Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. All characters and references belong to Rumiko Takahashi. Though I plan to become her God-Daughter and inherit EVERYTHING!

A/N: Back again. I thought it'd be nice to post a corresponding One-Shot of Sesshomaru repaying his favor, in mainly Sesshomaru's point of view. Once again, this is set after the Final Act. Sesshomaru/Kagome FRIENDSHIP pairing. The purpose is to cultivate a small relationship between the two that is totally platonic.

Have a nice read, then review! Love!

"Lord Sesshomaru, it is nice to see you again." Lady Kaede greeted the Youkai Lord, bowing her head in respect. He stood in the doorway of her hut, though he was too tall to enter without slouching. And that being so, he never did enter her humble home.

The Daiyoukai flicked his gaze over the old woman and gave the slightest inclination of his head. "Rin is behaving herself?" Though he asked the question, he knew what the answer already was. Though Rin sometimes found herself in bad positions, she did not misbehave purposely. She had never been a mischievous child, and certainly did not indulge in the behavior while she was traveling with him. It would not have been tolerated.

"Yes, Lord Sesshomaru. I don't know what these old bones would do without her. She's currently tending my medicinal garden. You should be able to find her there." The elderly Miko replied, her solitary eye twinkling.

"Hn. Thank you." Sesshomaru was polite to the Miko because of her hospitality to Rin. And she was always genuinely respectful and kind; so he saw no need to be any but polite in return. Turning away, he walked in the direction of his former-ward, his silver hair flowing behind him in all his regality. The villagers were all very wary of him and gave him as much space as they could. Inwardly, Sesshomaru smiled.

When he arrived at the garden, Rin was conversing with another village girl while she worked. The other girl gave the perfect impression of a small animal just noticing a predator upon seeing him, before bowing and briskly walking away. Rin just smiled and stood up, dusting off the knees of her hakama. Now almost 17 years old, the young woman smiled at her Lord. "Lord Sesshomaru," She greeted excitedly, but respectfully.

The young maiden made her way over to him, standing a bit awkwardly in front of him. She was in her working clothes, and they were not exactly clean. In fact, they were covered in dust and dirt from her time in the gardens. "I am sorry about my appearance, but Lady Kaede is too old to do such things anymore. What Kagome calls Arth-Ritis has made it very painful for her to bend and move."

"Hn. She has lived a very long life for a human. No matter what takes her, she should have nothing to be ashamed of." Only to Rin would he ever share his thoughts with. Only Rin had earned that right.

"Yes, you are very correct, Lord Sesshomaru. She is a very proud and kind woman. I'll be very sad when she passes." A sad smile touched her lips, before she moved under a nearby tree to sit.

The inuyoukai lingered for a moment, his eyes taking in how grown she looked. She had filled out into the body of a woman, and she was very tall which wasn't entirely common for Japanese women. He couldn't decide what she reminded him most of- A swan or a feline of some sort. He followed after her and seated himself next to her beneath the shade.

"This Sesshomaru was told you intend on becoming a healer."

Rin faintly blushed and nodded slowly. "Yes, Kagome has been bringing me books from her time to read. The medicine there is much more advanced than what we have here. I've learned quite a lot. But once I learn human medicine, I would also like to verse myself in Youkai medicine as well. I want to be able to help everyone."

"Hn. This Sesshomaru thinks that you will be able to achieve your goals if you put all effort forth. Who do you intend to learn Youkai medicine from?"

"I do not know yet. I do not know any Youkai who know medicine." Rin replied, tilting her head somewhat to the side. "But as you said, if I place the effort forth, I know I'll be able to accomplish anything."

The two talked quietly for a while, enjoying one another's presence. It was not often Sesshomaru found the time to come visit, but when he did, he stayed for a few hours. The sun had begun its journey down below the horizon before the two had finished their visit. Rin noticed the sunset and frowned.

"What is it, Rin?"

