An Immortal Journey

Kagome had been humming ever since she had walked into the Tashio household, but Inu Yasha and Inu-no didn’t understand what was going on. Kikyou had been sneering at Kagome the whole night, not liking her tone, and even going so far as to tell her to be quite. That got her in trouble with Inu-no though.

Supper rolled around and they all sat around the table making small talk about work and the businesses until Kikyou had became fed up with Kagome’s cheery manor.

“What are you so happy about?” she asked.

Sesshoumaru grabbed Kagome’s hand and stood up. “Father, brother, wench,” he sneered. “We have something to share. We’ve talked it over, and have decided to mate. We’ve found people to decorate and organize the party already, and they say they’ll make it better then any other mating ceremony in history and none will top it. We have yet to tell our friends, or her family, but we will. We wanted for you to hear it first.”

Inu-no smiled brightly and clapped. “Congratulations! I’m so happy for you both! I knew you courting her would be good for you, my boy. Wait till the other Lords and Ladies here about this!”

Kagome faltered at that. “Excuse me?” she asked.

“Well, you were planning on telling them, right?” Inu-no asked.

“Of course we were. We have to,” Sesshoumaru answered.

“NO! I’ll have nothing to do with those other lands. They’re pig-headed idiots that don’t think a woman can do a damn thing,” Kagome answered.

“But you have to Kagome! Court has to know everything you do!” Inu Yasha blurted.

Kagome glared at him. “Court hasn’t known what I’ve been doing for several hundred years. I don’t think they really need to know what I’m doing now,” she retorted.

“But, it’s different now. Times have changed. They should understand a little better.” Inu-no leaned forward.

“But they don’t. I ran into one a few months ago and they tried to talk me into mating again. They don’t want to understand anything. They want to be stuck in the past. They don’t care about anything else,” Kagome fought back.

Sesshoumaru sat down and faced her. “Please Kagome. I only ask you to do this once. That’s all.”

Kagome looked up at him. She sighed after a minute and looked down at her lap. “Fine. Just this once.”

Sesshoumaru nodded and looked up at his father. “We’ll let you know the date so you can send out invitations when we figure it out.”

Kikyou had been stunned by the announcement, thinking the first time that it was a horrible prank, but now seeing it as true. She began glaring at Kagome and faced Inu Yasha.

“When are we going to mate? We’ve been seeing each other for a few years now and still nothing,” she whined.

Inu Yasha rolled his eyes and threw his hands up in the air.

“Look what you two did! Now she’s going to be on my case for ever!” He turned to face the obnoxious girl. “Listen, I’m not ready to mate. I’m still young compared to Sesshoumaru. And Halflings don’t mate until they reach 400 years. I’ve still got three years until then.”

Kikyou pouted her lip. “But I can’t wait that long!”

“Then maybe you shouldn’t be with my son, Kikyou. He’s not allowed to mate for three more years by law. There’s nothing he can do about it,” Inu-no cut in. “Now, you will be quite and not ruin my other son’s moment any longer. It’s his time to shine.”

Kikyou threw a glare at Kagome and Sesshoumaru. “Excuse me, I have some things I need to do.”

With that, she stood up from the table and took off out the door. Inu Yasha sighed and sank into his chair while Sesshoumaru glared after the woman. Kagome stared at the ceiling and wished to Kami to strike Kikyou down while Inu-no frowned at the three.

“Alright you three. There’s something going on with you three and her. I want to know what’s happening,” he demanded.

Kagome turned to face him and faked a smile. “I don’t like her. She doesn’t like me. End of story.”

Sesshoumaru stood up. “She’s conniving, and I don’t like her. I will be in my room. Kagome, will you join me?”

Inu-no stood up and slammed his hands on the table, startling the three people. “SIT DOWN NOW!” he yelled at them.

Inu Yasha straightened up instantly while Kagome jumped and covered her chest to calm her beating heart. Sesshoumaru glared at his father while wrapping an arm around Kagome to calm her down.

