A Captive Choice by Harlecorn

Chapter 1

Hey guys! New story, woot!

I'm sorry to those still waiting on Order, I am working on it, I promise!

ADDITIONALLY- If you haven't heard, there's a new SessKag website called the Pink Moon Observatory launching on April 1st! A very dear friend of mine, ForgettableFox, has been working tirelessly to bring this to fruition. It'll have everything SessKag on it (fanart, fanfics, blogs, awards, etc). We're all super excited and hope to see all of you guys on it when it launches!

xXx

A loud clatter echoes across the chamber, followed immediately by a muted thump as Kagome hits the wall across from the door, having been all but thrown into it. A quiet hiss is all the sound she makes as she slides down to the floor, curling into herself against the sharp stabbing pain in her ribs, the throbbing in her skull, and the other various aches on her body.

"Miko," a deep voice intones quietly from her right, making her lookup. The room is dark but there's enough light coming from the small slitted window in the wall above her to make out Sesshoumaru sitting against his own wall. His clothes and whatever the fluffy boa thing is are only a little dirty. Not too bad, she thinks to herself, assuming he hasn't been here for very long. He sits like he couldn't be bothered to be anywhere else. He appears relaxed, with one leg propped up, one arm draped over it, the other settled loosely in his lap, his expression impassive, eyes hooded in boredom, reminiscent of how she'd seen him in the past.

"Huh, you really got your arm back," she murmurs, a bit awed. This was the first time she had seen it herself, only having heard about it from her friends, as she was unconscious at the end of the battle that resulted in her reiki being sealed. "Where are we?"

"It would appear to be a castle," Sesshoumaru drawls, closing his eyes and leaning his head back against the wall.

"Well, no shit, Sherlock," Kagome grumbles, remembering just how irritating dealing with the youkai was, and evidently still is. She looks around the room, taking inventory of everything. A bed sits in the corner between her and Sesshoumaru, bigger than a twin, but not by much, with a small table sitting near it as well as a stool. In the far corner to her left is a bucket, and she cringes at the thought of what it's for. She takes a deep breath, only to let it out quickly in a hiss, having forgotten about her ribs.

"You are injured."

"Again, no shit. I don't know what happened. We were camping, everyone was asleep. I woke up and went to the woods to pee, and then I woke up being thrown into the wall here," Kagome explains through gritted teeth. She probes her ribs, checking each one as she forces herself to breathe normally. "I don't think they're broken, thankfully. Just severely bruised." She slumps back against her wall as she gently touches the back of her head where the throb is centered, breathing out a sigh when she feels no blood.

Glancing over at Sesshoumaru, she sees him watching her through hooded eyes again. She briefly wonders if it's stupid to ask how he was captured, before deciding fuck it. "Can I ask how you got here?"

Sesshoumaru's bright golden eyes open fully and slowly travel over her form before locking with her own deep-blue ones. "I am unaware as well," he finally says.

Nodding, Kagome looks away, pursing her lips a bit in thought as she runs a hand through her hair. "Right. Okay. How long have you been here?"

"I believe two weeks," he replies, eyes flicking up to the tiny window, "However, I also believe that they are creating illusions. Thus I am unsure."

"Well… fuck," Kagome groans as she leans her head back to stare at the ceiling. She looks down at her hands and shoves the sleeves of her shirt up. She's taken to wearing hakama, but she still prefers modern long sleeve shirts. They're cheaper to replace when they get shredded and are easier to work with but get her less weird looks than her school uniform, especially when paired with hakama. Fiddling idly with her watch, she checks the time and sees it's only half nine in the morning.

"Miko, what is that?" she hears, causing her to look over to see him staring at her hands. No, her wrist.

"It's a watch. It tells the… time… I'm an idiot. It keeps track of the time. We can use it to tell how long we're here. It's only 9:20 in the morning. Man, I wish I'd kept my digital one. It would've told me the date as well, not just the time." Kagome looks up at a vague middle distance as her thoughts whirl.

"It is a portable clock?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah," Kagome answers absently, still thinking. Her friends will have noticed she was gone by now. No doubt, Yash is gonna be frantic. Depending on how I was taken, if there's a scent trail, they'll likely get here by tomorrow at the latest. If there isn't… Kagome sighs, There's no telling how long it might take them to find her if they do at all before Naraku carts her out as a hostage to torment them.

"Where did you acquire this?" Sesshoumaru asks, shifting to sit up a bit and look at her.

"Oh… um…" Kagome looks down at her watch, listening to its tiny ticks. "I…" Kagome sighs again. "Can you tell if we're being listened to?" she asks instead of answering yet.

"We are alone. I can not confirm if there are any spells being used, however, as the entire castle is laced with magic," he replies with a faint flick of his eyes travelling to the door and window.

"Great. Fuck. Is it possible you could come closer, minimize chances of being overheard? Actually, fuck it. At this point, he probably already knows. It's stupid to keep trying to hide it. I'm from the future. Give or take five hundred years. Kinda hard to pin down an actual year during this time," Kagome rushes out, locking eyes with his now wide gilded gaze.

He says nothing for several minutes- she checked her watch- before, "That explains much."

A breathy chuckle escapes Kagome, followed by a quiet hiss as her ribs protest the movement. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm sure it does."

"You and the dead miko-"

"Reincarnation, me." Kagome does a vague 'tada' hand gesture, her smile a bit pinched as she tries to make light of it, burying the hurt she's endured because of it.

"Hn. You should rest. Your injuries will not heal without it," Sesshoumaru murmurs as he resettles against his wall, closing his eyes, effectively announcing the conversation done.

"Yeah, right. Sure," Kagome mutters as she slowly drags herself up and over to the bed, letting out a sigh as she settles onto the mattress and closes her eyes. She can't help the small smile that settles on her lips from his simple acceptance of her explanation.

xXx

"Miko," Sesshoumaru's voice says sharply, waking her immediately. A searing pain in her ribs and a whimper interrupts her attempt to jolt upright as she collapses back against the mattress. "Do not rise, but be aware," he murmurs to her as he shifts to sit a few feet closer to the bed, angling himself towards the door. She's seen InuYasha and Sango prepare themselves for potential attacks enough times to know Sesshoumaru's entire body is fully tensed just in case he needs to attack.

