A/N: Hello everyone! Here is the much anticipated next chapter.

I was astounded with how many of you reviewed and raved about the last chapter. Some of you had some interesting theories as to who our mystery "her" would be.

Thank you all who reviewed and showed your appreciation for the story. A special thank you to the reviewers fieriz and Arcus Iris who both pointed out my misspellings of both Higurashi and Izayoi. It seems Microsoft Word isn't a big fan of those two.

I hope you all enjoy the next chapter and thank you for the continued support!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, they belong to the lovely Rumiko Takahashi.

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Say I Do
Chapter Six
Sweet Child Of Mine

"You should have seen them Sango," Kagome wailed in frustration.

The brunette in question tried her best to simultaneously listen to her best friend vent and maintain her attention on the road in front of them.

"They went on and on about me not being proper enough to run the company!" The petite woman growled. "And then one of them mentioned my father! If I could, I would have squished that little urchin's head with my bare hands and…and…GAH!"

Anger boiling over, Kagome shrieked as coherent thought left her, hands running through her black tresses furiously. She tossed her head back against the headrest of the seat, lips pinching into a thin frown while sapphire eyes closed. A handful of silent seconds passed before her hands stopped raking through her hair; one falling limply into her lap while the other came to pinch the bridge of her nose.

For a moment, Kagome struggled to breathe. It felt like someone was slowly tightening their grip around the base of her neck.

Eventually, she was able to release a small, shaking breath out of her nose.

"Hey," Sango called. "Calm down, would you? Don't have a panic attack on me. Deep breaths sweetheart."

Kagome grunted in return, but headed her best friend's advice, greedily gulping in air through parted lips. Only when her head seemed to stopped spinning did she finally open her eyes. The hand that was applying pressure to the bridge of her nose moved to her temple and slowly began to rub circles in an attempt to ease her headache.

"Not even a full two weeks on the job and I threatened the board, Sango," Kagome declared, defeated.

"So?" Sango rebuked, unphased by the information. "How quickly you seem to forget that it's partially your company. You can do whatever you want."

Kagome took her friend's reprimand with a grain of salt, the hand that was soothing her head falling to join its twin in her lap. "I've never forgotten that," Kagome rebuffed. "I just prefer not to be remembered as the woman who started an all-out war with the board after only being with the company for a few days."

The fingers on her right hand began to twist and tug at her wedding band idly. It was an odd habit Kagome happened picked up over the last few days, but for some reason, the cold metal seemed to soothe her nerves.

"…Again, I reiterate…So?" Sango queried. "There's nothing wrong with striking a little fear into their hearts. It shows that you won't take things lightly and…it kind of makes you look like a badass."

Cobalt hues rolled towards the ceiling of the car at her friend's choice of words, but she couldn't hide the small smile that began to play on her lips.

"Leave it to you to make a joke out of this," Kagome chided.

"I'm not making it out to be a joke," Sango corrected. "But, I do know that you're blowing this entire thing out of proportion. You haven't done anything wrong and there is absolutely no reason for you to be freaking out. Those men attacked you and instead of choosing to take it, you stood up for yourself. That sounds a very Kagome-like thing to do if you were to ask me."

The car was silent for a small moment before Kagome sighed, off-put.

"You're right," the raven-haired woman reluctantly admitted. "How do you always end up being right?"

Chocolate orbs slanted in her direction, their edges crinkled with mirth. "Didn't anyone ever tell you? Listen to you your elders because we are always right."

Kagome scoffed in response. "Sango, you are only three months older than I am. That hardly constitutes as you being considered my elder."

"Three months, or three days, it doesn't matter. I'm still older than you," The taller woman reiterated, ending her statement in a sing-song voice.

Choosing not to fall for her friend's bait, Kagome just clicked her tongue releasing a small 'tch' noise. There had been plenty of petty squabbles throughout the years over their minuscule age difference. For some reason, it seemed Sango always ended up winning a majority of those arguments, mostly because it was, in fact, a true statement, but that didn't stop Kagome from trying to bring Sango down a few notches. Now was neither the time nor the place, however. Today had been exciting enough for Kagome and the dispute was not worth the effort or the continued headache.

Instead, she chose to change the topic of conversation to something that would take the spotlight off of her misadventures.

"So," The petite woman started, feigning nonchalance. "I saw Miroku at the office the other day."

"You don't say," Sango responded, attempting to appear unperturbed by the news.

Kagome knew better, however.

The hands that were gripping the steering wheel were gradually turning white-knuckled, the leather underneath giving an audible cry with the strain. "And what did our resident letcher have to say?"

"The darndest thing really," Kagome disclosed in a sickly-sweet voice. "Our dear Miroku was under the impression that you are mad at him." The younger woman shifted in her seat so that her upper body turned towards Sango, fierce sapphire eyes taking in every reaction.