“Do not yell father. We have told you what is up, and that’s all that’s going on,” Sesshoumaru’s icy tone answered.

“Don’t tell me what to do son. You will sit your ass down right now and you will tell me why you two don’t like her, and you will tell me NOW!” he roared at the three.

Kagome almost toppled off the chair when he did that in such haste to get away from the upset demon. Instinct from so many years of fighting demons told her to play hide-and-seek-tag, but Sesshoumaru held her down, knowing what she was thinking. He sat down and glared harder at his father. Inu Yasha sighed and placed his head on the table after pushing his plate back.

“You know, I thought out of all of us, you would have known long before us what she was trying to do,” Inu Yasha said.

Inu-no looked over to him and sat down. “Explain what you are talking about.”

Sesshoumaru cleared his throat. “Maybe we should start with Kagome. After all, the story should begin there, seeming as it has the past three tellings.”

Inu-no turned to face Kagome, who watched him wearily. “Well, what’s this about?”

She looked at Sesshoumaru who nodded and she turned back to Inu-no. “Well, we used to be friends. Good friends, you know. She was one of those girls that was in one relationship one day and another the next. Always jumping from guy to guy, saying the other was better then the first. She was always around though for her friends. Every now and then, she’d meet up with this guy were she’d disappear for a few days on end, but it was normal, so we never thought about it.

“Anyway, we thought it was one of those guys again. So, we kept trying to get a hold of her. Well, days turned into weeks, weeks into months. You get the drift. We stopped trying to get a hold of her after a few weeks though. We had lives and couldn’t sit around waiting for her forever. And then she showed up one day. In my office, when I was all by myself and decided that she was going to have a talk with me.

“We talked about where she had been. She said she met a guy and he was rich. He could give her the things she wanted. The riches and presents she deserved, where as us, her friends, couldn’t. I tried telling her love wasn’t based on money and what one can afford. She then attacked me personally,” Kagome blushed and looked away from the men. “Anyway, I told her to leave and to not contact me or our friends until she’s got her head on straight. Then she said that she didn’t need to be around us. We weren’t good enough for her anymore basically and she left. Sesshoumaru can tell you the rest.”

Inu-no held up his hand as Sesshoumaru was about to begin. “What do you mean she attacked you personally?” he asked her.

Kagome covered her face and shook her head. Sesshoumaru placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it as if saying not to worry. She slowly lowered her hands and took a deep breath.

“She told me to look where love got me. A broken heart and left in the dust.
She said it was a waist of time and a silly fairy tale,” Kagome answered.

Inu-no glared at the door where Kikyou had left through and turned to Sesshoumaru. “What do you have to add to this story?” he asked.

Sesshoumaru faced his father. “I was the person she had met. I told her I wasn’t interested. She tried everything to get my attention. Even getting into my office. When she realized I wasn’t interested, and wasn’t budging, she moved on to Inu Yasha, and when he wasn’t around, she’d try to get in my favor. I tried to warn Inu Yasha of her love of his money and not himself.”

“And I listened,” Inu Yasha cut in. “I started buying her cheaper stuff, telling her it was the best of the best. She fell for it and continued on as she always had. Sleeping with other guys, spending money like mad, wondering why there were limits on credit cards, so on. I’ve been keeping an eye on her, along with my nose. I may not be the smartest Tashio, but I’m not stupid either. I know when I’m being played. I’m just trying to get her to slip up and spill the beans so I can dump her ass,” he finished, causing Sesshoumaru to smirk.

“Indeed, as is our plan. So far it is working,” Sesshoumaru let out.

Inu-no leaned back in his chair and stared at the three. Kagome fidgeted in her seat while Inu Yasha and Sesshoumaru watched their father. Finally leaning forward, he looked at each in turn. “Are you three sure that this is the best plan?” he asked.

“Indeed. It won’t fail,” Sesshoumaru answered.