The door swings open suddenly, and Byakuya walks in, holding a tray and a gourd. No one says anything as Naraku's incarnation sets the tray, holding bowls of rice, and the gourd onto the bedside table. Byakuya's eyes travel over the pair of captives before he turns and leaves the room, slamming the door behind him.

Sesshoumaru remains tense as his eyes stare at the door for several long minutes before he visibly relaxes back against the wall.

"What does your clock say the time is?" he asks after a few more silent minutes, turning his head only enough so that he can pin her with his eyes. She lifts her wrist and brings it to her face, the low light making it hard to see.

"I think it says it's four. I think you're right, that they're making time seem like it's moving faster. It's not bright enough for it to be the afternoon, or dark enough for it to be four in the morning," Kagome murmurs, letting herself vocalize her thoughts as she internally catalogues her aches. She knows she won't be able to move much on her own, with how sore her ribs are. She really needs to bind them. "Can… can you help me sit up?" she asks finally.

Sesshoumaru looks at her before nodding once and rising. Gingerly, far more gently than she thought he might, he pulls her up into a sitting position and keeps a hand on her shoulder as she shifts back against the wall at the head of the bed. Once she's settled, he wordlessly reaches for a bowl of rice and hands it to her before checking the gourd.

"It is water, and the rice is free of any poisons," he tells her quietly, setting the gourd down next to her leg on the bed before sitting against the wall again, leg bent to prop up his arm again.

"Thank you," Kagome murmurs.

"This is the first that they have brought food."

Kagome looks up from the rice she's munching on to look at him. "They've been starving you?" she asks incredulously. He might not be her group's favourite person, but that was cruel.

"I have not yet felt hunger." He shrugs elegantly, his eyes inspecting the claws on the hand draped over his knee, appearing bored.

"How often do you normally eat?" she asks, unable to curb her curiosity. InuYasha and Shippo were bottomless pits, but InuYasha was also a hanyou, and by all accounts, a teenager, and Shippo was still a kid. Kirara, though, seemed to only need to eat every few days. She merely snacked when they stopped for food for everyone else.

"It varies," is all he says and Kagome wants to groan but has the feeling that if she does, he won't answer her just to spite her.

"How so?" she asks instead, hoping to lead him into answering her. It works well enough for most people she meets, certainly well enough for his brother.

"How much energy I expend. If I am in combat or must heal, I require more sustenance. If I am not, I am able to last several days without." His answer is blithe as his attention falls on her as she slowly eats, trying not to jostle her ribs too much. "How are your injuries?"

His question startles her a bit, making her stare at him for a second before she offers him a small smile. "My ribs are the worst. Everything else is manageable. I need to bind them, really, but I don't have anything to do it with, short of my own clothes," Kagome says with a small chuckle that elicits a wince.

Movement draws her eye as she sees Sesshoumaru stand up and begin to undo his obi and hankimono. Kagome opens her mouth to protest when the word dies on her tongue as he removes his outer layer, followed by his inner layer. She's seen how built many youkai are, especially the males, but she'd yet to see him. Her mouth goes dry as she snaps her jaw closed and looks away quickly, feeling a flush travel up her neck. Of course, she'd find him attractive, and she'd have this revelation now. There is a rustle of fabric and suddenly white fills her vision.

"Will this suffice?" Sesshoumaru asks as he sits on the edge of the bed by her knees.

"For… Oh! For binding. Uh, we'll have to cut it into strips, but, yeah, it should do fine." Kagome sets the rice down beside her as she reaches for the inner hankimono, only to pause when it's pulled away. She watches Sesshoumaru use his claws to cut the silk into long strips.

"Will you require assistance?"

Kagome looks up at him again. His expression is impassive, yet his eyes are bright brushed gold in the dim light. "Uh, yeah, yes. Please," she answers, too dumbstruck to feel embarrassed yet, though the thought absently floats forward that she'll have to undress for him to help her. Setting her rice on the bedside table, she sits up with a wince and carefully pulls the hem of her shirt out from under her hakama. "If you pull the hem up over my head, we can take it off without making me move my ribs too much," Kagome says, letting herself slip into her clinical nurse mode. If she lets herself think too much, she'll shut down, and her ribs really need the bindings.

A brief nod is all she gets from Sesshoumaru as he gently tugs her shirt upwards and over her head, then down her arms as she lifts them just enough to help slide the article of clothing off. Next, her bra, and she swallows. She's not embarrassed by her body, but it's also not something she's shared with many.

She's nineteen and has been travelling to the past for the last four years. She hasn't had time to date or do much other than a handful of clubbing experiences when she's back home with her friends. The only reason her family can support her travelling is because of the artefacts she brings back occasionally to sell to museums. But she can count on her two hands the number of times she's been naked in any capacity in front of someone she's attracted to.

Sighing, she looks up and sees Sesshoumaru eying her bra with curiosity. It's nothing fancy, just a sports bra with extra support, one of the many she uses while she's in the past. "It's called a bra. It's like a binding, but offers more support and stays in place even with vigorous movement, which helps when I'm getting tossed around by youkai every other day," Kagome explains with a dry chuckle.

"I see. Will you require assistance removing it as well?" His tone is flat as he studies the item.

"Uh, yeah. There are hooks on the back that I can't really reach with my ribs the way they are." Kagome leans forward a bit as Sesshoumaru stands to look at her back. She looks down at her ribs and sees the dark bruising covering her entire right side. Wincing, she can only imagine how bad her back must look, which is where most of the pain is coming from. "I'd prefer it not be cut or ruined, but if it's the only way to get it off-" She cuts herself off when she feels the bra go slack and slide down her arms a bit, catching it to hold it to her chest.

Kagome looks down at it and sees it's been unhooked, not sliced like it usually would be, had it been his brother helping. She almost snorts at the thought of how many of her clothes had been lost to him choosing to slash them off of her in his impatience when helping her, rather than just taking the extra few seconds to take them off normally. Clothes are expensive and she doesn't have magical mending clothing like he did with his firerat robe.

"Thank you for not cutting it," she murmurs with a smile when she looks at him. He settles next to her and picks up a strip of cloth.

"Do you wish me to wrap it, or merely assist you?" Sesshoumaru asks, meeting her eyes.

"If… if you don't mind doing it, please. I can do it, but it'll hurt. Just tell me when I need to move and drop the bra," she replies, watching him nod seriously before he leans towards her and begins to wrap her ribs. He keeps it tight, but loose enough that she can breathe easy, or as easy as the pain will let her. "You've had to do this before," she says aloud, as the thought comes to her.

