Kryptonite

By Danyealle

(fanfiction/MF/HC/Abuse)

Chapter 9

After the children were put to bed that night Kagome retired to her chambers rather than spend time with her group of friends.  After a long, leisurely soak in the hot springs she went and sat out on the balcony.  Sitting there, she stared off over the moonlit gardens and let her mind wander.

Though she was acting, other than in a few areas here and there, much as she always had and she seemed to be handling everything well internally she was at war and a seething mass of stress, anxiety and doubt.  Quite frankly she didn’t know what to do or think at this point!

She had been through so much and everything had changed so much in just a short period of time that she really didn’t know what to do or how she should act.  Her first instinct was to follow the advice of that voice that always came up when she was hurt and upset said ‘I wanna go home!’  And she did.  She wanted to go home, throw herself in her mother’s arms and sob out all her problems.  But this time she realistically knew that her mother couldn’t help her fix her problems.  Nor was she all that sure that she wanted her mom to know just what kind of problems she was having.  The older women adored Inuyasha and she wasn’t sure how she was going to take it when she found out he was abusive or how long she had hid that part from her.

Inuyasha…

His name alone was enough to set loose a riot of emotions.  Quite frankly, she didn’t know if she wanted to burst into tears or start throwing things, both seemed to have their own merits.  But she knew they wouldn’t solve anything or make anything better.  But from her point of view she blamed him for this whole mess.  He dropped her into this hell!

Bending her legs, she propped her heels on the seat of the bench she was sitting on, folded her arms over her knees then buried her face in them.  Eyes screwed tightly shut, she wanted to burst into tears, she really did, but she tried to fight them off and mostly succeeded but one lone drop of salt water slid down her cheek.  She didn’t know what to do!  She didn’t know what to feel!

She had been pulled out of a nightmarish situation but she had also been dropped into another that was just as much of one, just in a different way.  Alright, she knew Sesshomaru was a ‘man’ of his word and would protect her like he said he would.  He didn’t lie, she knew that quite well but she had always thought the same of Inuyasha so she couldn’t help but doubt him on that topic. Even though her logical and rational side knew he would do as he said there were seeds of doubt there and she couldn’t put them to rest like she used to be able to.  That bothered her, she wanted to be able to trust like she used to and not question everything like she was doing now.  But she had a sneaking suspicion that part was gone, probably forever.   And she missed it.

It wasn’t fair!  It just plain wasn’t fair that someone took that from her, she whined internally.

Yanking herself back, she refused to allow herself to go down the road of self pity.  Instead she focused on something else:  Sesshomaru. 

Though her ability to trust was now ‘compromised’ she would admit that she trusted him as much as she trusted anyone.  She would also admit that his strength also made her nervous as well.  Despite knowing logically he had far more self control than his half-brother she couldn’t help but be scared that he may end up doing the same thing Inuyasha did.  She was well aware that if the demon lord decided to cut loose on her she was dead, no two ways about it.  That scared her.

Then there was his sadistic nature…  As she was well aware, he could easily be termed ‘psycho’ in her time.  Considering that, how could she really trust him not to hurt her?  Yes, she knew he had a history with Rin that showed he could be trusted not to hurt someone under his protection but she wasn’t an innocent child.  As she was well aware, she had a big mouth and could drive a saint to drown themselves in the nearest bottle of sake.  How would a taiyoukai with limited patience deal with that?  She didn’t know the answer to that and it added to her apprehension over the situation.

For as long as she had known the demon lord, even after they had developed their friendship, there had been a touch of fear of him.  Though it hadn’t really increased, it had been pushed to the forefront of her mind more.  Would she be able to deal with that, especially when they were alone?  She didn’t know and it was something she had to figure out.

Next her mind skipped to a related subject” mating with him.  Quite honestly, she was grateful that he had been up front about the reasons for doing it and how he felt about the whole thing.  At least that way she knew where they both stood on the topic and that he wasn’t trying to manipulate her.  That did help her in some ways but there were still questions and fears she had to deal with.   She understood when she had done the deed with Inuyasha that it meant forever, that there was no out.  She also understood that mating with the taiyoukai was the only way to be free from his half-brother.  But was this going to be like a real mating, meaning it would involve things like sex and heirs or was it just going to be a symbolic thing?  This was something she needed to know because it brought up all kinds of questions she felt she had to have answers to.  But, frankly, she was scared to ask him about it because on some level she didn’t yet want to deal with some of what the answers might bring up.

