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What A Girl Needs	By : SoutasSister Category: InuYasha > General Views: 24259 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, nor make money from this story.

Chapter List
- 13
- 14
- 15
Disclaimer: Rumiko Takahashi owns everything and I humbly
bow to her genius.

Author�s Note: Thank you so much my friends InuSaga,
Midoriko-sama, and Angelica Pierce. You�ve all helped me very much and your
suggestions and ideas are much appreciated, such as the bridal gift idea, which
came from Midi. And I�d also like to thank Inu-hugger, evil beta in training,
too. I�ve got the best friends in the world.

I want to also thank the
Inuyasha Fanguild
for voting
this story
Best Canon
and
Best Characterization (Inuyasha)
in the
2005 4th Quarter. I'm very excited and proud.

�

What a Girl Needs

by SoutasSister

Chapter 13 -- What A Little Fox

�

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

She and Kohaku continued to search for any sign of Naraku as
the sun slowly rose over the horizon illuminating the eastern sky. Kikyou knew
their final battle would occur soon. She could sense Naraku�s impatience. She
was impatient as well. Her time was running out and still she had not fulfilled
her self-appointed task of destroying Naraku and the jewel. So her search for
him continued.

Movement caught her eye and she stopped. Although her face
remained impassive, she was actually surprised to see the wolf youkai and his
two companions walking in the valley not far below the hilly path she and
Kohaku traveled. How did they overcome death? Were they now Naraku�s tools?
She could not let them pass without knowing if they were now a threat.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

�Are you sure we should go see Nee-chan, Kouga? That
Sesshoumaru guy didn�t seem to want you around her....� Ginta�s voice trailed
off at the sound of Kouga�s growl. At least he could keep up with Kouga now
that the shards were gone.

�The damned dog didn�t say I can�t
talk
to her! He
just said I can�t
have
her. I need to talk to Mutt-face anyway. If I
can�t have her, I sure don�t want Sesshoumaru to get her. He�s even more of a
bastard than the mutt. At least I know Dog-shit cares for her so I need to warn
him about Sesshoumaru.�

Kouga had been in a bad mood since they�d been revived. It
wasn�t that he wasn�t grateful for being alive � far from it. He knew he owed
the dog lord more than he could ever repay. But he was still irritated that he
wouldn�t get to have Kagome. She�d always been sweet on him, he was sure of it,
and she even subdued Dog-shit so he wouldn�t interfere with them when they
talked.

He should have just claimed her when he first met her like
he had thought about doing at the time. She would have come around eventually
even if she would have been angry at first. She wouldn�t have been able to
resist him for long. Of course it would have been hard having to travel with
her. They would have had to stop each night and eat more often. It would have
been a real pain, but he was sorry now that he hadn�t just taken her and dealt
with the consequences, because now he�d never have her. Leaving her with the
mutt all this time had been a mistake. He sighed deeply...and then froze.

Ginta bumped into Kouga�s back and Hakkaku bumped into
Ginta.

�Kouga, what��

�Shut-up!� Kouga told Ginta, looking around alertly.

�I know you�re there. Come out already,� he called while
Ginta and Hakkaku looked around him to see who was there.

Kohaku stepped out from behind a tree ahead of them, weapon
in hand, but the voice addressing them came from behind.

�How is it possible that you are here, youkai?�

Kouga growled, looking from one to the other. He recognized
both the boy and the woman. She had some connection to Mutt-face and the boy
was that girl Sango�s brother according to what he�d learned from Kagome over
the years. He knew they were after Naraku too. He didn�t want to hurt them,
but since she pointed her arrow at him first....

�You looking for a fight, miko?� he asked, turning to face
her fully and cracking his knuckles. Ginta and Hakkaku shuffled together on the
side of the trail behind him.

�Answer my question,� she commanded.

�What�s it to you?�

�I will not allow another of Naraku�s resurrections to
live,� she said, pulling back a little more on the bowstring.

�What are you talking about, baka! You know we�ve been
fighting Naraku just like you have!� Kouga yelled.

�I know you were dead, youkai. Explain how you returned to
life.�

Hakkaku nudged Kouga in the back. �Just tell her, Kouga.
We�d be suspicious too if it happened to someone else,� he whispered, thinking
to himself that it had already happened to her, but hoping Kouga answered her
anyway. That miko scared him, not only because she was undead, but also because
he�d seen what her arrows could do to a youkai. She wasn�t someone he wanted
to antagonize, even though he personally didn�t think she had the right to
question anyone about coming back from the dead. He silently prayed that Kouga
didn�t anger the creepy woman.