“Plus, Rin has a back-up plan if she is to find out about this and it fails. She won’t tell me yet, of course, but I know it is evil and it’s good. Guaranteed to work no matter what,” Kagome offered.

Sesshoumaru looked over at her in surprise. “I didn’t think Rin would be a scheming girl.”

“Oh, she’s not normally. But it’s personal for her. Kikyou was her best friend, you know. If anyone knows how to knock Kikyou a peg or two down, it’s Rin. She’s been doing it for years. Putting Kikyou in her place among her friends is Rins specialty. But she’s whipped up something special for putting her in place among her peers. All I have to do is say the words and it’s done,” Kagome said, leaning back in her chair. “But enough about douche-bag. Let’s move on with life. There’s a mating ceremony to plan and everything has to be perfect according to Jak and Bank.”

Sesshoumaru smiled and Inu-no nodded. “Then let the games begin, shall they?”

Kagome stared out her office window. Jak had been calling her all day describing flowers and fabrics to her. It had only been a week since she’d been mate-to-be, but her friends didn’t know yet. Neither did her family. And that was the worst part.

They hadn’t talked to her since she told them her history. They disowned her for making up lies, and then when she proved it to them, they disowned her for being an abomination. And Sesshoumaru was dead set on telling them. She tried to tell him that she didn’t talk to her family, but he knocked it off as she was nervous or they didn’t like him for what he did to her. When she tried to explain that that wasn’t the case, he brushed it off saying they were going to meet her family.

And the plan was for her to take him to meet her family tonight. At her family’s house. She tried to talk him into letting them meet them at a restraunt, but he said that it was too impersonal for a family get-together. So she was obliged to tell him the address and they were going to her family’s house tonight.

Sango had been just trying to comfort Kagome, but she kicked her out, saying it wasn’t helping, just making her madder. While she sat and dwelled on what she was going to do about her family, the speaker buzzed, signaling that Eri had something for her.

She pushed the button to talk to Eri. “Yes, what is it?” she asked.

“Excuse me, Kagome. But there’s three Mr. Tashio’s here to see you. May I send them in?” she asked.

Kagome scrunched up her eyebrows in question and after a minute realized she meant Inu-no, Inu Yasha and Sesshoumaru. “Yeah. Send them in,” she answered.

She quickly cleaned up her desk and sighed as a knock sounded on the door. “Can’t I pretend to be dead for one day?” she whispered to herself. “Come on in!” she called out to the door.

As the three entered, Inu-no and Inu Yasha looked around with approval as Sesshoumaru frowned at Kagome.

“What’s wrong?” he asked her, moving towards her desk.

“Nothing. I’m just a little stressed about tonight and with work piling up because Kouga can’t do a damn thing. I’m fine otherwise,” she answered, trying to smile at him. His frown lifted slightly.

“You should get rid of him if he can’t do anything. It’s not good to pick up other people’s work,” Sesshoumaru commented. “And don’t worry about tonight.”

Inu-no sat down in the chair in front of her desk and smiled. “I like your taste in offices. So, you ready for dinner with your family?” he asked.

Kagome’s eyes widened. “You’re not coming, are you?” she asked.

“Of course I’m coming. So is Inu Yasha. I’d like to meet my family-in-laws, now wouldn’t I?” he asked.

“We should get going, if we don’t want to be late for dinner, shouldn’t we?” Sesshoumaru asked.

“Right,” Kagome answered, becoming more nervous by the minute.

They pulled up to the two story, plane looking house and stepped out of the limousine. As they walked up to the front door, it flew open as a teenage girl screamed out an ‘I HATE YOU ALL’ into the house. She flung around to meet the group and her eyes opened.

“Ka-Ka-Kagome…. What the hell are you doing here? You know you’re not allowed around here anymore. She’s ganna bitch-fit!” the young girl exasperated.

“Yeah, well, go tell Dad to get his ass out here, or I’ll drag it out. I don’t care if you’re in trouble again. Do it,” Kagome said, crossing her arms.