"Kagome was supposed to be back before the sun set. I wonder why she is late." The girl looked toward the direction of the Bone Eater's Well. "Maybe she's returned and just went straight home… Master InuYasha is away to take care of a minor youkai problem in the area, so she went home for a visit."

The Daiyoukai shook his head. "No, the Miko has not returned."

Rin sighed, but then shook her head. "Kagome is safe on the other side of the well, so it's pointless for me to worry." Tilting her body in the direction of Sesshomaru, she leaned over to embrace him goodbye. "I must return to Lady Kaede and prepare dinner for her. I hope to see you again soon?" No matter how many times she offered, Sesshomaru never accepted human food. Eventually, she took the hint and did not waste his time with the silly question.

Lord Sesshomaru placed a hand on top of her head, his own way of returning the embrace. He stood, bringing the girl with him. "This Sesshomaru bids you farewell, Rin. Make sure you are well." Once Rin was out of sight, he launched himself into the air, in the direction of his castle.

For some reason, since he'd learned that the Miko was late, he could not get it off his mind. Something felt wrong. And that thought was only proven correct when he smelled the salt of tears and a faint trace of the Miko's blood. Coming from the direction of the Bone-Eater's well.

'It is no concern of this Sesshomaru.' He thought to himself, but changed his direction regardless and headed for the Miko. 'But this Sesshomaru repays his debts.' He supposed it wasn't all about honor; maybe a little bit of paranoia about someone calling on a favor. If he did not wish to comply, he'd simply kill the offender, but that was not becoming of one such as him. 'This Sesshomaru is merely curious.'

The image of the Shikon Miko fighting off and killing every youkai that dared to approach with ill intent flashed in his mind's eye. He had fully healed within two days, thanks to the Miko's bravery. His injuries were not as awful as his half-brother and his mate had made them out to be, but he silently acknowledged that his chances of survival after sustaining such injuries were slim. Especially since so many youkai had come to kill him, smelling his blood.

His thoughts went back to the Miko. He had saved her once before inside the dark hanyou, but he had a feeling she hadn't even considered that before putting herself in harm's way to aid him. Even though almost all ningen were selfish, weak creatures, Kagome shared some of Rin's attributes and did not display such behavior. He supposed he could respect that, though he would not do so at his own expense.

Within minutes he was at the Bone-Eaters well, and the scent of her tears were strong. It was obvious she had been weeping for some time. The scent of her blood was very weak- obviously she was not too badly injured. So what was the reason for her tears? His brow furrowed in confusion for a brief second, before smoothing out. 'There is something more. This Sesshomaru has witnessed the Miko's pain tolerance. Something else is amiss.'Following his nose and ears, he found the Miko on the other side of the well. She was wearing a modest black top and a long skirt. She was wrapped tightly around herself, weeping into her knees. "Grandpa…" She whimpered pitifully.

Realization hit Sesshomaru all at once. She was weeping, wearing black and called out for her grandfather. Coupled with the conversation with Rin about the elderly priestess, he knew that one of her family members had died.

"Miko. Compose yourself."

In response to his voice, Kagome jumped and whipped her head up to look at him. Her cheeks were pink, and her face tear-stained. But the grief in her eyes was almost tangible. She wiped at her eyes, sniffling softly. "I apologize for my weakness, Lord Sesshomaru, but my grandfather passed away…" She almost began crying again, but somehow managed to cease it.

He already knew this, but acknowledged it anyway. "This Sesshomaru offers his condolences."

The young woman smiled and nodded through her tears, then stood. She brushed any grass off of her clothing. She was wearing heeled-sandals, so walking in the grass was a bit awkward. So she managed to sit on top of the lip of the well. "Thank you very much, Lord Sesshomaru. That means a lot to me."

There was a moment of silence before Sesshomaru spoke. "The scent of your blood is faint. Were you injured?"

