I've missed posting things. Being required to stay at home constantly while still searching for a job doesn't make writing easy, but I had this on my computer for a while, just sitting there staring at me. Faith is still a project I intend to finish. My life is still topsy-turvy (this crazy pandemic didn't really upend it anymore than life already had) and I wanted to let the world out there know: I'm still here.

I may add to this, I may let it stand alone. Either way it will be short.

Standard disclaimers apply.

Breaking the Cycle

The sharp click of high end heeled shoes echoed around the hard surfaces of the cavernous executive floor lobby. It was almost as large as the one on the first floor that greeted new comers upon first entering the building. Kagome always thought the space was ostentatious, needlessly large and an inefficient use of space. There were only three office suites on this floor, the largest conference room the company owned, and this rather useless if impressively decorated room.

But she wasn't here to marvel at the architectural waste of materials. She was only on this floor for one reason, one that made the noise of her tapping shoes increasingly irritating the longer it took to traverse the floor.

Her spouse of two years had texted her twenty minutes ago to declare he was being held up by a last minute meeting. She wanted to scoff. For the last six weeks her husband had been acting atypical for himself and after hours meetings had become increasingly common.

Formerly, her businessman husband had been the type to race out the door at the earliest possible moment, putting in the minimum number of hours that his father, the owner of the company, would allow him to get away with. Then suddenly he was staying excessively late three to four times a week.

Initially Kagome had been unconcerned. Nearly every quarter, Inuyasha would try to cram all the work he'd been putting off into the span of a week before the quarterly reports were due. It was a little early, but she'd simply figured he had finally learned the lesson about procrastination. She'd been slightly proud of him for his initiative. She hadn't believed it would last, but it was nice to pretend he was actually acting like he cared that his lack of work ethic effected all the people who worked for the company under him.

She'd let it go for two weeks without bothering to question it. Then one of the security guys made a comment that tipped her off to something fishy going on. Then she'd run into Inuyasha's secretary a few times down in the cafeteria and the meticulously organized woman hadn't known anything about any late meetings.

Kagome had denied the possibility that her spouse would get up to anything devious. Kagome loved Inuyasha. She believed he loved her. If he was keeping secrets she wrote it off as possibly being a surprise of some sort, likely for their anniversary.

But her anniversary had come and gone without anything to mark its passing. Inuyasha hadn't even come home that night. The extra hours he'd been putting in had left them with little time spent together even on that annual reminder of their nuptials.

Eventually, her shield of denial cracked badly as she remembered that never before had Inuyasha tried to classify his after hours work each quarter as "business meetings". That's when she was worn down enough to question everything. Inuyasha was up to something.

Kagome paused as she finally came up even with the secretary's desk associated with Inuyasha's office. She breathed deep and debated with herself whether to knock or just stalk right in.

On the one hand, catching him in the act if his partner in crime had already arrived was distasteful. On the other, it would certainly leave him with no path to denial. Besides, it was unlikely that his "meeting" had commenced just yet. It was too quiet. Inuyasha was all fury and passion, like a storm, but quickly blew himself out. There was no quiet to his sex.

Squaring her shoulders and checking the file under her arm was secure, she shoved the door open and stalked into the office of her philandering husband. Inuyasha's reaction was explosively verbal at the interruption.

"What the hell are you doing here!" He demanded loudly. "I told you I had a meeting! Who do you think you are to just barge in here?"

Kagome took in the presence of her husband's half brother, surprised that Inuyasha really was in a meeting concerning actual business. It didn't change her course. She had decided to confront Inuyasha about this tonight, and as she was already here, now would be when she would do it. But she didn't have to completely disrespect her brother-in-law. "You'll have to forgive me, Nishimura-san, if I did not realize that this meeting my spouse texted me about was in actuality a business meeting since this," she slapped down a glossy dated photo on the edge of her husband's polished desktop, "was his meeting on Tuesday." The image showed Inuyasha with a possessive hand on a dark haired woman's lower back, guiding her into his office. The woman was clearly not Kagome, as the hair was far too short. "This one was Thursday," she added as another picture was slapped down face up with Inuyasha and the same woman sharing an embrace that no platonic relationship would ever take part in. "And This was Friday." Friday was the money shot as once again Inuyasha and his new partner were both headed into the office. Neither was touching the other in this image, but Inuyasha was undoing his belt and the woman was slipping the buttons free of her blouse making it clear that both intended to be undressed for this "meeting".

"Hnn," came the expected comment. Kagome had learned over time that Sesshoumaru's taciturn ways weren't an expression of disdain or animosity. He just preferred to observe situations as they unfolded before he decided how to react to them. It was a personality quirk that served him well in business. Unfortunately, many people were too impatient in social situations to tolerate it much. Many believed him a stoic, a cold fish, to be so slow to react. Inuyasha called him an icicle on his most generous days.

