Blood Stained

Thank you for the reviews =3

Thanks Eve for beta-reading

Blood Stained

Chapter 36: The Other You

Warmth.

Love.

She found herself overwhelmed by those feelings. It was strange because they were new. It was not the same as if her mother was showering her with them. It was new and different in its own way. She didn't know how to deal with it, so instead of fighting those good emotions, she allowed them to envelope her.

Kagome felt a serenity and peace inside of her that she had not experienced in a long time. It was as if there was no longer a storm inside of her heart. She could stop and take the time to breathe. As she glanced at her surroundings, she noticed she was in a field.

The smell of freshly cut grass was floating in the air, the wind was blowing a gentle breeze, causing her dress to slightly elevate past her knees. Kagome looked down at her stomach, only to see her bulge. Her baby, her son.

Gently, she allowed herself to sit down near a patch of yellow flowers, which resemble the ones she had given to Sango. She lifted her hand and softly played with the petals. A smile adorned her face as she slowly closed her eyes.

It was as if a mist was circling her, offering her the comfort she needed. Before she knew it, Kagome was laying on her back in the grass. She stretched out her whole body, before a sigh of contentment escaped her lips.

This was freedom.

No fear, no pain, no memories.

Memories of what? She wasn't sure. But in the back of her mind, a nagging voice was telling her that something bad had happened in her past. Although she tried, she could not remember it. At that point she decided it was perhaps best to not know. Why else would her brain block that memory from her?

Deciding she had wasted enough time on something that no longer existed, she cleared her mind once more.

Her world would have probably been perfect if it hadn't been for that one little feeling that manifested itself. It was full of darkness and sorrow, but somehow it wasn't hers. Quickly, she opened her eyes and sat up in the field. Her eyes searched for the location of the feeling, even though it was insane to look for something that did not exist.

Then all of a sudden, it hit her.

The feeling, it was guilt.

But why would she feel guilt? There was nothing she had done, that she could remember, that she should feel guilty for. Had she done wrong to someone? Had she made a mistake she wished to erase? No. The more time passed, the more she knew this wasn't her feelings.

But whose feelings were they?

From the looks of things, she was alone. Nobody else was with her, it was her field, her peaceful moment. A feeling of panic manifested itself inside of her and it broke the moment of serenity she had been experiencing. Now dark emotions were forming inside of her once more.

Kagome rose to her feet with difficulty because of her stomach. There was not a tree in sight. Whoever was there could not hide…so could it be that they weren't there? Was this all a product of her imagination? Her heart was hammering inside of her chest, as her thoughts ran wild.

As she took a pause to analyze the situation, it was then that it came crashing upon her. The strength of the feeling, it was something more than guilt coming with it. It was so horrible that she felt her heart squeeze in pain. Kagome reached out for her chest and held on tightly.

She had clearly been upset a few moments ago, but right now, she felt pain. But not for herself. No, it was for whoever was experiencing such a sorrow. Nobody should have to put up with such a burden. Tears were stinging her eyes as she felt her own pain grow.

This person had to be good, otherwise, they would not feel such regret. Kagome believed a lot could be forgiven. Whoever was suffering deserved to be free from their pain. With a firm attitude, she decided to find that person and help them. Nobody should have to suffer on their own. Perhaps she could help.

Before she knew it, Kagome began to run. She had no destination and she didn't know where she was heading, but she was running. It was as if her heart were guiding her in the right direction. She wouldn't ask any questions, she would simply follow it.

Her legs were quickly getting tired, but she didn't give up.

Then it happened.

The whole sky changed color. Instead of the bright blue it had been, it was now filling into black. The white clouds were disappearing and being engulfed. Panicked, she stopped running and glanced around. What was going on? But, before she could ask herself more questions, a sharp pain went through her heart.

She gasped.

She knew this pain.

Kagome had experienced it a long time ago. She didn't know when though. She remembered Sango was there, and Miroku. But who else? She wasn't sure. All she knew was that something strange had happened the previous day and then she had found herself on her knees on the ground. A sharp pain had taken hold of her heart, and everyone had been so worried about her.