The girl nodded and walked back into the house and yelled. “DAD! SOME ONE’S AT THE DOOR FOR YOU!”

The three guys all winced and looked at Kagome who was now fidgeting with her purse. Soon a tall man with short brown hair came to the door. His brown eyes flashed at the young girl. “Up to your room, now!” he commanded before turning to the group.

Upon setting his eyes on Kagome, they hardened. “What do you want? Leave.”

“Uhm, about that. These men would like to talk to you, father. And the rest of your family too, including your dumb bitch,” Kagome answered, shoving past the man and into the house. She turned around and motioned for the guys to come in.

As they came into the house, they took in the middle class surroundings and the overweight boy at the computer, now glaring at Kagome. A blonde woman, yet again, slightly overweight, came out of a door and spotted the four and glared at Kagome.

“What is she doing here?” the woman spat out.

Kagome whirled around and glanced at the guys she had come with. She took in a deep breath and bellowed out, “YUMI, TARI, KYO! GET DOWN HERE NOW!”

The teenage girl came running down first. “You know, I was listening at the top of the stairs. You didn’t have to scream.”

“Of course I did. You wouldn’t listen otherwise. Go sit in the living room. Now, Yumi,” Kagome ordered.

The girl, now known as Yumi, pulled a face and went to sit on a couch. A young girl came running and rammed into Kagome’s legs.

“’Gome! You’re home!” she shrieked, making the three demons wince again.

“Just for a bit hun. Go sit next to Yumi, ok?” she asked, leaning down to the little girls level. The girl nodded and quickly obeyed Kagome.

Next to file down was a man who looked like Kagome, but a bit taller and older. “What are you doing here?” he asked.

“People want to talk to you all. Go the living room,” Kagome answered.

When she turned around, she met two older people glaring at her.

“Don’t think you can tell my children what to do, you bitch,” the woman hissed.

“You’re the bitch, so shut your fucking mouth, go sit the fuck down and actually listen for once, got it?” Kagome hissed back. She turned around and met the three demons. “And this is what I was trying to tell you. You didn’t listen though,” she reprimanded Sesshoumaru.

The other two stared at the family in disbelief. They turned to Kagome. “What the hell! This isn’t a fucking family! This is suicide in a damn bottle!” Inu Yasha yelled out.

“I know that, but what can I say. They don’t want me around. Can we just get this done and leave? I don’t want to be here any longer then I absolutely have to,” Kagome begged.

Sesshoumaru nodded. “What are their names?” he asked her.

Kagome pointed to the youngest girl. “That’s Teri. She’s 9. Next to her is Yumi. She’s 17.” She pointed to the overweight boy first. “That’s Jerid. Technically, he’s my step-brother. That’s Kyo, my older brother. That’s my Dad, Kibito and that’s his bitch of a wife. I won’t say her name. No relation to me what so ever.” Kagome then turned her attention to the family. “Alright people, you will be respectful to these three. This here is Sesshoumaru Tashio, owner of Slashers & Co. This is his father, Inu-no Tashio, the owner of All Use, Inc. And this is Inu Yasha Tashio, an Agent of Quick Cord, Inc. Three big names I’m sure all of you have heard of. So shut your mouth and listen to them for a minute.”

With that Kagome leaned against the wall and glared at the group on the couches.

Sesshoumaru stepped forward. “I do not know if you are aware of Kagome’s and mine own pass, but we have one. And now, me being a demon, I will be mating her shortly. We have come to meet what was supposed to become our family, but we can obviously see that Kagome has no family besides Teri. In Human terms, I will be marrying her for life. Thank you for your time and good-bye.”

Inu-no glared at the group as Sesshoumaru turned around to face Kagome. “Are you ready to go?” he asked.

“Yeah. Was ready the minute we got in the car to come here. Inu-no, Yasha. Ready?” she asked.