"As I have already interrupted, I feel I might as well get this confrontation over with," Kagome continued, excusing herself to Sesshoumaru uncaring if Inuyasha wanted to do this now or not. "It should only take a few minutes." The taller male nodded his indulgence. Kagome nodded back before sharply turning her narrowed gaze on her spouse.

Inuyasha was glaring at her, as if she had been the one to do wrong. "I don't have time for this, and it is unprofessional of you to do this at our place of work!"

Kagome's eyebrow lifted incredulous at the protest given. He could conduct an affair out of his office, but she couldn't discuss their resulting marital problems? "Inuyasha, How long have we been married? And be careful of your answers as our lives will change depending upon them."

He glared at her, his golden eyes filled with animosity towards his wife. "Too Long!" Inuyasha declared gruffly and Kagome tensed at his words.

"How long did we date before that?" She rallied to ask her second question already realizing the end that was coming. Kagome hadn't entered this room with a ready made decision of where to go with her marriage from here. She'd wanted to assess his reasons first, to find out if his motivation was something that could be corrected with marriage counseling or if there was a deeper problem.

"Not Long enough!" Came his short answer. His tone rising in anger as Inuyasha decided her questions were a waste of his very important time.

The sinking feeling that had been initiated by the picture proof of Inuyasha stepping out on her marriage increased with his second answer. She almost decided to forget making her last query. Kagome rallied, realizing that the answers were more for her benefit and she would regret not asking, whatever the outcome. "Then Inuyasha, after my very serious expressions of disgust with infidelity at the time of our marriage and several times during our courting before that, why did you decide to betray our union by conducting an affair?"

Inuyasha sneered at her, his rage palpable in the room, "It's only an issue if you aren't the one doing it! Or did you think you were untouchable and I wouldn't find out!"

Kagome's eyes went wide in surprise before narrowing as she absorbed the information. "I see," She responded simply before collecting her photos and returning them to her file of evidence. She turned on her heel and headed toward the door. "I shall have my belongings removed from the condo by tomorrow afternoon. The key will be left with the building manager and I'll have a lawyer draw up divorce papers to be delivered to you by Friday."

"Divorce?" Inuyasha exploded as if this eventuality had never occurred to him.

"Imbecile," Sesshoumaru scoffed at his sibling. He had risen to his feet immediately after Kagome had exposed the first picture, to get a better look. Now he looked as if he feared touching any surface in the room lest it contaminate him.

"Yes, Inuyasha, divorce," Kagome turned at the door, her hand on the knob. "I abhor infidelity. Every partner I've ever had has been incredibly aware of that fact along with the reasons behind it. None of them have ever fallen for the story Kimi spun them in effort to break up every relationship I've had since high school." She sighed and brushed some fly away hairs from her face. "In three short answers you have proven to resent being married, to resent me as a person, and that you never cared enough to learn anything about me or my history. You believed a woman you just met when she fed you a story of my supposed affairs, most likely spinning it so that my alleged lover was her husband because you wanted to believe it. When I was first warned that you might be having an affair, I denied it, I tried to come up with excuses for your suddenly odd behaviors. Because I loved you and couldn't believe that the man who had vowed fidelity to me would break that. I denied it until all the excuses I dreamed up fell through or expired and the warnings kept coming. Then I investigated, looking for proof that my suspicions were wrong only to be proven right." Kagome turned back to the door. "You slept with the messenger without bothering to wonder at her motivations." She opened the door before pausing again, "There is nothing here to save."

Then Kagome stepped firmly out and shut the door behind her.

Kagome's pace to the elevator bank was measured and steady. Her eyes stared ahead at the metal doors that would lead her down to the ground floor and release her out into the world. Her ears listened very intently to the sound of her own steps so she wouldn't hear anything more of Inuyasha's reaction. She felt numb.

When Kagome had asked the security team to watch Inuyasha's floor for suspicious after hours activity, she'd hoped they'd find nothing. She'd believed so hard that Inuyasha loved her and would never cheat on her that she'd expected them to produce nothing. At worst she thought they'd find he wasn't even in the building at the time of his "meetings". She glanced at the folder tucked under her arm. Instead, they'd produced pictures for every single night of the week as Inuyasha conducted his affair out of his office. Even nights when Inuyasha had returned home at a decent hour. Nights he hadn't texted her about some last minute meeting or one that he claimed was scheduled that he'd just forgotten to tell her about.

The pictures had made her physically ill, especially after realizing that Inuyasha had put off any serious talking for a quick round of unsatisfying sex the nights he'd already had a quick romp with Kimi before coming home. Kagome had wondered why he was suddenly so fastidious in his bathing routine.