This was the same pain.

Quickly, she dropped to the ground and she was unable to stop the tears rolling down her cheeks. Kagome had never been so confused. What was happening? Why was she hurt? Her mind was a complete blank, she knew she was missing some of the pieces of her puzzle.

"WHAT IS IT!" she screamed to no one in particular.

Then, out of the blue, feet appeared in her line of sight. Kagome slowly raised her head before looking up. All she could see was bright silver hair, shining amber eyes. She knew this face. But form where?

The stranger bent down slightly before offering her his hand to help her up. She hesitated for a few seconds before grabbing hold of it. With one swift motion, he helped her on her feet. No matter how hard Kagome tried, she couldn't look away from him. Something about him was hypnotizing her.

It was then that she noticed the magenta stripes on the side of his face. Was he not human? Why did it not scare her? Shyly, yet bold at the same time, she closed some of the distance between them. Slowly she raised her hand and bit down on her bottom lip. Would she dare?

His eyes were set on her and he refused to look away. His eyes were so gentle, so loving. Did he know her? He was staring at her as if he had been waiting forever. Could it be? Was he the missing part of her memory? He seemed so protective, and strong. Why would she have forgotten about him?

With a sigh, she managed to provide herself with the required courage, to touch his face. Her fingertips were on the first stripe of his left cheek, before she knew it, she traced it. It felt incredibly smooth. A tiny smile appeared on her face as she completely forgot she was touching him.

One by one, she traced the marks.

Every time, unknown to her, the pain in her heart lessened.

Then, too fast for her to see, he grabbed hold of her hand. A gasp escaped her, as she watched him carefully. He was not hurting her, or squeezing, he was just holding her hand. Then he approached his mouth to her fingers and before she knew it, he kissed every finger one by one.

"You're happy," he finally said.

She frowned.

"I wasn't happy?" Why was she referring to the past as if she knew he knew her?

He shook his head softly, before releasing her hand. Her arm fell to her side, but she paid no attention to anything else except his eyes. Shouldn't they be another color?

"You haven't smiled in a while." He finally looked away from her. "Are you not afraid?" he inquired his back facing her.

"Why would I be scared of you?" she asked, confused. Had he harmed her?

He didn't move.

"You shouldn't. At least, not of me."

At that moment, she heard his voice break and she realized he was the one feeling the sorrow and regret. The emotions she had felt earlier, they were his. Tears appeared in her eyes again, before she walked closer to him. She surprised both him and herself, by putting her hand on his back.

"I'm not afraid of you," she whispered so softly.

He turned around, almost looking shocked. Kagome had so many questions for him, but he didn't let her ask any. Instead he rapidly wrapped his arms around her, pressing their bodies together. Her heart was pounding as she watched his expression. Was he going to kiss her?

Why didn't it bother her?

She wanted to ease his suffering, she wanted to comfort him.

And he did it. He bent down slowly, before capturing her lips with his. It was soft, it was sweet, it was tender. Kagome loosely wrapped her arms around his neck and he deepened the kiss. She wanted this, she needed this. For a second, she felt whole. It was as if this was where she belonged. Here, in his arms.

Her rightful place.

She felt his fangs graze along her bottom lip and she shivered. At first, it felt good, but then, his hands went lower on her back. All of a sudden, her eyes snapped open. Her mind began to fill with flashbacks. Was this her, was this her life? She could see herself screaming, begging someone to stop. Her eyes were red, she was screaming, out of breath. She looked broken.

As she relived the moment, Kagome began to cry.

Then she saw him.

There he was, except his eyes were a bright red. He looked determined as he covered her body with his, ignoring her pleas. Who was he?

The emotions too strong, she pulled away from the kiss. The stranger looked at her, confused. Kagome searched his eyes, searched his soul. Slowly, she raised her hand and covered her mouth. It couldn't be him. The other one was evil. He wasn't. He loved her. He had been so gentle, he was hurt.

He was suffering as well.

"You can't be him."

His expression didn't change.

"You're afraid now?" His tone was bittersweet.

"I'm not scared." She was terrified, but not of him. Why not?