Kouga huffed and grudgingly told her what he didn�t think
was her business. �Inuyasha�s brother used his sword to call our souls back and
heal our bodies,� he stated, but once that was out, he couldn�t help griping
about the circumstances of their resurrection. �The dog wouldn�t revive Ginta
until I promised to be his ally and protect his clan, and then, before he would
revive Hakkaku, he made me promise to give up Kagome and support his decision
to take a human mate. It was almost underhanded if you ask me. He knew I had no
choice. I wasn�t going to let my friends stay dead when I could save them. I
think��

�Sesshoumaru�s sword revived you? His battle sword?� Kikyou
interrupted.

�No, that other sword he carries; the one he never draws.
But that doesn�t matter. He�s after Kagome and I hope she refuses him. Sure,
he�s a lord and maybe he�s powerful, but I�m a prince and pretty tough myself.
He knew I�d be competition since Kagome already likes me better than anyone
else, so he made sure I couldn�t��

�What is your intent now that you walk among the living
again?� she interrupted again and it made Kouga angry.

�What do you mean �what is my intent�? I�m gonna kill
Naraku! But first I need to go talk to Dog-shit about Kagome and his brother.
If you�d stop cutting in, I could finish telling you!� he shouted.

Kikyou lowered her bow and removed the arrow, smoothly
sliding it back into her quiver, and then turned and walked back toward the
hills. She knew Kohaku would follow her. She could hear Kouga shouting behind
her, asking her what her problem was while his friends were telling him to let
her leave. She ignored them, thinking instead about Sesshoumaru�s sword.
Perhaps it could be the answer to one of her prayers.

She glanced at the position of the sun. It was barely past
sunrise. She and Kohaku were not
that
far from her sister�s village, and
judging from the direction the wolf youkai were traveling, that was their
destination too, although their travel time would be at least another day by
foot. She settled Kohaku in a comfortable spot and left to seek answers.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

At the sound of Shippou�s voice, followed by Sango�s,
Miroku�s, Kaede�s, and even Kirara�s, Kagome pressed closer to Inuyasha and
whimpered with embarrassment, crying against his chest and trying to hide. He
tightened his hold on her and couldn�t help the menacing growl that escaped
him.

�Get the fuck away from here!� he yelled as he looked up at
them, glaring.

�Oh, but, Inuyasha, we only wish to ��

�I want to see Kagome and ��

�Shut up, Houshi! You too, Shippou!� Sango shouted over
Inuyasha�s loud growl.

From her place above them, Sango could see the top of
Kagome�s trembling head and her bare shoulders, and she knew it was no time to
tease them. Inuyasha�s angry reaction was expected, but Kagome wasn�t
chastising him for it as she normally would, which meant that whatever happened
wasn�t his fault. Sango decided that
something
happened, but it probably
wasn�t what they had just accused the couple of doing...and whatever it was,
they were not happy about it.

�But, Sango��

�Go back to the village with Shippou-chan, Houshi-sama,� she
interrupted Miroku again. She looked at Kaede, meeting the miko�s eye, before
giving Miroku a look that plainly said, �don�t argue with me unless you want
severe pain.�

Miroku might have questioned her, but Kaede, who had been
standing next to Sango, seemed to understand whatever Sango knew and she gave
him a small shake of her head as she turned to leave.

Shippou jumped onto Miroku�s shoulder and whispered, �I
think Kagome�s crying.�

Miroku sighed and followed Kaede. This opportunity would
never arise again, he lamented to himself. Teasing Inuyasha was one of his
favorite pastimes and this situation was a gift from the gods...if only the
women would let him accept the gift. He sighed again as he walked away.

Sango made sure that Miroku and Shippou were following
Kaede, who had also had a view of Kagome from her position. She doubted that
Miroku had seen anything except Kagome�s arms around Inuyasha�s bare back from
where he had been standing. She walked the few steps around the well and
picked up Inuyasha�s haori and undershirt.