Unlike Kagome, Sango was well versed in hiding her emotions – all except one. Anger was something that Sango had never been able to keep hidden, even when they were kids. Despite her best efforts, fury never failed to make the smile lines around brunette's mouth more prominent, and there was always an unmistakable twitch in her right eyebrow.

"I have no idea why he would think that," Sango ground out.

"Really?" Kagome inquired, unconvinced. "See, I thought he might have been on to something. He's been avoiding me like the plague over the last couple of days and the only reason I could come up with as to why he would do that is because he doesn't want to run into you."

Sango quickly recognized that she was being backed into a corner and chose to not to respond to Kagome's subtle accusation.

Undeterred by the other woman's silence, Kagome remained steadfast, eyes narrowing at her best friend. Internally, she hoped to garner some type of explanation from her. It wasn't like Sango to carry on like this when it came to Miroku – or anyone really.

Usually, when she was agitated, Sango chose to ignore Miroku for a day or two, a week at most. Two weeks had to have been a new record. It only further proved that whatever reason Sango was upset with Miroku for, it was increadibly important to her. It was unsettling to realize that the dark-haired woman cut Kagome off from explaining her actions for this long. It wasn't like the Sango not to share what she was thinking or feeling – especially about that pervert with the wandering hands – but Kagome was currently at a loss. Sango was headstrong – potentially more so than she was – and her choosing to remain tight-lipped, even now, meant that Kagome had to pull something drastic to get the other woman to talk.

The blue-eyed woman sat back in her seat with a huff. Recalling her conversation with Miroku from earlier the week before, Kagome took a guess as to what she thought the issue was. It was worth a shot.

"Honestly Sango, he did what I asked him to do. You know you have no right to be mad at him about the wedding."

There was another prolonged silence. Kagome unabatingly awaited some type of reaction to her enticement.

When she received none, she tried again.

"If you're going to continue angry about this, then you might as well be mad at me too," Kagome declared. "I'm the one who stood there and let him carry on with the ceremony."

At her words, the hands on the steering wheel twitched.

Hook.

"And we both know that the only reason why you're taking this out on him more so than anyone else is that you're still upset about that botched date you two had a few months back."

This time, the chestnut-haired woman's entire body flinched.

Line.

"I told him to call and talk to you, by the way. I said that you were looking to apologize," Kagome finished, casually turning to look out the window.

That little bit of information seemed to work.

"You did what?!" Sango screeched, turning her head to glare at the smaller woman.

Sinker.

"Hey! Eyes on the road!" Kagome scolded. "Okay, so that last part was a bit of a lie. I did tell him to call you, but not because you wanted to say you're sorry."

Sango's rising ire seemed to somewhat deflate at the clarification. There was another pregnant pause where neither woman in the car spoke, but the silence broke, it was Sango who chose to speak first.

"I'm not mad at him, per say," She started, her tone signaling that her frustration was still simmering underneath the surface. "But he is partially responsible for everything that happened."

Kagome made a motion to interrupt, but Sango cut her off before she could. "Inuyasha left Kagome. He left. And instead of doing something about it, Miroku went along with the entire ceremony like nothing ever happened."

"That's because I told him to and you know it," Kagome tried to justify.

"No," Sango said shaking her head, a scowl marring her features. "No. He could have stopped you or talked you out of it if he really wanted to. I've known you for years Kagome, and I know you're stubborn, but you're not that stubborn. If he were really looking out for you, as a friend, he would have never let you go through with this."

"He let me go through with this because it was what I wanted, Sango," Kagome stated softly. She wasn't looking to fight over this. "He respected my wishes and I wished to go through with the wedding. Who was he to stop me?"

"And that's another thing!" The brown-eyed woman exclaimed. "How could you have wanted to go through with this?"

'Ah,' Kagome thought. 'So that's why she is so upset.'

"Sango," Kagome remarked in a somber voice. "I needed to go through with this. It wasn't just for me to decide." Sango gave an unladylike snort at the explanation, but Kagome chose to ignore it and continued on. "It was what Papa wanted and I couldn't just throw everything he worked for away. I was not going to give up his company. I will not give it up."

Once again, Kagome found herself underneath the scrutiny of dark eyes. Sango looked more confused than agitated, thin brows drawn down into a frown that wrinkled her forehead. For a while she merely studied Kagome from the corner of her eye, flicking her gaze between her best friend and the road.

"Your father wouldn't have wanted you to be married to a man you hardly know," Sango stated tersely without looking at her. "The Higurashi-san that I know would have called off the wedding as soon as he found out his daughter was left at the altar."