He carefully walked in her direction, as if he waited for her to run away at any moment. But she didn't. When he was finally in front of her, he put his hands on her shoulders. Then, he pressed his forehead against hers. His eyes were intensively looking into hers and she found herself forgetting to breathe.

"Who am I?"

The question should have surprised her. She shouldn't have an answer for it, but she did.

"Sesshomaru."

As soon as she said his name, her heart shattered into pieces. Why did it hurt so much to say his name? Why did she feel so many different things towards him. Every single one of her emotions were conflicting when it came to him. Who was he? What did they share?

"Why can't I remember?"

He glanced away.

"If you do, you will not be at peace." He gazed back in her direction, and could tell she was confused.

"You are seeking serenity. If you remember, you will suffer again. You're protecting yourself."

"I don't want to remember." It wasn't her speaking. The words escaped before she could even think.

Their eyes met.

"You have to."

Tears began to flow out of her eyes. It hurt too much to want to remember. She didn't want to. What had he done to her? Why did she feel so alone? She dropped to the ground, panic filling her. This was not right. Things weren't the way they were supposed to be.

"I don't want to remember!"

"I DON'T WANT TO REMEMBER!"

"I DON'T WANT TO REMEMBER!"

Her eyes were wide open. She didn't want to remember? Kagome looked around at her surroundings, before realizing she was in the bed at the hotel. Suddenly, she felt a lot less stressed. She gently closed her eyes, telling herself it was a bad nightmare. She would have probably believed it if it hadn't been for the hand touching hers.

Kagome's eyes traveled to her hand only to see Sesshomaru and her were holding hands. And at that precise moment she felt as if her heart had ceased to beat. When had this happened? Why had it happened?

Movement brought her out of her thoughts.

Kagome watched as Sesshomaru opened his eyes, looking confused.

What in the world had just happened? Sesshomaru brought one of his hands to his head and rubbed it slightly. Did he dream? He didn't even remember falling asleep. At that point, he realized something was attached to his hands. He raised his eyes and was graced with the sight of their hands joined together.

His first reaction was to look up at Kagome. He could see the panic in her eyes, but she was not uttering a word. He also noticed she looked confused. Slowly, he released her hand from his, knowing it would make her feel more comfortable. Sesshomaru decided to ask the question he shouldn't.

"What happened?"

Her grey eyes seemed to twinkle as she shook her head.

"I had a nightmare."

Sesshomaru frowned. A nightmare? He almost felt like closing his eyes, thinking how this was not happening.

"Were we in a field?"

At his question, her lips slightly parted. How did he know? She nodded, panicked.

"How do you know?"

He knew it, this was not a dream.

"Miko, you didn't dream nor have a nightmare. I believed it worked."

It took Kagome a few seconds to understand what he was referring to, but when she did, her eyes widened.

"The connection?" No, it didn't make any sense. They had one before, it wasn't like this, That wasn't right, she didn't even know who he was in the nightmare. And they had… "kissed."

A tiny blush appeared across her cheeks once she realized she said that out loud. But of course, a small frustration quickly appeared inside of her. There was no way this could be the connection. Never in a million years would she have kissed him of her own free will. She could still remember that moment very well. It was almost as if she could still feel his lips on hers.

This had been a nightmare.

Sesshomaru remembered the kiss as well. But he knew this was no nightmare. It had been very well. If it was a dream, why would they have both experienced it. No, it was the connection. It had never worked before. It had always been one way, but for the very first time, they had both experienced it.

He had unlocked his own self.

He had shed tears.

It had to be that, because it was after wards that he had fallen unconscious and had felt this dream. It was real.

"Miko, this is the connection. The purpose of it is for you to free yourself of the…darkness correct?"

She nodded.

"In the dream, did you remember what it did to you?"

"No," she whispered. No matter how hard she had tried to re-call her past, she hadn't been able to.

"You didn't want to remember. Your goal is to be serene, you had that inside that fake world. If you remembered, you would have shattered the world. The connection is showing you your feelings. You want peace, but you are not willing to face darkness. You didn't want to remember."

