Under the Mistletoe by pclark

Between Christmasses

I DO NOT WANT ANONYMOUS REVEIWS!!!!

Disclaimer:  I do NOT own Inuyasha and Co.  I wish I did but that wish will never be.

Authors Note:  Here is a little Christmas treat. 

(Sesshomaru-Early Spring)

"There goes another one." thought Sesshomaru, as he leaned casually against a nearby tree.

Before him walked a servant and two of his soldiers with massive cloth bags that his odd little mate had filled up with what she called "nessecities" from her time.  He really didn't know what they were for, but if she had to have these things and they made her happy so be it.

The only thing that he had been told was that the items had to do with a holiday from the future that she called Chris-Mass.  This Chris-Mass was very important to his mate for she had cried all winter about it. The only comfort he could give her was to let her talk about it. 

He had been amazed about some of the things she had told him about, like the meaning of mistletoe, he liked the idea of kissing her where ever this plant was hung.  So he had told her that she could have this Chris-Mass, and everything that went with it.

After telling her this she stopped crying and got to work on lists of everything that she was going to need.  One week had passed and she came to his study all smiles and announced that she was going to need greenhouses, lots of them and a few needed to be as big as him in his beast form.  He had been floored when he had asked "What for?" she had simply said "Chris-Mass".

So he had went to his master builder and ordered many greenhouses built with a few as big as his beast. 

Two weeks later when they had retired for the night she had asked for the stables to be made larger with over 500 stalls added. When he asked "What for?" She had smiled, snuggled into him, and simply said "Chris-Mass".  So the next day he went to the master builder who had not finished the greenhouses yet and ordered that the stables be added on to and there to be 500 stalls readied.  The master builder had went pale and said "yes my lord" in a strangled voice.

"There goes another one." he thought as another servant and soldiers went by with more bags.

He was really curious as to what was in these bags.  He could smell many things that he had never smelled before and wondered what they could be.  But he knew that if he tried to get a peek his mate would be mad at him.  And he was not in the mood to face her wrath; she was scary when she was angry.  When she was angry it usually led to many things such as subjugation beads or being threatened with the worst threat to male kind.

NO MATING! 

She had done that on two occassions.  The first had been about education.  After they had been mated for two months Kagome had come to him with an idea.  Her idea was that education would be available to all children; be they demon, hanyou, or human.

Of course he being who he was, stuck his foot in his mouth.  He had forgotten that his mate was human and had said that no hanyou or human should be on equal ground with knowledge as a demon.  For they were superior.  The moment he had said that her aura had sparked and she was yelling.  He was in trouble.

Words were coming out of her mouth he had no understanding of.  When she was through she told him that she had cursed at him in four different languages.  Then told him that "This HUMAN," knows more than the mighty "DEMON LORD."  Then she stormed off.

That night when he had went to bed she was nowhere to be found.  He had went to look for her and found her in the bed with Rin.  He had looked at her and she seen him and had ordered him out and that he could sleep alone until he remembered that he had mated a human.  That had taken a week for him to swallow his pride and apologize.

The second occassion he just really didn't care to remember what he had done to piss her off.  He only remembered that he had stuck his foot in his mouth again and that that time she didn't sleep with him for a month.  Even after he had apologized.

He shuddered at the rememberance of those occassions.  When she was angry she even scared him, just a little.  His tiny mate sure had disrupted his orderly life.  About a week ago she had sent a letter to his mother inviting her to come to the palace.  Of all people why his human hating mother. 

He was concerned with what would happen when she showed up.  But Kagome had said not to worry that women were more suited to the matters that they had to discuss, and hopefully his mother wouldn't take one look at her and kill her.

"There goes another one.  How many more bags are going to come out of that well?" he thought. 

He was settled on the roots of the Goshinboku as he watched all that was going on when he picked up the scent of his brother.

A low growl slipped from him at the thought of his irritating brother showing up.  He did not need Inuyasha going stupid and getting into Kagome's bags.  He really hoped that Inuyasha's mate Shiori was with him or that even the monk and slayer were not far behind so they could help contain his curiosity.  He couldn't tell at the moment with all of the new smells.

Inuyasha landed about ten feet from him with Shiori clinging to his back.

"Oi, Sesshomaru, where is Kagome?" he said.

It took almost everything he had not to roll his eyes at the stupid half-breed. 

"Inuyasha, behave. I'm sure that he is only waiting for her to come out of the well." Shiori said to her mate. 

"Good day, Lord Sesshomaru."  Shiori spoke mostly politely and gave a respectful bow to her esteemed brother-in-law. 

"Atleast she has manners."  Sesshomaru thought.

Shiori slowly approached her mate and softly scratched him behind his ear as she said "Let's go sit down and wait for her return." 

As she turned and walked away, Inuyasha followed close behind her.  They sat down a little ways away from Sesshomaru and conversed quietly.  Leaving Sesshomaru to muse.

Thank the Kami for Shiori, she maybe a half-breed but could keep Inuyasha in line with only a word or a touch.  She was also very polite.  He remembered the day that the little half bat youkai had shown up at the palace.  It had been snowing and very cold when she stumbled into the main gate and begged to speak with Kagome. 

When Kagome took one look at Shiori she had ordered her to be taken inside and provided with food and a place to get warm and rest.  She had slept for three days, on the third day she spoke to Kagome and himself for a couple of hours. 

The villagers from the village she had lived at with her mother had attacked her.  A terrible sickness had fallen upon the village.  Everyone but Shiori had caught the sickness, even Shioris' mother.  The villagers had learned that she was healthy and blamed her for the sickness.

Saying that she had placed a curse on them, causing the disease that was slowly killing them.  The ones that had enough strength to do her harm came after her.  Her mother told her to go to the cave of the demon bats, that she would be safe there.