Shivering, she hugged herself and squeezed her eyes shut tighter then forced herself away from that topic.  Staying on the topic of mating she just skipped to another facet of it.  For a long time she had known that youkai mated for different reason than humans in her time did.  Also, she grasped the reasons he was doing this for but that didn’t mean she couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed that she wasn’t going to do this for love like most people in her time did.  Then there was the topic of affection-something Sesshomaru wasn’t exactly known for.  Could she really spend the rest of her days with someone that wouldn’t touch or love on her the way she liked?  She, honestly, didn’t know the answer to that.  She was naturally an affectionate being, liking to touch and be touched, so she was pretty certain that she couldn’t go without that.  As she knew Sesshomaru didn’t like to be touched nor show affection in any way.  The most affection she had ever seen him display to Rin was a pat on the head.  For the child that seemed to be fine but she couldn’t settle for something like that, she needed more.  Yes, since he had rescued her he had touched and even held her but she needed more than that.  In face she was sure that part of her would die if she didn’t get that. 

Feeling her mood turn downwards even more, she let out a melancholy sigh.  What was she going to do?  That was something she didn’t have an answer to nor did she really know how to go about finding it.

Knowing no matter how much she hashed it out there were going to be no answers coming she switched, forcibly, her train of thought to the other issue she saw as big: court.

Court troubled her for many reasons:  she didn’t know how to act, she didn’t want to embarrass herself or Sesshomaru, how to deal with some of the beings and general protocol of it.  Those were just the big issues but there were a plethora of smaller ones as well. 

Formal frou-frou stuff was never something she had been interested in nor was she now but she had been thrust into the middle of it and could have to learn to deal with it.  ‘I don’t want to’ part of her whined but she knew that wasn’t an option at this point.

Yes, the friends she had made were helping her learn what she needed to but she still didn’t have enough confidence in herself to think she wouldn’t pull some foolish, bonehead stunt that would totally embarrass both herself and Sesshomaru, one that she would probably never be able to live down.

Then there was her big mouth…  As she well knew it could get her into trouble on a regular basis.  She was pretty certain that, at some point, someone was going to say something to set her off and her mouth would then go on auto-pilot.  Who knows what the fallout from that would be?  In that area she was more worried about how it would affect Sesshomaru than she was herself.  She didn’t want to do anything that would cause him problems.

Sighing, she tried to think of a way to ensure that didn’t happen but the only thing she could come up with was something she knew wouldn’t work for long” try to meek and mild and keep her big yap shut.  Problem with that was that it went totally against who she was.  She had been brought up to be strong and assertive.  To be submissive and say nothing wasn’t something she could do for long.

With a soft, stressed moan, she forced herself to switch the track of her thoughts before she made herself completely nuts.  But where her thought process stopped wasn’t good either.  Once more it landed on Inuyasha.  This time it centered on what he was like and what he might pull.

She knew the hanyou well enough to know he wasn’t someone that gracefully accepted defeat or gave up on something.  In fact, it was usually the exact opposite.  Once he got his teeth into something he wouldn’t let go until he got what he wanted.  She was certain that she fell in that category.  No way was he going to give up getting her back.  Quite frankly, that scared her.  She knew what he could be like better than anyone and what he was capable of.

Related to that was she didn’t even want to think what he would do to her if he got his claws on her again. She was sure the abuse she had suffered at his hands before would pale in comparison to what he would do if he got hold of her again.  He had to know she had ‘blabbed’ to Sesshomaru and told him at least some of what had happened, a cardinal sin and betrayal in the hanyou’s eyes, something he would make her pay dearly for, she was sure.