Inu-no looked over at Kagome. “Actually, I’d like to say something, if you don’t mind.”

Kagome shook her head.

Inu-no turned to face the group again, who were sitting in a stunned silence. “You should all be ashamed of yourselves. You gave up a precious gem because why, I don’t know. But that’s wrong. She’s special and she’s been through more then any of you have. And you can’t say she hasn’t because she’s older then any of you. Even you, Kibito. You should really be ashamed.”

Teri climbed off the couch and walked over to Kagome. “Don’t leave me sis. I miss you,” she whispered.

Kagome squatted down to Teri’s level again and smiled brightly. “How about this. I take you out for Ice Cream tomorrow? And even the zoo. We’ll have a huge day of fun for just us, ok?” Kagome asked.

Teri nodded. “Yeah! And we can go to the park and the pool!”

“Alright. I’ll pick you up at 9 in the morning. Be ready, ok?” Kagome asked.

Teri nodded again as the blond woman stood up to protest. Inu Yasha glared at the woman. “You will sit down. If she wants to see her sister, then she will. We don’t care how old she is. If you try to deny her, we will sue your ass.”

The woman shot the man a dirty look. “That’s my daughter, and that whore isn’t going to take her anywhere!”

Inu-no stepped forward and bared his fangs. “Woman! Sit your ass down!”

Kagome stood up and placed a hand on Inu-no’s arm. “Shut up. It’s Teri’s choice if she sees me. You know that. Just because you disowned me, even though I’m not part of your family, doesn’t mean that Teri has to. She’s got a choice. And she’s made hers.” She turned around. “You be ready, ok?” she asked the little girl, who nodded vigorously in turn.

“Let’s go,” Sesshoumaru said, and lead Kagome out the door by a gentle hand on her arm. Inu-no and Inu Yasha followed after them.

They climbed into the car and Sesshoumaru faced Kagome. “Why didn’t you tell me they were like that?”

“I tried to tell you that I couldn’t come back here, but you wouldn’t listen to me. You brushed it off as something else. I don’t blame you,” she said, looking up at him.

“Indeed,” was his only reply as he turned on the car and pulled away.

The four of them sat in Kagome’s living room. No one knew what to say to Kagome after the incident at her so-called ‘family’s’ house. Kagome wouldn’t look at them. She kept her eyes focused on the floor.

Finally Inu-no looked up. “So, that was a family?” he asked.

Kagome shook her head. “No. It’s a broken family. Nobody actually cares about anyone in it besides Teri. It’s just the way it’s always been. We’ve all tried to fix it, but to no avail. There’s nothing you can do about it.”

Inu Yasha sat back in his chair. “And you had to put up with that?” he asked.

“Well, yeah. It was the only choice I had. I couldn’t do anything else,” she answered.

“Why didn’t you just leave?” Sesshoumaru asked.

“I did, as soon as I turned 18. My dad wanted to keep in touch with me, so we did, and then I went back in time. When I came back to now, he kind of disowned me. Said I was an abomination of man kind and I shouldn’t be alive. So I left,” she shrugged. “I’m used to it, but I didn’t want you three to see that. I didn’t want you to think that I’m like them, because I’m not.”

Sesshoumaru moved next to Kagome and sat down. “You are not like them. We saw them, and we know you. You are nothing like them,” he said, trying to comfort her while wrapping his arm around her.

Kagome looked up at him. “I know I’m nothing like them, but I didn’t want to go back there. I didn’t want to see them. I didn’t want you to see them or talk to them.”

Sesshoumaru nodded. “I understand that.”

Right then, the phone rang. Kagome stood up and picked up the phone to answer it.

“Hello, Higurashi home,” she answered.

“Hey, what are you guys doing tonight?” Sango’s voice filtered through the phone.

“Oh, hey Sango. I don’t know. Why?” she asked, sitting back down on the couch.