She had done as she was told and then her mother died.  One of the village men came to the edge of the water and had yelled it to her.  Telling her that her curse had killed her own mother, that she was a heartless half demon.  After the man had left Shiori came out of the cave and made to go to the village.

The villagers had been waiting for her and she fled to the west when she saw that they were meaning to attack her.  She had run the whole way to the Western palace; she didn't eat or sleep until she got there and fell asleep the moment her head touched the pillow in the room Kagome had set up for her.

"Inuyasha leave those alone."  Shiori said breaking Sesshomaru out of his musings.

He looked up to see Inuyasha trying to get a look inside of one of the bags that and Shiori had him by the ear pulling him away from them.  Then Jaken started squawking.

"Stay out of those.  They are My Lady Kagomes' and she wishes for no one to look in them."  he said regally.

Inuyasha started to lay a fist to Jakens' head when a low growl stopped him.

"That's enough, Kagome has said that if one bag was opened then she would purfiy the one who opened it." stated Sesshomaru.

Inuyasha backed off and returned to his seat waiting for Kagome to return.  He sure hoped she returned soon, and brought alot of ramen.

A bright blue light engulfed the clearing as another bag and Shippo popped out, when he looked around he saw Inuyasha going after one of the bags.

He said "Inu, stay away from all those bags or mama will not only sit you but purfiy you too."

As Inuyasha grumbled Shippo looked to Sesshomaru.

He said "Only a few more and then we will be through." after that he jumped back into the well.

Moments later Shippo was emerging again and was then followed by another blue light, Kagome was back.  He waited a few moments for her to emerge but she didn't.  He listened and all he heard was Kagome sigh heavily and he smirked.  She was going to call him in 5.. 4.. 3.. 2.. 1....

"Sesse, get me out."  she called.

He stood gracefully and walked to the well and hopped in.  She was standing in the bottom with the bags she was bringing back.  It seemed they were too heavy for her to bring out while climbing. 

"Heavy?"  he asked.

"Yes, now please get me out."  she said, pouting.

He grabbed the bags from her and pulled her to him and jumped out of the well.  What was in these bags?  They smelled like animals but he wasn't sure, they also smelled of many things he had never smelled before.

He sat her down on the ground and looked at the bag and smelled it.  He still couldn't tell what was in them but he was really curious.  He wanted to look but the warning look Kagome was giving him was enough to make him supress the urge. He wanted to lie with his mate that night and if he ignored that look he wouldn't be getting anything.

He handed her back the bags and she gave them to another servant along with instructions as to what to do with the items.

"Please, be very careful with these they are extra special." Kagome said with a brilliant smile.

The servant like all the staff, soilders, youkai, hanyou, and humans at the palace loved Kagome.  They thought she was a Tenshi placed on earth.

She made every servant feel like family, and they were completely devoted to her.  When Kagome was upset about anything the servants automatically blamed him and several of the old dames were quick to tell him to make her happy no matter what.

Sesshomaru was brought out of his thoughts when the sweet smell of his mate assualted his senses as she came closer to him with a huge smile on her face. With that smile on her face he knew that she was up to something and he was going to find out.  As he pulled her closer he started that delightful purr that she couldn't resist and cuddled her close breathing in her scent deeply then he spoke.

"Mate, what are you up to and why has my mother been invited to the palace?" he asked.

With wide innocent eyes she looked at him and told him with a smile "I'm up to Christmas."

As she snuggled into his chest he had the overwhelming feeling that whatever this "Chriss Mass" was, it would effect every person in the western lands forever.  Soon he had everyone on their way back to the castle so that his mate could take care of her many bags and maybe  he could find out what was in some of them especially the ones that smelled of strange animals.

 He never did get to see anything, as soon as he got them all to the castle he was shooed away as all the servants, the gardeners stablehands and the cooks descended on his mate.  Even Jaken was given a job.  To make sure he didn't try to get sneaky and take a peek at what she was doing.

He was also forbidden to go into certain areas of the garden the stables and the kitchen. She had placed guards at all of the places that he was not allowed to go.  When he went to her and demanded she tell him what was going on she had simply told him "Chriss-Mass."

A couple of weeks later Sesshomaru was in his study waiting to hear that his mother had arrived.  He still was very uneasy about his mother coming to his palace especially now that Kagome had invited her friends from Inuyashas' village.

He had asked her why she had invited them when she knew his mother was coming and she told him that all of the ladies had matters to discuss together.  She had also told him that he couldn't know what those matters were as of yet.  He had scowled at her and she just ran her fingers through his hair and kissed him.  He did not like not knowing what was going on.

His thoughts were disrupted by a loud knock on his study door.

"Enter."  he said.

Jaken entered and announced, "  My Lord your Lady Mother is here and is waiting in the family wing." 

"Thank you.  You may go, Jaken."  he said.

"Yes, My Lord."  Jaken said and bowed as he left.

Sesshomaru sighed and stood to leave the room and began to make his way to the family wing.  He knew what room she would be in.  The sitting room and she was there.  He looked around to see if Kagome was there and she wasn't.  He sighed, relieved and entered.

"Mother.  I see that you have arrived.  I hope you have been well."  he said.

"Yes I have.  Sesshomaru, dear, I was invited here by your mate and yet she isn't here to greet me.  Is she ill?"  his mother, Midori said.

"No mother, she is in the garden.  A servant has been sent to fetch her."  he said.

"I see."  she said.

He sat across from his mother and they conversed lightly as they waited for Kagome to arrive.  She didn't make them wait long before she made her appearance.

"My Lady."  she said and bowed her head slightly to Midori.

"Darling." Kagome said and seated herself beside Sesshomaru.

Midori inclined her head at Kagome to show a little respect.  She wasn't pleased that her son had mated a human and a priestess on top of that.  There was only one human that she even liked remotely and that was Rin, and she had killed her once and then brought her back to the world of the living.