A gentle smile lit up Kagome's face. There was a flash of memories awakened by the mention of her father and Kagome welcomed these with open arms. The images filled with her mother's love and her father's child-like spirit were a soothing balm over the tension caused by the day's events.

"You're right," Kagome stated, amused. "He would have caused a scene right there in the church and called the entire thing off. I could only imagine the argument that would have broken out between himself and Touga." Despite the somber topic of conversation, Kagome couldn't help but release a small chuckle at the thought.

Kagome's giggle was enough to relax Sango's stiff posture partially. There was still a rigidness in the brunette's shoulder's that hinted she wasn't about to let this discussion drop.

"I'm just worried," Sango remarked. "It's one thing to have an arraigned marriage to a friend. It's a completely different matter to have an arranged marriage to a stranger."

Kagome frowned at the statement. "Sesshomaru wasn't…or rather, isn't a stranger. He wasn't a friend, that I will agree with, but, it wasn't like I didn't know who he was. We were…acquaintances?" It was more of a question than an explanation and it came as no surprise that Sango didn't believe a word of it.

Before the dark-haired woman could formulate another retort, Kagome continued. "He's trying, Sango."

At the disbelieving raise of both of Sango's eyebrows, Kagome smirked slightly. "I'm serious. He's been nothing but supportive in both the office and at home."

The relationship between herself and Sesshomaru – if she could even call it such – was still new, but over the last few days, he indulged Kagome on her whims. She tried to understand Sesshomaru like he was a difficult subject in school and, it seemed in turn, he was trying to do the same. Kagome was grateful for their dinners together, even more so for the unique interactions they shared. Instead of leaving her to her own devices once they left the office, Sesshomaru chose to ease her through the transition into his home.

It was overwhelming to note that there were no bonds, no lengths, no depths of any relationship between the two preceding their marriage; there were no pressures that would sway them one way or another or biases that were influencing them getting to know each other. It left them to build and create a life that was all their own.

They may not have been friends, but there was trust, and that was the foundation for something.

Kagome knew that anything romantic would most likely never occur between the two of them, but it was nice to have someone that understood where she was coming from. A partner in every sense of the word; someone who had the same circumstances thrust upon them. Sesshomaru was a new stability in her life and Kagome found herself quickly becoming accustomed to him.

Even if her marriage would provide nothing but a house and a companion, Kagome was content with her choice. It was more than what she thought she would be graced with the day that Sesshomaru joined her at the altar.

"I trust him," Kagome confessed, voicing the words that she had been previously processing. "He's a good man, Sango and…," The younger woman trailed off for a moment, trying to come up with the proper wording that could express exactly how she felt. "I'm actually happy it turned out the way it did."

That seemed to appease Sango more than anything Kagome had said previously. The tension in her shoulders finally died out.

"I'm still worried," Sango repeated in a mumbled tone.

Instead of responding, Kagome reached across the expanse of the car and yanked on a forelock of her friend's hair.

"Ouch!" The taller woman yelled.

"None of that," Kagome scolded. "I'm not mad at you Sango and I hope that you're not mad at me. I know you're worried about me and I am so grateful for that, but I'm honestly okay."

Sango smacked away the hand that was still lightly pulling on her hair. "I don't know why I waste my time worrying about you. You could be lying in a hospital bed bleeding to death and you would still tell me not to be concerned about it."

"You make it sound like that's such a bad quality to have," Kagome quipped.

The response to her comment was a soft sigh before silence encompassed the car once more.

"You really should call him," Kagome murmured after a moment. "He may be a little 'hands on' in certain situations, but Miroku doesn't deserve you being mad at him for no reason. He did seem genuinely troubled that you're not speaking to him."

Sango didn't look in Kagome's direction when she grunted her affirmation. "We'll see."

Kagome knew that whether Sango agreed outright or not, she was most likely going to call Miroku and apologize for her misguided anger.

The small victory over her friend made Kagome smile.

-o-

The remainder of the car ride passed with little conflict. The remaining time was filled with mindless chatter on different things that had occurred in both women's lives over the past week. Sango currently worked for a technology company which specialized in processors for computers. At the news of the Higurashi Tech. and Taisho Inc. merger, Sango's boss asked her to contact someone at the company with the proposition of formulating a contact.

"He's young, but he's smart," The other woman commented offhandedly as the car pulled up the gravel driveway of Sesshomaru's home. "He has two vice presidents who are most likely going to be involved. Their group is very close-knit, but I think it would be worth looking over."

Kagome nodded absently in affirmation, taking note that there was a car in the driveway she didn't immediately recognize. At the lack of a verbal reply, Sango turned her head in Kagome's direction before following her line of sight.

"Whose car is that?" She questioned as their own vehicle rolled to a stop behind the black town car which resided in the middle of the path.