As she processed his words, she realized he was right. It killed her to admit such a thing, but it was the truth. She didn't want to know, she had felt so good for the first time in so many years. She didn't want to ruin her happiness. Although, it didn't explain most of her actions.

"The connection creates a dream world?"

He didn't have all of the answers unfortunately.

"I do not know." He sighed. "Perhaps it's a world controlled by our emotions. We can only access it when we are in an unconscious state."

She nodded absently, as she chewed on her bottom lip. Kagome did not like the way things were progressing.

"So until the me in that world wants to remember, I can't move on? It will constantly happen?"

"I do not know yet Miko. But I do know that there is no other you. It is yourself. Except there is no lie. You do not wish to remember, so she doesn't. Until you want to, she will not."

It was the only choice. She had accepted the reality of things when she had decided to attempt to make a connection. If she said yes then, her choice remained the same now. Thou apparently it would be harder than expected because she had to do all the work. She had to want to forgive him.

All those feelings he had made her experience in the dreamworld… it was a side of him she had never seen and it terrified her. Kagome had always been afraid of another Sesshomaru. As if she didn't want to forget the monster she had once known.

But she had to.

She was sick of this vicious circle. Kagome had to accept that Sesshomaru had changed. Apparently there was a lot about him she didn't know. The point of the connection was to allow her to see and experience enough to forget and forgive.

It would take a lot of her strength, but for her own sake, she had to do it.

She slightly nodded, making up her mind. She could do this. Next time it happened, she would force herself to remember. She wouldn't run away from it anymore. Nobody asked her to love him, just to forgive, and move on. She should be able to do that.

"I will."

The determination in her eyes was something he hadn't seen in a long time. Slowly, he rose from the ground and sat down on his own bed. The experience had been quite emotional, even for him. He still couldn't believe that he had kissed the Miko. Granted it hadn't actually happened, but nonetheless.

Her happiness had been his priority. His heart had melted when she had smiled at him. Could it be that his own emotions were mixed with his beast as well? Although it was locked away, the connection might affect it. It had felt as if certain emotions hadn't belonged to him.

But he wouldn't back away from this.

Sesshomaru had promised Kagome he would help her with this and he would. He was becoming more involved than he thought, but it didn't matter. If it helped her, he would do it. He just hoped he was ready to face whatever would happen in that other world.

As a sigh escaped his lips, he found himself staring at the window. The sunlight was coming through as the sunrise finished. At that moment, he was reminded of a task he had imposed himself last night. He had to take care of those youkai's.

All of them. Dead.

Although Sesshomaru was pretty sure the poison had left her body and it was now safe, he knew they couldn't be trusted, that the best way to avoid any incident was to kill them all. But he knew the Miko. She valued life. If he told her what he intended to do, she would be against the idea.

But he was his own person.

Slowly, he rose to his feet, and without glancing her way, he walked in direction of the door. Sesshomaru could feel Kagome's eyes on him, but she did not say a word.

Confused, Kagome watched him walk away from her. Why was he leaving? Had something occurred that she was not aware of? Of perhaps they had plans for the day? Although that would be surprising since she was technically not allowed outside. And frankly, she didn't want to endanger her baby again.

"I have some business to attend to."

It wasn't a lie. He was simply not giving away any information. His eyes met her for a brief instant, before he opened the door, and disappeared.

Kagome wasn't sure where he had gone to, but she had a bad feeling about it. His tone had been too different. The urge to follow was pressing, but she reminded herself of Kiyoshi. If she went outside in the wild by herself, it would not be safe.

She put both of her hands on her stomach, before rubbing it slightly. He was her one source of comfort. The one good thing Sesshomaru and his beast had brought in her life. She would always be grateful for this gift of life and she would cherish her son every day.

"Do you think your father can be trusted?" she asked, her voice barely audible.

If one person knew, it was Kiyoshi. After all, wasn't he partial in this? Kagome found herself wishing he could answer her. But the only answer she would have needed to come from her.

She needed to make up her mind.

She allowed him to touch her before, well her stomach. She had not died from it. Also, so far, he had done nothing to harm her and he had protected her a few times. As long as Sesshomaru was the only one involve, she could trust him.