"Sesse, darling I need to speak with your mother alone, so if you will?"  Kagome asked.

Sesshomaru nodded, stood, and departed.  Soon after his departure, Sango, Kaede, Shiori, and Rin all entered the room.

"Now that we are all here, I can tell you something, My Lady."  Kagome said. She placed a barrier around the room so that none of the servants, Sesshomaru, or anyone else could hear.

"That is?"  Midori asked.

Kagome smiled and sat there quietly.  Midori looked at her and then something registered.  Kagomes' scent had changed.  Realization had hit her, she had had a barrier around herself blocking her scent.  But it couldn't be,a human could only have half-demons with a demon.

"I see that you know.  But I also see that you want to know why I carry a demon and not a half demon."  Kagome said, as she replaced the barrier around herself.

Midori nodded her head.  She was very curious as to why that was.

"I am the Shikon Miko, the pure heart miko, I can choose whether it will be full, half, or human.  I am giving your son a full demon child.  That is why I called you here, I need your help on how to care for myself while I am pregnant."  Kagome said.

"Yes, I will help."  Midori told her, a huge smile on her face.

 "Oh, this is grand. I'm getting a grandpup."  Midori added.

"Thank you.  I want to keep it a secret and surprise Sesshomaru for Christmas."  Kagome said.

"What's Chriss-mass?"  Midori asked.

Kagome launched into what Christmas was and Midori was fascinated.  She wanted to see what Kagome had in store for this holiday she loved so very much.

"I see.  Yes well I will be required to stay here and you know this will be very close?"  she said.

"I know but it will be a surprise he will never forget.  Also the whole palace is going to need to be changed and redecorated. The whole northern wing will be yours to do with as you see fit and any servants you need to bring, or guards. I will also beg your assistance in the redecorating of the nursery. I would like you to be very close to the pup and spend quality time with him or her, so if there is no objection we will have a new corridor built between the northern and western wings for easy access."  Kagome said.

Midori smiled at her.  She liked Kagome, she really did.  She was so happy that Sesshomaru had picked such a wonderful girl as his mate, even if she was human but now everything changed.

At that moment a knock was heard and Sango answered the door, then ushered a servant in that was carring a tray with tea and what Kagome refered to as sugar cookies in for all the ladies, then she left.

As Kagome poured tea she introduced the others.

"My lady these are a few of my friends they are here to help with everything. This is Sango, she is a demon slayer and she only fights the evil ones, the good ones she leaves alone; she is married to a perverted monk named Miroku."  Kagome said.

"Hey, he is not that bad now. He has toned down some of his pervertedness." replied Sango with a smile.

"Yeah right, just keep away from his hands or he will grab your butt. Atleast he has quit asking every female to bare his children." Kagome always quick with a reply said and snickered.

"Touga was like that.  Every female that would walk by he had to grab her ass. Made me so mad."  Midori said with a far away look in her eyes.

Kagome knew that look.  It was the same look she had for Sesshomaru, it was the look of love that will never be forgotten. She wondered if there was anyway to.

"I'll speak to Jaken he will know for sure, if not he can find out."  she thought.

"Oh this is Shiori, she is Inuyasha's mate and she makes him toe the line."  Kagome introduced Shiori to Midori  "She will be helping with the barriers that will keep certain people out while we get everything planned."

Shiori gave Midori a small bow, but she was very shy around new people.  Being a half demon was hard when hardly anyone wanted you alive.

"I believe I knew your father he was an honorable demon, his father was the worlds biggest baka.  I have some stories you might like to hear about your father and my brother, we will talk about them and maybe you won't be so shy. Now that mate of yours is he still as brash and arrogant as ever?" Midori asked with a small smile.

"Yes, my lady he is. I'm still working on him but he is so stubborn." Shiori smiled she loved Inuyasha very much but sometimes he was so aggravating.

"Well so was his father, I'll give you some pointers on what to do to get him in line and stay there." Midori replied.

Inuyasha had been the bane of her existance. If not for his mother Izayoi, her mate would not have betrayed her and would not have died. Inuyasha was the reminder of the loss of her mate and she had held that against him, maybe it was time to let that go.

Kagome watched as Midori offered to help Shiori wrangle in Inuyasha and thought it must be hard for her to see Inuyasha and know that her mate had left her for another.  This made Kagome more determined to find a way to fix this broken family and she would get Jaken to help her.

"Oh Kaede this is Sesshomaru's lady mother. She is going to stay and help with the pregnancy and I hope never to leave unless she needs a vacation to get away from all of us." Kagome smiled as she introduced them.

"It is my pleasure to meet ye, ye would have to be Sesshomaru's mother, such beauty.  I see where he gets his good looks." Kaede said.

Kaede spoke in the old ways, but Midori had no problem with the old one, she had respect for the old miko.  She would speak to this one about human reproduction and what to expect when it came to Kagomes' pregnancy and together they would make sure that this pup would be healthy and carried to full term.

"You are a miko and a midwife no doubt?" Midori asked.

"Aye that I be, and between ye and I this pup will be brought into this world healthy and screaming it's head off." Kaede said with a laugh.

"Now Kagome might get a little uppity when we have to put her on bed rest and Sesshomaru will get suspicous and I don't have a clue how to handle that without getting myself killed, so I'll leave him to ye. Ye know ye son better than anyone."  said Kaede.

"I do.  He will be very trying but he will not want to fight with me in front of Kagome."  Midori said.

"No he won't.  He never liked to fight with you in front of me."  Rin piped in.

"Hello Rin.  She is right.  Even before you he hated to fight with me."  Midori said.

"So he will be on his best behavior."  Rin said.

"He will be an obidient little puppy."  Sango joked.