As she arrived at the elevators and pressed the call button, Kagome let out a quiet sigh. She'd had a week to let that information settle before now. The young woman had put off sex in hopes of confronting Inuyasha about it. Only to find him slipping away faster and putting up more road blocks to their communication. When he hadn't even come home last night, Kagome had resolved that she would talk with him today.

And this was the result of her resolve. Kagome raised a hand up to rub at the tight muscles of her neck.

"Kagome-san," a soft voice called behind her. The steps that approached her gave off a muffled click that told of semi-soft-soled shoes and high end materials. Sesshoumaru always did like quality attire.

She willingly turned at the sound, certain it wasn't her soon to be ex-husband. Inuyasha always wore cheap hard-soled shoes enjoying the echoing warning of his approach and its effect on his employees. "Nishimura-san," She acknowledged. It may be after hours, but this was still their place of business. Kagome would be professional here regardless of how her personal life was beginning to fall apart. Besides, her soon to be former brother-in-law had never been terribly keen on her addressing him familiarly in any situation.

His light colored eyes studied her narrowly. "You are taking this calmly," he observed. Sesshoumaru's tone was slightly surprised. He'd gotten to know her personality well during her visits with his ward over the years.

"I've had a week to come to terms with Inuyasha's affair," Kagome replied by way of explanation as she returned her eyes to the elevators. "My decision just now has not fully hit me yet. I am...in shock, I think."

"You knew the woman," the tall male pointed out.

"Have I ever told you about my cousin Miroku?" she chuckled dryly. "He's a terrible flirt and a bit indiscriminate when he's single, but when he's in a relationship Miroku is very devoted. He dated Kimi in his last year of high school. I was only a first year so we didn't move in the same circles and I had no knowledge of her prior to his introducing her as his girlfriend." Kagome fought the urge to hunch her shoulders, "Once I met her and knew of her connection to me, it was like I had this sudden awareness of Kimi and her doings around campus. I spotted her with two other guys on several occasions and became concerned. Her behavior with those others was very similar to when she was with my cousin."

"You informed him of it," Sesshoumaru concluded.

"He is my cousin, and I know he believes strongly in monogamy," Kagome defended the action she took. "I have no problems with people who conduct polyamorous relationships as long as everyone involved is aware of it and consenting to it. She clearly wasn't being honest with him about her relationship views and preferences."

"He didn't believe you," came the supposition.

"Of course not," she smiled at him wearily. "He believed she was as dedicated to him as he was to her. He believed that Kimi would not have consented to being his girlfriend while seeing others," she shrugged her shoulders. "The same as I reacted when being told about my first boyfriend's lies. The same as I reacted when people first started trying to warn me about Inuyasha." Her tone turned sad a moment before she mustered on. "Eventually I convinced him to look into it himself. I had names for her two other beaus and directed him to talk to them."

"He found your truth," came the cautious prediction.

"No, he found the truth. There weren't two other beaus, there were six," her expression was grim. "Miroku wasn't terribly discreet in his inquiries either. By the time the whole fiasco was finished. Kimi had been dumped by all but one of the guys she was seeing. The last one had no problem with her having multiple partners apparently. She blamed me for her reduced social calendar and has tried to sabotage every relationship I've had since."

"Why did you not warn Inuyasha of her ways?" Sesshoumaru asked the obvious question.

"She got married," Kagome shrugged. "Always before when she made attempts to interfere it happened long before now. And it never worked." Past relationships had ended for various reasons. One former boyfriend had finally accepted he was gay and come out of the closet. Another had moved across the world and decided a long distance relationship with her was unrealistic. A third had decided Kagome was too tame for his taste. All her past break ups had happened months, once even a full year after Kimi's attempts. "But I suppose I should have seen her renewed revenge coming."

Sesshoumaru looked startled in the reflective surface of the elevator doors. His confusion at her confession evident.

"Six months ago her husband tried to recruit me from the company," she replied thoughtfully. "I informed Nishimura-shacho of the attempt." Recruiting Kagome, who worked in HR here would have given her new employer access to her knowledge of Maeda Tech's current employees, their associated qualifications, and current salary. It would have been a coup for the hiring company if she'd left.

"Who is her spouse?" Sesshoumaru demanded, all business in the face of a threat to his family company.

"Kato Nabuhide," Kagome answered absently. "He inherited controlling stakes in the Naraku Consortium three years ago and has been making strides in turning around their whole business identity." She personally thought the best way to fix the problems with that company alliance was to change the name first. Who named their business entity after hell? The name itself hinted at underhanded dealings and practices. She supposed trying to scalp employees off their competition fit into that view of things. It wasn't illegal, but it was underhanded. "Nishimura-shacho and I have been monitoring for further offers to other employees. So far we've only lost a handful of people. Their impact has been negligible due largely to the inherent loyalty of Maeda Tech employees."