�Inuyasha, I�m tossing your shirts down and then I�m going
to sit down near the well. Bring Kagome-chan up here when she�s covered.�

He glared at her, but nodded his head. She threw the shirts
in and then moved several yards away from the well to give them some privacy.
Kirara followed her. She didn�t want to leave until Kagome told her that she
was okay. She didn�t think that Inuyasha hurt Kagome, otherwise the girl would
not be clinging to him like that, but something happened and Kagome might need
her. So she sat in the burnt grass with Kirara and waited.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Sesshoumaru dipped his hand and arm in the cool water of the
stream, allowing the current to wash away the offensive ointment that Kagome
had slathered on his skin. He was confident that the next time he saw the girl
she would be fully mated to his brother, and he would press her to convince
Inuyasha that an alliance was in their best interests.

Something in the slight breeze caught his attention suddenly
and he stood, turning to walk purposefully back to where he left Rin, Jaken,
and Ah-Un.

Jaken was holding Ah-Un�s reigns and shouting for the animal
to be still. The agitated beast paid him no mind, no doubt sensing the creature
approaching their camp. Rin was tending to some roasting fish, but jumped up
and happily said his name when he stepped into view.

Sesshoumaru took in the scene without slowing his stride as
he passed through the camp, ignoring the girl�s greeting, and never taking his
eyes from the thick forest. He stopped near the tree line and, without looking
at them, told Jaken to stay by Rin and Rin to stay by Ah-Un. He knew they
complied immediately.

He stared into the trees, knowing she was there even if she
hid herself from view.

�Why are you here?� he asked after a few moments.

He heard Jaken squawk behind him as she seemed to
materialize in the air just inside the tree line. Her youkai servants glowed
and slithered around her, setting her lightly on the ground a few yards in
front of him. She said nothing and he watched her eyes look beyond him to
focus on Rin. He growled and stepped into her line of sight, cutting off her
view of the girl.

�You are trying my patience, miko,� he warned her.

She met his glare, and he wondered how his brother could
stand looking into her lifeless eyes.

�I am not as foolish as the wolf to believe my reincarnation
would willingly leave Inuyasha for you...or anyone. It seems he was correct,
however, in his belief that you wanted protection for a human mate.�

He narrowed his eyes even more, neither denying nor confirming
her speculation. �What is your purpose here, miko?�

�That girl is ordinary. She cannot defend herself. It will
take more than the wolf youkai and you to protect her. Neither humans nor
youkai will be pleased with your choice.�

He growled again. What did this undead woman want? He would
not allow her to threaten Rin or his plans. He took a step forward, ready to
finish her off regardless of Kagome�s wishes or Inuyasha�s reaction when they
found out...if they found out. But her words stalled him.

�I am here to offer you help.�

He didn�t trust her, but he waited to hear what she had to
say.

�The boy, Kohaku.... He is a skilled fighter.� Her eyes
left his to glance at Tenseiga at his waist. �You will have to use your sword
once the jewel shard in his back is removed. His sister, the taijiya who
travels with Inuyasha, would be grateful...and also in your debt.�

He knew Kohaku traveled with her. He also knew the boy had
been resurrected and controlled by Naraku. Sesshoumaru remembered the boy�s blank
stare, which held no fear, no emotions, even when his life was threatened.

�Why would I trust Naraku�s servant?� Why would he trust
her
for that matter?

She must have expected that question. �The shard in Kohaku�s
back in under Midoriko�s control. Naraku has had no influence over him for
years. He will do all in his power to destroy Naraku, even give his
life...which is inevitable under the circumstances.�

He was silent and she suddenly seemed to lose interest in
him. She turned and raised an arm, allowing her soul-gathering youkai to lift
her into the air.

�Think on it,� she said, sounding indifferent as she rose,
putting distance between them.

�What would you gain from this, miko?� he finally asked,
before she was too far away.

Her reply was low as she was borne aloft, but he still heard
it.

�One less regret.�

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Kagome was crying. It distressed him more than she could
possibly know. He needed her to stop, but wasn�t sure how to make her. Normally
he would start yelling at her, followed by panicked pleading, but he didn�t
think this was a normal situation and yelling was probably not the first thing
he should try.

�Shhh, Kagome. They�re gone. It�s okay now,� he tried while
rubbing her back.

She stiffened in his arms and suddenly pushed him. He wasn�t
expecting it and he stumbled back a pace, confused, and wide-eyed at the clear
view of Kagome�s heaving chest.