They all started to laugh at images of Sesshomaru as a dog, rolling around and begging for a treat.  When he recieved it he would wag his tail, popped in their heads.

"Yes he will.  My son is still a pup you know?"  Midori said.

"Huh, he is still a child?"  Kagome asked.

"In a way yes.  Inu demons aren't fully grown until they reach a thousand years."  she said.

"I am a cougar and a pedophile."  Kagome wailed, pretending to be upset.

"Kagome your not a demoness."  Rin said matter of factly

"What's a ped-io-file?"  Sango asked in all seriousness

"I'm an adult, my mate is a child.  Its when an adult has sexual contact with a child.  Its illegal where I come from, for I am considered an adult and Sesse is a child by your terms, where I come from I would go to prison for having sex with a child."  she wailed again.

"Uh Kagome dear where do you come from for you to go to prison for having sex with your mate?" asked Midori.

She had never heard of such a thing as this.  She knew for a fact that even humans married there daughters off young and that some even betrothed their sons and daughters before they were even born.

" Yeah you don't know. Okay what I'm about to tell you may be hard to believe but I have proof so don't think I'm crazy." Kagome said with a smile.

"Okay." Midori braced herself.

What she heard she didn't expect and almost fell off the high pillows she was sitting upon.

"I'm from about 500 years in the future." Kagome spoke sincerely.

Midori was so shocked she just sat there and stared at Kagome. She could tell she was telling the truth because she couldn't sense any change in her scent.  What she didn't understand was how this could be.

What a treasure this human was turning out to be and to think her son was mated to the wonderful girl. Surely her son knew what a treasure he held in his hand and to top it off she was the Shikon Miko. But wait a minute was this even possible how could anyone come from the future.

"How?"  she asked.

Kagome sighed and launched into her tale.  Beginning with Kikyo and Inuyasha to when she was fifteen and Mistress Centipede pulling her down the well.

"So this well in Edo is a passage between our times?"  she asked.

"Yes it is.  But the well won't be open much longer.  I want to go see my family one last time before it closes.  I want Sesse to come with me just incase it closes on us, that way he won't go crazy if we get seperated."  she said.

"That is wise."  Midori said.

"But I would like for you to come with me, too."  she said.

Midori didn't know what to say.  Her?  Go to the future?  With her son and daughter-in-law?  Would that be a grand idea?  She wanted to go but she wasn't sure what she would find.  Would she like the future or would it be worse than this time period that she resided in?  But she was very curious.

"I will accompany you and my son to the future.  I am curious as to what the future looks like."  she said.

"Wonderful.  When we are there I need to take you to a little shop that makes the most beautiful hand painted silk kimonos."  Kagome said.

Midori smiled at her.  She was sure happy about something so simple as her coming along.  Something so small could make her so happy.

"So here is what I thought we could do over the next few days.  We will go through the whole palace room by room from the dungeons to the towers everything will be fixed and upgraded and completely redecorated; there needs to be new furniture, wall hangings, linens, even the servants will be given new clothes that is to their status." Kagome looked at Midori

"Will you help me, especially with the dungeons, I do not like the idea of any pups getting down there and seeing the things that goes on down there. I would like for them to be moved away from the palace and put under heavy guard." she said.

Midori saw the logic in this and she would see to it they were moved she also didn't want any of her grandpups to see the atrocits that went on in the dungeons with the prisoners.

"Yes, I absolutely agree no child ever needs to seen that kind of thing, but what will you do with all of that space, and it will have to be thourghly cleaned for months on end to get all of the smells and other unmentionables out?"  Midori said.

"Oh that is the easy part I'll simply purify everything and then the whole place will be turned into storage, workrooms for the drying of herbs, maybe the top floor of the dungeons where there are some windows for more servants quarters, oh and a giant freezer. But everything down there is going out or I'll have Sesshomaru's head there will be no torturing going on anymore I'll not have my pups emotionally and mentally scared." Kagome stated firmly and every woman agreed with her, the children were more important than anything else.

"You leave Fluffy to me. He will see things my way or mommy will do what mommy does best and spank the living daylights out of him." Midori said with fire in her eyes nothing will stand in the way of this precious girl and her grandpups safety and happiness she will see to that.

The talking went on all afternoon and into the night.  The males in the palace didn't know what to think there were six females in one room and there was not one scream for help or the sounds of a blood bath taking place.  Only the few sounds of laughter and whispered voices of said ladies.

Sesshomaru POV

He was worried at one point he had felt a barrier go up around the room his mother and mate was in, not knowing that the other females were in there too; he raced to the room thinking that something terrible was about to happen like his mate being killed by his mother.  Then he felt the barrier drop and felt all the auras of the ladies and his mothers, which was absolutely giddy with happiness and his mates was, too.

With that he turned and went back to his study, happy that they were getting along. The next few days his world turned completely upside down as all six of the ladies wreaked havoc to his whole palace.  The only rooms not touched were his study and Kagomes' and his bedchambers.

His mother had announced at breakfast the day after her arrival that she would be staying and that she would take up residence in the northern wing.  Her guards and servants would be on their way as soon as the cloud palace was shut up and her things moved here.

When he started to say something his little mate jumped to her feet and went to his mother and embraced her in a hug and said that she was welcome to stay as long as she liked.  He didn't know what to think but thank the Kami that they were getting along then his mother said that a few changes needed to be made and that they would be redecorating.

He agreed, then she pulled out a scroll that she had in her kimono sleeve and when she unrolled it, it went across the table and onto the floor and across the whole room and it still was not finished.  The roll at the end was atleast 2 to 3 inches thick. What had he agreed to?

By the end of summer the palace had returned to normal after his mother and mate had finished.  The palace was absolutely stunning; the three top floors of the southern wing had been cleaned out of his concubines, not that he went to them anyway.  Since he had mated Kagome she was all that he needed.  He just didn't want the concubines to be killed or turned out with nowhere to go.