As was his nature, his response was wordless as he absorbed the information. Sesshoumaru's reflected image showed no visible reaction. Not anger at the attempt to steal vital employees, not disgust at the employees that did leave, or pride in the company practices that kept those who stayed.

"I turned him down flat of course," Kagome shrugged, her words also proving that she was among the number of loyal employees. Her continued presence at MT was a fairly good indication of her answer, but it wasn't a guarantee. Corporate espionage was always a possibility. "It is possible that Kato Nabuhide's anger at his disappointed ambition lead him to encourage his wife to renew her vengeance." There were certainly rumors about the games those two played. Kimi's extramarital activities were often the front page story in the scandal rags. Just as often as Kimi was spotted dancing lascivious attendance on Nabuhide's business rivals, he was there smugly watching everything that went down.

On the one hand, Kagome was happy Kimi had found somebody that enjoyed her games and preferences. On the other, she wished the two didn't feel the need to include an agenda when they pursued their pleasures with others. Kagome could never understand people whose happiness had to come at the expense of others. Being with Inuyasha had never required she go out and disrupt someone else's relationship to enjoy it.

The elevator arrived and they both climbed on. "I thought you were having a meeting with Inuyasha?" she murmured in surprise at his pressing the button for the ground floor without her prompting.

"This and all other future meetings will no longer be conducted in Inuyasha's office," Sesshoumaru declared flatly.

"You could have just moved into your office instead," Kagome pointed out. "It's on the same floor, as are a number of conference rooms." Three to be exact, one associated with each office suite on the floor. Granted, they were a little large for a meeting of two people.

"Hnn," Sesshoumaru acknowledged the fact. "The fool was quite clearly incapable of focusing on a serious subject after you delivered your decision."

"I don't know why," Kagome sighed. Inuyasha had clearly never been all that serious about their marriage before he'd begun to resent the state. "He wanted to sleep with other people. Now he'll be able to without having to worry about accusations or hurt feelings. There will be no reason for guilt."

"You won't change your mind?" Her elevator companion asked. Kagome wasn't surprised. He knew her history, the tendency of members of her family to hold onto the marriage bond far too long.

"No," Kagome answered shortly. "There's nothing there to be salvaged." Her mother had held on too long. The divorce had been finalized six years later than it should have. Fighting to save the fragments of her parents' marriage had warped the woman that birthed Kagome and made her father run from their family bonds once finally free without ever looking back.

"What will you do?"

She blinked at him blearily, afraid her numbness would wear off before she had a chance to find a securely private space to fall apart in. "I'll take a day off tomorrow to clean my stuff out of Inuyasha's condo," she'd never wanted the high rise apartment. It was unreasonably ostentatious and overly expensive. She'd grown up in more humble circumstances and felt no need to live surrounded by excessive luxury. Especially when there was no way they were going to want to stay there longer than a few years. She'd rather save her money to put it towards a better house anyway.

Now she wouldn't be able to afford either.

"I need to find a trustworthy attorney," she added. Finding one that would adhere to the law of society would be easy. Getting a Lawyer that would also be completely discrete about the filing would be more difficult. Maeda Tech was a big company. The controlling heads were almost reluctant celebrities. Kobayashi Inuyasha divorcing his spouse of less than five years would be news. "And I should probably start getting my resume up to date before I'm asked for my resignation."

"You will not be asked to resign," Sesshoumaru insisted immediately and Kagome glanced up at him in surprise. Instant reaction was not his way and he leaned more towards traditional business practices than most she knew. As for their own history, separated from her spouse, there wasn't any. Kagome was close with his ward but could never get more of a handle on Sesshoumaru's personality than careful observation could glean.

"It is common for a family owned business to ask the non-related member of a divorced couple to leave employment after a legal break," Kagome pointed out. It wasn't nice and it wasn't necessarily fair, but family was important in their culture. Failed marriage was usually blamed on the wife, and however good Kagome was at her job, Inuyasha was a more integral part of the company. "Inuyasha is the owner's son and your brother."

"And you have done nothing wrong," the tall male growled back. "We shall fire the imbecile if necessary, but you will not leave the company."

"You're just looking for a reason to punish Inuyasha," Kagome gave him a tight smile. Sesshoumaru never had much patience for his father's second son. Some might have called it sibling rivalry except there was no real affection there to offset the criticism or competition. "It's got nothing to do with me, and there would be ways to do it without continuing my employ."

"You will not leave the company," he declared stoutly. "You are family, he is a charity case," his words surprising her further. Sesshoumaru glared at her narrowly, "And this Sesshoumaru does not need you to find reasons to fire or punish an incompetent unprofessional employee of this company, whatever their salary level." Inuyasha had conducted a sexual relationship on company premises after all.

