At What Price

SUMMARY: Kagome just continued in her deep seeded thoughts. ‘He is so going to pay for this…’ she fumed. ‘Burning at the stake. Boiling in oil. Tar and feathering. Impalement….’

Author's Note: Latest chapter here!!!! Yeah!!! Enjoy and review. Disclamer: chp1

Chapter 44: DIABOLICAL THOUGHTS AND DENIAL
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Kagome was utterly and completely in denial. ‘No, Sesshoumaru did not just call up a good old buddy of his that just so happened to be a justice of the peace. Who would so conveniently marry them, tonight! No! No!’ She frowned disapprovingly. Kagome tried to cross her arms in annoyance, only to feel someone tug them down to her sides. ‘Nor, did her so-called fiancée also call her family, friends, and some of his acquaintances to back to the estate for the bewitching hour of their marriage event. And no,’ she swore silently, ‘there were not five women running around her bedroom, in a wild frenzy, happy with glee at her current situation. ‘NO!!!’ Kagome thought crossly.

“Kagome?” Sango asked.

Silence.

“Kagome? Please, let me put some makeup on your face to cover that unsightly bruise.”

Kagome watched in the mirror with a hard look on her face as her mother put the veil on the back of her finely coffered head. Then her best friend, a.k.a bridesmaid, Sango put cover up on her face to hide the swelling.

*Tap, tap, tap!!!*

“Come in.” Called Mrs. Higurashi, in a very, very happy tone. She was all but singing not to long ago, “My daughter’s getting married. My daughters getting married…” It wasn’t until a dark a irritated bride shot her mother’s way to silence her.

Along with Kagome growling at her, Mrs. Higurashi just took it all in good stride. ‘Kagome is just a little cranky. Kami knows it was going on twelve o’clock, and if Kagome didn’t get her full eight hours of sleep… People of Tokyo beware!’ Her jolly eyes sparkled as she took in the sight before her. Kagome was wearing a strapless off white gown, and on the bodice, there was a filigree design sown by hand with Australian crystals. Around Kagome’s slender waist the dress had material pleated so it showed her figure. It was like it was the material was pulled at her right side and clipped making a seam that revealed an embroidered slit of material that went to the bottom of the floor. From there the gown was in a full bell shape.

‘Kagome looks like an angel,’ Mrs. Higurashi mused, ‘an angry one at that,’ she added as an after thought. ‘But, once they’re in the bedroom… Ah, well… she would soon forget about being mad.’ Mrs. Higurashi laughed softly. ‘I want grandbabies.’

The door opened revealing Lynne Wiess. She looked half awake and half put together in attempt to be here as quick as possible. “Kagome, here is the bouquets of flowers for you, Sango, and Rin.”

‘No,’ Kagome thought emphatically but didn’t voice that. ‘She didn’t just hand me a bouquet of roses! This is not happening, I must be dreaming. Someone pinch me!’ Kagome didn’t reach for the flowers Lynne was handing her; she just gave her a blank stare. Kagome just continued in her thoughts far away from the physical world. ‘He is so going to pay for this…’ she fumed. ‘Burning at the stake. Boiling in oil. Tar and feathering. Impalement….’

“Speaking of Rin, where is she? Has anyone seen her?” Lynne asked as she pulled back the roses Kagome wasn’t willing to take. She smiled slightly at the woman being pulled in all direction from her observation. ‘Kagome must not be taking this very well. Poor girl.’

Kagome was brought out of her diabolical thoughts of murder in the first degree at the mention of her little cherub. ‘Rin?’ She would want to be awake for this. Kagome wanted her apart of the wedding. ‘Wait a minute Kags! This isn’t happening!!!’ “I’ll go get her.”

“NO!” the women yelled in unison at a now traumatized bride.

“What if Sesshoumaru sees you? Don’t you know, Kagome, it is bad luck for the groom to see his bride.” Lynn asked.

“Oh, I hope I see him.” Kagome grumbled under her breath. “Then it will give me the chance to kill him!”

“What was that sweet heart, we didn’t hear you? You were mumbling to yourself.” Mrs. Higurashi told her disgruntled daughter.

“Nothing. Nothing!” Kagome lied. “I’m ready, but from looks of it, you all aren’t so, let me get my cherub. She will need help and I want to talk to her before….” ‘No Kags! Don’t say it! Don’t say it!!! It will be like admitting it’s going to happen!!! Which it most certainly isn’t!!!’ She scolded herself.

Kagome didn’t want to say, ‘wedding’ out loud because she was afraid to jinx herself. They all looked at her with defeat written on their faces. Kagome was right, when they had left the palace it was nine o’clock, and for the majority of them, they had went home to bed. Afterwards, and hence forth they had no make up and their hair was all in a shambles. They had to concede to Kagome, this time.

Kagome went dashing out of the bedroom to get Rin.
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Sesshoumaru knew Kagome wasn’t pleased with the executive decision he made, but she would have to deal with it. The sooner they were married, the sooner they could mate, and have a child. Preferably a boy, but he kept that thought to himself. He could picture Kagome pitching a royal fit if he told her that. Sesshoumaru shook his head as he could hear Kagome ranting at him. ‘It shouldn’t matter the sex of our child, Sesshoumaru. You will love him or her the same! Do you hear me Sesshoumaru? You will love them the same. Just like I will!!!’ He almost chuckled at the thought of her bellowing at him like that. Then a vision of Kagome pregnant with their child struck a cord with Sesshoumaru, and it sobered him for a moment. ‘Lets just make it through the vows without any major catastrophe happening. Mainly, Kagome trying to kill me. Hum?’ He mused. ‘Like she could ever.’