"Hn. Youkai may heal faster than humans, but it still takes time, and energy," he answers with almost an amused tone, though his blank expression makes it hard to tell.

"Can youkai scar?"

"It is possible. Most scars are due to magical injuries, however, it is possible for physical damage to leave its mark. It would require being denied the ability to heal until it heals at a human rate, resulting in a scar. Thus, it is uncommon." His deep voice is a steady thread that Kagome latches onto as her ribs protest from the wrapping constricting them. "My acid is capable of leaving scars, as there are very few ways to prevent it from damaging what it touches, therefore it renders healing moot."

He looks up at her as she feels the wrapping come up just under her breasts. They exchange a silent look as she lets the bra drop to her lap. She keeps her eyes focused on his face and refuses to allow her thoughts to stray to what he's seeing.

He continues his methodical motions when he asks her, "Where did you acquire the scars on your stomach?"

His eyes flicker to meet hers and she can see the curiosity blatant in his gaze as his hands continue barely brushing her skin.

"When I first came here, I was attacked by a centipede youkai that the villagers called Mistress Centipede. She attacked me because the Shikon was inside me. The little star-shaped scar is where it pulled from and the bite is from her trying to tear it out of me. Jeez, that was only four years ago. It seems so much longer," Kagome muses as Sesshoumaru finishes the wrapping and ties it off at the top before leaning back, eyeing his work critically.

"Would you like assistance redressing?" Kagome nods as she slides the bra straps back up her arms, and feels him take over, hooking the bra at its loosest setting, while Kagome takes her shirt and turns it right side out again. She lines it up with her arms as he carefully tugs it over her head and down her torso, glad it's not one of her more form-fitting shirts.

She leans back against the wall at the head of the bed again and looks at the man before her. He moves to sit back against the wall at the foot of the bed, sitting half cross-legged with his right leg propping up his arm in his customary pose. She smiles to herself, thinking that all it took for him to relax around her was being held hostage with her and helping bind up her naked torso. Amazing what some partial nudity and forced proximity will do to people.

"Thank you, Sesshoumaru. I really appreciate your help," Kagome says, her head tilting a bit as she offers him a warm smile. He gives her a nod before he closes his eyes and leans his head back against the wall.

xXx

"It feels like it's been days," Kagome mutters, looking at her watch that shows it's only been a few hours. This isn't her first rodeo being kidnapped, and time certainly didn't feel this slow before. Even with boredom and pain as her only companions. She turns to Sesshoumaru, who's taken to sitting at the end of the bed since helping her bind up her ribs.

"I don't know if my watch is wrong because of whatever magic that's around the castle, or if it really is just some sort of illusion, that's making it seem like days have gone by. Because it definitely feels like it's been days."

"I can not discern either. My senses are hindered here. It is possible it has been days, it could also have only been hours as your 'watch' says," Sesshoumaru drawls, his eyes slitting open to peer at her from beneath his lashes. "You are bored," he states, opening his eyes a little more, the brushed gold almost reflecting the pale light of the room.

"Yes. I'm sorry, but usually, when he kidnaps me, I have my stuff on me, and I can entertain myself, or they're constantly coming in and bugging me." Or there's someone else to talk to, she thinks. Kagome doesn't want to be rude though, as he's been helpful and nice since she got here. Even if he's quiet.

"How would you entertain yourself?" he asks, turning his head to give her his full attention.

"If I had my stuff, it used to be school work. Though, since I graduated, it's mostly been books on medicine or pleasure reading. I've got a book of sudoku puzzles as well. Hell, I'd even take sharpening my dagger. Just… something." Kagome tries to keep her voice from whining, but she knows some leaks into her tone. She heaves a sigh and winces at the pull of her ribs. Another reason she can't tell if it's really been days or not. If she believes her watch, it's only been two days, and her ribs shouldn't feel as healed as they are. Not to mention that she hasn't had to eat or drink nearly as much as she should if it had actually been days. None of it makes sense.

"You are educated?" he queries, his tone actually carrying curiosity instead of its usual monotone.

"Yeah, it's a requirement in my time. Everyone has to go to school until they're eighteen. And even then, most folks, at least where I'm from, will choose to continue schooling until they're in their mid-twenties. Some will go even further than that, honestly." Kagome smiles at him as his expression actually shifts, his brow pinching the slightest bit, and his lips pursing almost imperceptibly. She likely would've missed it if she hadn't been staring at him the entire time they've been in this room together.

"What were you taught?"

"Lots of things. Reading, writing, arithmetic, various sciences, history. I learned another language, which was hard, let me tell you. Especially since I started having to teach myself when I started coming back here." Kagome sighs again, looking down at her hands.

"Why did you just become dispirited?"

"I…" Kagome pauses and looks up at him, at his serious expression. His expression hasn't changed much, but the slight narrowing of his eyes and tilt of his brow. She wonders if she'll be able to read him entirely if given enough time. She's always been good at reading people, but he's also exceptionally good at being unreadable.

"I was a good student before all of this," Kagome starts, waving a hand vaguely in the air and looking off to the side. "I got good grades. I studied hard. I was normal. And then this happened, and I couldn't… My grades slipped a bit. Not enough that I didn't get good ones, but I wasn't… It wasn't the same. My family basically had to pull me out of school and tell people I was sick so that I could keep coming back here, because I had a duty, you know? It wasn't my fault, and it took me a long time to come to terms with that, but it's still my responsibility. I didn't ask for it, and if I'd been given a choice to begin with, I probably wouldn't have done it. But, I'm the only one who can." Kagome meets his gilded gaze again.

"I understand." And, really, he does. Kagome knows he does. He was left with the mess his father made with his choices, and he could've walked away, could've let someone else swoop in and take advantage of the situation just because he didn't want to do it, but he didn't. He stepped up. He took control and responsibility. She may not know the minutia of what went on, but she's been travelling for four years. She's met enough people, youkai and human alike, who've shared stories of what happened to know how much of a clusterfuck it all was. InuYasha may not be as sympathetic to his brother, and granted, with how their relationship is, she can't blame him, but Sesshoumaru had a shit time of things.

Her entire group is comprised of people who could've walked away, but haven't. Because they were the only ones who could step up to do what needed to be done. They all understand what it means to give up a life to pursue a duty.