Kagome decided to drop the subject. Inuyasha's troubles were no longer her own anymore. Whether he got along with his own family no longer fell into her purview as she would soon no longer be a part of that family.

The elevator finally reached the lobby and the doors dinged open.

Kagome moved to disembark from the car only to be faced with Kimi, obviously on her way up to continue breaking up Kagome's marriage.

After years working in the HR department and a number of rounds acting as a mediator for internal disputes between coworkers, Kagome had learned how to school her features into a bland, mostly disinterested expression. She didn't bother to look at Kimi after brushing aside her identity. She wouldn't give the petty bitch the satisfaction of knowing revenge had finally been achieved.

Kagome wasn't worried that Sesshoumaru would give anything away. He was a better tactician than that, especially given the knowledge that Kimi was the wife of a business rival.

She almost pulled off being completely unaffected by the sudden appearance of Inuyasha's lover until Kagome caught a strong whiff of Kimi's floral perfume. The smell caused an instant reaction in Kagome that she couldn't have restrained if she'd had the time to think of it. Both hands came up to clap around her mouth and she bolted toward the nearest ladies room.

Sesshoumaru stood staring after her as the elevator doors closed with the tinkling sound of malicious feminine laughter. Scattered over the shiny smooth floor around him was the contents of Kagome's file, revealing she'd had far more than just three pictures to show Inuyasha.

The tall man bent to collect the glossy images back into the folder that had contained them before following after the woman.

Given the accursed acoustics that seemed to plague every public bathroom, Sesshoumaru could clearly hear Kagome retching from behind the closed door. Familial concern drew him to enter no-man's land in effort to assist.

Kagome stood over the nearest trashcan, not having made it any farther. Her body trembled as she heaved uselessly as nothing seemed to come up. Blindly she reached to pull a paper towel from the nearest dispenser and pressed it over her mouth and nose.

"Are you ill?" He asked and watched as she jumped in surprise before looking up at him.

"Nausea is normal," Kagome replied, lowering the paper towel as she cautiously stepped away from the receptacle of her expelled bile, afraid the smell might set her off again.

"Nausea is not healthy," he rebuffed her words, shaking his head at the blatant lie.

"It is normal during pregnancy," she returned flatly, emotionally drained and ready to crawl into a dark corner and bawl uncontrollably. The numbness was still prevalent, but the recent retching had caused her eyes to water.

His eyes widened in surprise. "How long have you known?" Sesshoumaru had known they were trying, he hadn't realized they were successful.

"Six Weeks," she answered. "Exactly six weeks," Kagome muttered in a softer tone. "That's how long I've been trying to tell him."

"That's how long he's been conducting this affair," Sesshoumaru concluded.

Instead of answering she merely nodded. Kagome hadn't wanted to tell anybody until Inuyasha knew. They'd finally agreed to start trying almost a year ago after she managed to get Inuyasha to agree that she could work after recovering from giving birth. He'd wanted her to be a stay at home mom and she'd thought it would be a total waste of her degree. Especially when Maeda Tech had childcare facilities in the building. But all that was ashes now.

"You don't think you should try to fix your marriage for the sake of your child?" came the question, the judgmental, second-guessing question she was certain to hear from everyone in future. It was a question she'd grown to hate as a kid when it hadn't even been directed at her to answer. A failed relationship was not the fault of only one person. Besides which, the presence of a person didn't make them a parent, good or bad. Merely existing didn't mysteriously create bonds of support and love with anybody let alone between the DNA provider and the offspring that carried it.

Kagome raised her eyes to give him a hard stare, incredulous that she would receive that specific question from him. Sesshoumaru knew her history, but he also was a product of his own family dysfunction. Another victim of divorce delayed too long. A child suffering through the presence of a parent that would rather not be. She would never subject any child of her own body to that hell. Better to have the ambiguity of a parent not there than to deal with the reality of a parent that stuck around without wanting to.

Rather than answer the presumptuous question, Kagome stepped to the nearest sink and bent to collect water from the tap to rinse out her mouth. She grabbed another paper towel and wet it lightly before turning the water off quickly. Gently releasing the excess moisture from the disposable napkin, she folded it up to place on the back of her neck.

An alarm went off on her phone and she suddenly cursed. The alarm meant she missed the last train of rush hour and would have to wait an hour to catch the next one. And the next one would be packed with less savory characters. Normally the alarm just meant she'd catch a ride with her spouse. Inuyasha was the one who drove their car. He often needed it to travel around the city for meetings in other buildings during the day. Inuyasha hated using a company car. Kagome hadn't minded.

She would no longer be catching rides with Inuyasha.

"Hn," Sesshoumaru observed aloud. Kagome's limbs were still shaking. She looked ill. "This Sesshoumaru shall provide transportation. Do you have a plan?"