That was really all she and her over-worked, over-strung emotions could take.  Since the night the taiyoukai had taken her away from the nightmare that had become her life everything had built up with no release.  Now the dam burst and she broke down into hysterical tears, unable to stop them.

~~~~~@~~~~~

Letting himself into his chambers, Sesshomaru put his swords up first thing.  He planned to check on the miko, take a nice soak in the hot springs then find his bed.  It had been a long day.  Not only did he have the normal things to deal with but Kagome’s party was two days away and he had the last minute details of that to deal with.  Tomorrow would probably be even worse he thought with a mental sigh.

Opening his balcony doors, to let in some fresh air, he moved around, getting comfortable.  While sitting down, preparing to remove his boots, he heard a soft sob and caught a whiff of tears.  Head jerking up, he tried to focus on where it was coming from.  It didn’t take him long at all to determine that it was coming from Kagome’s room.  Not sure what was causing it, he hurried next door to see what the problem was.

When he opened the door to her chambers he could not only hear and smell it better but sense a jumble of powerful emotions from the little miko.  Quickly, he moved to the balcony where she was sitting.

Not really sure what to do, he stepped out onto the balcony and put a hand on her shoulder.  “Kagome?”  He asked gently.

Nodding to let him know she knew he was there but she didn’t look up and the sobs showed no sign of tapering off or that she was attempting to stop them.

Quite frankly, he didn’t know what to do for her because he had no experience dealing with such matters.  Sitting down by her, he slid an arm around her waist and pulled her lose, just holding her next to him.  That was the best thing he could think of, letting her know he was there.

As he sat there and listened to her sob, feeling all those emotions swirl in her aura, the thought came to him that this was something that may well be needed.  Since being taken from the whelp she had kept things all bottled up while being bombarded with all kinds of new things.  She had to be overwhelmed.  Nor had she really had an outlet for her emotions.  Perhaps she needed this in the way he sometimes needed to go out and spar with someone to relieve stress or what he was feeling. Perhaps he just needed the release those tears gave her.

Turning sideways on the bench they were seated on, with his legs spread and placed on either side of it, he pulled her close and leaned her against his chest, one arm loosely draped around her waist, the other on her head, stroking her hair.  Not saying anything he just held her like that to let her know he was there.

When she felt herself being rested against his chest, she uncurled herself and buried her face in his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist, continuing to sob.

“I’m here Kagome.”  He told her softly, rubbing her head.

~~~~~@~~~~~

By the time her sobs tapered off about a half an hour later Kagome was tired and thirsty, her throat a little sore and eyes feeling gritty.  Not having the energy to move, she just leaned against him, quiet, eyes shut.

He let her stay there and sat quietly for several minutes before he finally asked, “Are you OK Kagome?”

Eye still shut, she just nodded.

“Would you like something to drink?”  He wasn’t really sure what to do or say at that point but he logically assumed that any being that had just shed that much water was bound to be feeling a bit thirsty.

“Please.”  She replied softly, voice a tad raspy sounding.

Gently, he helped her to her feet then guided her into her room with a hand on the small of her back.  “Go get cleaned up and I’ll retrieve something to drink.”  He told her gently.

Nodding, she then disappeared to wash her face.

When she stepped back into her chambers there was a tray of juice sitting on her table as well as Sesshomaru waiting for her.  Quickly, she seated herself and poured a glass.  After downing it greedily, she poured another and sipped it.  That’s when she found herself embarrassed and unable to look at him.  Having a breakdown like that was bad enough but having a witness to it was embarrassing.

He could see her unwillingness to look at him and understood where it came from but wasn’t willing to let it go.  The way he saw it was this was the best time he could thing of to get her to talk about what had triggered the crying jag.  “Kagome?”  He said quietly.  When she glanced up at him, he pressed on.  “Tell me what’s bothering you.”  He pressed, voice soft but firm.

“It’s nothing.”  She told him, looking down at the table.

“It’s obviously something if it brought on that many tears.”  He said, reaching across the table to put a finger under her chin and tilt her face up so she was looking at him once more.  “If you talk about it perhaps we can find a solution for it or you may feel better once it’s off your chest.”

Sighing, she shifted her eyes away.  “It’s complicated…” she trailed off.

Removing his hand, he settled back a bit.  “That’s fine, you can take all the time you need to explain.  If I don’t understand something I’ll stop you and ask questions.”

Sighing, she tried to think.  Knowing him the way she did what he had asked was more like him telling her to talk rather than a question.  Nor did she think he would let her profess she didn’t want to discuss it.  So, rather than refuse, she decided to talk about a couple of the more minor things and not bring up anything about him or the mating.  Sighing, she nodded and looked down.  “Alright.”  She said quietly then launched into her concerns about court.

A funny thing happened though.  Once she started talking she couldn’t stop and all if it came out.  Court, Inuyasha, him, all of it.

