A Breeder's World

~~~Shippo’s P.O.V.~~~

The conversation seemed cereal my dream finally coming true. A sob tore from my throat before I could control it. The gentlemen I was talking to a moment ago looked at me concerned and I had to wave it away before I turned to finish with my daughter.

“I’ll be there as quickly as I can. Please make sure they don’t leave.” my voice was ruff with tears.

“I promise. Hurry she is waiting.”

I hung up the phone gazing at it trying to control my shaking hand. The short conversation repeated over and over in my head. For some reason the tears on my face finally brought the greedy men to be more realistic. So before they changed their minds I hurriedly finished paying them for the damage my daughter had caused. Shoving the important papers into my brief case I grabbed my Aiko’s arm and lead her to a meter to call a chair.

I waited impatiently for it to arrive. I thought about just making a run for it but the most likely the police would stop me and I couldn’t really say why I was in such a hurry. Shifting from foot to foot in nervousness,

Finally the chair arrived and I made my daughter sit down before I quickly punched in the destination to the shop. I was so nervous about meeting her again. For a moment I wondered if she remembered me but it was gone when I remembered she came with Inuyasha.

Latching onto the words that Kagome had become Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha’s breeder was like a punch to my gut. I thought she had loved the idiot so why not become his mate instead of house breeder? I would have to ask her.

Any plausible reasons I had didn’t make any sense. I worried that maybe she was forced into it but I shook off the stupid idea. Inuyasha wouldn’t let Sesshoumaru push her. Come to think of it Sesshoumaru had never really scared her like it should have and she wouldn’t have stood for his bullying either. She would just have tried to purify him and that would be that. so her reasons eluded me for now but now that she was back I would have time to ask.

I had missed her comforting scent and her mothering me so much it hurt. She had protected me until Inuyasha grew up after she left and took over caring for me until I had grown. I would always be thankful that she hadn’t held it against me for stealing from her when we first met. My real mom had taught me better but I was so blinded by my rage at the unforgivable death of my father that I didn’t consider the consequences. I shuttered to think what would have happened if I had tried to take some shards from some other demon first. I would have been killed and not known Kagome, Inuyasha, the rest of the gang, nor my mate. I wouldn’t have had the big and loving family I have now either.

Being patient hadn’t gotten any easier as I grew up and it wasn’t easy now that my heart desire was only moments away. In the past I tried not to think about what would happen if Kagome was forced to leave so I was a wreck for months when she had. If it wasn’t for Inuyasha bashing my head in and one day reminding me that she wasn’t dead only taken to the future I probably would have died in grief. Even I had no idea what had happened to her centuries ago when Inuyasha had said she had been from the 1900’s. We almost lost hope but if we had missed her then we would be happy to find her soul again and had continued to look.

But if what my daughter said was true then she had all her memories of me and the past and was waiting at our store. My daughter finally caught my attention by punching my shoulder. I had been so lost in thought it seems that I missed her trying to talk to me.

“Are you alright? Dad what happened on the phone that you were crying?” she raised a hand to my face wiping the tears from my face.

“Some good news my dear. Something I have waited a very long time for.” I couldn’t help but tease her a little after the trouble she got into today. Her eyebrows drew together and she frowned hard. She looked so cute when she pouted like that.

“That doesn’t answer the question daddy.”

“I know.”

“Well why did you say not to let HER leave? You cheating on mom?” her tone was so suspicious and I would have laughed any other time but she always seemed to believe the worst about me. I would never cheat on my mate. she put me back together and we were happy.

“No. I am not cheating on my mate. It’s just that some one I have longed to see again suddenly reappeared. I thought I would never see her again.”

“So what an old girlfriend then?” her face turned into a scowl and I was getting upset. I didn’t know why she insisted that I wasn’t loyal to my mate. Who had filled her head with these thoughts? I would have to find out later.

The other problem was that Aiko was one of the few children of mine that had never believed my story about my adopted mother. She thought they were only bed time stories. I wasn’t sure how she would react to Kagome. Maybe seeing her would make her understand. I sighed and shook my head.

“No she was older then me, she is someone I have greatly admired. You will treat her with respect Aiko. I have had enough of you causing trouble. She will have no problems putting you in your place.” Her arms crossed and she turned up her nose. Her over confidence that she could beat anything reminded me a lot of Inuyasha before he finally grew a brain. I was truly tired of bailing her out by paying her fines and property damage she caused people. I would have to put my foot down soon.

The chair continued on to the shop not caring of the trials and trivialities that plagued my mind. I hoped that maybe Kagome could help me get through to her. She had worked wonders on Inuyasha. Maybe a different kind of subduing necklace? That would be nice. And these comforting thoughts carried me the rest of the way to the shop.