"I'm not entirely sure," Kagome mumbled. "I've seen that car before; I just can't remember where."

They received the answer to their question the moment they both stepped out of the car. As Kagome's feet touched the broken stones which made up the driveway, the front door was tossed open to reveal Myouga and – much to Kagome's pleasant surprise – Izayoi Taisho.

"Izayoi!" Kagome called happily, scrambling up the porch steps in a flurry onyx hair. The older woman met her halfway, seemingly just as eager to greet her.

The two embraced in a tight hug that had Izayoi laughing from the delight it brought. "Well," Kagome's mother-in-law declared after they broke apart. "If that isn't one of the warmest welcomes I've ever received!"

Kagome smiled broadly, "It's good to see you."

And it was.

If there had been one person – besides her own mother – who checked on her most frequently since the wedding, it was Izayoi. Kagome may have spoken regularly with all of her friends, but both her mother and her new in-law were relentless in their need to call her under the guise of talking about senseless things. If she had to guess, Kagome assumed that both women were trying to gauge how she was faring from afar.

Suddenly having Izayoi standing before her was a welcomed change of pace of the strenuous day. Though they spoke often enough over the last couple of days, Kagome hadn't seen her mother-in-law since the wedding.

By now, Sango had joined both women on the deck, choosing to approach at a much slower pace than Kagome had.

"Izayoi-san," Sango greeted with a small inclination of her head.

Izayoi's soft brown eyes moved to regard Sango, her smile never wavering as she bowed her own welcoming acknowledgment. "It's good to see you again, Sango-san."

"Likewise," The younger woman reiterated with a grin.

Myouga, who had been oddly silent throughout the entire exchange, chose to make his presence known after the women finished their reception of one another.

"Touga-sama called to warn us that you both were coming," He said in the way of greeting.

Initially, Kagome thought it was odd that he hadn't received Sango or herself verbally and with a light tilt her head, Kagome regarded the older male with a puzzled expression. There was something about the wording Myouga used that seemed off.

Taking in his full appearance, Kagome realized that it wasn't just an immediate gut reaction. There was definitely something wrong with the short male as he stood there, ringing his hands mercilessly and looking in every direction…except he wouldn't look at her.

"He called…to warn you?" Kagome probed, her mind swirling with her perplexity at the odd behavior.

Myouga's spine stiffened at the question, black eyes urgently diverting to Izayoi before finally glancing in Kagome's direction.

"Erm…you see," He verbally stumbled, struggling to find the proper wording. "Lady Izayoi was here…um…"

As the elder male floundered, Kagome and Sango shared a quick, confused glance. Over the last two weeks, Kagome had learned at least one thing: Myouga was always calm and collected – even under Sesshomaru's intense perusal. It didn't matter the situation or who was speaking to him, Myouga never broke from character. For him to be this outwardly disturbed was an extremely unwelcomed sight.

"Touga called to warn me not to leave without seeing you," Izayoi said in a gentle voice, saving the Taisho's employee from further explanation. "It's been a while since I've seen you, he didn't want to me to miss out on the opportunity."

The abrupt answer mollified Kagome somewhat. "It has been a while," she agreed.

It wasn't long before another question arose. Kagome knew well enough that Sesshomaru and Izayoi interacted as little as possible. The notion of her mother-in-law physically being present at her stepson's home was another thing that seemed to be entirely out of character.

"I hope you don't feel that I'm being rude by asking," Kagome started her inquiry, turning to regard the Taisho matriarch once more. "But Izayoi, what are you doing here?"

It was now Izayoi's turn to tense, though the rigidness that encompassed her posture was much subtler than the uneasy waves that Myouga's posture emitted. With her shoulders pushed back and her stance suddenly straightened, Izayoi didn't hesitate in answering Kagome's question right away.

"Touga is looking for a copy of a file that he insists Sesshomaru took from him," The older woman explained with a chuckle that sounded a little too involuntary for Kagome's liking. "He requested that I snoop around for him while you all were in the board meeting. How did that go, by the way?"

Once again, Kagome accepted the explanation without a second thought, despite the peculiar behavior of the elders in front of her. At the sudden change in topic, the tension that seemed to have enveloped the group, released.

"Er…well," It was Kagome's turn to make a mess of her own commentary. "It was…lively."

At her daughter-in-law's unorthodox verbiage, Izayoi's curiosity peeked. It also didn't help Kagome's case that Sango rumbled something under her breathe, which gave the distinct impression that the word used to describe said meeting didn't do it justice.

"You don't say," Izayoi hummed with a distinct raise of her eyebrow. "Well, you have to tell me all about it!"