Maybe she could give him a chance.

One. Only one.

***

Vengeance.

For his mate, for her pain, for her suffering.

His eyes were bleeding red, as his claws made contact with the last neck. As soon as the head rolled down onto the floor, a feeling of satisfaction filled him. They would not harm her again. They would not endanger her again. He glanced around at his work, satisfied. All of them had paid.

He had warned them, given them a chance to make it out alive. They had refused.

But enough time had been wasted on them. He didn't know how much time he had left and he wanted to make it back to her. He was dying to be by her side. He didn't want to be pulled away from her again. Too long they had been separated. He wanted, he needed her warmth.

It didn't take him long to take off and hurried as much as he could. He hated this, the fact that he was being locked away. He would break free, he would find a way. Sesshomaru had too much control and it displeased him. This was supposed to be by his rules.

Their mate suffered, he could feel it deep inside. And so did the pup.

Sesshomaru didn't know how to take care of them properly, but he did.

It was he who was supposed to be by her side during those difficult times. He was supposed to provide her with comfort and love. At the moment, she was not getting any of those.

Sesshomaru increased his speed. He was still way too far. He cursed himself, wishing there was something he could do to speed up the process. He couldn't let her slip through his fingers, not again. His desire to see her and hold her was making his heart ache.

When was the last time he kissed her?

Felt her skin?

Too long.

Her scent, he missed it. All of his thoughts seemed to boost his energy and his speed increased again. He would make it. He would get to see her before he would be selfishly pulled away from her.

A few minutes later he did. He could see the hotel, his heart was hammering. He could feel her, he could smell her. He was aware that he could smash the window to get to her faster, but it would not be right. Plus, it would scare her.

He was still heartbroken and betrayed, but he did not wish bad emotions upon her. She was his mate and he loved her. He would make things right. Of course, she would need to be forgiven for her actions, but still. He would make her love him.

One thing for sure was that he wouldn't allow her to fool him again. This time, he would make sure that he had all of her, not just a lie, not just a façade. His whole body was craving for her, he had to answer the demand. His heart was beating for her. Only her.

Sesshomaru landed near the hotel rushing inside. He knew which room was his and immediately ran for it. He allowed her scent to guide him, he felt overwhelmed with every breath he took. She was inches away from him.

After being awaken from his hundred years slumber, he now felt impatient. He knew what he wanted, he wanted it now. He might have been calmer the last time, but not anymore. He was more aware of the situation and he wouldn't waste any moments.

Once he finally reached the door he almost smirked. He put his hand on the handle and swung the door open. Apparently it shocked Kagome because she gasped. She turned around, ready to see Sesshomaru, but saw someone else.

His red eyes looking at her, his attention focused on her.

Kagome's lips slightly parted, as she tried to find something to say. What business could he have to do that involved him using his youkai? Or had he been out by himself and he had happened to be attacked, which required him to use his beast?

Her heart was pounding like crazy inside of her chest. He had been gone for a while, there couldn't possibly be much time left on the timer, right? He had to transform soon. A familiar fear took hold of her and she would have succumbed to the darkness if it hadn't been for a little voice in the back of her mind.

She couldn't.

She had to overcome this. It was true that it was harder with the beast than with Sesshomaru, but she couldn't let this destroy the little progress she had made. Maybe she could try talking to it? After all, it had worked in the past.

But, it was hard to form the words, hard to breathe. Did she really have that kind of strength hidden inside of her? She had to try, she had to push.

"Se-Sesshomaru?" she asked, stuttering.

He seemed pleased that she spoke to him. Slowly, Sesshomaru walked to her, his eyes this time on her stomach. It had grown since the last time, but that wasn't right. The pup shouldn't be developing that fast. He frowned as he kept walking, as he wondered how that was possible.

Kagome felt nervous as she watched his expression. Was something wrong with the pup? She swallowed her fear and decided she had to work up the courage to ask.

"Is something wrong with Kiyoshi?" she inquired, her voice nearly breaking.

She knew he could hear the fear in her voice, but her son's well being was more important.

