Be there for me

Chapter 10



Jaken waved his staff of the two heads at Rin as the little girl tried to put a flower crown over his head.



"No Rin, I don't feel like it." said the little imp with just a hint of whine in his voice. He still hadn't heard from the lord, and he wasn't in the mood for silly little games at the moment.



"Come on, Master Jaken-sama. Just wear it. Pretty please, for me?" asked Rin, her eyes going wide in what Jaken referred to as her demon form, for no human could possibly have an effect on a imp as those wide eyes did.



"Oh, all right Rin." submitted Jaken as he stopped running around and lowered his head. He was used to this routine by now. Rin would now go out back into the flower field and pick more of their petals, and make more crowns, each one slightly different than the last, no two exactly alike. He wished there was someway to avoid looking like a pussy, going around wearing tons of flower crowns.



A distinct buzzing sound came to the attention of his ears. At once he knew it to be a potential source of salvation as well as potential trouble down the long road. Either way, he had to spring into action now before Rin ran back out into the flower garden.



"Rin, stay back." commanded the little imp, with a hint of nothing even remotley not serious in his voice. His eyes sought out the offending insect, and to his delight, he found it collecting pollen from one of the flowers. While this meant that it probably wasn't one of Naraku's breeds, the Saimyosho was still dangerous, and needed to be dealt with. Jaken took a step forward, and placed his staff pointed tip on the ground.



"Behold the power of the staff of two heads." the trademark announcement before he let loose the power of the staff spewed from his lips, even though the bee couldn't care less as it went about it's tasks. A moment later however, it and the entire flower garden was roasted into a pile of ashes. Looking satisfied with his work, Jaken turned back to look at the little girl standing behind him. His smug expression was totally erased by the sad look on her face.



'Oh no, she wouldn't......'



But she did.



Tears escaped down Rin's cheeks as she started sobbing. "Jaken, why did you have to destroy the whole flower garden? Don't you like my flower crowns?" the little girl demanded in between her silent sobbing.



"I...I didn't mean to Rin. There was a poision insect there, and I couldn't let it harm you...." stuttered the little toad as he tried to comfort the little girl. He could just imagine himself becoming test fodder again for Tokijin and Tensiega should Sesshomaru come back to find Rin crying at his fault. Sweat began to drip down his head and collect on the ground below.



And speaking of the devil....



"Jaken, explain yourself." commanded a silent and cold voice from behind him.



The little toad went ramrod stiff and turned slowly, to the sight of his lord, cradling a human girl in his arms, standing behind him. Although normally the first to notice him bringing back companions, Jaken's attention was totally focused on the penetrating gaze that his lord held on him.



"Uhh....Lord Sesshomaru....Welcome back, milord." said the imp as he recovered from his shock, and dropping the staff to the ground, made haste to bow before the great dog demon.



"Jaken, the flower garden?" inquired the lord, his patience starting to wear thin.



"Yes well, there was a Saimyosho in it, and fearing for the safety of this one's Rin, and not wanting that insidious plotter Naraku spying on us, this one took care of the insect, but also destroyed the entire garden in the process....heh...." explained Jaken as fat drops of sweat once again started to pour down his body.



The last thing Jaken remembered seeing was his lord's boot connecting with his head, before his world became one of blackness intermingled with pretty stars....



"Next time, take care not to be so careless." added Sesshomaru as he walked past the punished toad with the human still in his arms. She started to stirr a little bit, before a smile graced the features of her serene face.



"Honestly. I think you and Inuyasha are more alike than you know." said Kagome, thinking of how Inuyasha treated Shippou sometimes. In the next instant, Kagome became fully awake as she felt herself falling through the air, and a moment later her posterior came into contact with the rough and hard ground.



"Ow....." exclaimed the miko as she rubbed her sore bottom with her right arm. Opening her eyes, she glared daggers at Sesshomaru, standing above her, when she exclaimed, "What did you do that for?"



"You will refrain from making such ridicolous comparisons." said Sesshomaru. His attention turned upwards as Rin ran up to stand next to the fallen Kagome. The little girl, despite having dried tears on her cheeks, seemed to be as joyful as ever, no doubt happy to see her lord returned in one piece.



"Lord Sesshomaru, was your journey a safe one, milord?" asked Rin, before her eyes fell down to where Kagome lay sitting on the ground, still rubbing her butt.



"It was, Rin. And I have brought for you a companion." replied Sesshomaru, looking between the little girl and Kagome, who herself looked up to see Rin standing there.



"Kagome!" exclaimed Rin as she ran to hug the miko sitting on the ground. Shifting herself to where she was sitting on her knees, Kagome returned the embrace, glad to see that the little girl was still alive and well. What Hakudoshi could have wanted with this girl, she had no idea. The reminder of the little kid of evil though brought back the events of the past several days, and Kagome's head lowered as she was once again overcome by the emotional weight of what all had happened.



Rin could sense the change in her emotions, and taking a step backwards to give her a little space, looked into her eyes. However, although Rin suspected she was putting up a false front, Kagome looked up and smiled at the little girl.



"Rin, are there any other flower gardens around here?" asked the miko in a kind voice. Rin nodded, and pointed off to the left, back towards the castle.



"Then why don't you go ahead and start picking flowers. I'll be along shortly, and I'll show you how to make some exotic flower crowns." said Kagome. With excitement blossoming on her features, Rin turned around and took off running back towards the castle, holding her arms out away from her sides in her imitation of flying, as she began to hum a little bit.



Sighing, Kagome stood, turning to look back towards the dog demon. Letting her head hang down again, she walked until she was standing right before him.