"I know. I just… I wish… I wish a lot of things, really. I wish my life was normal. I wish I didn't have to choose between times. I wish things were easier. I wish… I wish I knew more and could help more." Kagome sighs before murmuring, "I wish I was better." She can feel her throat tighten as emotions well in her chest. She looks down at her lap as she blinks back tears of frustration. She wishes so many things, but most importantly, she wishes she was better. That she didn't feel so alone and out of her depth.

"Better than what? How you used to be? You are. You are no longer the girl who unwisely stood her ground against me. You are no longer the girl who could not survive on her own. You are no longer naïve. You are more capable and wiser. You are stronger now," Sesshoumaru states as he captures her gaze when she looks up, eyes wide and watery.

Kagome gives a small nod as she looks down at her lap again, letting a smile settle on her lips. Who'da thought that Sesshoumaru would be capable of giving pep talks?

xXx

"Kagome," Sesshoumaru snaps quietly, his hand jostling her leg to wake her up.

Kagome jolts awake, her eyes flying open as she looks at the youkai perched at the foot of the bed, seeming relaxed to an untrained eye once more, but she can see the tension in his shoulders in preparation.

"I'm awake," she murmurs under her breath, catching the flicker of his eye as he checks her over. She doesn't move and drops her eyes to appear asleep just as the door of the chamber bangs open. Byakuya enters again with another tray and gourd. He pads over to the bedside table and switches the trays silently before walking back to the door. He pauses then, eyeing the pair. Something strange passes through his expression before he leaves, slamming the door once more.

"Did you sleep?" she asks her companion when he relaxes, his shoulders slumping the most minute amount.

"Hn, for a few hours."

"Good." Kagome grunts as she sits up, her ribs only twinging when she bends to sit up or lie down now. She's given up on checking her watch. Time doesn't appear to be behaving, and it only gives her a headache. Her ribs feel like they're somewhere at the two-week mark of healing, but who knows.

She looks at the tray Byakuya left and sees another two bowls of rice, though this time there's fish on top of each. Taking one bowl, she holds it out to her companion, who sniffs the air delicately before nodding. With a grin, she tucks in. She's not overly hungry, but she's hardly going to turn down food if it's safe to eat while she's being held captive. "Do you want the other bowl?" she asks between bites. She watches the man look at the bowl and think before nodding once. They eat in silence after that.

It isn't until what feels like an hour later that Kagome speaks up. "What's your mother like?"

Sesshoumaru's eyes snap to hers and Kagome smirks. They don't know how much time has passed, but it's been enough that they're tentative friends at this point. They have nothing else to do but talk to each other, after all. He's asked her about things she's studied, what she enjoyed learning about, what she disliked, what she wants to learn more about, her family. He never asks her about future marvels or for events to come, just personal things. In turn, she's asked him about his life. When he learned to wield a sword, what he did for fun, what his home was like. He had shied away from topics of his father, but his lips would turn into a mild sneer if his mother ever turned up in a story. He never gave details, but now Kagome's curious.

Sesshoumaru exhales in what could almost be called an exasperated sigh. He's become freer with expressing himself with her, but still maintains an air of reservation.

"She is… difficult," he almost grumbles, making Kagome snort and earning herself a cocked eyebrow.

"How so?"

"She is nobility. She revels in secrets and dramatics. The courts are her board, the people her tokens that she moves and plays to her delight. It is frustrating being around her when she attempts such games with me," he says flatly, eyes hardening slightly.

"Ah. I had an aunt like that. Well, have, but I haven't seen her in years. My family stopped seeing her after… She's my dad's sister, and she's not the nicest. More worried about what others are saying than her family. She didn't try to keep in contact with us and we didn't enjoy spending time with her, so we just kinda… stopped." Kagome looks up at the small slit window as the memories of her father wash over her. A small wistful smile crosses her lips as she wonders what he'd think of Sesshoumaru.

"You have not mentioned your father much," Sesshoumaru murmurs, his eyes calm and open when she looks at him again.

"He died when I was little. A little over a decade ago now," Kagome explains quietly. Sesshoumaru studies her for a moment before nodding and looking away.

"You were close?" he asks, still looking at the wall across from them.

"Yeah. I was still just a kid, but yeah, we were. It was… is hard, sometimes. It's been over a decade, and it still hurts to think about sometimes. I can't help but wonder what he'd think of everything that's happened. How many things might be different if he were still around." Kagome shifts a bit to sit more next to Sesshoumaru, staring at the same wall as him. "If I ask, would you tell me about your father?" Her voice is soft, unsure how he'll react. She doesn't think he'll be violent, but it's a sore subject for both of the brothers.

Sesshoumaru says nothing and Kagome lets the silence settle around them, her thoughts winding idly.

"He was… driven. He knew what he wanted and was unafraid of fighting for it. He did not let others dictate to him how he should be or what he should do," Sesshoumaru says a while later, startling Kagome from her zoning. She looks up at him and sees the tightening of his brow, the barest crinkle of the skin around his eyes and thinning of his lips. Kagome reaches out slowly and lays her hand over his, offering silent comfort in a mutual understanding of grief. "He was not perfect. He made mistakes. Clearly," he snorts. "However, my childhood was bright because of him."

Kagome shifts her hand to grasp his, giving a squeeze that he gently returns. She leans over the few inches separating them and rests her head against his shoulder. "Mine liked to tell jokes. Thought he was a comedian, but they were terrible. Hardly funny, yet we'd always laugh because they made him laugh, and he had this… this infectious laugh. It didn't matter what was happening, if he started laughing, you couldn't not join him. He was kind and made time for everyone around him, even if it was the last thing he wanted to do." Kagome huffs out a dry chuckle at a memory. "He hated ballet. So much, but I loved it. And he never missed a day of taking me to practice or a single recital. He spent hours with me at home, helping me perfect moves. I didn't realize he didn't like it until I overheard him talking to my mom in the kitchen one evening, telling her it didn't matter if he found it more boring than watching paint dry on a wall. It made me happy, and he liked making me happy, so he was going to keep doing it for as long as it kept making me happy."

"My father discovered I enjoyed playing the koto and painting watercolours. I returned home from lessons with the sword master to find a new koto and an easel with various paints, brushes, and parchment in my room. My mother was less than enthused but did not care enough to prevent me from them. It took me years to discover that it was he who had given them to me, and continued to supply me with tools."