“Miroku, could you see over the wedding coordination for me? I need to go get Rin.” With that, Sesshoumaru left Miroku to supervise the event. He walked in on Kagome and Rin talking. Well, more like their little cherub talking Kagome’s ear off.

Kagome was helping Rin get dressed again for the ceremony that would take place in a few minutes. Yes, Kagome felt safe with that word. ‘Ceremony.’ A ceremony could possibly mean tons of things… not just a wedding.

*Yawn*
“Kagome-sama, are you going to be Rin’s mama? Because Rin would like you, for Rin’s mama.” The sleepy little face held a hopeful look on it.

“Yes, Rin, I will be your mama. If you want me?” Kagome was struggling with answering that question. ‘For as long as I am here,’ she thought. ‘I will love you as my own. Don’t cry Kags! Don’t!’

“Can I call you mama, now?” Rin wasn’t being shy any more. Kagome didn’t answer her last question.

Kagome zipped up the dress Rin was wearing. “I would be honored if you would, my little cherub.” She moved her hand to Rin nosed and pinched it lightly. “Now, I must say that you look very lovely in your pink dress.”

Rin giggled before answering. “Rin thinks Kagome looks purty too.” Her smile was lazily, with a hint of sleep creeping into her innocent face.

Sesshoumaru stood in the back ground. He didn’t know why the conversation was affecting him like it was. In short it amazed him.

“Do you think Sesshoumaru-sama will let Rin call him papa?” A frown graced her face. It was like she contemplated the question before she even asked.

Kagome chuckled at the little girl before her. She scooped Rin up in her arms and held her close against her. Rin then stuck her thumb in her mouth while listening to Kagome. Rin rested her head on Kagome’s bare shoulder. The sound of her new mama’s voice was lulling her back to sleep.

“I think that Sesshoumaru already thinks of you as a daughter. So, I don’t think he would mind it at all if you called him papa.” Kagome sighed. “If he does, then I will have to whomp on him like I did Jaken. What do you think about that Rin?” Kagome laughed quietly when Rin’s only response was a mumbled snore.

Deep in the back of his mind, a voice asked this a startling question. ‘Could you let her go?’ Sesshoumaru shook that thought out of his mind. He heard Kagome tell Rin that she would beat him if he had a problem with Rin calling him papa. ‘Still always the protector, Kagome.’ He smiled.

Kagome looked out the window of Rin’s room and saw in the garden rows of chairs being line up for the elitist few that were called back for the wedding. Tea lights burned in glass containers lined the path that would led to the fateful preverbal alter. The full moon and stars were there canvas under which they would marry. Pink flowers petals were strewed over the emerald lawn. Everyone was here to see her get married to the Lord of the Western Land it seemed like to her. ‘Everyone except Inuyasha.’ Her thought sang out painfully. Kagome was sure he wouldn’t show. ‘Why would he? He believes I’m betraying him? Oh, Inuyasha you will never know until it’s too late. I would go all the way for you.’ Kagome wanted to grieve at the loose of something she held dear to her. But, it wasn’t love was it. It was friendship… She closed her eyes and let her thoughts drift.

Sesshoumaru walked into the room where the vision of loveliness was standing in front of the window. Moon beams caressed her skin and the elegant wedding dress Kagome had on. It was giving her a delicate ethereal appearance…almost angelic. ‘This feels so right. She belongs…’ He couldn’t stop himself from thinking these foolish thoughts.

“Well, my little cherub, I will be honored to have you as my daughter. The question is though, will Sesshoumaru have me? Better yet, put up with me? Because, I don’t know if living with me will be easy.” Kagome never expected to receive and answer when she asked those questions out loud. Nor, did she mean it to sound as if she was an impossible woman to live with.

“This Sesshoumaru thinks he is more than capable to handle you. I have managed of yet, and, yes, I’m already well aware of how difficult you can be.”

Kagome could hear the joking manor in his voice, but Sesshoumaru had taken her by surprise. “Oi! Do you have to do that! You startled me.” Her bright eyes flashed at him as she whirled around to him.

Sesshoumaru stood in front of her and touched her cheek. “It shouldn’t matter when we get married Kagome. It was only a matter of time. I am to turn thirty in two weeks. The wedding would have happened between now or then. And according to the current situation it dictated now is as good a time as any.”

Kagome just looked at him with no emotion, no reaction. Well, not yet anyway, it’s just a matter of time before he pushed the right button. “It does not matter when, Sesshoumaru. It was the matter of how you told me. You didn’t give me a choice. You commanded me.”

“I wasn’t aware that I needed to give you a choice in the matter.”

“Ouu!” Kagome started to whisper in a loud tone. “If you would get off you high horse for one damn minut~”

An unidentifiable flying object wiz past Sesshoumaru’s head and hit the wall *thump!* cutting off Kagome.

“OUT! OUT!!! GET OUT THIS MINUTE!” Kagome’s mother and Lynne Weiss charged into the bedroom upon finding Sesshoumaru and Kagome together.


“Mr. Masurau, I can’t allow you to see my daughter until after the wedding. Now shu- shu ! Out! Out!” Mrs. Higurashi pushed while Lynne shoved the Lord of the Western Lands unceremoniously out the door. But, that was only because he let them.

“Get him Ma!” Kagome’s laughter filled the hallway.

“It’s bad luck to see her now.” Ms. Weiss added in a yell.

The once quiet calm room was now filled with chaos.
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