For over an hour she talked, spilling everything in a sometimes rambling monologue which spilled out all the fears and concerns that had been building up since her arrival at the fortress.  By the time she was done she felt exhausted emotionally but also like a great weight had been lifted off her shoulders as well.

With his usual placid mask in place he listened carefully to what she had said though it was hard at times to follow when she began to hop around and jump from topic to topic at lightning speed.  Overall, he realized that there were several issues that they really needed to address and work out, many of them were ones he hadn’t thought about. 

He decided to start with the easiest topic first: court.  “You’ve brought up a lot of issues that need to be dealt with between the two of us.  All of them very valid.”  He told her, looking at her.  “Let’s start with court…

“First and foremost there is one thing you need to remember above all others:  you are the Lady of the Western Lands, or are considered to be, so you, not anyone else, sets the protocol as to how things are done and what is right here.  If those in court or visiting don’t like it, that is their problem, not yours.  That is the only and final word on the topic.

“As for the other things I can say, though I know it won’t help, not to worry about it.  I have the utmost confidence you won’t ever embarrass me or yourself.  That comes from knowing the way you are.  You aren’t nasty, cruel or have a holier-than-thou attitude that would offend anyone.  Nor would you set out to cause problems or drama. 

“I’m well aware that you are very opinionated but you are also educated and can back up what you say.  Though I may not always agree with what you say but I can appreciate how you came about that opinion.  And I always learn a new way to think about things when I don’t agree with you.

“As for your temper… I cannot see you going off on someone for something foolish.  From what I’ve seen of you what sets you off most is when you’re defending a friend of yours.  That is also something I will never get angry about.”

Reaching out, he put a hand over hers then gave it a reassuring squeeze.  “You will be fine Kagome.  Everyone makes mistakes from time to time, even those that grew up in court.  Everyone will cut you some slack at first because you’re just learning all the rules.  You’ll learn from those mistakes and move on.  Just like everyone else has.”  He told her softly.

Sighing, she shook her head.  “It’s just so overwhelming!”

“I imagine it is.  I grew up with it and learned it over a period of years.  I can’t imagine how hard it is for you to learn it all at once like you’ve been doing.”  He soothed.  “But on the bright side: for now you’ll only have to deal with it a few days a month.  By the time it becomes every day I’m sure you’ll have everything down pat.”

Sighing, she just shook her head.  “I just don’t know.  There is so much…”  She trailed off then took a deep breath.  “But I’ll try not to worry about it.”

Nodding, he understood that was probably the best he could hope for on the topic.  Next he decided to bring up the subject of the half-breed.  The way he saw it she had some very valid, real fears on the subject.  “Now to the topic of the hanyou…  From my perspective I can honestly say I think your fears and concerns are valid because I’ve considered and thought about much of what you’ve said myself.

“I don’t think he’s going to give up trying to get you back either.  In fact, it’s my opinion that he’s going to pull out all stops and try every elaborate scheme he can dream up to get you back.  Probably, he’s going to try to talk to you first and when he’s rebuffed it will get more elaborate and complex from there.”

Stopping, Sesshomaru lowered his gaze a bit.  He was trying to formulate the best way to articulate what he was going to say so that he didn’t make her fears even worse.  After a mental sigh, he pressed forward.  “Again, I agree you have a valid reason to fear what he’ll do and what he may personally do to you if he is able to get his hands on you.  If you didn’t feel that way I would wonder if something was wrong with your mental faculties. 

“I will do everything in my power to protect you from him and make sure he doesn’t get his claws on you.  With Kouga, the monk and slayer along we should be able to protect you.  But I will be honest with you… Inuyasha, it’s my guess anyway, is going to be spending all his time focusing on you and how he will be able to get you.  Naraku, jewel shards, anything but you is going to fall by the wayside.  In doing something like that he’s going to dream up things we haven’t or wouldn’t think of.  Whereas our focus is going to be in many different areas.  It will give him an advantage, I’ll admit that.  But we have one as well; sheer numbers.  We can make sure that someone is with you at all times and that you never go anywhere alone or are left by yourself.  That alone should go a long ways to ensuring your safety.  But, as I’m sure you know, there are no guarantees in this area.

“You’re apprehension and concern should also help to keep you safe.  It will keep you on your toes and help to keep you safe.

“This is the best I can do about that Kagome.  I won’t lie to you and say there is no way but I can say I’ll make sure I’ll do my best to protect you and I will do so.”  He told her in a quiet but firm voice. 