Kagome looks up and stifles a gasp when she sees him smile. It's small, but it's there, and it's beautiful. She grins when he looks down at her, and she says, "I think that's my favourite thing I've ever been told about him."

"I believe it is my favourite thing that I know about him," Sesshoumaru replies, giving her hand a gentle squeeze again.

xXx

"If you could change one decision you've made, what would it be? And why?" Kagome asks as they eat shoulder to shoulder on the bed. They've given up pretenses of distance or space. They have no idea how long they've been held now. It feels both like only a few days and several months. They've had to eat, sleep, and relieve themselves within a single chamber for the indefinite amount of time they've been here. Nothing is sacred anymore. They've filled their time talking to and learning about each other, sharing more than either has with any one person before. They're friends now, she'd even say close friends. She thinks he may know and understand her as well as, if not maybe slightly better than, her group in the past. Certainly better than the girls in the future, but that's hardly their fault. You can know someone only so well when they keep two-thirds of their life a secret from you. She figures with the way he can easily read her, he probably knows her as well as her mother does now.

Kagome is currently wearing his outer hankimono to stave off the cold and tucked close to his side to leech his warmth. His youkai blood makes him hardly feel the chill in the air. Meanwhile, she shivers at the slightest breeze that sneaks into the room through the tiny window. She knows he's caught her staring at him fairly often, but she's also caught him giving her looks as well, especially after she started wearing his clothing.

His tail curls over her legs tighter as she fights off an involuntary shudder from certain thoughts flitting across her mind. She still couldn't get over it. His weird boa thing was his tail. She'd squealed when he'd told her. Technically, it was a strip of fur starting from his shoulder in his full inu form that encompassed his tail, but for all intents and purposes, it's his tail and one of her favourite things she's learned about him.

"I am unsure. There are many decisions, while I wish I had not made them, then have led to events that I look upon favourably. Had I not made those decisions, I may not have experienced the things that I have," Sesshoumaru answers thoughtfully, picking out the pickled radishes from his bowl of food to put into hers before taking the snow peas from hers and depositing it into his bowl. "What of you?"

"I… that's a good point, really," Kagome murmurs, furrowing her brow as she chews her next bite slowly, mulling it over. "Honestly," she says after she's swallowed, "I always wished I'd forced the group to let me spend more time learning how to defend myself and shoot earlier on. Not wait until… just not wait. It was short-sighted and naïve to think I could just wing it and nothing bad would ever happen. I know now, but I wish I'd been more adamant about it then. Maybe things would be different. But, at the same time, if they were, who knows what might've happened and what might've changed? For all the things I wished didn't happen, you're right. If they didn't, I wouldn't have what I have now." Kagome bumps her shoulder with his lightly, offering him a small smile.

"Okay," Kagome says after another few bites, "Rephrasing the question then. If you could change something without it negatively affecting anything else, what would it be?"

Sesshoumaru is quiet for a long time, finishing his food and setting the bowl back on the tray. It isn't until Kagome puts her own bowl back that he answers. "I do not think I would be able to. The one decision I regret the most would change everything, whether I wished it to or not. I do not think I wish it to. Even if the potential outcome of the change would be a far different and potentially better life." His expression is pensive as his sharp eyes flicker over the texture of the bricks of the wall opposite them.

Quietly, Kagome asks, "What would the decision be?"

"To try to understand my father and why he chose to give up everything for Izayoi. For InuYasha," he answers, turning to lock eyes with her, his voice pitched low and his expression shifting into something softer.

"Oh," Kagome breathes out. "And… what would you lose if you had done that?"

"You," is his quiet, yet immediate, admission. Kagome sucks in a breath as he leans closer to her, one of his hands lifting to brush her hair back behind her ear.

"Sess," she starts, only to have whatever she was going to say swallowed by his lips when they capture hers. It's soft and unhurried. It's easy. So easy and so welcome. Her hands find their way into his hair at the nape of his neck as he wraps his arms around her, tugging her closer. A small voice in her mind worries about what will happen when they leave, but the rest of her is too insistent that this feels right. That this was meant to happen. She can feel it in her bones. One of those instinctual things, and at this point in her life, she's learned to listen to those feelings. They've yet to steer her wrong.

When they break apart, Kagome leans her forehead against his, listening to their quiet panting between them as her arms loop loosely around his shoulders, his own wrapping around her waist, one hand stroking her spine.

"As much as it sucks being locked up, I'm really glad it's with you," Kagome murmurs, pressing her lips to his gently as she feels him smile.

"As am I," he replies before returning the kiss enthusiastically.

xXx

Shouts and bangs awaken the pair. They both jolt up from having been wrapped around one another, each grabbing for clothes and dressing hurriedly. Just as Kagome gets her hakama done up properly and her feet shoved into her leather boots, they hear shouts just outside the door to their chamber.

"Sess, that-" Kagome starts as the sound reaches her ears.

"It is," he answers before he tugs her to his chest and spins, giving the door his back. A thunderous crack echoes the room as the door explodes off its hinges, showering everything with bits of broken wood and iron.

"Kagome!"

Sesshoumaru straightens and turns to look at the door as Kagome steps up to his side, her shoulders tensed and stance light, prepared to fight or run. Then the dust settles and InuYasha steps into the room.

"Oh, thank fuck. I found her!" he bellows out of the room before reaching forward to grab her. A sharp growl pierces through the chamber as Kagome feels Sesshoumaru's hand grasp her wrist. Kagome turns to the man beside her, her free hand coming to touch his jaw gently.

"It's okay, Sess," she murmurs. "Come on." Turning back to InuYasha, whose expression has settled on incredulous, she asks, "Where are the others?"

"Uh, right. They're outside holding off Byakuya. Here," he says before he tosses Kagome her bow and a capped quiver with two daggers strapped to its side, as well as a pouch for carrying bowstrings. Then he tosses a long item wrapped in a cloth to Sesshoumaru. Kagome grabs a bowstring and then unwraps the daggers from the quiver, transferring one to her left wrist and another to her right ankle, doing up the buckles quickly and efficiently. Then she undoes the quiver's cap closer so she can easily grab arrows, then slings it onto her back. Quickly stringing her bow, she watches Sesshoumaru unwrap the cloth and reveal what must be his new sword and Tenseiga. She smirks as he ties them to his obi, then steps closer to her and touches her cheek gently.