His mate had solved that problem she had called all of them, himself, and his mother to the grand audience chambers. When they were all present she quietly asked if they had a place to go if they wanted to leave?  When the women looked at the Lady of the West they had fear in their eyes.  They were afraid they were about to be killed.

When Kagome realized this she told them that they were not going to die, she just wanted to know if they had a place to go if they wanted to leave or if they wanted to stay.  They could work here in the palace and finally have a mate and pups of their own. When the concubines heard this the fear left their eyes to be replaced with tears of gratitude.

Only 5 chose to leave, their families would let them return home and still have their honor.  The others chose to stay in the palace and serve the new Lady of the West in any position she allowed. With that done the southern wing was turned into a school for the children and a massive library. 

Kagome, his mother, and the other ladies brought in several scholars, and sent scouts out to find any that knew other languages to be brought to the palace to teach the children.  Youkai builders of every kind to see to the rooms were turned into the school rooms that Kagome had set up by the time all of the children turned five years of age.

They were to be educated, the younger children were on the floor above the library, the older children were on the top two floors. All were to learn science, history, mathematics, foriegn languages, and many other lessons that Kagome thought were nessecary.  The older children were allowed to go to the training grounds that, were located outside the southern wing; where his soilders trained them to fight incase the western palace were to be under seige.

The way Kagome thought it would be good to have everyone that lived there to be able to protect their home. As the soilders and servants began to see that the young ones were thriving in the studies and learning to do these things that they, themselves, had always wanted to do.  One of his generals came forth and asked if some of the adults could be taught these things.

When he was asked this he turned to his mate and she said yes that was when the school system was expanded into night school for all the adults, who wished to learn the same thing. The adults in the palace, servants and soliders, had lined up ready to go to school. Not one adult turned down this offer.  They wanted the education to use it to protect the west.

Sesshomaru devised a blood bond/curse.  Everyone that attended had to take this bond or they were turned out.  Not one person turned down this bond they wanted to protect the lady of the west and any pups she had. This bond was powerful; if anyone wanted to use this education to overthrow the Inu and his family they would die.  All of this happened in the first month that his mother was in the palace.

After the schooling system had been set up, the eastern wing; that was for when guest were in the palace was completely redecorated. This was when Kagome had sent Jaken on a Holiday.  They had been whispering for a few weeks and Sesshomaru had caught a few words here and there like, "Yes my lady, I will see what I can find out.  And, are you sure my lady this could be dangerous if I left for this long."

When asked what was going on he was told that Jaken was overworked and she wished for him to go on holiday for a few weeks to someplace that he could rest and relax but Jaken was being stubborn.  He thought the palace would fall to ruin without him there. That was when Sesshomaru had ordered Jaken to take Ah-Un and go on this "holly day" and get some rest.

With that said, Jaken packed his belongings and the next morning he left the palace with a hug from Rin and a few words to Kagome.  Saying he would not let her down and bring back what she needed. When questioned, Kagomes' only response was that she had told Jaken if he found anything interesting and educational for the children to bring it back. With that said they walked back inside the palace. If Sesshomaru had looked at his mate he would have seen a smirk gracing her lips.

After Jakens depature, the Northen wing was redecorated to his mothers liking and a new corridor was built between the western wing and the northen wing.  So she could come and see them without having to go through the whole palace. 

Then after that was done his mothers people showed up and chaos reined for hours getting everything settled and all of servants into their quarters and a new place decided on for the soilders barracks.  They would need those quarters completed with the dungeon being moved away from the palace.

When he had heard about the dungeons being moved, he had almost went beast not wanting the prisoners moved. He had easy access to them there at the palace.  All he had to do was walk down a few flights of stairs and he could interrogate them as he saw fit. Then his mate started to cry and his beast didn't like it when his mate cried or upset. 

He went to her and nuzzled her neck at his mating mark to calm her and himself down. Her scent always calmed his beast. When they were calm he asked why they wanted to move the dungeon?  They answered him and when he really listened he was in complete agreement he did not want any of his pups to see those things. 

(FLASHBACK)

He remembered when he was a pup he had slipped down to the dungeon looking for his father.  What he had seen had made him sick.  Two of the male prisoners had been engaged in sexual intercourse as he passed one of the doors.  Then he heard his father's voice, down the hall. He was demanding answers from a prisoner.  When he had approached the door that he had heared his father's voice coming from. 

He had looked threw a crack at the side of the door.  He saw his father, his beast had been close to the surface, his markings were withering on his cheeks, his fangs, and claws were elongated and his eyes were red.  They were fixated on the prisoner that was chained to the wall.

The prisoner was female, he could see her frontside, she had claw marks on her chest, stomach, and thighs. There were bruises all over her body, the shackles had dug into her wrists and ankles.  He could see the blood coming from where they had dug into her flesh. Her head had been down and her long brown hair was dirty and hung in clumps around her, where blood had dried.

When she lifted her head he saw that her face had been beaten beyond recognization.  She couldn't speak anymore, her lips were so swollen from being hit so many times.  There were bruises on her neck as if someone had tried to strangle her. Then his father had grabbed her by her hair and pulled her face close to his and snarled out the words that had destroyed all feelings he had for his father.

"IF TAKEMARU HAS LAID ONE FINGER ON IZAYOI AND MY PUP, I'LL COME BACK HERE AND KILL YOU. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?   AS MY MISTRESSES HANDMAIDEN YOU WERE SUPPOSE TO KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT.'' his father had calmed slightly and continued to hiss at her.