Sighing, she nodded but said nothing.  But her mind was replaying and picking apart what he had said.

While she contemplated what he had said he took the opportunity to organize his thoughts on the last topic she had brought up: himself.

Not only was it going to be the hardest to deal with but it was the most complicated and complex of the issues.  Quite frankly, he understood her fears in that area and hadn’t thought about some of it until she herself mentioned it.  Now it was fully on him to deal with it and do what he could to eradicate or at least diminish her fears and doubts.

Normally, he would have gotten a little miffed, if not downright angry, of someone had expressed some of what she had but with her he didn’t and was grateful, in a way, that she had mentioned what she did.  It at least let him know where he stood with her and what he had to work with.  No, most of them weren’t easy to fix or deal with and would take time to get rid of but he at least knew what he had to work with.

When she seemed to be less focused he moved on to the final topic.  “Are you ready to discuss the last of what you mentioned?”  He asked her quietly.  When she looked at him and nodded he pressed onwards.  “Kagome… once more I’m going to try to reassure you that I won’t ever knowingly hurt you.  Though I understand at this point it’s going to take time and my actions to fully convince you of that.

“Yes, I can be violent and more than a little sadistic but that doesn’t extend to the female of any species unless they attack me first.  I have never struck a female unless she attacked me.  Nor will I ever do so, no matter how much they irritate or anger me. 

“I’ve known you for years now and am well aware of what you’re like.  None of it bothers me.  Yes, it can be exasperating and frustrating at times but it doesn’t anger me.  I’m also, like I said before, well aware of how mouthy you can be.  Again, it doesn’t bother me.  I also don’t have a problem with your personality.  I know most beings aren’t used to someone like you but I actually find it quite refreshing and enjoy it much more than I do most females personalities.  Do you understand?”  He asked gently.

“Yes, I think so.”  She replied with a nod.  Though she felt a bit better on the topic the fear wasn’t gone. She was sure, like he said, that for it to vanish it was going to take time, quite a bit of it.  But at least it was a start down the right path.

“Alright.  Let’s move on to the mating.”  He pressed on as gently as he could.  “the first thing you need to keep in mind is that anything other than announcing my intent is a minimum of a year away.  During that year we will have plenty of time to work out and deal with problems that will come because I’m sure that more than what you’ve mentioned will crop up during that time.  As they come we’ll deal with them together.  Alright?”  He asked.

When he saw her nod, he continued on.  “It was my intent that this was going to be a regular mating like any other and not a platonic relationship.”  Though he sensed her anxiety level rise at that statement he pressed on, hoping as he explained things it would subside a bit.  “Though we won’t be mated for the reasons beings are where you’re from I hope for the same kind of relationship they have for several reasons. 

“One is fairly obvious: I would like an heir.  But from seeing you with the children I’m fairly certain that you want children of your own as well, am I right?”

“True, I do.”  She conceded with a nod.  As much as she loved both Rin and Shippo she wanted a child of her own at some point.

“We can’t manage that with a platonic relationship.”  He told her with an arched eyebrow.

“True.”  She said with a sigh.  But the thought of having sex sent her anxiety level soaring into the stratosphere. She hated, loathed and feared the act so even just considering it stressed her out.

Brow furrowed, he looked at her.  He couldn’t understand the huge spike in her anxiety level at that topic.  What came to mind was something he felt had to be dealt with, or at the least, start dealing with now.  “Do you find the idea of having sex with me that frightening?  Or is it something else?” 

“It’s not you.”  She muttered, unable to look at him.  I’m strange or odd in that area because I really don’t like sex at all.  I guess there’s something wrong with me because it really hurts and I don’t like it.”  She all but whispered, looking away, her face bright red.

Eyebrow arched again, he looked at her, not sure what to think about what she had said.  Yes, he thought there may well be a physical reason for that.  She was a small onna and maybe she had problems because of that.  But the thought that the whelp just plain didn’t know what the hell he was doing came to mind as well.  He was aware that she had been a virgin until she mated with him, her scent told him that much, so she had known no other male.  If the boy didn’t know what he was doing or wasn’t gentle it very well could be painful.  But now wasn’t the time to delve into that topic.  That was going to take a bit more time and her trust to get anywhere with.  “I understand.”  He soothed.  “Now isn’t the time to deal or discuss that.  If or when that happens isn’t going to be for a while yet so when we get to that point we’ll work with it then, “Aright?”  When she nodded he switched to the next item. 