“Well, Jak and Bank said that you had something big to tell us all, so we figured we’d all head over to your place and see you. So, what’s so big that we all have to be there? Is about skank?” Sango asked.

Kagome rolled her eyes. “No. It’s not about her. But you’re welcome to come over tonight.”

“We’ll be over in an hour then,” Sango called out before Kagome could say anything else and the line went dead.

Kagome sighed and looked up at the ceiling. “Nobody ever listens anymore. What ever happened to ‘Let’s not say anything yet until she says ‘Ok’!’? What jerks.”

Sesshoumaru looked up at his father. “Call Jaken. Have him come over and prepare food for Kagome’s guests and bring it here.”

Inu-no nodded and walked out of the room while pulling out his cell phone. Inu Yasha sat back and propped his feet up.

“You have it pretty tough with those stupid family members, don’t you?” he asked.

Kagome nodded and leaned back. “Yeah, they’re not the best people to be around, but whatever. I don’t really care much for them.”

Inu Yasha rolled his eyes. “I wouldn’t either. They seemed a little too pissed off.”

Kagome rolled her eyes. “Yeah. Well, that bitch is the core of it all. You can’t make it through that family without several mental disabilities. I was suicidal depressed, along with bi-polar. I had multiple personality disorder, just over the line of insane and I had a bunch of phobias because I was so unstable that I could hardly make it on my own. After a few years and a lot of good friends and help, I eventually overcame a lot of it. No thanks to her though.”

Sesshoumaru’s eyes widened. “I never knew you had any of those problems!”

“I hide it all easily. You may not tell, but you can never get over stuff like that completely. It just fades. Like your memories. It’s always there. Always waiting. Nothing more.”

Kagome stood up. “I feel like the bitch looked at me. I’m going to shower. I’ll be down shortly.”

Sesshoumaru watched her go upstairs and sighed. “I would not have subjected her to such a horrible display of people had I known.”

Inu Yasha got up and patted him on the back in slight, awkward comfort. “You didn’t know. You thought it was the best for the both of you two. Don’t beat yourself up over it all.”

Sesshoumaru nodded slightly, standing up. He looked around the house. “I think I will begin making her house safer.”

Inu Yasha looked around questioningly, deciding it wasn’t the time to ask questions.

Kagome strolled down the stairs and noticed all the noise in the living room.

“How come she never has food set out for us like this? What makes today so special?” She heard Kouga ask.

She walked in and saw Jak and Bank wink at each other in front of Kouga, making it obvious something big was about to happen.

Kaugra turned around and started. “Kagome! You’re wearing a Mating Band!”

Everyone turned instantly to stare at her.

Questions bomb-barded her instantly.

“When did that happen!”

“How long have you been hiding it?”

“Who’s the lucky man?”

“What the HELL?”

Kouga’s yell broke through all the questions. “Kagome! What the hell is this? You’re supposed to be my woman!”

Sesshoumaru walked into the room. “Ah, they know already.”

Kouga turned to face him and glared. “You fucker! She was my woman! I’ve laid claim on her already. You had no right,” he growled.

Sesshoumaru watched as Kagome walked up to him before turning to Kouga. “She had denied all your claims, wolf. I have Courted her, due to demon law, and I have won her affections. You would be wise to not challenge me. You have no grounds. She was not promised to you, nor were you to her.”

Kagome shook her head. “I kept telling you no. Kept telling you that you were just a friend. Even in demon terms, friends mean allies, as in human terms. Nothing more. Not mate-to-be, or possession, as you have seen me as.” She wrapped her arm around Sesshoumaru’s waist. “This is the man I had promised myself too. Even if there were miscommunications back then. You had no chance, and no right. I was a taken woman even then.”

Sesshoumaru watched her closely, emotion slowly coming to surface. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and looked up at Kouga. “You have heard it yourself. You have no right to challenge, and if you attempt to, it will be dismissed on the grounds of you have none.”

Kouga stormed out of the living room and the front door slammed shut a moment later.