"I'm fine. I don't need reiki to defend myself against lower youkai, it just helps. Sess, I'll be fine. Let's go," she says firmly, pushing past InuYasha and into the hallway. She can just about hear her friends down the corridor to the right and what looks like a dead-end to the left. "How do we get out, Yash?" she asks as Sesshoumaru steps up behind her, his new sword drawn at his side, his critical eye flicking around the corridor just as hers had.

"Back the way we came. We gotta get out past Byakuya. But he doesn't seem to be puttin' up the fight he normally does. Seems too easy, if ya ask me," InuYasha grunts out as he moves back down the corridor, with Kagome and Sesshoumaru following behind closely.

It doesn't take them long before they're outside in what looks like a small inner courtyard with Byakuya sitting up in his paper crane as her friends fight off various youkai and illusions.

"Oh, thank the gods," Kagome hears Sango cry out before Kirara makes a beeline for her with Sango on her back. Miroku sees Sango's movement and stoops to grab Shippo, who was protecting him with his foxfire and sprints over towards them. InuYasha waits until they get close enough that he can jump out in front of them and shouts before swinging Tessaiga, unleashing a Wind Scar at the youkai and Byakuya, who merely laughs as he darts out of the way.

"You're welcome!" he shouts before he turns his crane and flies off before either of the inu brothers could fire off an attack at him. InuYasha curses as he gets away, but turns back to the group, sheathing his sword.

"Is everyone okay?" he asks, eyes darting across all of his friends, before settling on Kagome when they all confirm they're fine, having endured only minor injuries. "Kags?"

"I'm fine. We both are. Was actually my most enjoyable stay as a hostage," she says with a smile, eyes flickering up to Sesshoumaru's who has not moved from her side.

"You're sure you're okay?" Sango asks nervously as Shippo jumps from Miroku's shoulder to Kagome's, tucking his face into her neck and clinging to her.

"Yeah, I'm fine guys. Dirty, and would very much enjoy a bath, but otherwise, I'm fine", she reassures her friends, shifting Shippo to settle him more securely against her chest as he snuffles and keens quietly. Looking between the three others of the group and Sesshoumaru, she sucks in a stabilizing breath. "How… how long were we gone?" Kagome asks hesitantly, unsure if she wants to hear the answer.

"You have been missing for six days," Miroku answers, his keen eye darting between her and the youkai beside her, his brow cocking when his gaze settles on hers, silently asking her if something happened. She meets his violet gaze with her own cerulean, flicking her eye to where his hand has settled on Sango's lower back, then nudging her head almost imperceptibly between them. He ducks his head with a bright smile before he nods to her. His eyes shift to the youkai beside her as he sheathes his sword and surveys the surrounding area. Miroku gives her another small nod before turning to InuYasha.

"Did you find anyone else inside?"

"There is no one else," Sesshoumaru states as he angles himself towards Kagome.

"We never heard anyone and Sess didn't smell anyone else whenever Byakuya brought us food, though, if we've been gone for six days, the number of times he brought food makes sense now," she says offhandedly to Sesshoumaru, who nods. "There's some kind of magic messing with our perception of time around the castle," she explains to the group, squinting as she looks around the courtyard. "Where even are we? How did you find us?"

"We didn't. You got snatched into thin air. Nothing for us to go on to try to find ya. Byakuya showed up yesterday and told us to come here and we'd find ya," InuYasha grunts, crossing his arms, eyeing his brother warily, confused by how he's acting.

"He said the castle was magicked to make more time pass while you were in it, that you've been here for two months as far as you were aware," Sango chimes in.

"Yeah, we kinda figured. Explains my ribs," Kagome replies, turning around and touching her hand to Sesshoumaru's bicep, who turns to face her, his eyes searching hers. "Did you guys come across Rin or Jaken?" Kagome asks after a moment of silent communication, turning back to see Sango looking thoughtful and InuYasha looking a bit constipated as his expression twists between confused and angry.

"They are both in the village, Kagome," Miroku answers, the only one to have already figured out what had shifted between the miko and youkai.

"They showed up on the dragon, frantic that you were gone," Sango adds slowly, comprehension drawing on her as she turns to Kagome with wide eyes. Kagome merely nods once as she strokes Shippo's hair. The fox kit having not resurfaced from hiding in her hair with his nose pressed to her neck.

"We should leave," Sesshoumaru drawls, stepping closer to Kagome and placing a hand on her lower back, earning a shocked squawk from his brother.

"Right, yeah. We can discuss everything else once we're away from here. And I've had a bath." She watches as Miroku climbs onto Kirara's back, smiling at the miko knowingly, making her blush a bit. InuYasha stares at Kagome for a few moments before sighing and taking off to jump over the castle wall.

Sesshoumaru crowds close to her as a cloud forms beneath their feet. His tail curls around her shoulders and waist, as his hands settled on her hips, holding her close. He tucks his nose into her hair as they rise into the air. The higher they go, the more glad she is that his tail is around her to offer her warmth- which is likely why he did it.

"The two humans know," he says finally as they watch InuYasha dart across the ground and Kirara speed through the air.

"Mhm. They know me really well and catch on fast. Yash does too, though I'm not sure if he's figured out the entirety of it. He's gonna be a brat, but he'll get over it. Just… don't-"

"I have no intention of provoking him, Kagome," he interrupts, pressing his lips to her forehead as she leans closer to him, her arms still full of fox kit as her hand combs through Shippo's hair.

"He is yours," Sesshoumaru says next, nodding down to the kit between them. "He has imprinted."

"Like a duckling?" she asks, earning a small smile and a nod.

"Much the same. Youkai children will imprint on adults in the event of the loss of their parents. It is usually a reciprocal bond, however, I am unsure how it would manifest with a human. Perhaps being a miko allows for the bond," he explains, his brow furrowing slightly as his expression grows thoughtful.

"It does," comes a murmur from Kagome's hair, making both miko and youkai look down at the kit. "I can feel it. It's the same as my parents."

"Interesting," is all Sesshoumaru says as he turns to stare out around them, still following the group.

"I can feel your bond, too," Shippo adds, pulling back a bit to look at Sesshoumaru from under Kagome's chin, his hands clutching tightly to her shirt and hair.

"Indeed, kit," Sesshoumaru hums as he looks down again. Then, he gently lifts a hand and lays it along Shippo's back. Kagome watches, feeling Shippo tense at the contact for a moment before he virtually melts. She feels Sesshoumaru's tail shift, twisting as it uncurls a bit to adjust before settling with the end of it curling around Shippo, the very tip tucking itself under the kit's chin. Shippo lets go of Kagome's shirt to instead grab at the tail.