The older, dark-haired woman strode forward, planting herself between Sango and Kagome. Izayoi looped her arms through the younger women's, securing both of them by the elbow.

For someone almost thirty years their senior, Izayoi's grip was surprisingly firm.

"It would be a waste not to enjoy such a fine spring day," Izayoi stated, leading both of them towards the corner of the veranda, where the porch swing and wicker chairs resided. "Myouga can you go make us something to eat and some tea? You girls are probably famished."

"Right away, Lady Izayoi!" The steward called before ducking back into the house.

"We really don't have that much time Izayoi," Kagome commented, trying to halt their progress by digging in her heels. "We only came so Sango could see the room and have a quick bite to eat. Both of us need to get back to our offices soon."

Undeterred by the blatant rejection of her idea, Izayoi just smiled, though it didn't reach her eyes. "Nonsense," she rebuffed, continuing to pull Kagome along. "Showing Sango-san the room wouldn't take more than a few minutes. Why don't you two relax for a bit? It'll be nice to have a little break before you have to head back to work."

"Thank you, Izayoi-san," Sango said, disentangling – how the hell did she make it look so easy? – herself from the older woman's grasp. "But, really were not staying long. I have to be back before my lunch break ends, so were most likely going to take our meals to go."

The hand that was still gripping Kagome tightened in reflex at the second unabashed snub, but after a short pause, Izayoi released her hold on her raven-haired daughter-in-law.

"Well," Izayoi stated, tersely. "We can't let you be late, now can we? Come, girls let's go see if Myouga can pack you up something for your ride back."

For the second time in the last few minutes, Sango and Kagome shared a puzzled glance as Izayoi briskly lead them back towards the front door. Sango tried to hold Kagome's gaze from the corner of her eye, silently asking her 'what the hell is going on?', but Kagome couldn't provide a proper answer. She didn't know what to tell Sango, let alone what to think herself.

If there were one word she could use to describe the way both Myouga and Izayoi were acting it would be unusual. She may not have known Myouga well, but Kagome had known Izayoi for years. She had never seen the dark-haired woman so forceful before.

As the trio entered the house, Izayoi didn't stop, making her way through the foyer and halfway down the corridor, passing the living room.

"Myouga?" She called out in a tone that seemed borderline overwrought.

Instead of coming out of the kitchen like they presumed that he would, Myouga appeared behind all three women, exiting the wing of the house that was designated to Sesshomaru and his personal rooms.

"Are you alright Myouga?" Kagome inquired, taking in her employee's appearance.

Myouga was always neat and orderly, but right now he looked a little worse for wear. His navy blue haori was untied while the white kosode he wore underneath happened to be untucked on the right side. His dark gray hakama looked unkempt; what was once pristine was now covered in creases, like he had been rolling around on the floor. Sweat beaded on his brow and his cheeks were flushed with red blotches from some unknown exertion. Kagome was sure that if he had more hair, it would be standing on end.

"I'm fine, Kagome," He assured, out of breath. "I was just looking for something in er…Lord Sesshomaru's office.

Kagome knew a lie when she heard one, but she chose not to push the subject, nodding dumbly as she acquiesced his answer.

"Maybe Souten or Shippo could help you?" She offered as a solution to whatever it was that seemed to be troubling him. "You seem to be having a bit of a difficult time."

"Ah well," The steward fidgeted, hastily pulling and tucking his clothing back into proper order. "They both are out grocery shopping this afternoon."

"Maybe Kagome and I could help you?" Sango offered good-naturedly. The brunette seemed just as off-put by the elder's behavior as Kagome was, but it didn't stop her from taking a step towards the entry to the corridor with the intention of lending a hand.

"No!" Izayoi all but shouted, cutting off Sango's path with her own body. "No, no need for you to concern yourself, Sango-san. Why don't I go see if I can find it for you Myouga?"

Without waiting for a response to her offer, Izayoi disappeared down the hallway in a whirlwind, leaving the two women to stare after her with twin expressions of shock. If Kagome thought her mother-in-law's behavior was odd before, she now felt Izayoi was acting downright bizarre.

"…Does she even know what you were looking for?" Kagome asked after a moment uncomfortable silence between the three people left standing in the main corridor.

"Yes, she does," Myouga stated, looking at the hallway which Izayoi fled down with – what Kagome could only make out as – beseeching eyes. "Why don't you two go to your room Kagome? I can bring your lunch shortly."

"Actually, why don't I help you put together our lunch?" Kagome questioned, attempting to shake off the uneasy feeling that was beginning to knot in her stomach. Perhaps the quicker she and Sango got out of the house, the faster they could put this entire situation behind them and things could return to the little sense of normalcy their lives had. "We're not going to stay here to eat; I just need to pack a few things up."