"Now because of you she might be killed along with my pup. My mate will most assuradly kill them both when she finds out that I have a mistress and another pup.  You were suppose to watch over them and protect them.  If you or she had sensed any danger you were suppose to contact me through Myoga.  Yet you spread your legs for Takemaru and listened to his sweet words of love and told him everything. Then he takes her and my unborn pup and holds them captive in his castle but he left you for dead didn't he?" his father slapped the woman and all she could do was groan out in misery as his father turned to leave.

He said as he reached the door, "Pray to the Kami that I can get them to safety and that I kill you quickly if not..." he left the threat hanging in the air.

Sesshomaru remembered leaving quickly so that his father would not see him and know that he had been listening to everything. His father had never known he had been there.  His father had left the palace to go save his whore and bastard telling his mother he would be patrolling the lands.

He also remembered that when he had found out that his father had been killed he had returned to the dungeon.  He had went straight to the dungeon room that his fathers' whores' handmaiden was being held.  He had killed her, slaughtered her mercilessly.  As far as he was concerned she had indirectly caused his fathers death and she paid with her life.

(End of Flashback)

When the memory faded he looked at his beloved mate and mother (she knew what he had remembered for he had told her.)

"The dungeons will be moved, you both are right no child needs to see what goes on there. When the new place is finished the prisoners will be moved at night after the children are asleep. Kagome you are right a child can be scared from witnessing such things. Forgive me mate for not understanding." He said as he buried his nose in her hair and breathed deeply of her scent.

"I forgive you." she replied as she snuggled close in his embrace. "Now we have something else to talk about, that is important."

"What is that mate." Sesshomaru questioned and wondered what could be more important than what they were doing.

"Well first we need to talk about Christmas okay. Then we need to figure out how to light the palace without open flames, and then we need to try to find the coldest room in the palace." Kagome looked around at Midori to see if she had any answers when all she got was a look of "I've no idea"  and then she looked at her mate.

"Kagome I have no idea how to light the palace without fire and no idea which room is the coldest maybe we need to ask your friends to help. And what about this Chriss-mass do we need to talk about?" he asked.

"Uh, oh yes, Midori could you send for the others they will need to hear this too?" she asked.

Kagome didn't want to leave her mates warm embrace as she allowed him to lead her to the beautiful chairs that she had placed in the family room in the western wing along with all kinds of other furniture he had never seen before. Kagome and his mother had done a beautiful job with the western wing it was a mix of both fedual era styles and future styles his mate had brought back from her time. He especially liked what she called a "cur-e-o" cabinet that held all sorts of jade figures that she had specially made for him in her time they looked like different youkai one in paticular looked just like him in his beast form it was the largest and was placed on the top shelf with a little sign that said,

"DO NOT TOUCH!  THIS MEANS YOU INUYASHA!"

Every time he saw this he would smile.  She made sure that he always had the little things in life that made him feel happy. He needed to let his mate and mother redo their bedchambers and his study.

"Mate could you and mother think about redoing our chambers and my study?" he asked.

"Oh, are you sure?  You'll be kicked out of your study for about a week and our chambers I already like them the way they are." Kagome said.

"Yes, I can always go to the small study in the library for a week.  It will not be a hardship, and what about a few changes in our chambers that will suit you, it's your chambers too." he said tightening his arms around her not ready to let her go when the others got there.

He could all sense the others coming down the hall. "The others are almost here, you know I am amazed that my mother has not killed the half-breed after all the times he has insulted her in one way or another."Sesshomaru said.

Kagome laughed at this remembering the time that Inuyasha and Midori had faced off over his manners at the dinning table.  It was hilarious.  Dinner had started as a quiet affair but quickly turned to shock and then to laughter.  It was Midoris' first night in the palace.

(FLASHBACK)

Everyone had sat down to dinner and was quietly conversing, all but Inuyasha.  Whom was missing in action for dinner, which was absolutely out of the ordinary.  But he wasn't missing for long.  He showed himself, five minutes into dinner and he immediately zeroed in on Midori.  He was also quite rude in addressing her presence.

"So Sesshomaru, how long is the bitch staying?" Inuyasha stated very hatefully as he addressed his brother.

There were several gasps and a couple of snarls aimed in his direction after his comment, Then Shiori spoke "Inuyasha do not address Lady Midori in such a way. She deserves your respect." Shiori was angry that her mate still needed to learn how to respect people and address them so.

Before anyone could react Midori had Inuyasha by one of his ears and was pulling him across the room to one of the available chairs against the wall.

"Let go, you hateful bitch."  Inuyasha howled.

"You need to learn some manners."  Midori said, never letting go of his ear.

When she got there she promptly sat down, jerked Inuyasha's hamaka's down and put him across her lap and spanked the living daylights out of him.  Inuyasha struggled but his hanyou strength wasn't anything compared to Midoris' taiyoukai strength.

"You should be ashamed of yourself.  Your mother was a princess, I believe she taught you some manners.  You disgrace her memory by acting like a neanderthal."  Midori said to him.

No one moved to help Inuyasha.  They just stared at the scene with their mouths hung open.  Kagome had glanced over at Sesshomaru to see that he was not going to make a move to help his little brother.  He wasn't even looking at them, he was looking at the table in front of him but she could see the small flicker of amusement in his eyes.

It was a few minutes before Midori stopped spanking the hell out of Inuyasha and knocked him out of her lap. She stood up and excused herself.

"I need to wash my hands, so please excuse me."  Midori said.

Inuyasha stood slowly, he was very embarrassed and everyone was quite sure that was the first time he had ever recieved a spanking in his life.  Inuyasha made his way to the table, after pulling up his hamaka's and sat meekly beside Shiori, who was glaring at him out of the corner of her eye.

No one spoke as they waited for Midori to return.  The silence was strained and was then interrupted by Shiori who

started laughing her ass off.  All of their gazes snapped over to her and thought she had lost her mind.

"What are you laughing at?"  Sango asked, a little concerned.