"Sesshomaru, why did you bring me here?" asked Kagome, in a now brittle and dead of emotions voice.



"You wanted to see Rin, did you not?" he returned her question in the form of his own question.



"That doesn't matter. By bringing me here, you've place both Rin and Jaken in mortal danger. Everywhere I go, Naraku and his minions will follow me, making life a living hell for those who are around me. Besides, I want to see my family again, even if it's for the last time. I need...I need to go..." explained Kagome, as she walked past the demon lord and began to head towards the forest.



Her progress however, was immediatly stopped by a clawed arm wrapping around her waist. She stiffened as the hand tightened it's grip on her belly, and Kagome felt herself being pulled backwards, until she came into contact with Sesshomaru's kimono and his hard body.



"Let go of me." she commanded, in a voice that said she didn't really want to argue about the point. Her head was still lowered, making it to where Sesshomaru could not see the slight tinge of red or the beginnings of tears forming in her eyes. But what he could not see, he could smell and sense well enough.



"Why?" he countered.



"Because, because I don't belong here." answered Kagome, still struggling to escape his grasp.



"Oh? And you think you belong with Naraku?" he again countered, his voice still cold.



Kagome hissed softly at the mention of his name out loud, but stopped struggling to escape his hold on her mid-section.



"No, it's not that. I don't belong with him at all. But if I give myself to him, even in deciet, he'll let my family go, and then I'll just..." added Kagome, before she could no longer continue.



"Escape? Kill yourself? Do you really think that once you are in his posession, that you will be able to escape? That he would let you escape?" said Sesshomaru. He was starting to tire of this woman's poor lack of judgement in what she was supposed to do.



"That doesn't matter though...." she said in a soft voice....



"And do you think, do you honestly think that Naraku will let your family go? He does not have such compassion or caring to honor his demands, little miko. Once he has you, he will either kill them himself, or make you do so. You might have to choose which one dies first, or which ones get to live. Or, he could simply break you first, then make you kill them youself once you have become his servant." stated Sesshomaru. He thought that that would be the obvious choice of what would happen to her family. Why Kagome did not see it that way, he had no idea. Perhaps it was just false hope for the sake of her family that she refuse to see the correct reasoning.



"But....but...." she started to stammer as her hold on her own emotions started to fail her. She was straining very hard now to keep from crying, but it was a losing battle.



"IT'S NOT FAIR!" she yelled out into the night as the tears flew forth from her eyes, running down her cheeks before staining her shirt. She began to sob uncontrollingly, crying for the sake of her family, their safety, and for herself as well. First she nearly dies, then she was abandoned by Inuyasha, and now her family as been stolen from her, her house, her place of safety had been violated....



"Kagome, look at me." commanded Sesshomaru, softly, the cold edge in his voice starting to lighten somewhat as he had been able to make the miko break past the false wall of hope that she had erected around herself. When Kagome didn't look at him, his hand traveled from it's hold around her waist to the bottom of her chin, lifting it upwards to where he was gazing downwards into her tear streaked face.



"Kagome, life isn't meant to be fair. Look at me for example, at my missing arm, at how Inuyasha wields the Tetsuiaga, while me, the killing perfection, is left with the sword of healing, the Tensiega. Does that sound fair to you? That is merely the way life is." said Sesshomaru, his eyes starting to soften towards the miko.



"But...so much has happened. My family...." Kagome managed to croak out, in between sobs.



"Sssh. Listen to me Kagome. I swear, on my family's honor, than I will save your family, no matter what the cost." stated Sesshomaru, reinforcing that statement with a new fire that was lighted back behind his eyes. Kagome's eyes widened at his proclamation, and yet a new hope entered into her emotions. But she wondered why Sesshomaru would do something like this for her....



'Is he doing this because he has feelings for me, or is it because he wants to spite Naraku of his plans? Probably the latter Kagome, I mean, c'mon, this is Sesshomaru.'



Sighing, the miko relaxed into his embrace slightly. He had been able to best Hakudoshi and Kagura in the past couple of days. Maybe he was really capable of saving her family. And seeing as how she herself had been brought back from the dead by him....



"Sesshomaru..." Kagome started while still looking into his eyes. "Thank you." she said, with a smile gracing her features while emotions of happiness returned to his eyes. Then, to her great suprise, he leaned downwards, until suddenly his lips came into contact with her own, setting her ablaze in a heatstorm of emotions.



It would be forever afterwards unclear to Sesshomaru why he had done it, but at the moment, all he felt, was happiness, that she would not run from him again, that she would stay with him instead of giving herself to Naraku. Did he really want her though?



'Ridocolous.' was the single word that came to mind. And yet, he did not break off the kiss as it lingered between them.



"Mi...Milord?" asked Jaken as he started to rise to his feet. Sesshomaru and Kagome's eyes both widened when they realized that they still had an audience, and he could feel and see her face turned a crimson red. In the next moment, they were both standing three feet apart, his hand at his side as he stared off into the treeline, her hands held to her face as she stared at the ground.



"Rin is waiting for you." Sesshomaru managed to croak out as he tried to contain his embarrasement. Kagome nodded to him, and in the next moment, she took off running back towards the castle. Sesshomaru turned towards the toad, and walked in his direction.



"Jaken. Watch over Kagome and Rin. I will be back as soon as I finish my patrol." ordered Sesshomaru. The toad bowed over at his waist as he acknowledged his lord's command. Then, the imp found himself planted back into the soil as the dog demon literally walked right over him, headed out back towards the forest. Only when he was away from anyone's presence did Sesshomaru allow for the pink to show on his cheeks. He allowed a slight smile to grace his lips as he sauntered off, into the forest of the Western lands....