Sesshomaru surprised her by putting his hand on her bulging stomach. She flinched slightly under the touch, but did not move, mostly because she was completely frozen in place. She did her best to keep her composure as he pressed his hand harder. At the moment, she remembered when Sesshomaru had touched her stomach to soothe her pain away.

It had been different. He had been different.

Suddenly she was pulled out of her thoughts when a white glow appeared around his hand. It reminded her of the last time he had done that. That time, she had been too much in shock to ask any questions, but this time she would, because she could.

Her emotions were a whirlpool inside of her, but she was pushing those thoughts aside.

"What are you doing?"

His eyes flickered to her, he offered her what seemed like a smile. His mate was so concerned for the well being of their pup. He knew being a mother would make her happy. She was born to be one and he was the one that satisfied that wish for her.

"I'm soothing the pup's aura with my own. No harm is coming to him."

The pup was strong, there was no doubt about that, but something was off about its development. He seemed to far ahead for a hanyou. It was as if he had weeks, a month to go. Not months like he was supposed to. He frowned again, before removing his hand away from her stomach.

"You shouldn't keep him from me."

He didn't need to explain further. She knew he meant they needed a stronger bond. But how could she?

Sesshomaru wrapped his arms around her waist and brought their bodies together. The feeling of her in his arms, he had missed it. He had craved it. She was his, no one else's. He then proceeded to nuzzle his face in the crook of her neck and he groaned.

Her flesh felt so soft and tender. It was warm.

Kagome was frozen in his embrace, her heart wanting to explode, to escape her chest. She knew she couldn't pull away from him, but she couldn't allow him to do anything to her. The tears, were stinging her eyes and no matter how hard it was, she made up her mind. She refused to go down that path again. She gathered her courage and lifted her hands, pressing them on his chest. Before he knew it, she was trying to push him away.

This time he growled against her skin. He had missed the contact, why didn't she need it?

"You're mine."

She shook her head.

"My body bears your mark, but you'll never have my heart."

The calm tone she had used actually surprised her. For a second, it had almost seemed as if she was in control around him. Truth was, she was completely terrified. Her legs wanted to give up, she wanted to run away. But for once, she had spoken the truth to him. If only he could understand.

This time, he pulled away from her so he could look her in the eyes.

"You always refuse to submit to me." All females eventually came to an understanding, but she never did.

"You can't remove the mark, or get rid of the child you carry."

"I would never want to get rid of my child!" she nearly screamed. The thought brought tears to her eyes, immediately her hands made their way to her stomach, she held it in a protective manner. How could anyone even think something like that?

"But I gave you that child. I am the father." He couldn't understand why it was fine to carry his heir, but not to be his mate.

"The child is innocent, he is mine."

He seemed to glare at her, but before he could do anything else, a familiar feeling took over. He was going to be trapped again. Sesshomaru's anger rose inside of him, before he growled. Not again. Why was this happening? He looked at his mate and found her staring at him. Actually not at him, at something on him. He followed her line of sight, and saw the watch.

He was being trapped by this?

Quickly he took hold of it, ready to rip it off, but it wouldn't bulge. He couldn't, yet he tried again. His frustration grew, but before he knew it, his power was leaving him. His hold on the watch weakened and before he knew it, he couldn't stand on his own two legs.

He quickly dropped to his knees, held his head like he had done the previous time. Kagome watched, almost afraid to move. She couldn't help but feel relieved that nothing else had happened. Once again, fifteen minutes seemed way too long.

A few moments later his hair changed color, she watched as he slowly rose to his feet. From the look of things, he didn't look very happy that the beast had had a chance to make it to the hotel. He hadn't thought that slaughtering them all would have been that quick.

But, at least no harm had come to the Miko. Also, unlike last time, it seemed she had held her ground better, which he felt relieved. Although, the beast could be very unpredictable, if she provoked him, he couldn't guarantee her safety.

Once he was completely back in control of himself, he looked at her. He could see the worry and confusion in her grey orbs, he knew she wanted an explanation. He sighed heavily, before walking past her. He would not lie, he had no need to. He could do as he pleased, as long as she was not harmed in the process.

