking, and throwing insults the whole way.

"Oi! Ya hear me, ya deaf bastard? Leggo!" He gave a might buck against his restraints, almost ripping the fabric in his brother's hold. "I said leg—!" He stopped as a surge of power sent him flying into the trunk of a large oak tree.

"Blargh!" The impact knocked the wind out of his lungs, the snow dropping on him like a heavy bag of water from the force against the trunk. Inuyasha shook the snow off, looking up to find piercing honey eyes observing him closely.

"Do inform me the reason behind these foreign actions, Inuyasha."

A small huff, "And if I don't?"

"Then I will leave you to your snowy grave."

Inuyasha winced at the harshness of his tone, his eyebrows knit together in frustration as he looked down. He didn't know whether it was the haze of alcohol in his mind or the fact it was Sesshoumaru he was talking to, but he found himself in a strain to explain his state of being.

He gulped, summing it up in a small sentence he finally spoke, "Kagome'n I had a fight."

Sesshoumaru's hand twitched, aching to bring justice to Inuyasha's face.

"You and your human…had an argument…and you appear before me drunk as a mule spewing nonsense?"

Inuyasha hitched his back and belched. "Yeah."

It took a while for Sesshoumaru to bite down the sudden surge of anger, "Inuyasha, why would you ever think I would be a willing shoulder for your miniscule problems?"

"Cuz I ain't got anyone else."

Sesshoumaru wanted to put a hand to his chest when he felt it, the small sharp pang of pain run through his chest. He didn't understand it, nor did he want to for that matter. There were too many confusing events already in progress to add to it.

"What of the Houshi and the Tajiya?"

"Too biased," he snorted, "they'd all take her side."

There was a moment of silence as the brothers sat in contemplation. Sesshoumaru had never had to talk to anyone before, not since his father was alive. Other than his father, anyone else who existed in his life at one point or another was addressed with simple short phrases, if that anything at all. And there he was, sitting in the midst of the snow in the dark forest unwillingly taking the responsibility of sobering his brother.

"I care for her a lot, ya know…."

"Hn." Sesshoumaru grunted, shifting slightly where he stood. He was not good at this kind of thing, not one bit.

"I'm juss…not as passionate'n emotional'n shit as her…as humans. When she's upset, how the fuck am I suppose to know?"

"Hn."

"And then…" Inuyasha rose his voice at every sentence, the emotion he had hid earlier now seeping through, "she starts crying, always with the fuckin crying, n then I'm the bad guy! And all cuz I jumped in front of an explosion or got falcon punched in the face by a pissed off demon…" Inuyasha then trailed off when his jaw spasmed uncontrollably in a fit of chatters, a numbness quickly spreading through his limbs. Reflexively he drew his limbs to his body in desperation for warmth.

Noticing that the hanyou wasn't spilling his heart out, Sesshoumaru looked to find his brother curled up against the base of the large tree. His body was convulsing in shivers and upon further scrutiny his skin had doubled the shade of blue it first was.

'If you do nothing, he will die soon.' A distant voice whispered, and for a short second Sesshoumaru had thought the wind had spoken to him. Slowly he walked forward, his hand reaching into the large sleeve of his other arm and producing a blanket he draped it around his brother's shoulders. Taking Inuyasha by the collar once more he tossed him over his right shoulder, his mokomoko-sama separating Inuyasha from his spiked armor.

Using his demonic speed, he flashed to a high tree branch on one of the tallest trees in the forest, landing one foot upon the branch he took off at break-neck speed, trees rushing past by the seconds. His eyes moved through the forest below with all the precision of an eagle browsing for prey.

"…Inuyasha…!"

"Inuyasha…!"

"…Inuyasha!"

Sesshoumaru could hear them; the faint calling of his brother's human companions. Coming to an instant halt, the inuyoukai dove down through the crown canopy and landed gracefully just short of his brother's group.

"Guys! I heard something over this way!"

The demon lord waited patiently for his brother's miko to trudge through the snow and frozen vegetation. An odd beam of light searched sporadically where Sesshoumaru stood, until a small human form came into view.

"S-Sesshoumaru!" Kagome gasped, switching off her flashlight. She took a few wary steps, most likely wondering the reason behind his appearance.

"Kagome-sama!" Called Miroku, coming into view just behind Kagome, followed by Sango. Upon seeing the demon lord they addressed him respectfully, though staying a few feet from Kagome just to be safe.

Sesshoumaru nonchalantly jutted his right shoulder up, throwing Inuyasha off his shoulder and into the soft snow in an unconscious heap before the group's feet. He watched as the miko's eyes blurred with tears, falling to her knees and collecting Inuyasha's head in her lap in an almost desperate manor.

"Inuyasha…" she whimpered at the sight his shivering frame, not noticing Sesshoumaru's sudden retreating form.

Miroku stepped forward, "Sesshoumaru-sama."

Sesshoumaru stopped, turning halfway and only giving them a glimpse at a single golden eye. "I found him in the forest, near death. If I were you, Houshi, I would seek immediate aid." He turned around to continue his way when all of a sudden he stopped once more.

"Oh, and Miko…"

Kagome paused, letting Miroku and Sango handle lifting Inuyasha's arms over their shoulders, she looked back and met Sesshoumaru's gaze.

"It would be wise to acknowledge the hanyou's actions as one with the best of intentions. Let it be the first and last of these incidents in which I am needed." Finding her gaping fish expression satisfyingly amusing, he headed off in the direction of the south where he left his small group.

Raising a hand in front of him, he cupped his palm and watched as the snowflakes piled like ash in his hand. 'Winter,' he thought in slight wonder, 'has a particular way of altering life in a sense in which I am unable to explain.' Closing his hand into a fist he watched as the freezing water leaked through the creases of his fingers.

'Maybe even my heart, huh, Father?'

End

A/N: Ah, I guess there's no helping my endings, but just as well I hope you all enjoyed the random encounter of our favorite dog demons :) Constructive Criticism is welcomed.

With love,

-Joker and the Thief