Kagome beams as she looks up at Sesshoumaru and lifts a hand to cup his jaw, her thumb stroking along his bottom cheek stripe. He offers her a small smile as he leans down and presses a kiss to her lips, the hand on Shippo's back moving to cup her face, his fingers threading into her hair.

"Yasha's gonna throw a fit," Shippo mumbles from between them, eliciting a giggle from Kagome and earning a smug smirk from Sesshoumaru.

"Yeah, he probably is," Kagome agrees.

xXx

"So, wait, let me get this straight," Kagome interrupts her friends as she combs out her hair. She's sitting next to Sesshoumaru, who has a sleeping Rin in his lap. Poor Rin had fallen asleep in silent tears of relief, curled up in his tail. Sesshoumaru's right hand was resting on Kagome's thigh, the end of his tail draped across her legs to curl around Shippo, who'd passed out as soon as she sat down to eat and continue the discussion with her friends from earlier.

"I disappeared a week ago, with nothing to go on, so you guys came back here and found Jaken, Rin, and AhUn," the dragon chuffs quietly from his spot just outside the front door at the recognition, "and then yesterday, Byakuya shows up, tells you where I am, how the magic there works, and then leaves again. And then, you get to the castle, bust through the magic barrier, and Byakuya barely puts any effort into holding you off, and just tells you why he took me? Us?" Kagome stares at them all incredulously.

"He said he took you two to make you see what needed to be seen, and that he had no intention of harming either of you," Miroku replies, sipping his tea calmly. InuYasha is sitting just inside the door, glaring at the floor in front of him, not having said a word since the castle. Sango's gaze keeps flicking between the youkai and miko, having figured it out, but her face shows that she still didn't quite believe it.

"And he didn't say anything about Naraku?"

"No, he did. But it made little sense," Sango states, stroking Kirara's fur.

Jaken, who'd been silent since they'd sat down to eat, spoke up then. "He said that you were both the key to his plans and that he couldn't wait for Naraku to discover it."

Kagome looks at the toad, whose bulbous eyes hadn't left the little girl currently asleep in Sesshoumaru's lap. Then she looks up at Sesshoumaru. His gilded eyes almost glow in the firelight when they meet hers. "You think he-"

"It is possible," he cuts in.

"So he-"

"Perhaps. We-"

"Yeah, if he really doesn't-"

"We will not know-"

"Is there a way to-"

"One, but it requires-"

"Dammit," Kagome groans, running a hand down her face as she slouches back against the wall, her left hand settling on Sesshoumaru's on her thigh, giving it a squeeze. "Do we have to go, or can we-"

"I have no way of communicating with-"

"Yeah, I didn't think you did, but wanted to ask," Kagome says before muttering a quiet 'fuck' under her breath.

"You wanna share with the rest of us who don't speak whatever that was?" InuYasha snipes from the door, anger etching into his face.

"Right, sorry," Kagome mumbles. She looks at Sesshoumaru with a cocked brow as he tilts his head before nodding once. "I'm gonna say it fast, while we're in the clear of anyone listening in. Naraku might not know about Byakuya kidnapping us. And perhaps he was hoping that our little vacation would get us to work together to take the spider out. We don't know for sure, but there's a way we can find out if Naraku knows. Now, no one can repeat that, at all. You know how he is with spying. The less said, the better. There's a way we can find out how informed he is, but…" Kagome trails off and looks at Sesshoumaru again, whose face has gained a slight pinch around the corners of his eyes and mouth, telling Kagome how displeased he is with the thought of doing what they'd discussed. "His mom has a way to track people. We'd have to go to her to see if she's… amiable… to the idea of helping us, and allowing us to use it." Kagome shifts closer to the youkai and presses her side against his.

"We have to go to Kimiko?" InuYasha asks slowly, his face shifting from anger to almost horror. "No. Absolutely not."

"Yash, she's the only one who-"

"No. You don't understand. She's-"

"Yash, I do. Trust me, I do. I know what happened," Kagome says quietly, reaching out a hand towards him, where he sat only a couple of feet out of reach.

"I apologize," Sesshoumaru interjects, making InuYasha's head snap up from where he was glaring at the ground again. "What she did… What we did to you, was inexcusable, and I apologize."

Kagome squeezes his hand hard before shifting his tail and Shippo, placing them in his lap. Then she moves to sit by her long-time friend, wrapping her arms around his shoulders, and tucking his head against hers. "Yash, you don't have to go. What happened was awful, and I'm so sorry. It was cruel. But we need to know what he does, and she's the only one who has a way to do that," Kagome murmurs as the hanyou slowly molds himself to her, his arms wrapping around her tightly.

Sango and Miroku busy themselves with cleaning up while Kagome consoles InuYasha, everyone studiously ignoring the silent shuddering breaths as he presses his face into Kagome's neck.

Slowly, InuYasha pulls back, surreptitiously wiping his face before he looks up at his brother, eyes red-rimmed but hard. "Do you think she'll do it?"

"I am unsure. I believe I may persuade her, but it will not be without some cost, likely something to humiliate me for daring to ask," Sesshoumaru states seriously, his tail curling protectively around the two children in his lap and his eyes meeting Kagome's.

"We'll deal with it when it comes. How far is it to get to her?" Kagome asks, giving InuYasha one last squeeze before moving back to sit by his brother.

"It will take me a day to travel there. I should return within four days at most. It will depend on how long she wishes to dally for her illusion of power to remain," he answers.

"Okay, so we'll set out tomorrow. I want to drop home and let my folks know I'm still alive, but that'll only take an hour or two. We can leave right after," Kagome says with a nod, pulling her hair over her shoulder to braid it.

"We'll stay here and keep an eye on the kids," Sango says with a small wave towards Miroku, who nods in turn.

"I will go alone," Sesshoumaru announces, drawing a heavy silence in his wake.

Kagome turns slowly to look at him, cocking a brow as she ties off her braid. "Will you now?" she drawls quietly, ignoring how her friends all shuffle back, knowing the tone she just used means nothing good.

"Yes-"

"You might want to rethink that, Sess."

"Listen to her," InuYasha whispers from his corner seat next to the two humans. Sesshoumaru flicks his gaze at them, and their sympathetic expressions. Then he sighs. "When do you wish to return to your family?"