�It�s okay?!
It�s okay?! My brother and Jii-chan
almost caught us doing...doing...
almost
doing
t-that, and you
say �It�s okay�?� She hiccupped and wiped her eyes with the heels of her palms.
She was still crying and took a shaky breath, not noticing that Inuyasha was
keenly aware of each breath that filled her lungs. �I can�t go back and face
them now! I
told
you to stop and you wouldn�t
listen
to me! I
knew
someone would catch us in there! The last time I was in there with no shirt on,
Jii-chan came in and��

Inuyasha had been momentarily distracted by the sight of her
bouncing bare breasts, but that statement snapped his eyes back to her face.

�What?! Why were you in the well house with no shirt on?!�
he demanded.

This only seemed to increase her anger.

�I didn�t have a shirt on because
you
took it off me,
baka! I was so embarrassed when I realized Sesshoumaru saw me practically
naked��

�What?!�

�--but having my Jii-chan find me like that.... Oh, gods! I
can never go home again!� she wailed, covering her face with her hands.

He angrily bent down and snatched up his shirts, thrusting
his red haori at her. She felt the fabric brush against her skin and suddenly
seemed to realize that she�d been standing there, breasts exposed, arguing with
Inuyasha. She squeaked and hurriedly donned the garment, head down and
blushing even more.

Inuyasha pulled his white undershirt on, still fuming.

�He won�t fuckin� see you like that again�� he began, but
she interrupted him.

�Shut up about your brother! This whole situation is your
fault for letting him goad you! What would make you think I�d want him
anyway?! I��

�What do you mean �what would make me think� that?! You�re
the one that said you were looking for a...a....a l-lover! And I heard you tell
Sango not to tell me about it! And Sesshoumaru heard you too! He even said he
wanted you! I��

�He did not! Shippou said he never said he wanted me! And
why didn�t you say anything sooner if you heard what I said to Sango that
night?!�

�I heard him! He kept talking about understanding our father
now and why he took a human mate, and he keeps grabbing you every chance he
gets! So, don�t fuckin� tell me he�s not after you! But I ain�t going to let it
happen! I�m not letting him, or anyone else, have you!� he yelled, practically
nose-to-nose with her. �And I tried to talk to you the day after the new moon,
but you wouldn�t let me! It pissed me off!�

He was right. She remembered that day, just over a week and
a half ago, when she wouldn�t meet his eyes, and in his anger, he�d called her
names. Despite her current anger and embarrassment, her compassionate side was swayed
by the hurt in his eyes and she was becoming aroused again at his intensity,
even though his passion was fueled by anger. She knew the exact millisecond
that he picked up on her renewed arousal as the heat in his gaze shifted
slightly. She was losing her own anger rapidly.

�I�m sorry. I know I should have talked to you.... I
just...I just....� she started to say but couldn�t find the words to continue.
She dropped her eyes, not sure how to explain her insecurities and fears.

His voice dropped to almost a whisper, �Kagome....� His
hands came up to gently cup her face and make her look at him. She could see
his own insecurities and fears in his eyes as he cautiously leaned in toward
her lips with his own.

She brought her hands up to hold onto his forearms and stood
on her tiptoes to meet him. Their kiss had barely begun when Sango�s voice
reached them.

�Are you coming out of there soon?�

They both froze and Kagome suddenly realized what they were
doing again and this time she decided she would be more forceful in her
objections.

Inuyasha looked up and yelled, �Go away, Sango!� and Kagome
allowed her anger to return.

�No, no, no, and NO! We are not doing this where we can get
caught �
again
� by anyone passing by! Gods, Inuyasha! Don�t you understand
the meaning of the word �privacy�?�

�Keh! No one can see us! And it�s not their busi��

�Someone can hear you though!� Sango shouted.

At the sound of Sango�s voice, Kagome pulled away,
embarrassed again as well as angry, and started climbing the ladder.

�Kagome��

�Shut up, Inuyasha! This isn�t the place for whatever you
have planned!� Kagome interrupted.

He growled behind her and circled her waist with his arms,
plucking her away from the ladder. He jumped out of the well with her,
thankful that she didn�t struggle.

As soon as their feet touched the ground, she jerked out of
his arms and pulled his haori tighter around her. She blushed even more now
that Sango could see them and dropped her eyes in embarrassment.

The shredded bandages littering the ground caught her
attention and she suddenly remembered that Inuyasha had been injured and she
was ashamed that she had been yelling at him when he was probably in pain.