The Miko blushed, and reached down and pulled her long skirt up to her knee. The sheer material over her legs was ripped, and her knee was scraped. "I'm such a mess… " She admitted, dropping her skirt back down into place. "I was clumsy when exiting the well. It's nothing to worry about. I'm sorry if I've troubled you."

"Hn. You are no trouble to this Sesshomaru." He began to prepare to inform her that he was leaving when she looked as if she was beginning to start crying again. Something, somewhere deep inside, the Daiyoukai could not readily force himself to leave her in such a state. She was no ordinary human woman, and he hated to admit it, but deserved a little more respect than that. He decided to humor her the best he could. "Your Grandfather. You had a relationship with him?" He asked, giving her an opening to talk about it and let out her grief.

A few more tears spilled from her large eyes as she nodded. "Yes, yes we were. My father died when I was very young and he was the only fatherly figure I remember. He did everything he could for me; he was always there." She covered her face with her hands, hiding her face in shame.

Immediately, Sesshomaru detected the change in her scent. "You feel guilty." It was not a question, but a statement.

"Yes," Came the immediate response. "He sacrificed so much for me and I wasn't there when he passed. I was able to be there for the cremation and funeral, but I missed everything else. It never crossed my mind that his time was short.. I wish.." Her voice seemed very broken. It was obvious she believed every word she said. "I wasn't there when he died... holding his hand. I have failed him." She repeated, bringing on another onslaught of tears.

The notion was extremely silly to Sesshomaru. If the old man cared that much for his granddaughter, raised her to be as exceptional as she was (when it came to humans), then Lord Sesshomaru was certain the man did not hold it against her. It was just her grief playing tricks on her. But females always tended to be more emotional, and in a way it was understandable. Though it was slightly irritating for one such as he, who tried to feel nothing at all. "Do you believe he sees it that way, Miko? Or are you the only one who does?"

Kagome looked up, confusion flittering over her features. "I… I don't understand."

"Even by your own admission you did not know he was ill. Do not dwell on this any longer. You have nothing to be ashamed of." The authority in his voice was unmistakable.

In a way, she found it completely endearing. It would be considered lowering himself if he had a heart to heart with her, sharing her pain and trying to comfort her the usual way. So, he did the next best thing- he ordered her to stop feeling that way, and so in his mind, she simply would and all would be better. A small smile graced her lips and she nodded. "You're right, Lord Sesshomaru. I shouldn't think that way. Thank you for bringing it to my attention."

The Miko stood and wiped at her eyes. She truly did not feel any better about her Grandfather's passing, but she tried to act bravely for Sesshomaru, trying to show him that his efforts were not wasted. She did agree with him though, her Grandfather would have never held that against her. So, she shouldn't either. But it would take time.

Despite his lack of understanding toward human emotion, Lord Sesshomaru did realize that the Miko was incapable of turning it off like he could. That took years and years of discipline that the Miko simply did not have. But her pain was making him uncomfortable and he wanted it to cease, though he wasn't sure why.

"Though I have something to be thankful for," Kagome began, another tear slipping down her cheek. "He passed in his sleep, painlessly. I'm thankful that the Kami's took mercy on him…" By the end of her statement, she had dissolved into tears again. The young Miko wrapped her arms around herself, in an attempt to find comfort and hold herself.

That was when Sesshomaru realized he could really do nothing more for her to comfort her. He was not one to… comfort. But there was someone who could, and that person was not in the immediate vicinity. "Miko. Do you know where the hanyou is?"

Kagome nodded. "He's in the eastern village, though he should be back soon."

"Good." He moved forward.

Kagome squeaked in confusion as she was suddenly swept up in the Daiyoukai's arms. She looked up at him in shock. He did not look down at her, and at that moment she realized they were not on the ground. She shivered at the rush of icy night air.

"This Sesshomaru advises you shield yourself. You will become sick with the cold." Suddenly, fur was along her body and she felt instantly warmer.