"There's no need," Myouga assured, shifting on his feet so that he was angled towards her. To Kagome, it looked like he was placing himself in such a way so that he would be able to cut off her path to the kitchen if need be. "I can handle it, I assure you."

Cobalt hues narrowed slightly. It was one thing for Myouga to be acting strangely, it was another for him to refuse her outright. Over the last two weeks, Kagome had made it well known to all the housing staff that she would not idly sit about. If she could lend a hand, then she would. Up until now, all three of Sesshomaru's employees had taken her friendly nature in stride.

"I know you can handle it," Kagome challenged, her tone showing that she was starting to become a little fed up with this entire endeavor. "It'll be quicker if I help you. We are on a time limit."

It wasn't like Myouga to fight back on much of anything. He was the type that wanted to please others, no matter the circumstance. In comparison to Souten and Shippo, Myouga always found something to do for either herself or Sesshomaru, and it was completed at a brisk pace. Even when she chose to lend a hand with the chores around the house, Myouga ran circles around Kagome. Never once did he deter her actions, however, and usually welcomed her assistance, no matter how clumsy it was.

To Kagome's continued surprise, Myouga chose to remain headstrong in his refusal on this current subject.

"No need," He said offhandedly. This time when shuffled his stance, there was no mistaking that he was, in fact, trying to stop Kagome from entering the kitchen. He inched slowly in front of her. "I'll do it myself."

Sango sensed the strain beginning to seep into the room, chocolate orbs hovering between Myouga and her best friend. Kagome may not have shared much about her life in Sesshomaru's home, but from the way that she was looking at the butler, Sango could tell that his actions were extremely uncharacteristic. As much as she would have enjoyed watching the battle of wills between employer and employee, this was not Sango's situation to get involved in. It was time for her to concede.

"Kagome," The brunette cut in. "I think I'll wait for you in your room. Let me know when you're ready to leave."

Kagome refused to remove her tightened gaze from the elder, but she gave Sango a slight nod of her head, letting her friend know that she heard her. After Sango disappeared from Kagome's peripheral vision, the petite woman took a bold step towards the kitchen. As she previously suspected, Kagome was met with a matching movement from Myouga as he stepped entirely in front of her, cutting off her progress.

"What are you doing Myouga?" Kagome questioned in a firm tone.

This behavior was so unlike the man that she had come to know over the last couple of weeks that speculation swam in her mind. Just what was going on? Kagome tried to come up with a reason; anything that could explain why he was acting this way.

Her mind quickly fed on her insecurities, all thoughts growing toxic. Had she done something to upset Sesshomaru? Was he the one making both of them act like this? Sure, they hadn't spoken after the meeting, but he didn't seem upset with her, neither had Touga. The way Myouga was acting made it look like this was something personal; that whatever he and Izayoi were hiding had to do with her. There was a tightness settling in her chest at the thought, but Kagome tried to shake it off.

The old steward chose not to answer Kagome's question right away. Instead, beady black eyes broke from their locked gaze on her form and slid to glance at something over Kagome's shoulder.

Turning her head marginally, Kagome caught a glimpse of Izayoi who had joined them back in the hallway. Kagome's mother-in-law looked just as disheveled as Myouga had when he first exited that corridor. The older woman's pants filled the hall, chestnut eyes glancing to the steward with something akin to frantic apprehension.

"I couldn't find what you were looking for, Myouga," Izayoi said, fussing over the frayed hair that escaped the neat bun on the back of her head.

"What are you two looking for exactly?" Kagome asked, blue eyes alternating their narrowed stare between Myouga and Izayoi. "What is that you're both hiding? And why can't I go into the kitchen?"

Myouga chose to remain stubbornly silent, leaving the explanation to Izayoi, who in turn, tittered stiffly.

"We're not hiding anything, Kagome," Izayoi assured.

Kagome looked towards the inky-haired woman with something akin to distrust. "After all these years Izayoi, I can tell when you're lying. You use that same high-pitched tone when you're talking to one of Touga's competitors."

The words made her Izayoi flinch back as if she had been physically struck. Instead of folding under her daughter-in-law's accusation like Kagome hoped her would, Izayoi carried on feigning ignorance.

"I have no idea what you are talking about," She insisted in a cutting tone, her own brown eyes narrowing.

"Oh really?" Kagome deadpanned.

Without warning, Kagome spun on her heel and lunged forward, pushing passed Myouga. His stance gave way under the force of being caught off guard, Kagome's height advantage assisting her in barreling through the blockade the older male tried to exude. Fleetingly, Kagome felt a stab of guilt at handling Myouga in such a way, but she needed an explanation for all of the theatrics.

"Kagome, don't go in there!" Izayoi screeched.