She glanced up at his chest, which was visible since he had
not tied his undershirt closed. The burns were fading but the first-aid
ointment had caused the dust in the well to stick to his skin and sweat had
left dirty streaks there. She realized that her own chest must be in the same
condition since the ointment had no doubt rubbed off on her too during their
�activities.� Regardless of that, she continued to take a visual inventory of
his injuries. He was scowling at Sango and she could still see the bluish
bruises on his cheek and chin, but they seemed to be smaller. His lip seemed to
be healing fairly quickly too and only a small cut remained. She looked down at
his hands next and reached for one.

Inuyasha was just about to tell Sango where she could go
when he felt Kagome take his hand in hers. He turned back to look at her as she
inspected his palm. The skin was still red, especially on the tips of his
fingers, but it didn�t have that raw, blistered appearance like when she first
saw it.

�Does it hurt?� she asked, almost contritely.

�Keh. It�s nothing to worry about,� he told her, in his
usual I�m-too-tough-to-feel-pain tone.

She knew him well enough to know that that meant it hurt,
but he wasn�t willing to admit it. Sesshoumaru had said that ofuda caused
Inuyasha�s burns. Would Miroku really do that to his friend?

�How did this happen?� she asked quietly, seeing Sango stand
up out of the corner of her eye.

�It doesn�t matter,� he said, glancing nervously at Sango,
and trying to tug his hand out of her grip. He didn�t want Kagome to know how
badly he acted while she was gone. He didn�t want her to be even angrier if she
found out he would have used Red Tessaiga and their friends had to restrain
him. He didn�t want her to know how scared he�d been that she might not come
back.

�Did Miroku use ofuda on you?� she asked as Sango took a
tentative step toward them.

�Uh....� He could smell her anger escalating and was afraid
to admit that he had driven the houshi to take such measures.

�We had to lock him in the storage shed. He was out of
control,� Sango told Kagome despite Inuyasha�s death glare.

�You helped Miroku do this to him, Sango-chan?� Kagome asked
and something in her tone made both Inuyasha and Sango uneasy.

�He tried to hurt Shippou�� Sango began to explain, but
Inuyasha interrupted her.

�I did not!�

�Yes, you did! You were taking it for granted that he would
move out of your way! What if he couldn�t? I saw you take a swing at him!� she
countered.

�I wouldn�t hurt the runt!� he shouted.

�Maybe not on purpose, but you could have accidentally hurt
him or someone else! How would that make you feel?� she shouted back.

�Keh!� he answered, not sure how to defend himself and
knowing he wouldn�t have been able to forgive himself if he had accidentally
hurt anyone...or sealed the well using Red Tessaiga.

Before Sango or Inuyasha could continue, a very angry Kagome
spoke up in a deadly serious voice.

�Nothing, and I mean
nothing, gives you or Miroku the
right to cage Inuyasha like an animal or burn him with spiritual energy by
sealing him with ofuda!�

Her voice rose with each word she spoke and both Inuyasha
and Sango stared at her in surprise.

�Look at him! He couldn�t even keep himself clean! What
right did you have to do that to him?! Why would you do this to a friend?� she
shouted.

Inuyasha recovered from his shock first, relieved that her
anger was aimed at Sango and not himself. He decided to add fuel to the fire
since Sango was feeling the heat.

�It�s a damned good thing I didn�t eat or drink anything for
a few days, since Miroku doesn�t believe in piss-breaks and my hands were tied.
I�m lucky I don�t stink worse!�

Sango was gaping at Kagome and trying to think of what to
say to justify their actions. She hadn�t thought of what they did as hurting
Inuyasha. She believed they had been protecting him by confining him and
stopping him from doing something he would regret later.

After all, he�d done it for her in the past when grief had
made her irrational. Inuyasha had forcibly taken her sword away, physically
restraining her to prevent her from killing Kohaku. While it was happening, she
had been angry for his interference, thinking that taking Kohaku�s life was the
only way to release the boy from Naraku�s control. She�d thought it was the
best thing she could do for her brother. But afterwards, when she�d had time
to think clearly, she was grateful Inuyasha had stopped her from such a course
of action. But she supposed what he did for her wasn�t quite the same as
locking him in a storage hut....

Kagome looked ready to explode and Sango hurried to
apologize.