"Plan?" She looked at him wearily. "My plan was to see if there was any sense in fighting to fix our marriage and find out why he resorted to infidelity." Tonight's meeting could have gone one of two ways. "But contingency plans were considered for either outcome. Tonight, I'll collect a few things and stay in a hotel. Tomorrow, I'll go back to the condo and pack up what few things I consider mine and return to the hotel. I'll have to look into a lawyer...and probably a new apartment." She added the last as an after thought.

Kagome hadn't really believed going into their confrontation that they would separate like this. Silly her, she'd still believed that Inuyasha loved her.

"Wrong," Sesshoumaru declared strongly. "You will stay with this Sesshoumaru and Rin. There is a spare room, it has locks. Come."

"I'd rather go to the hotel tonight," Kagome grumbled. "I don't think I'm ready for an interrogation." Her voice cracked slightly. All she wanted to do tonight was crumble in a dark hole and come to terms with how her marriage had fallen apart. She didn't want to explain why to anybody else.

"This Sesshoumaru-" he began, clearly affronted by her words.

"I love Rin-chan," Kagome cut him off, "but she is very inquisitive." Which had been cute as a passing phase when the girl was nine years old. Kagome had even encouraged it when it turned into a permanent personality quirk over time. Normally she had no problem answering any of Rin's occasionally intrusive questions. Now wasn't like normal. "I don't think I can handle questions tonight."

Kagome had never spent the night at Sesshoumaru's apartment. Rin's curiosity would be uncontrollable. Tenacity was the teenager's super power, one she'd been tutored in the use of since coming into Sesshoumaru's care.

"Rin is off school this week," Sesshoumaru informed her. "Father decided they needed to spend time together so she is at the country estate until Friday."

Kagome blinked at him in surprise. It wasn't a surprise that Rin and Nishimura-shacho had escaped to the country. The senior Nishimura spirited the young girl off nearly every other school break. He insisted it was important to spend time with his granddaughter though Sesshoumaru had never labeled Rin as more than his ward.

Many people assumed it was because Sesshoumaru saw Rin as the charity case he'd dubbed Inuyasha. Others were certain he was just emotionally stunted and incapable of acknowledging or accepting he felt that way about the child he'd taken in. Kagome knew differently.

Sesshoumaru had taken responsibility for Rin after the death of her parents. They'd been acquaintances who'd felt a great deal closer to him than he had to them. They were wonderful parents and loved their daughter greatly.

After many years of getting to know her husband's family, loving or otherwise, Kagome had come to realize that Sesshoumaru viewed himself as flawed when it came to family relationships. Rin's parents were almost perfect in his opinion and he refused to infringe on or replace their memory by assuming the role of Rin's parent. It worked for them, however outsiders saw it.

Rin was happy, well-adjusted, and probably better prepared for the rough transition of puberty than most kids her age. Whether Sesshoumaru took on the title of parent, father, or guardian, he had done well by her. As far as Kagome was concerned, that made him an excellent parent. Better than the two she'd been raised with.

She took in a deep breath and slowly released it, hoping to reclaim that numb calm that had ridden her shoulders since her confrontation with her wayward spouse. Her sudden sickness had shaken it from her a bit, but she still wasn't feeling everything and Kagome would like to put off the emotional storms for as long as she could. Privacy was going to be hard to come by if she allowed her brother-in-law to coerce her into staying in his apartment tonight.

Before she could formulate an answer to Sesshoumaru's rather adamant command, Kagome's phone rang. It surprised her some as most of her phone calls were business related and few of those came in after hours. The only family she kept in contact with made his calls around his class schedule at university. Which left only Inuyasha and his family. Given that Sesshoumaru was standing beside her and their father was spending time with Rin in the country left her with only Inuyasha. She couldn't imagine why Inuyasha would be wasting time with his lover to call her.

A check of the caller ID proved that it was indeed her errant spouse.

Kagome debated answering for a moment. She didn't want to talk to him so soon after declaring her plans for divorce. She rather doubted he'd adequately processed the reality of her words or even considered that she really would go through with it. And she really didn't want to hear him making Kimi happy.

But they weren't divorced yet. His call might be an attempt to make amends, not that there was any way to do that. If she didn't answer, he would just hound her phone until Kagome did answer.

She sighed, glancing at her companion to beg his patience before accepting the call. "What is it Inuyasha?"

Sesshoumaru huffed as his half brother's bombastic tones immediately rolled from the speaker on her small phone. He couldn't pick up individual words given the tinny quality of cellphone sound and the acoustics of the bathroom they stood in, but he didn't really want to. Speaking with Inuyasha was a chore on most days. The younger male had two volumes and neither were suitable for business transactions in a professional setting.

