Ch. 15

"Just let her go, Sesshomaru" Kagome whispered, watching her daughter flee. "I reacted much the same when my mother brought home Sota. It's a hard adjustment to make."

"I am at least going to send Ah-Un to watch her" he decided as he left their rooms. Finding a servant, he sent them to tell the dragon to follow his eldest daughter and then returned to his wife, but he couldn't shake the nagging feeling that he should haul his daughter home.

Kitsa ran as fast as her demon side would allow her to push her little legs. Tears blurred her vision as all she could think about were her parents and her new brothers in their true forms, leaving her alone. It broke her heart, and at her tender age, convinced her that none of them truly cared for her, so she ran to the person she was sure did care.

Kitsa ran head long into her field and straight into InuYasha. Smelling her tears, knowing only that she was in pain, InuYasha wrapped his arms around the pup of his brother. For a long while they sat together and InuYasha let her cry herself out. Before long her breathing became even and steady. InuYasha looked down at the sleeping girl and with her eyes closed could see Kagome in every line of her face.

Ah-Un landed in the familiar field and both heads swung about, looking for his little charge. A few whining grunts and coughs escaped as he took in the empty field. Realizing his master's pup was missing, Ah issued a resounding roar while Un bared his teeth in a fierce snarl. Quick as a flash, the dragon leapt into the air and sped back to the castle.

Kagome was dozing with her newborn boys when she heard Ah-Un land in the courtyard outside the master bedroom. They knew this was not their landing space. Her heart froze within her chest as she watched her mate head outside. 'Kitsa!'

Not two minutes gone, Kagome heard Sesshomaru let out a fierce growl. Both male pups answered their alpha unconsciously from their dreams and Kagome was out the door. Ah-Un, never one to be scared of their master, was shaking as he let out a whining growl. Kagome had never seen them act like this, but one look at her mate explained all. Sesshomaru's eyes were redder than any garnet, his blood lines were jagged and raised, and his face already showed signs of Minaru breaking free.

Understanding dawned and Kagome looked between Ah-Un, his empty back, and her mate's face. Nirina began a nervous pacing within Kagome's mind. "Find her" she stated in a breathless way. Never had she felt fear so sharply. And never had she seen Minaru present himself so quickly. Ah-Un's bulk was soon dwarfed by a full fighting ready inuyoukai. Quicker than human eyes could follow, and quick enough that most demons who saw took a minute to really see, Minaru was in the air following the dragon to the field.

Kagome could not stand waiting. She wasn't patient in the best of moments and this was far from a best of moment. Conceding to Nirina before her mental pacing drove her mad, she handed over the reins. Before long, Nirina in full fighting form was sitting beside the sleeping pups. The room wasn't made as a den for inuyoukai true forms so it was a little cramped as Nirina waited and planned the demise of anyone who might have hurt her pup.

Minaru soared through the sky towards the outward meadow. Not even an hours run away, it was nevertheless far enough to give someone solitude. Their pup, so much like Sesshomaru, enjoyed her own company so it made sense she would choose this location as a getaway. Even before they landed, a familiar scent rushed into their noses. Minaru's eyes were slits of rage as he swiftly tracked the fading smell with Ah-Un now following.

Before long, they came upon a small hut in the forest on the outlier of Sesshomaru's territory. Not sounding any warning, Minaru ripped the roof of the small building. Kitsa, sitting up on a mat and blinking sleepily, was grabbed by Ah-Un at the commanding growl from their master. InuYasha, sitting by a pot, began to say something, but was cut short as Minaru roughly batted him aside knocking him unconscious. His jaws found InuYasha's clothes and ignoring their daughter's pleading cries, they grabbed the hanyou and headed back to their mates.

Nirina heard them coming in. She heard her pup's sobbing. She watched as Ah-Un gently lowered the girl to the ground from his jaws. He was so attentive that his sharp teeth didn't even puncture the outer layer of her clothing. The pup immediately ran towards Nirina who used her nose to push her behind her before going to stand in the garden in front of her mate. Minaru growled a greeting as he roughly dropped InuYasha at her feet. By this time servants and townspeople who were around began to gather.

Nirina's voice sounded in everyone's heads as she demanded "Why did you steal our pup, InuYasha?"

Minaru growled when InuYasha spat out "I did no such thing. She came to me, crying. I took her to my hut to allow her time to calm down." He looked over his shoulder at Minaru, who was growling and slobbering his poison drool. "I swear, I was sending her home! I never would have kept her or allowed her to stay. She is my kin and I love her. I only wanted to get to know her!" He looked into Nirina's eyes, so impassive and yet he could see Kagome in there with her beast. "You guys are my only family, Kagome. I just wanted to know her."

Nirina studied him right alongside Kagome. Neither read any sign of apology and Nirina could smell his defiant scent, but they smelt no sign of distrust or deception. Minaru watched his mate carefully. Blocking his mental voice to only her, he said "According to inuyoukai law, any transgression against our pups is yours to deal with." Nirina confirmed the rightness of this even as she felt Kagome come back into control and blur into image in front of InuYasha.

InuYasha's ears flattened for a second as he took in Kagome's new appearance. He had known it was her because even though her scent was mixed with a youkai's, her pure indescribable scent was still there. His ears came back up as she began to speak.

"InuYasha, you stand accused of spiriting away my pup and my Lord's heir. You say you are not guilty but that you care for the child and wish to learn the pups of your family. Is this correct?"

InuYasha's ears flickered a bit in uncertainty, but he nodded. "It is." Minaru had cocked his head to the side, wondering openly what his mate was doing.