�I�m sorry, Inuyasha. We didn�t intend to hurt you,� she
told him sincerely and his ears drooped.

He hadn�t meant to make her feel guilty about it. He
understood why they did it. Friends tried to help each other, even if they
received anger for their efforts. Until Kagome came, he�d never had friends who
cared enough to even try to help him, especially when he didn�t want their help
and he yelled at them for it...not even Kikyou would have tried that hard for
him. Of course, he considered their actions unnecessary interference, but he
knew they did what they did because they truly cared.

�Keh. It�s okay. It�s not like you could ever do anything to
hurt me anyway,� he told her gruffly, not meeting her eyes.

�Inuyasha, it�s
not
okay! They had no right�� Kagome
began, but Inuyasha interrupted her.

�How many times have you said �osuwari� to stop me from
doing something stupid, Kagome?�

Kagome�s eyes became large with realization and she brought
her hand up to cover her trembling mouth. He could see guilt and tears forming
in her eyes.

�It didn�t hurt me!� he quickly assured her, holding out his
hands in a placating motion. If he could, he would convince Kagome that he
never felt pain, and make her understand that it was okay to osuwari him if he
needed it.

At the moment, he was actually feeling pretty good compared
to just a few hours ago. Turning full youkai, even for a few moments, probably
accelerated his healing. The little pain he still had wasn�t worth mentioning,
but he was sure Kagome wouldn�t believe him. He was starting to panic,
wondering how to stop her tears, when Sango came to his rescue.

�Kagome-chan.... If you ever try to do something that I
truly believe will hurt you, especially while you are emotional and upset, I am
going to restrain you too. I hope you care enough to do the same for me...even
if I kick and scream.�

Sango�s absolute sincerity made the tears roll down Kagome�s
face. She remembered a few times in the past when she and Inuyasha, out of
concern for their friends, had interfered with Sango or Miroku�s plans. She
nodded her head to Sango, finally understanding, even if she was still angry
that Inuyasha was burned. Inuyasha�s arms were suddenly around her again.

�I
told
you it�s okay. Stop crying already, dammit.�

She hugged him back, taking comfort from him, but feeling
emotionally wrung out over the morning�s events.

After a few moments, Sango hesitantly asked, �Kagome-chan,
do you want to go to the river and bathe. Your hair has clumps of dirt in
it....�

Kagome nodded and started to pull away from his embrace as
Inuyasha turned his head to glare at Sango.

She glared right back, saying, �Don�t look at me like that,
Inuyasha. You could use a good scrubbing too.�

�Fine. I�ll go with you,� he told her defiantly. He really
didn�t want to leave Kagome�s side again until they were completely mated, and
even then he planned on sticking to her like glue. Not even her panties would
have more physical contact with her than he would he decided.

�You will not! Maybe Kagome-chan doesn�t mind if you see her
naked, but you will not peek at me!� Sango retorted and Kagome blushed even
more.

�She�s not going anywhere without me! That bastard
Sesshoumaru is still out there somewhere just waiting to grab her!� he argued.

�Inuyasha, he�s not trying to �grab� me,� Kagome began in a
tired voice. She knew she and Inuyasha still needed to talk about a lot of
things, but at the moment she felt too drained. She figured he should feel
exhausted too considering the week he apparently had without her.

�The fuck he�s not! I�m��

�You�re not watching us take a bath, Inuyasha!� Kagome told
him with a little more fire in her tone.

�I didn�t say I was going to watch! I said I was coming with
you!�

�Kirara will be with us. She won�t let anything happen to
Kagome-chan,� Sango said, trying to prevent more arguing.

�Keh! Like Kirara could stop Sesshoumaru if he��

Kirara growled at him as Kagome interrupted to say, �I�ll
put up a barrier. You know he can�t get through that, so will that satisfy
you?�

He growled at her, knowing he couldn�t argue about that.
�Fine, but I�m walking you to the river. I�m not leaving until you put up the
barrier, and you better not take the barrier down until I come back to get
you.�

His tone was belligerent and Kagome rolled her eyes, but
nodded her head in agreement. Sango helped Kagome pick up the items she had
removed from her shopping bags when she retrieved the first-aid gear and handed
Tessaiga to Inuyasha. Kagome picked up Sesshoumaru�s dagger and carried it
along with one of the shopping bags. Sango and Inuyasha picked up the other
bags.