It was too late; Kagome already crossed the threshold into the tiled room by the time the older raven-haired woman's exclamation had reached her ears. With the way that they were both acting, Kagome would have thought that there was some dangerous threat in the kitchen; someone or something that would cause her harm and all they were looking to do was protect her from harm.

Whatever the reason behind this entire ruse was, Kagome didn't find it in the kitchen. Instead, she found an empty, yet spotless room with absolutely nothing out of order.

Kagome rounded on the duo when she felt them come to a halt behind her. "Just what is going on?!"

Neither elder responded to her wailed inquiry as they both stood in the archway wearing to two matching expressions of dismay. Myouga's eyes were the largest Kagome had ever seen them, his eyebrows impossibly high on his forehead and Izayoi stood with a gaping expression on her face, her jaw unhinged.

"What on earth is the matter with the two of you?" Kagome questioned shrilly, clearly exasperated. She struggled with the urge to stomp her foot like a child.

Again, neither answered her. Izayoi turned toward Myouga, dark eyes boring into the side of his head. Onyx hues never strayed towards the older woman, however. They slowly perused the entirety of the kitchen, sweeping from one side of the room to another, calculating every detail; apparently looking for something that wasn't there.

Without preamble, Myouga scrambled to cross the threshold of the room, opening the sliding glass door with a loud 'snap' and disappearing out onto the patio.

"What the hell…?" Kagome muttered following the frantic path the older male created with her eyes. Confusion only gave way to full-fledged panic when Izayoi suddenly fled out onto the patio as well, her movements frenzied.

"Izayoi?" Kagome called after her, taking a small, tentative step towards the exit to the backyard. Dread seemed to consume her as she watched the two disappear into the gardens in the yard, hectic in their searching.

Kagome didn't make it very far. A quiet voice called out her name, halting her movements.

Turning, azure orbs found Sango standing demurely just outside of the archway that lead to the kitchen. Immediately, Kagome knew that something was wrong. Her friend's fair skin seemed to take on an ashen hue, dark eyes looking at Kagome, but she wasn't seeing. Her best friend was in a state of shock.

"Sango?" Kagome ventured, trepidation and worry stirring in her stomach. "Is everything alright? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Sango was silent, staring at her with a cryptic glint in her eyes. They settled into an uncomfortable silence for a long moment.

"You need to see this," Was all her best friend offered before Sango pivoted on her heels, making her way into the living room with stiff, awkward strides.

'What is going on in this house?' Kagome groaned mentally, following closely behind Sango.

The sudden change in the taller woman's attitude paired with the overwhelming dismay that Izayoi and Myouga were presenting, made Kagome extremely worried. Her hands restlessly twitched at her sides, unsure what she was to expect while the duo made their way through the sunken sitting room and into the hallway that lead to Kagome's room.

When they approached her bedroom door, Sango hesitated, turning her head to the side so that she could peer at Kagome. There was a maelstrom of emotions brewing in those dark depths; the most prominent being anticipation, worry, and pity. Without saying anything, Sango brought her index finger to her lips, signaling to Kagome to be silent as they continued their journey into her bedroom.

Instead of questioning her friend's motives, Kagome gave a curt nod of her head, slipping stealthily through the open bedroom door behind Sango. Upon Kagome's initial inspection of her bedroom, nothing seemed out of place. Souten must have cleaned the room earlier for the bed was remade and the white lacquered furniture, which had arrived that past weekend, had a natural shine to their surfaces.

It was only on the second surveillance of her bedroom did Kagome notice that both her closet and bathroom lights were on, doors tossed wide open. Sango stopped halfway across the carpeted floor, looking back at Kagome before gesturing towards the bathroom with a jerky motion of her chin.

Kagome's brows drew down into a frown, curious as to what Sango was trying to tell her. It wasn't long before she heard it; though it was so quiet that Kagome wasn't sure she heard anything. It happened twice more before she realized exactly what she was hearing. There was a telltale sound of something or – rather – someone moving around in her personal bathroom, followed by a soft, childish giggle.

Well, that wasn't something you heard every day.

Kagome's eyebrows shot up, only to disappear behind her bangs. Calmly, almost too calmly, she made her way towards the bathroom door. Making her way past the closet, sapphire hues took in the destruction that was once the neat and organized sub-room. A majority of her clothes were scattered across the floor, some in a nest-like pile thrown together in the middle of the room. Kagome stopped a few feet back from the entrance to the bathroom. It was far enough for her to be able to look at what was going on inside while simultaneously not intruding on what was going on inside.

The sight that greeted her was something that Kagome had not been expecting.