“I’ve known about your affectionate nature for a while now.  It was obvious to me that it was a struggle for you not to touch me like you would everyone else because you knew how I felt about things such as that.  But until you said something I didn’t realize just how important of an issue it was to you.  So, I feel it’s something that can’t be ignored or shunted aside.

“No, I’m not the affectionate type and never have been.  But that doesn’t mean I don’t like to be touched ether.  I like the way it feels when you link your arm through mine and how it felt when you gave me that kiss on the cheek.  So I do not have a problem being touched.

“That being said I feel this is an area we can work with.  But, up front, I should say in public don’t expect anything more than we do now.  That isn’t an area I feel I will ever be comfortable with.  But in private I will try to work with it.  However, in order for that to happen I need something from you.” 

“What’s that?”  She asked, looking at him.

“For you to teach me what you like.  This is not an area I know.”  He told her honestly, looking into her eyes.  “If you’ll show me or indicate what you like I’ll attempt it.  Does that sound like something you can work with?”

With a small smile on her face she nodded.  “Yeah, I can do that.”

“I’ve done some with you and you seemed to like it but that is about the limit of my knowledge on the topic.  Beyond that you’re going to have to show me.”  He admitted.  To himself anyway, he would admit this whole thing was quite hard for him.  It went against his nature to admit he didn’t know how to do something.  And this area wasn’t something eh was comfortable with.  But he saw it as a compromise.  From her end her life was going to be turned topsy-turvy and would change a great deal.  In fact, other than when hunting Naraku, there was going to be very little that resembled what she was used to.  What she wanted from him was something small and not life-changing.  It would cost him nothing yet it had the potential to go a long ways towards helping regain her trust and show her he wouldn’t hurt her.  So he felt he could give in this area.  After all, no one but him and her would ever know about it.

Nodding again, she said, “Alright.”

“Good.”  He replied.  By this point he could sense that she was tired, both mentally and physically, so he felt that was enough for the night.  Since they had covered the basics of most of her concerns it seemed like a good place to stop.  They could always pick it up and go more in depth later on.

“That’s enough for the night, you’re tired.”  He said bluntly.

Sighing, she nodded.  “Yes, I am.”  She admitted.

Standing up, he held out his arm to her.  “Come.  He told her simply.

Standing, she looped her arm through his and let him lead her over to her bed. 

Sitting down on it, he pulled her between his spread, bent legs then to his chest.  When he felt her relax against him and her head rest against his shoulder he draped an arm around her waist and stroked her back softly.  “Is this the kind of thing you mean by being affectionate?”  He asked quietly.

Nodding, she replied, “Yes.  It feels good and is soothing when you’re upset or stressed out.”

“I believe I understand and that it’s something I can do.”  He told her.  Frankly, he could understand that because he had to admit it did feel good and was relaxing.

After a few minutes he shifted around a little to find a bit more of a comfortable position. Within a couple minute he quit and glared down at the mattress.  “You’re bed isn’t nearly as comfortable as mine.”  He observed.

“No, it isn’t.  But it works OK for me.”  She replied.

“Hn… this is not acceptable.  Something going to have to be done about it.”  He stated firmly.  Giving her a pat on the back, he indicated for her to stand.  Once she was on her feet he stood as well.  Grabbing half her pillows he had her grab the remaining ones then led her into his room.  After arranging them on the bed he sat down and pulled her back into the position they were in before.  Once she was settled he observed, “This is far more comfortable.”

“Yeah,” she agreed, shutting her eyes.

“Your mattress has to go!  I will not tolerate you sleeping on something like that.  My future mate deserves and will have only the best.”  He stated firmly.

She didn’t say anything but did smile at that.

Putting a hand on the back of her head, he rubbed the base of her skull with his thumb.  “You are a leady of the aristocracy now and have the right to certain comforts.  Don’t be afraid to demand such things.”  He instructed.

“I don’t need to.  You do a very good job of ensuring that for me.”  She replied quietly.

Only the best for my future mate.”  He said looking down at her.

“Nothing like having my own personal guard dog to make sure my interests are taken care of.”  She giggled.

“Indeed.”  He replied with a self-satisfied smirk.