�What is all this stuff, wench? It�s even more than you
normally bring back,� Inuyasha said after a few minutes of walking.

�I was gone longer than normal, so it makes sense that I�d
have more to bring back,� she replied, but judging by the look he gave her, she
doubted that he agreed with her logic.

They hiked the rest of the way in silence since the path
often required them to walk in single file and because each had things to think
about.

Kagome wanted to ask Sango what happened while she was gone,
and Sango was thinking about all she wanted to tell Kagome. Inuyasha was
thinking about where he could take Kagome so that they�d have privacy and no
one would interfere again.

Once they got there, Inuyasha set down the bags and moved a
few feet away from Kagome, crossing his arms and giving her a glare that
implied, �I�m not happy with this, but since I can�t change your mind, get on
with it.�

�You�ll have to move further back, Inuyasha. I�m making a
larger barrier than the one I had around the well.�

�You can do that?� he asked, curious despite his bad mood.

�Yeah. Now move back,� was all she said.

He said, �Keh,� and launched himself off a nearby boulder,
leaping up onto the cliff where he�d been when he�d seen her bath that first
time, the day after she woke him from Kikyou�s spell. He turned to face them
with a determined stare.

She looked up at him with dismay, knowing he could see
everything from there.

Sango knew it too. �You�re not staying there, Inuyasha! Get
out of here and quit acting like the houshi!�

�Not until the barrier is up!� he called back, crossing his
arms and glaring at them.

Sango was about to yell at him again, but Kagome put a hand
on her arm and gave her a satisfied smile. �Don�t worry, Sango-chan. He won�t
see us no matter where he stands.�

She walked over to a piece of driftwood, still holding the
dagger. She knelt down next to it and gripped the dagger with the blade
pointing down just above the wood. Sango watched as Kagome closed her eyes for
a second and then plunged the knife into it while the air around them glowed
with the barest of pink light for half a second. Kagome stood up with a smile,
but Sango was not sure if anything happened...until she heard Inuyasha yell.

�Kagome! Kagome!�

Sango saw him leap from the cliff and run toward them,
looking around wildly.

�Wait, Inuyasha! Stop!� Kagome shouted, but he apparently
couldn�t hear her and ran right into the barrier.

He was thrown back against the cliff wall and Kagome ran out
to him while Sango stood watching in a state of confusion.

�Inuyasha! Are you alright?� Kagome asked, helping him stand
back up.

�What the fuck did you do?! I couldn�t see you! Where�s
Sango and Kirara?� he demanded.

Sango watched them and gasped when Inuyasha�s gaze swept
right past her. He really couldn�t see her?

�I made a barrier like I said I would��

�That�s not like the one at the well! I could see the well
and I could see the other barrier,� he griped.

�This one is better, isn�t it? No one can see us bathing and
no one can come near us, so you won�t have to worry,� she told him proudly.

He looked from her to the general area she had been standing
in before the barrier went up. �So Sango is still here?� he asked, not sure
about her new ability.

�Yes, she�s right there,� Kagome pointed. �Now go take a
bath somewhere else. And take your time too. Sango and I have a lot to talk
about and you stink.� She smiled at him to take the sting out of her insult.

He looked disgruntled and said, �Don�t leave the barrier
until I come back. Promise me, Kagome. I mean it.�

�Okay, okay! I promise!�

She stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek, but before he
could react, she ran back inside the barrier and disappeared. He stood staring
at the spot where she vanished for a moment and just before he would have
turned to leave, her hand appeared in mid air holding his haori and she dropped
it on the ground.

Knowing that she wore no shirt or bra, he wished he could
see through the barrier. He huffed in frustration and walked over to pick up
the garment, careful not to move beyond where it fell. After scanning the area
where he knew she was, but still not seeing her or Sango, he turned and ran
from the area, moving back toward the well.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Shippou and Miroku watched from the bushes as Inuyasha
entered the well-clearing at a fast run and jumped in the well.

They had just arrived, finally escaping Kaede�s watchful eye
while she was distracted by a villager who wanted her help with something.
They had been surprised to see the clearing empty and were just trying to
decide where to look next.

�He came from the river, I think,� Shippou said after
Inuyasha disappeared down the well.

�Yes, that makes sense. I�m sure Kagome-sama would be dusty
all
over
from their activities and she would insist on bathing,� the houshi
said with a lecherous smile as he stood up and headed in the direction of the
river.