In Sesshoumaru's opinion, Inuyasha had missed his calling. The little brat would have been better suited to a profession that required a lot of yelling in a noisier environment. Something like number calling in a bingo hall or cattle auctioning. Maybe amateur sports announcing in poorer ball parks that couldn't afford a good P.A. System.

"I haven't said a single word to your lover in nearly ten years, Inuyasha," Kagome answered some accusation lobbed her way. "I have no real reason to be angry with the woman you sleep with. She didn't force you to take your clothes off and stick your dick in her. Her actions are not my problem," was her further declaration.

The truth in them rang loudly against the tiled walls. Sesshoumaru looked curiously about him. He'd had little reason to explore the women's bathroom on any floor in the building. Exploring the space with his eyes while his ears bent to the conversation occurring beside him was inevitable. Staring at Kagome would make her nervous and uncomfortable, glaring his opinion into Inuyasha was impossible.

"If you find it so hard to believe the word of a woman you've known intimately for nearly seven years based on the words from a woman you've known only six weeks, the security cameras can bear me out, Inuyasha," Kagome huffed, clearly struggling to remain reasonable. They both knew it hurt her terribly to know her spouse knew so little about Kagome after so many years in a relationship. "I have no reason or time to ask the security department to doctor tapes of a wordless run in with your paramour."

"No, paramour is not an insult of Kimi," Kagome sighed. "It is another word for lover, particularly a lover of a married person such as you currently are."

"You know, if you don't trust the word of the woman you married and the word of your security team, who wouldn't doctor any footage even if I had asked them to, Nishimura-san was also present, you could ask him," Kagome growled, finally taking umbrage at Inuyasha's continued unreasonable accusations. "I can't believe I wasted so many years on you if you can even suggest that I'm having an affair with your brother as well as Kimi's slimy spouse. Especially given, I refused to leave Maeda Tech for Kato Nabuhide's offer of employment."

Sesshoumaru scowled at her phone in response to Inuyasha's foolishness. Kagome had been in a relationship with Inuyasha the whole time he'd known her. Sesshoumaru would never encroach on an established relationship anymore than Kagome would step out on one. He gave a wordless growl at the thought. Sesshoumaru may not take part in the dating scene all that often, but he also had strong opinions on fidelity and monogamy. He'd watched what cheating and lies could do to relationships from the stand point of a captive observer. Just as Kagome had.

Kagome turned to glare into the mirror behind her, wiping her damp napkin over her face again in agitation. "Kato Nabuhide is Kimi's husband these last six years, Inuyasha, didn't she tell you that when she started making up her stories?" Kagome glanced down between her hands suddenly noticing something missing. She started looking around the floor frantically, obviously trying to distract herself from the hurt the conversation was making worse. "If you knew half as much as you think you do, Inuyasha, you would be aware of just who Kimi is, who her husband is and just how common this situation is. Kimi plays her games with her husband's competitors, he watches as relationships and marriages are dissolved and the company stock fluctuates. Then he swoops in to buy when the price is low, if it's ever low enough and adds to his business portfolio."

The line went dead silent for a moment before words of denial erupted from the other end. "Do your own research, bonehead!" Kagome growled again. "I'm not your partner in this anymore. You wanted to sleep with other people without considering the consequences, now you have to accept the result of your own actions. I am not your doormat. And soon I will not be your wife. I'm certain Kimi is pleased to know she has finally achieved what she set out to do, though you should tell her from me that I've been assured that my current employment is secure, but if it wasn't I still wouldn't work for her underhanded spouse."

"Everything isn't about you Inuyasha," Kagome scowled at the folder Sesshoumaru held out to her before she could get down on the filthy bathroom floor to continue her search. "Kimi's been out for revenge against me since high school. Kato Nabuhide threatened me when I refused to leave the company. He insisted that I would eventually work for him though his future offer wouldn't be so generous. I told him I'd leave the country to find employment before consenting to work for him. I don't think he believed me."

"I don't care what you do with your dick or any other part of you," Kagome declared stoutly. "None if it will be coming near me again. I don't want anyone who doesn't want me. And you don't want me. You want an idea you had of me that never existed. I've been truthful from the beginning, you apparently never bothered to listen."

"Did I really?" Kagome scoffed. "Why don't you try to prove I've had an affair while I was with you?" Something foolish and loud came from the other end and the woman nearly exploded, "Because I never have you jerk! Whether I have or haven't is currently immaterial because you certainly, undeniably have and you never bothered to find out if Kimi's story had any fact to it before deciding to take the cheap sex she was offering."

Sesshoumaru fully agreed. Even his own father had denied the stories told to him when first suggestion was made that his wife, Sesshoumaru's mother, was being unfaithful to their marriage. Then he'd done his due diligence and investigated for himself. Proving Kagome's point once again, Inuyasha had wanted to believe the story Kimi told. Inuyasha had wanted the excuse to do what he did. The truth mattered very little at this point.