Kagome nodded and shifted just enough to face the direction of his chest, and the fur that was left upon his shoulder. She did not have to ask where he was taking her. He was going to find InuYasha for her, and give her to him to deal with. Although she did not understand his exact reasons, she could figure out that it had something to do with her taking care of him while he was injured.

Within minutes, Sesshomaru caught his brother's hanyou-stench and dove straight into his path. He landed gracefully a few feet in front of the hanyou. InuYasha had smelt his brother coming, and also had caught the scent of Kagome's tears. A worried expression was already etched into his younger brother's features. Immediately, he questioned her well being. "Is she alright? What the fuck happened?"

Kagome turned her face away from Sesshomaru's chest, to look upon her beloved. "I am fine, InuYasha. I just… got some bad news, is all."

Once they greeted each other, Sesshomaru set her down swiftly, though gently. "This Sesshomaru is leaving." He informed them, though Kagome had not left his side. She turned to him, embraced him gently. "Thank you," She whispered into his fur, then stepped back. She then felt a large clawed hand on her head, and then he was gone.

"What was that about? What's wrong, Kagome?" InuYasha questioned, moving over to his mate's side. Immediately he swept her up into his embrace, kissing her fiercely. When he had smelled Sesshomaru and Kagome's tears, every terrible scenario made its way into his mind.

"InuYasha," Kagome began slowly, tears already coming back full force. "Grandpa died in his sleep. His heart stopped beating. The healers say it was because it was his time; he was 87 years old."

The hurt flashed in InuYasha's eyes. He'd grown fond of the old man. But he did not express his sadness as Kagome did, it was just not his way. He adopted a very morose disposition and nodded quietly. "I'm sorry, Kagome. I'm really sorry." He hugged her again, rubbing her back with his claws and the heels of his hands. She always enjoyed that.

Kagome melted into InuYasha's embrace, clinging to her husband for dear life as she began weeping once more. "I know, InuYasha. I'm sorry too. I wish I could have been there for him, but after talking with your brother, I know I shouldn't feel guilty… but I still do."

InuYasha paused and looked down at his wife. "Sesshomaru said that?"

"Yeah, he did. He found me at the well. He was nearby, I guess and smelled my tears and some blood." InuYasha almost began to flip her over in search for the injury, but Kagome waved him off. "I bumped my knee on the lip of the well. It's so little that you can't even smell it now."

"I hate to say it, but the bastard's right. You have nothing to be guilty over- you did nothing wrong and the old man wouldn't want you to feel this way." He brushed some of the tears from her cheeks. "I.. know because of my mother… that it won't go away immediately.. but you can't do that to yourself, wench, understand me?" Another peck to her lips.

Kagome nodded, and smiled. "I understand." She walked around to his back, and climbed on. It was difficult with her long skirt, but she hiked it up just like her old High-School uniform and managed just fine. "Let's go home, InuYasha. I just want to crawl into bed with you and sleep this away."

"Alright, wench. But I'll go with you to your Mother's tomorrow to help out. I know things are difficult for them now that he's gone…"

Kagome wrapped her arms around her hanyou's neck as he took off running toward the village, their home. "I love you, InuYasha." He was so kind and caring underneath his gruff exterior.

"I love you too, Kagome."

A/N: Well, that's the last installment. It wasn't as long as the last one, but I realized that I'd left it open for another so I decided that a second one-shot was needed to finalize it. Hope you enjoyed it.

And if you are a big Sesshomaru fan, look out for my next fic coming soon. It won't be a Kagome/Sesshomaru pairing, but more than likely an OC pairing. Read and Review!

The Document Uploader was acting funny, so please tell me if you see any errors. Thanks.

I also had to brush up on Shinto Funeral Traditions: here's a link to the site. http : / / www . worldclass . ne / TeachingGlobally / WorldReligions /shinto _ funerals . htm (Remove spaces)

Ja ne!