Miroku coughed lightly into his hand. “Well, doesn’t he know how to ruin a good time?” he asked.

Sango sighed as their friends began to mingle with one another, trying to avoid the topic of Kouga.

Sango moved toward the couple. “Hey, congratulations. I hope you’re both happy.”

Kagome smiled kindly. “I know I am. Thanks,” she whispered, hugging her friend tightly.

Sango hugged her back. “Now only if I could get Miroku to ask me to marry him.”

“Oh, you’d marry me but not bear my children! I am hurt, my dear Sango!” Miroku faked, appearing behind the three.

Sango rolled her eyes. “Whatever, monk.” She walked away, winking at her friend in the process.

Miroku wrapped an arm around Kagome. “I am still available if you wish to rethink your decision, you know,” he said, a small smirk on his face.

Sesshoumaru growled at Miroku, making him jump and back up a few paces, bowing to the two of them. “Congratulations! I was only joking of course. Sango’s the only woman for me!”

Kagome laughed lightly, walking up to Miroku and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. “You know, now that I’m getting mated, Sango and the rest of the girls are going to start thinking about marriage and mating more often. You might want to put to rest your ‘cursed’ hand in case they find it as an offering for engagement or mating.”

Miroku’s face paled. “You think so?” he asked.

“Oh, I know so,” she answered with a wicked smile on her face.

He glanced around the room. “I think I’ll be in the closet. Just don’t tell anyone.”

She watched him take off toward the hallway and laughed. “Poor boy. Afraid of commitment.”

Sesshoumaru glared after her. “He will be wise to touch what I have claimed again.”

Kagome looked up at him and smiled kindly. “Well, you know what? You won’t have to worry about it. I think between the both of us, we made him shit his pants in complete and utter terror.”

Hitten dragged Kaugra forward. “Hey! Finally joining the ranks! That’s great news! So, when exactly is the ceremony? And who’s planning? I think the planners for ours are still alive. I could try to get a hold of them again for you.”

Kaugra huffed. “Our ceremony was a piece of shit. Did you see the stains of some of the cloth! And those flowers smelled terrible in the wind! Don’t you dare try to get Kagome those buffoons! She deserves better!”

Hitten crest-fallen face glanced at Kaugra. “You never said you disliked our ceremony before! What’s made you change your mind?”

Kaugra lowered her head. “I didn’t mean it darling. I’m sorry!”

Kagome smiled kindly. “I’ve already got two of the finest designers I could find. Jak and Bank. Granted, it’ll be a little over done, but that’s the way they work, especially when money’s not an issue. They’ve promised a discount too on the flowers. I can’t wait to see it.”

Sesshoumaru nodded. “We could not refuse.”

Hitten smiled. “They do some beautiful work. Have you two chosen a day yet?” he asked.

Kagome shook her head. “No. Not yet. We haven’t had time to talk about it yet. Though with Jak, I think it will be soon. He would have already started ordering the flowers and buying the cloth and dishes on my card.”

“I resent that!” Jak called from across the room. “I’ve only got the cloth so far!”

Everyone laughed as Bank shook his head. “I have been trying to hold him back. He’s just getting to be too much.”

Kagome smiled. “It’s all right. Just as the flowers are held off until we’ve set the date we’ll be happy!”

Jak nodded. “Oh, don’t worry about that. I’ve got it covered!”

Sesshoumaru shook his head and looked out at the crowd. Though he had few friends, only two of them were here. He wanted them to know as well. He thought on it while Kagome chatted with her friends about the plans and dates and how it had came to be that they were going to mate. Rin had snickered, saying Kikyou had to be pissed off beyond anything she could have done, though until the mating ceremony, she’d double her efforts.

After a few of her friends had dismissed themselves due to prior engagements, he had figured it out. He’d hold a dinner party with his friends and Kagome and announce it then. They all loved dinner parties. Though they differed from Kagome’s friends completely, he was sure that they would get along fine.