"I am done with this conversation. Either believe me or don't. Believe Kimi or don't. Do your own damn research or don't," Kagome huffed. "I'm done trying to advise you to see reason. I don't care if you live in your own little fantasy land or reality. It is no longer any of my business. I'm divorcing you. Whatever screwed up version of the world you think you're entitled to, accept that I will no longer be in it. Good night Inuyasha."

Kagome glared at the inert phone after terminating the frustrating call. "I don't care what you believe!" she glowered at the small electronic device.

Sesshoumaru refrained from commenting on the obvious lie. The statement was equal parts wishful thinking and hurt betrayal. One couldn't just switch off years of affection. Inuyasha and Kagome had been building a relationship for years. A mere fraction of the time spent on their first date wouldn't be enough time to negate that kind of emotional connection. It certainly would hurt a lot less if there was some mechanical switch to turn off emotions for a person.

Kagome let out a loud sigh before stuffing her phone back into her cardigan pocket. Now wasn't the time to focus on hurt, anger, or her dissolving marriage. She still had to get home and pack an overnight bag. She still had to answer Sesshoumaru's semi-coercive offer of hospitality.

"Come," Sesshoumaru gently grasped Kagome's elbow and removed the disposable napkin in her hand to toss in the dustbin on their way out.

"Nishimura-san," Kagome began.

"Sesshoumaru," he cut her off. "We are family that are about to share living space. Familiarity is acceptable."

Kagome gaped at him, certain he hadn't said what he did. The only two people Kagome knew of that were allowed to call this man by his first name were his father and Rin. Inuyasha never did, though the names he did call him made it unclear if he'd ever been granted the privilege. She couldn't understand his reasoning and she hadn't agreed to take the room he'd offered.

"The car should be out front, my driver will take us to the half-breed's condo so we can collect your things before we head out to dinner," Sesshoumaru continued without pause. It was a business tactic she had seen him use in the past. He wasn't giving her time to protest so he would get his way. "I have a few college acquaintances that went into law, not divorce law, but they would be better informed as to which divorce attorneys in the city are good ones. I will call them this evening and hopefully have a list for you tomorrow." He switched topics, another verbal tactic she was familiar with. "I know you likely don't want to demand anything in the divorce settlement, but I believe you should reconsider. It is difficult to support a family alone, financially and otherwise. Your job here is secure, but we could not in good conscience raise your salary to compensate for the cost of childcare without doing the same for everyone."

Kagome stared at him, barely noticing that the threatened precipitation had finally arrived. It was pouring buckets, making it even more clear that waiting for the train or even hailing a taxi would be incredibly unpleasant even if she wasn't still queasy and trembling with reaction to Kimi's perfume.

Sesshoumaru's driver ran up to the building from the car with an umbrella and held it over the pair until they reached the door that was promptly opened for them to slide in. Sesshoumaru handed her in before stepping in after her to settle on the smooth leather seats. The car wasn't a limo, as there was no need for the extra space or the draw of attention, but it was spacious, comfortable, and expensive. "We need to make a stop on the way Jaken," Sesshoumaru murmured to his chauffeur. "Kagome-san has need to retrieve her things from her former residence."

"Yes, sir," Jaken nodded in the rear view mirror before pulling away from the curb. Sesshoumaru employed a driver so that he could spend his time in the car working. Kagome well knew her brother-in-law followed a strict policy of not working in his home and he always tried to be home by eight to spend time with Rin.

Many people thought he was a workaholic, and Kagome could see where they might gain that impression. He had all the markers of someone who would be, but Sesshoumaru really was dedicated to making sure Rin never had cause to feel neglected. Rin's nanny would insure the girl had a snack after school and the pair would generally eat a late supper together when Sesshoumaru got home. On rare occasions when he had to leave town for business, he insured his charge was in the care of family and her nanny for consistency. Even now, Kagome had no doubt that Rin and her grandfather were joined on the country estate by Kaede who'd been with the girl since Sesshoumaru had accepted custody of Rin.

Thinking of her situation in that light, Kagome finally absorbed and accepted Sesshoumaru's advice about a possible settlement. Kagome didn't want and had never wanted Inuyasha for his money. She could support herself and years of more modest living situations had insured she knew how to get by with less. It wouldn't be fun and it wouldn't be easy, but she could do it. The point was, she didn't have to and there was no reason to allow her pride to prevent her from taking what she needed to support her baby. Because supporting herself was one thing, being forced to sacrifice her own wants and pleasures was one thing, requiring the same of her child was another.

She'd been that child denied simple pleasures because of her parent's hardship and hurt pride. Kagome wouldn't do the same to another.

~.~