And The Games Continue...

Epilogue

Disclaimer: Even though I just got done playing Fetch with a certain dog boy, I still do not have his ownership papers. This undeniable fact pains me.

---cCc---

Kagome stared down into the well, and swallowed heavily, then looked back up at her mate.

"Uh... do you really think this will work?" she asked doubtfully.

Sesshoumaru eyed her nervously shifting form. "Yes. Is there a reason that you are worried, mate?"

She blushed. "Well... uh... it's just, you know, talking to my mom about this before wasn't really easy. It was embarrassing."

His brow rose at that. "Embarrassing? Why?"

She looked flabbergasted. "Who wants their mother to know about their sex life?!" Her blush deepening, she shuddered. "And even worse... my grandpa!"

He stared at her for a moment, then turned away. "It is of no consequence. Come, mate." He held out a hand imperiously, and she huffed, but took it.

With that, he pulled her into a close embrace, then leaped gracefully into the well, completely calm and unsurprised when the soft blue lights of the time slip gently took hold of them.

Kagome rolled her eyes irritatedly. Of course it would work... and why would it work? Because the great Sesshoumaru-sama said so, that's why!

"Indeed, mate. It is good that you have finally accepted the undeniable fact of my supremacy in all things," he said complacently, as they landed softly at the bottom of the well in her time.

Her jaw dropped and she stared at him, completely floored. His sheer arrogance just took her breath away. "You...! Ooooo, I swear, I'm gonna...!"

He almost chuckled at the look on her face as she ground her teeth together in an absolute fury. "Come, Kagome. Did my words take you that much by surprise?" He leapt upwards, taking her out of the well, and landed on the wooden platform around it, then let her go.

He glanced around curiously while waiting for her to gather her composure, and wrinkled his nose just a bit at the odor. It wasn't overpowering, but it was annoying to his sensitive nose, and he sighed internally.

It is a good thing that I am taking her away from this to live in my era - this smell cannot be healthy for her...

Kagome inhaled deeply, wishing once again that she'd managed to get that rosary on him - he could sure as hell use a good sitting right at this point, but reluctantly, since she had no way currently to take his arrogance down a notch -or ten, she groused - she set it aside, and with another deep inhale to calm her temper, spoke.

"If you're done trying to convince me of your greatness, perhaps you would like to go meet my family - since that is the reason we came?" she asked pointedly.

His brow rose at her tone, and his lip quirked in amusement. He gestured magnanimously towards the doors. "Very well, mate - shall we?"

She closed her eyes for a moment, rubbing the bridge of her nose with two fingers, and inhaled again. "Yes, lets," she said sweetly, and moved forward to open the doors slightly, peeking out to make sure the coast was clear, before sliding them open fully and moving aside for her Lord.

He stepped regally down from the small shrine, his eyes darting around the grounds, curiosity filling him as he looked over the area, his eyes lingering on the buildings rising along the horizon.

Kagome snickered under her breath... Surprised, Sesshoumaru? Didn't think mere humans could do the things I said, did you? Shaking her head, she absentmindedly straightened her formal kimono, and reached out to take her mate's arm when he finally offered it.

With a resigned sigh, she lead him to the house, and sliding open the fusuma, she entered the genkan one step behind her mate, then sat and removed her shoes.

He eyed her, then did the same, and she led him into her mother's home.

"Tadaima!" she called out, and her mother came into the room from the kitchen, eyes widening when she caught sight of her daughter - and the exotic, impossibly beautiful male that stood at her side.

"Kagome?" she questioned.

"Hai, mama." With a formal bow, she gestured to Sesshoumaru. "This is my Lord and husband, Sesshoumaru of the Western Lands," she looked up at him, "My Lord, this is my mother, Higurashi Hana."

Hana bowed, and smiling, welcomed him into her home. "Lord Sesshoumaru - you honor our humble shrine. Be welcome."

Sesshoumaru eyed the onna weighingly, then nodded, and bowed his head the slightest bit. "Arigatou, Higurashi-san. This one is honored to meet the mother of his mate."

With a brilliant smile, she led them to the kitchen, and once they were seated, she began making tea. Kagome smiled almost wistfully as she watched.

Sesshoumaru caught the look on his little mate's face. "Tell me, Kagome - what are you thinking?" he asked softly.

She smiled, a slightly sad tint to it as she looked at her mother. "I guess... it's just hitting me... I'm grown, with a husband of my own now. I'm not her little girl anymore." She looked away, eyes distant. "It went so fast..." she whispered.

"Yes... it did, my daughter. But we all grow up and leave home. I'm sure that someday, you will be in my place, watching your daughter do the same." Hana smiled at her daughter. "But that's for another time."

With that, Hana pushed those the thoughts to the back of her mind, and struck up a conversation with her daughter's new husband, as Kagome merely sat back and listened, amazed that Sesshoumaru was being so polite - she had expected his usual arrogance.

All in all, afte the visit was over, she had to admit, it had been pretty painless. Her mother had been charmed by the beautiful Lord, and was pleased by her daughter's choice.

With promises to return for a visit in a couple of months, they headed back through the well, and Sesshoumaru went back to being his usual arrogant self the moment his feet touched the ground in his era.

Kagome merely sighed. Not like he's ever gonna change - I should just be glad he restrained that side of himself around mama.

Oh well...

---xXx---

Time flew by quickly, and it didn't take long before children started appearing amongst the group.

Surprisingly, or maybe not, the most prolific breeders turned out to be Kagome and Sesshoumaru - not Sango and Miroku, as most would have sworn beforehand.

Not that Miroku didn't complain to his wife about that fact...

At any rate, despite the complaints, Sesshoumaru and Kagome produced five children within the first eight years, and Sango and Miroku only added to that tally with three of their own - making the western shiro a very noisy place, as the entire pack now lived on the grounds.

Of course, it hadn't taken Sesshoumaru long to realize that if he ever wanted any peace, he would need to have another, slightly smaller, building added to the shiro - a separate little palace to house the rest of the pack.

It turned out that that was a wise decision when Inuyasha finally found himself a mate.

That was one courtship that no one in the West would ever forget.

The woman, called Mine, was one of the few female warriors in Sesshoumaru's army, and the two met when she found him in the dojo actually training one day - and promptly burst out laughing, asking him if he'd ever held a sword before.

Needless to say, that didn't go over well, and the courtship commenced with them trying to kill each other - several times a day.

Finally, Sesshoumaru decided enough was enough, and had them thrown into a locked room, telling them that they wouldn't be allowed out until they'd made peace with each other.

By the time they were let out, peace wasn't the only thing they'd made, and it was barely seven months later that another addition to the Taisho bloodline was welcomed into the world.

---xXx---

Kagome never did stop trying to ambush her mate with those subduing beads, keeping him on his toes where she was concerned - all in all, they lived happily, taking the changes that came with time head on.

And they never forgot to play...

Fetch being one of their all-time favorites.

Although Master and Servant ranked up there pretty high, too.

---xXx---

A/N: Well... damn. It's finally finished! This one turned into a little monster, I swear. I'm not totally happy with how the epilogue turned out, but I didn't want to leave it hanging, so... I figured I'd finish it out, wrapping up the last little details. That's really all this one was for, since the story itself was finished in Game Over.

Anyway, hope people aren't too disappointed with how it turned out - next time someone tries to take a one-shot and convince me to make it a story... I'm gonna run.

Amber

Mine: pronounced Mee-nay, it's a girls name, and means 'a resolute protector'.