"I got rid of the threat. It was necessary."

It took her a few seconds to realize what he was talking about.

"You killed them?"

"Most of them." He knew she wouldn't understand. "Miko, they were hiding around, following you, and everything you did. There are still some of them out there. We still need to be careful." He paused. "The shard corrupted them. I spared their life, yet they tried to kill you."

She shook her head. "They could have snapped out of it. It wasn't their fault."

He could easily hear the anger in her voice. Sesshomaru feared the small progress they had done was ruined.

"Miko, it might not be their fault, but they could not be brought back. For hundreds of years they have cherish the darkness. Your life meant nothing to them. Kiyoshi's life meant nothing to them. If I had not come yesterday, both you and the pup would be dead."

It seemed that the mention of Kiyoshi seemed to make her see things from a different perspective. Kagome liked to preserve life, even though she had been reckless with hers a few times… Kiyoshi's life was not something she wanted to sacrifice.

But she couldn't help but feel as if Sesshomaru had no heart. He had killed all these people, with no remorse. But he says he did it to protect her and Kiyoshi. She found herself conflicted, wondering if that made him lean towards the good side, or the bad side.

Although she had said she would give him a chance, she found herself torn.

She felt a tingle in her heart as she thought about all those who lost their lives today. But if his words were true, somehow she did believe they were, Kiyoshi and her would have been the ones dead if nothing had been done. Although she was glad to be alive, she would never consider killing as a solution.

Very few people deserved to die.

She didn't even put Sesshomaru in that category.

With an ache in her heart, she slowly nodded, before walking back to the bed, where she sat down. She had to forget about this, or she wouldn't be able to move on with her plans. She wouldn't be able to forgive and forget. All she had to do was focus on the fact that he did it for her and the baby's sake.

Of course, the thought left a bittersweet taste in her mouth, but she ignored it.

Sesshomaru found himself somewhat relieved by her reaction. He had almost expected yelling, to be honest, he didn't know how much of it he could take. He knew he was the one who hurt her and he was willing to suffer most of her wrath but… he never was a submissive person.

The more time passed, the more his senses irked him.

He wouldn't lash out at her, but maybe his control would slip. He would do his best to keep himself in check. At least they would be finally leaving this country and this hotel room. Perhaps the change of air and surroundings were what they needed.

"You can pack your bags," he said, as he began to collect his stuff for a shower. He wanted to wash the blood off of himself.

She arched an eyebrow. "My bags?"

He nodded.

"The poison wore off last night. We are safe to travel again." He paused. "Safer," he said, correcting himself. With some of the dwarf youkai's still alive they had to be careful. But they wouldn't be as easily traceable.

Kagome couldn't help the relief that washed over her. No more sickness, no more poison to affect her child. At least she was happy to know it hadn't done anything to Kiyoshi. If it had, she knew the beast would have said something earlier.

Although she despised it, he always mentioned if the pup was in distress. This time, he hadn't said anything at all. Though, she could recall him looking a little surprised… But it could be anything. Maybe her son was a little stronger than he should be? Or maybe weaker?

Which ever one it was, she would love him no matter what.

She raised her head, a storm of feelings inside of her. She carefully watched as Sesshomaru picked up new clothes and a towel. She couldn't really remember ever seeing him take a shower. Then again, he had most nights to do it, since he didn't require much sleep.

Kagome easily spotted the blood on his hands, but she forced herself to look away. She would not do this. She would not focus on the bad. She forced a neutral expression on her face before announcing the news to him. Maybe he would show some emotion?

"I will."

Her voice caught him off guard, slowly he turned around. He searched her face for an answer, but he found none.

"I'll give you a chance to show me the new you." She breathed out heavily. "One chance is all you get," she warned. "If you ruin it, you'll never get another one." She wouldn't let herself be dragged through shit again.

One try was all he would get from her. She had already given enough.

The tiniest smirk appeared on Sesshomaru.

"One it shall be then, Miko." With those words said, he closed the door of the bathroom, cutting himself from her line of sight.

Well that was an unexpected development.

He only had one word for it. Hn.

***