"I'm sorry I can't help it.  My mate just got his butt spanked and I can only say that it was about time."  she said.

"What?"  Miroku asked.

"Well look at him.  He is now silent, humble, and meek.  If I had known all it would have taken was him getting a spanking to make him mind, I would have suggested it a long time ago."  she said.

They all thought for a second and realized she was right.  All it had taken for Inuyasha to be quiet and mind his attitude was a good spanking.  They could see the humor in it all.  They began to laugh lightly but Sesshomaru and Inuyasha.

In the middle of their laughter Midori returned.  She looked at them, confused and made her way to her seat.  Their laughter died down when they noticed her arrival.  When she was seated she looked around at them.

"What is so funny?" she asked.

They explained what they had all found to be amusing, she smiled.  It was a little amusing to her, she looked over at Sesshomaru and saw the amusement in his eyes but he didn't have a smile on his face.  She wasn't the only one who noticed.  Inuyasha had noticed.

"Why aren't you laughing at me, too? Huh?  Why didn't you stop your mother? " he asked his brother.

Sesshomaru didn't answer but his mother did.

"Because he knows that if he had interfered I would have done the same to him.  I have done the same to him but he was much younger.  He does find what happened funny but he didn't laugh because he has experienced what you just have."  she said.

"You have?"  Kagome asked.

Sesshomaru didn't say a word.  He wasn't going to admit it.  But that didn't stop his mother from answering the question he didn't want to.  She began to regale them with stories of his childhood and the many times he had gotten into trouble.  Dinner had then became a very amusing event.

There had been a few more occasions that Midori had to spanked Inuyasha, but none of them was as hilarious as the first time.

(FLASHBACK OVER)

All of their friends arrived with Midori right behind them.  When they had seated she began to tell them all what she needed to tell them.

"Alright now that you are all here I can get down to business about Christmas."  she said.

"What about Christmas, Kagome?"  Miroku asked.

"It is about the presents we have to get.  We all have to get something for each of us.  But the gifts have to be something from the heart.  Something special."  she explained.

"Do I have to get Inuyasha something from the heart as you say?"  Sesshomaru whispered in her ear.

"Yes you have to."  she said.

"Sesshomaru and I will be in charge of our servants and soldiers, while Midori will take care of her servants and soldiers.  Now you have to keep the presents a secret, no one is to know what the others have gotten.  That also means no peeking."  she said.

"Alright."  they said. Already everyone was thinking of what they wanted to get for everyone else.

"Uh, mama." Rin was a little confused she didn't have money to buy anthing for everybody, she didn't know what to do and she was afraid that they wouldn't want her anymore.

"Yes Rin" asked Kagome as she looked at her daughter when she saw the tears in the little girls eyes her heart broke.

Kagome pulled her daughter in to an embrace and asked her what was wrong.

"Mama, Shippo and I don't have money to buy gifts, will you and Sesshomaru-sama not want us anymore?" Rin asked with a choked sob thinking that the two people that she loved most in the world would not want her anymore.

"Oh no, Rin honey you don't have to buy any presents you and Shippo can make everyone their presents. You guys can draw pictures, string beads together, anything like that.  It only has to be from the heart, okay honey bear." Kagome snuggled the little girl close as Shippo came closer with relief in his eyes he wanted to get some attention from his mother too.

"Also everybody but Midori has to get something for Jaken, Jineji and his mother, Koga, Ayame, Ginta, Hakkaku, Totosai, Saya, Hachi, Monk Mushin, and Myoga. I've already sent letters to them notifing them of Christmas with a complete explanation and an invitation to come and share the Christmas Holiday with us."  she said.

"Aww why do we have to get anything for that mangy wolf?"  Inuyasha pouted.

"Because he is a friend of ours and is well more or less a part of our family."  she said.

"Whatever."  he said.

"Get over it."  she said.

Inuyasha huffed but stayed silent.  Especially with the look Kagome was giving him, the look that consisted of many sits if he opened his mouth.  He hated that look.  It was just as bad as the look his mate was also currently giving him, the one where she would grab his ear.  That really hurts.

"I have a problem that I need your assistance if possible."  Kagome said.

"Of course we will help anyway that we can."  Miroku said.

"Ok we need to find the coldest room in the palace, preferablely near the kitchen." she stated.

"Why would we need to do that for wench?" grumbled Inuyasha.

Then he heard two very defined growls one coming from Sesshomaru and the other from Midori.  Quickly he changed the question to.  He wasn't afraid of Sesshomaru but Midori was a different story.  The first few time she had spanked she had him she had left bruises on his ass that stayed there for a week.

"Why would we need to do that for Kagome?" he asked.

"Poor Inu he was really trying hard to mind his manners especially around Midori, She would not tolerate any misbehavior from him at all. He had gotten several spankings just for talking disrespectfully to her or myself and some of those spankings had to of left bruises, because the way he had sat down for a few days was funny."  thought Kagome as she snickered behind her hand.

"Well as four of you know, the humans have found a way to keep perishable food longer.  That is if we keep it cold. Remember the big box in my moms' kitchen?  When you would open the door, cold air would comes out?" she said looking between Midori, Sesshomaru, Inuyasha and Shippo.

"Yeah that's right grandma would keep those juice boxes in there that I liked so much and they were always cold."

Shippo jumped up exclaming.

"Thats right baby well if we could do that here with a room that is cold, we could keep all kinds of things longer. Plus the cooks wouldn't have to throw away so much food after it has been cooked.  All we would have to do is place it in the "refrigerator room" and it would keep for a few days longer and if we have another room that is not as cold as the "refrigerator room" we could also save tons of vegetables from our gardens, lots of raw meats, and fruits too." explained Kagome.

"Oh, and guess what else, when any one wanted to get a snack all they would have to do is go and get it without having to bother the cooks." When Kagome finished they were stunned. Humans in the future had found a way to preserve food longer.