"If you guys wake me up at seven, I'll head out then and come back at about nine, nine-thirty at the latest," Kagome replies, standing to go over to her bag, grabbing the sleeping bag and pulling out the backup watch she has from its front pocket. She gives it to Sesshoumaru as she returns to her seat, rolling out the bag on the floor and sitting on it.

"Very well," Sesshoumaru says as he lets Kagome strap it to his wrist.

"Right, well, busy day tomorrow. Night guys," Kagome says brightly as she shimmies into her sleeping back, her head next to Sesshoumaru's thigh, smiling when his hand immediately settles on her hair.

xXx

"How quaint," a melodic voice calls as Sesshoumaru and Kagome land before the open door of the castle in the sky. "You've brought a new pet!"

"Mother," Sesshoumaru growls as he and Kagome stride through the door and into a grand hall, his mother sitting on her throne, leaning against one arm lazily.

"Oh, hush, boy. Come here, little miko. Tell me why my son has brought you here," Kimiko drawls, extending the hand she's not leaning on out towards Kagome.

"We require your assistance, mother," Sesshoumaru says, his tone flat. Kagome nudges his arm with her elbow before she steps up to the female daiyoukai.

"We were recently held captive under magical means by one of Naraku's incarnations. We need to know if Naraku was aware of Byakuya's actions or not. You have a mirror that can see anyone, anywhere, regardless of what magical protections they may have. We'd like to use that, if possible," Kagome explains with a smile, keeping her stance relaxed, despite every instinct telling her to tense for an attack.

Kimiko merely stares at Kagome for several minutes, her eyes roving over the miko before flicking to her son, standing two paces behind her, his expression impassive as always.

"I see. Your powers have been sealed," Kimiko remarks, making Kagome wince, and Sesshoumaru give the miko a quick glance.

"Magatsuhi sealed my reiki during the last battle," Kagome says, her voice a little sad, but she stands tall, refusing to be brought low.

"Indeed. And so his death will unseal them," Kimiko drawls, sitting up and leaning forward to study the miko further. "You are not from this time, young one. Even sealed, the power you hold… It is fascinating. Very well, I shall help you, little bird." Kimiko stands with a flourish and strides towards the girl, hooking her arm with Kagome's and starting off to the right, leaving Sesshoumaru to follow.

"I wish you to make me a promise, little bird. I wish you to promise me you will visit with my son, often, as I do not see him nearly enough. A mother misses her pup," Kimiko says as she leads them through a large door and out into a beautiful garden.

"Um, sure. I don't see why not," Kagome replies as she looks over her shoulder at Sesshoumaru, whose face is set with barely visible confusion.

"You will be good for my pup. He will need you." Kimiko all but drags Kagome down a stone path over to a large blooming sakura tree with what looks like a large, shorn boulder next to it. Upon stepping up to it, though, Kagome can see how the flat of the boulder is polished to an impossible shine.

"The mirror…" Kagome breathes, her eyes riveted to her reflection.

"Who is it you wish to see? Speak their name and touch the mirror's surface," Kimiko instructs, unlacing her arm from Kagome's and stepping back as Sesshoumaru steps up to her other side, his hand settling on Kagome's lower back.

"Naraku," Kagome says as her fingers touch the reflective surface. She watches in awe as it ripples harshly, the rings travelling out from her finger before her and Sesshoumaru's image shifts and Naraku appears in front of them.

"Where have you been?" Naraku drones as Byakuya enters the room he's in. "It's been three weeks and we are no closer to completing the jewel than we were when you and Magatsuhi lost!" Naraku bellows as he whips around. Byakuya's face doesn't move a muscle from his bland, bored smile as Naraku berates him.

"I was doing as you asked, watching. They have retreated to recuperate. There has been no movement," Byakuya tells the spider hanyou blithely.

"And the dog?" Naraku asks, his features twisting into a sick smile.

"He has made no moves either, merely playing with his new sword."

Naraku's grin grows wider before he whirls around to look away from his incarnation. "Good. Very good. We will move soon. Inform Magatsuhi."

Kagome steps back, her eyes wide as she turns to look at Sesshoumaru, her hand flying out to grab his. "He doesn't know. Byakuya… Naraku doesn't know." Kagome looks down at their entwined hands for a moment before throwing her free arm around Sesshoumaru's neck and pressing her lips to his. With a bright laugh, she turns to Kimiko. "Naraku doesn't know! We need to get back to tell the others. Byakuya set this up and now we have a chance." Kagome babbles as she steps back, her arm sliding down until only her hand was pressed to Sesshoumaru's neck.

Sesshoumaru's eyes flick to his mother, drawing Kagome's gaze to see the elder inu laughing behind her sleeve. "Oh, my son. You chose well. A word of advice, however. Complete the bond before the battle. Prevent yourselves centuries of sorrow and isolation," Kimiko says solemnly before turning and striding away from the couple.

"What did she mean?" Kagome asks when they're alone, watching Sesshoumaru's face as he openly drank her in before tugging her closer and kissing her. She sighs into the affection, her hands moving to thread her fingers into his hair, as she feels his settle on her back, holding her close. When they pull back to catch their breath, she asks again, brushing her fingers down his jaw.

"A mating bond. It would tie us together. It would prevent you from being separated from me. It would-"

"Keep the jewel from locking me away in the future," Kagome cuts in. She'd shared her fear with him of being kept in one time or the other, with no way to see either side again.

"It would also extend your life to match mine," he adds, lifting a hand to brush her bangs back. Kagome leans into the touch, giving him a small smile.

"So, if we complete the bond, I'll be kept here, but I'll be able to see my family again. Barring any unforeseen accidents," she surmises.

"Correct."

"Okay." It's all she can say. She knows what she feels, knows what her instincts have been telling her since they first kissed, and what they're telling her now. She'll miss her family, but she'll see them again.

"You are sure?" he asks her softly, his brushed gold eyes betraying how much he wants her to confirm it again.

"Absolutely. First, though, we need to tell the others. And I need to tell my family goodbye. After that, we'll deal with Magatsuhi and Naraku. Easy as pie," Kagome says with a laugh.

"Such a strange creature," Sesshoumaru drawls as he leans in to capture her lips with his again.

"Mm, but I'm your strange creature, so-"

He cuts her off with another kiss. "Indeed, you are."