"Nonetheless, you took the child to an undisclosed location and did not notify your Lord and Lady. For your transgression, you will serve as the pup's guardian and as guardian to any pups born within this mating. You will teach each new pup how to fight alongside their father. You will guard them when they wish to go into the village, into a field, and anywhere else they are permitted to go. You will swear their lives will be first in your thoughts, even above your own." Kagome stared steadily into InuYasha's eyes as she read his bewilderment. "This you will swear and a sealing will be placed on you or you will leave the Western Lands. You will be banished and will never have contact with anyone here ever again. Now, choose."

Without hesitation, InuYasha dropped to his knees and tilted his head to the side, revealing his throat in a manner of submission. "I, InuYasha, so swear to protect, guard, and safely watch over all pups of this mating. Their lives will come first to me, even above my own. This I swear until I am released from my duties or until death claims me."

Kagome looked up into Minaru's eyes. He gave her a slight growl, showing his distrust of this plan. "Minaru, I need Lord Sesshomaru, please." Still rumbling slightly, Minaru blurred into Sesshomaru, who walked forward to his mate. He walked behind her and positioned her on his right side, showing her equal status and right in this call as his mate. "Your hand, my mate." Grasping his sword callused hand, she motioned InuYasha forward. Ignoring her mate's very low growl, she positioned Sesshomaru's hand above InuYasha's. Going on instinct and instruction from Nirina, she drew a small moon in the palm of InuYasha's hand. Then she delicately pierced her mate's hand and allowed his blood to drip into the moon cut. InuYasha drew in a quick hissing breath as the cut fizzled. Then she repeated the gesture with her own hand. After her blood had mingled, the cut healed and scarred into a silver crescent moon in the palm of his hand.

"You are sealed now by blood."

InuYasha looked at his hand in wonder, tracing the silvery white crescent on his palm. He looked into Kagome's eyes and then risked looking at Sesshomaru, who growled subtly. Knowing the challenge issued, InuYasha dropped his eyes and for the first time in his life made the smart choice to submit to the Lord of the West.

"Take Kitsa to eat dinner. Then she is to bathe and retire for the night. Your duties will be described in detail tomorrow." Sesshomaru's growl hadn't fully left his voice, but InuYasha moved quickly to the young heir. With a quick glance at the sleeping brothers, InuYasha escorted Kitsa from the room.

"You trust him to keep them safe?"

"He kept me safe all those years. He wasn't lying out there, Sessh. He wants to know the pups of his brother."

"Well, he's sealed to the pack now. There is nothing to do about it at the moment, but if any harm ever comes to them, I will kill him myself."

Kagome rose up and kissed her mate lightly just as one of the twins began howling for food. Of course as soon as he began to cry, the other followed as well. Giving a small sigh, Kagome grabbed two pillows to help hold her sons as she put one to each breast. Both pups were alert and looking around. Mirror images of each other except for their eyes which looked as if they were meant to be completed in each other. On one pup, his right eye was blue and the other gold. The second pup was blue eyed on the left and golden on his right.

"What are we to name them, Sesshomaru?"

"Have you any ideas?"

"Actually, I was thinking about Daigo and Daiki. They were my twin great uncles." Sesshomaru cocked his head to the side slightly. "Great uncles are my mother's father's brothers. They died when I was young, but they were very old and both died in their sleep within hours of each other."

"Ancestors' names that had a long life. Good choice, my mate." Very gently, he brushed a hand along the first pup's forehead as he ate. In recognition, the pup shifted his eyes to his fathers. "Daigo." The pup closed his eyes and burrowed closer to his mother's warmth and food. Another hand brushed over the second pup. This one growled slightly without ever opening his eyes. With a laughing tenor to his voice, Sesshomaru named his second son "Daiki."

Once they were done feeding, Kagome laid them down to sleep. Side by side, both brothers turned their heads to each other and identical little hands reached out and ended up so their fingers met in the middle. Exhausted, Kagome decided to go check on Kitsa only to find her fast asleep. InuYasha was asleep in the room next to hers that had a sliding door to connect them. As soon as she walked in, he had jumped through at the ready. When he saw Kagome, he gave a slight bow and backed out. 'That will take a while to get normal again' she said to herself as she walked back to her room.

Sesshomaru was waiting after his nightly check of his lands. He was already stripped down and began to undress his mate as he pulled and pushed her to their bed.

"The children just fell asleep, Sessh."

"Mmm hmmm" he mumbled in her ear.

"And it's late."

A kiss to her ear lobe.

"And you have to instruct InuYasha tomorrow."

A nip on her collar bone.

"And we have all sorts of other things to do tomorrow."

A hand sneaked past her nightwear.

Giving a sigh, knowing she had lost, Kagome nipped her mate's ear. "I love you, Sesshomaru."

Earning a small growl as his fingers began to work, he whispered against her mouth. "I love you, my mate." And those were the last words shared that evening.

A/N: Well, that's it everyone! Seriously... That was it... Well, for Kagome and Sesshomaru. Would you believe me if I told you I had an idea for a sequel back in chapter 8? I hope this story didn't disappoint too horribly. Like I said it was my first. And shame on you for thinking I was going to make InuYasha a bad guy. Guy's a bit stupid, but all in all he is a good fella. He just has to be reminded of his place some times. lol So, I want to hear from yall. I want criticisms, praise, and please let me know if you want me to do a sequel. I'll tell you now, it will focus mostly on Daigo and Daiki. Thank you so much to everyone who has stuck with me through this and I hope you have enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it for you! Love you all! 3