"Kagome child what else has the humans from ye time done to keep food longer." asked Kaede.

"Well lets see you guys remember all the stuff I brought back from my time back in the spring?" As they nodded their heads she looked a little sheepish.

"I brought back all kinds of books on how to perserve foods like freezing, dehydrating and canning. The cooks and I have been working on all of the ways except freezing and by now we have the two bottom floors of the storage areas full and half of of the third floor. (Use to be the dungeon.) Now we need to start getting to the freezing part, then I can make all kinds of things like, juice for the pups at breakfast, meats of all kinds, and some ice cream for special occasions." she added.

When Sesshomaru heard all of this he was surprised, his little mate had stored food for the winter for the whole palace he would need to check the new storeroom out. He was proud of her, all the new things she had brought with her was to the benefit the Western lands and its' people.

"After we get the cold room, we will start working on filling the wine cellar with all kinds of spirits that the sake makers have been learning to do.  There will be wines, champagnes, tequlias, burbons, whiskeys, and all sorts of others that can be used for celebrations and medicinal purposes. Their is one called moonshine that is native to another country and it is as clear as water but will knock a human on their butt after just one drink.  I don't know what it will do to demons. Well anyways once we start putting in the vats and other things the pups will not be allowed anywhere near the cellar and guards will be posted to make sure." She said looking at Shippo and Rin.

"Aw ma, why not." gripped Shippo.

"Because young man, no son of mine is going to start drinking until I say, get it, got it, good." She said in a huff.

Every body chuckled at the face Shippo made, he knew to mind his mother or there would be hell to pay.  Kagome was scary when she was mad.

"Now back to the discussion not only do we need a cold room I would like to figure out how to light the palace without candles, torches, or open flames. Anybody have any ideas?" she asked.

"I have an idea."  Shiori spoke up shyly.

"Yes?" Kagome asked.

"In the cave of my father there are these beautiful crystals all along the walls, the floor, and the ceiling.  I had seen while I was there with my grandfather that some of the other demons could put some of their youkai in them and they would light up.  When I was there during that winter of the sickness; I myself was able to do it but only for short amounts of time."  she said.

"We could harvest them but we will have to be very careful as to not damage them or cause a cave-in.  Umm, Shiori how big are they?"  she asked.

"They aren't too big.  Some are very small and others are quite large."  she said.

"It will be dangerous to harvest them."  Kagome said.

"There is another way and it is similar to the stones but it can be dangerous to any with youkai, if ye are not careful."  Kaede added.

"Huh, what is it?"  Kagome asked.

"Ye may be able to make orbs of kei but you will have to be careful to leave out the holy part of your kei."  she said.

"How can I do that?"  she asked.

"Your kei can be divided.  The holy part, healing, and neutral.  The neutral is only for light.  To divide it will be very draining and when you master it you can make them float and they will stay lit as long as you are alive or as long as you see fit."  Kaede explained.

"Oh really, that sounds a little intense but I am sure that I can do it.  But I still have an idea on how to use some of Shoiris' crystals."  she said.

"Are you going to share this little idea or not?"  Inuyasha asked.

"Not yet.  I need to think on it some more."  she said.

"Alright, when you are done, tell us."  he said.

"I will.  Now I need a little alone time with my mate, so you know."  she said.

"Yeah, yeah.  You wanna suck his face off."  Inuyasha teased.

"Inuyashaaa!"  Shiori growled.

"Inuyashaaaa."  Kagome said in that sweet voice.

"Uhhhahh."  Inuyasha said.

"SIT."  Kagome said.

Inuyasha crashed and Midori laughed.  She loved to see him crash into the floor, it was almost as gratifying as when she spanked him.  When he came up from kissing the floor he was cursing and then he ran.  Midori was hot on his heels with the rest following behind to watch to see if the hanyou might actually get away from her, even though they highly doubted it.

Kagome shook her head as they all left and sighed as she turned around to look at Sesshomaru.  He had an amused look on his face over his mothers' and brothers' antics.  It always amused him to watch them.  But he did wonder how his mothers' patience never seemed to thin when it came to Inuyasha, it really did amaze him.

"Darling?"  Kagome interrupted.

"Hmmm."  he said.

"Hmm, you seem to be distracted."  she said.

"No, just watching."  he said.

"Alright now that you aren't distracted can we discuss something?"  she asked.

"Yes."  he said.

"Ok.  The idea I have for some of the crystals is to send some in the form of jewelry to the other Cardinal Lords and Ladies.  As you know Shiori maintains the barrier around our land.  So I was thinking that we can invite the others for our Christmas celebration and instead of powering down the entire barrier the crystals can have our power in them and they can cross through without powering down the whole thing."  she said.

"That sounds reasonable.  But why would we invite the other Lords?"  he asked.

"For the Winter Solstice.  It is a few days before Christmas and it would also be a nice gesture.  They can stay from the solstice until a day after Christmas.  It will show you bear them no ill will."  she said.

Sesshomaru thought about what she said and was pleased even more with his choice of mate.  She was brilliant. Who else but she would have thought to use the crystals that way and try to make their home, well the way she was making it.  There was too many things to think about at once that she was doing for the good of their lands.

"We will leave in the morning to go look at your crystals."  he said.

"Really?"  she asked.

"Yes, I like the idea of no candles and open flame around children.  We have enough open flames with Shippo practicing his fox fire."  he said.

Kagome smiled.  She was going to have a busy day tomarrow and she better get some rest.  Being pregnant was not going to make this trip any easier.  Oh well there wasn't anything she could about it now, without blowing her surprise.

Authors Note:  WOW!! I know this is a very looooong chapter.  But this is only chapter one, think about the next

chapter.  Hope you enjoy!