There, sprawled out on the white tiled floor of her bathroom, was a little girl who seemed to have made herself quite comfortable amongst Kagome's belongings. The child couldn't have been more than twelve or thirteen, inky black hair flowing down her back, ending at her narrowed hips. Her bangs were pulled out of her face, pinned up into a side ponytail on the crown of her head. The way that the preteen was situated, Kagome couldn't make out the color of her eyes, but with the pale complexion of the girl's skin, Kagome assumed that they were most likely a smoky color. She was tiny, scrawny even, but it didn't look like it was because of mistreatment, it just seemed like she had a small build. In fact, judging by the designer sundress she was wearing, this little girl had someone wealthy taking very good care of her.

A pale blue make-up bag – that suspiciously looked like Kagome's – joined the little girl on the floor, carelessly tossed open. There were different cosmetic packages scattered across the floor; some open, some not. Currently, the young girl was holding one of Kagome's favorite eyeshadows up to her face for inspection.

"Oh!" She chirped, her voice childishly warm. "This is a beautiful color. I wonder if she wears it often."

Unsure of how to proceed, Kagome cleared her throat, taking one step towards the bathroom door. At the sound, little girl's head snapped up with a gasp and a flutter of onyx hair, dropping the eyeshadow cartridge. It clattered to the floor, but neither woman paid attention to it, both their lips parted in an unceremonious 'o' shape.

For the second time in her life, Kagome Higurashi found herself held captive by a unique pair of golden eyes.

They were more of a burnt copper than amber, a faded orange-red that was tarnished with flecks of gold gilt that lightened the overall color. They glistened as the light hit them, shock and fear evident in those tawny depths.

There was no question as to who this girl was related to.

"Oh," Kagome said, unintelligently.

The girl seemed to get over her initial shock of being caught, staring at the woman before her with wary foreboding.

"Grandma!" She suddenly wailed loudly, scrambling to stand.

"Grandma?" Sango parroted, appearing at Kagome's side instantly. Intense speculation filled the young girl's gaze at the arrival of a second woman, but before anyone could question anything, Izayoi rushed into the room, followed closely by a frenzied Myouga.

"Rin!" Her mother-in-law cried, bee-lining for the bathroom door. Izayoi didn't spare the older women a second glance, her eyes solely for the little girl.

Izayoi knelt down in front of her granddaughter, grasping her by the shoulders with both of her hands.

"Thank god," The Taisho matriarch sighed in relief, pulling the small body towards her own in a tight embrace. "I thought I told you to stay in your room. You had Myouga and I scared sick, we couldn't find you!"

The pre-teen squirmed out of her grandmother's hold, looking slightly abashed. She fidgeted for a moment, gnawing on her bottom lip while her hands fumbled awkwardly in front of her.

"I know, Grandma," The tiny voice murmured. "I just wanted to look around a bit! To see some things so I can know what she's like!"

The innocent explanation seemed to appease Izayoi because she suddenly sighed, her body slumping with the exhale. She didn't stay like that long, however. The older woman happened to suddenly remember who was among the silent audience watching the small display.

Slowly, tentatively, Izayoi turned towards Sango and Kagome, her eyes explicitly honing in her daughter-in-law.

"Now, Kagome…" Izayoi started, moving to stand. Whatever she was going to say was cut off when the young girl – Rin – turned to eye both women no longer with fear, but with hopeful enthusiasm.

"Kagome?" Rin repeated, golden gaze flickering between both women pausing only to quickly appraise both Sango and Kagome from head to toe individually.

Turning back to her grandmother, the girl asked, "You mean one of these ladies is her? One of them is the woman who married Papa?"

"Papa!?" Sango screeched causing everyone in the room to wince at the sheer volume of her squeal.

"Kagome," Izayoi reiterated, taking a step towards her daughter-in-law.

The word never registered with the petite woman. Kagome just stared; just looked at the little girl who was clutching to Izayoi's arm and eyeing her with unabashed happiness.

Slowly, Kagome's mind seemed to catch up with the implications that were being laid before her.

There was a little girl in her bathroom.

There was a little girl in her bathroom; a little girl who was calling Izayoi 'grandmother'.

There was a little girl in her bathroom; a little girl who was calling Izayoi 'grandmother,' and talking about someone marrying her 'Papa.'

"Oh," Kagome said for the second time. The room around her suddenly shifted; her world spinning as while her mind caught up with the entire situation.

This little girl was the 'thing' that both Izayoi and Myouga were searching for.

This little girl was what they were trying to hide from her.

This little girl…This little girl was Sesshomaru's daughter.

"Oh," The raven-haired woman reiterated for the third time before ungracefully falling to the floor, knees giving out as she landed on her backside.

This little girl was her step-daughter.

Yes, two fully functioning adults happened to lose a child. Hope you enjoyed!
Thank you, everyone, for reading!

last edited: 02/22/18
word count: 7,559

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