~~~Joanne’s P.O.V.~~~

After I hung up the phone I sat for a moment getting myself together. Carefully locking the door I went back to where I had left puppy and Kagome. I found them talking quietly on a bench when I returned.

“Well if you are ready to get started while we wait? I think I am going to make an announcement to ask the others to leave. I think father won’t want an audience for his return.” They both nodded and I leaned over the counter making an the speech and asked everyone to come by the counter and I would give them a 15% off voucher for their inconvenience. After making sure all had left I made the door go to thumb scan in order to enter before turning back to the waiting duo.

“What would you like to start with first?”

“How about clothes? Until Shippo arrives we can’t talk about weapons.” said puppy. I nodded and we went over to the specialty clothes. There was a wide selection in colors as well as styles. We had fire rat fur, demon hides, wolf leathers, and many more. They were all either harvested or the in the case of leather and hides taken from rebel demons who had been put to death for disturbing the cities or farmer populations.

“Any particular color you would like Kagome?” I saw her gaze go to a skin tight hide and leather combo that was done in black and a light brown. I thought maybe she liked it so I pulled it.

“Would you like something like this?” What I hadn’t expected was for tears to spring to her eyes. scared that I had done something wrong I glanced at puppy. I tried to mouth my question on what was wrong but he was more concerned about Kagome.

“Shh...shh. It’s okay Kagome. She lived a long life with that perverted monk. Please don’t cry.” Then it came to me. My father said that he had traveled with a monk, demon exterminator with her demon cat, Inuyasha and Kagome. This must have been similar to the outfit he always said the hunter wore in battle. Feeling terrible I tried to apologize.

“Kagome I’m sorry. I didn’t realize.” I put the garment back and covered it. It took a few minutes but she calmed down. Still sniffling she pushed Inuyasha away wiping her eyes.

“No. Don’t apologize Joanne. I forgot for a moment that Sango was dead. Being here with you and the Takahashi brothers made me forget that I couldn’t just hop back down the well to see my hearts sister. Its hard to think that the strongest woman I knew next to my mom is gone.”

Now this was slightly ironic that she would say that. Both Inuyasha and Shippo said she was the strong one of the group. She had kept them going and smiling in the face of adversity. She was the one that put her life on hold to help them get their revenge on their common enemy. Father said she brought him candy and coloring utensils every time she came back. She brought instant food to help the group move faster then having to hunt or work so much for food. It was pleasing to see the humble soul that I had heard so much about. I could see now why they held her in such high esteem.

“Well if you are up to it there are other choices like this.” I pulled out a white and red fire rat kimono that was altered to be a fighting one. It hugged the body more then most because it was foolish to allow your opponents something to grab onto.

She fingered the material, gazing at it. “Are there any of these in green?” I had to think for a minute but I couldn’t think of and of these done in green but I had material I could turn into some.

“Sorry to say that we don’t right now. We do however have some material in that color that we could turn into some.”

“May I see it?” I turned and went towards the wall behind the racks and pulled out the two green colors we had. One was a emerald green with silver highlights and the other a deeper green with brown leaves woven in. Kagome looked them both over unrolling a yard of each to see the pattern.

“I like the brighter green with the silver but I think I would like a formal kimono out of it with the style adjustments so I can handle any challenges in it. The other would make nice regular training.”

Taking both bolts I placed them on the cutting table for later. “Anything else?”

Kagome was looking through the other colors of the fire rat when I heard the front door open. Grinning, I looked at Kagome but she was to busy looking at a purple bolt. The next thing I knew My father had come running towards us yelling something I had never heard. “OKA-SAN!!!!”