�What activities?� Shippou asked, jumping on Miroku�s
shoulder.

�You�ll understand when you are older.�

Shippou snorted. �I understand now, baka, and you don�t know
what you are talking about. They�re not mated.�

Miroku glanced at the kit�s face, so close to his own, with
obvious surprise.

�How do you know?� he asked.

�I would have smelled it. They didn�t go that far,� Shippou
told him with smug confidence.

�I see...� Miroku said. �I would have bet quite a sum that
they did something.�

�Oh, they did
something,� Shippou told him, �but they
didn�t mate.�

�How...curious,� Miroku replied and they both became silent
as they neared the river.

Soon they were creeping through the bushes toward the girls�
favorite bathing spot.

�You know you�re not supposed to be doing this,� Shippou
whispered.

�And why did you wait until now to protest?�

Shippou didn�t answer. He knew he should have said something
when Miroku first headed toward the river, but he wanted to see Kagome for
himself to know that she was alright. He couldn�t just barge into their bath
like he used to because the girls had made it clear that he was getting too
�grown up� to bathe with them after they caught him kissing a cute girl in a
village they passed through a few months ago. It was just a peck on the cheek,
but Kagome had said it reminded her of her own brother�s interest in girls the
last few years and that it was a sign that he was growing up.

Shippou had been hurt at first. He didn�t like being
excluded from their baths. Kaede had assured him that only infants and very
young children bathed with the women and that they were not punishing him on
purpose. He had still been upset about it. It was boring to bathe with Inuyasha
and Miroku. Inuyasha fussed at him for splashing too much when he played with
the water toys Kagome gave him, and Miroku just talked about the girls until
Inuyasha told him to shut up or hit him on the head.

Shippou sighed. He hated the changes. He didn�t want
anything else to change...not anything.

Miroku�s voice brought him back from his thoughts.

�I wonder where they are?� he said as he walked out of the
bushes, not worried about concealing himself since the women were nowhere to be
seen.

�I don�t know,� Shippou answered, following Miroku and
looking around the area.

�I can feel spiritual energy here...but clearly no one is
here,� Miroku mused.

�Do you think they hiked all the way out to a hot spring?�

�Well...perhaps they did. We would have seen them if they
went back to the village. I guess we have no choice but to look there. I
wonder if Kirara is still with them. She�ll catch us if she is keeping guard.�

�She won�t care,� Shippou said.

Miroku looked around one more time, his expression
perplexed, before shrugging and heading up the trail that led to the cliff.

Shippou followed Miroku as he trekked up the path and beyond
toward the hills, unaware of their angry observers.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Inuyasha peeked through a crack in the door of the
mini-shrine that housed the well. He couldn�t see her Jii-chan or brother
anywhere in his limited view. As fast as he could, he ran out the door and
behind the next small building. He quickly looked around the corner of the
wooden structure to glance downhill toward the God Tree near the entrance of
the Shrine. He spotted the old man down there with some visitors. He glanced
in the opposite direction, up the several sets of steps that led to the
Higurashi family home and didn�t see anyone, so he took a chance and ran for
it. He let out a sigh of relief when he made it through Kagome�s window and
was inside her room.

He inhaled and let out a sigh of relief, letting her scent
sooth him once again. He still didn�t think she understood how hard their
separation had been on him. It scared him how dependent on her he had become.
He
needed
her by his side. He never knew how much until he thought he
was losing her this past week. His mouth thinned with determination. He�d fix
everything as soon as possible so that she wouldn�t ever leave his side again.

He wouldn�t go through another week like he just had,
wondering if she was with someone else, wondering if she would come back to him
at all, and wondering if Sesshoumaru would talk her into something that
Inuyasha knew would break his own will to live. He had thought he had time, at
least until Naraku was taken care of and Kikyou was put to rest, but now
Inuyasha was desperate to secure his future with Kagome before she slipped
through his fingers. He
needed
to mate her
now. Dammit, why did
the old man have to interrupt? Kagome would have been his by now if they�d had
just ten more minutes in the well alone. He sighed.

Seeing that barrier she created for her and Sango to bathe
had made him decide his original idea �to take her to his �private� hot
springs� would be best. If no one could see them, it didn�t matter that the
area was not completely enclosed. All he had to do was make sure she was
comfortable while they were there.

On that thought, he moved toward her closet and opened it,
immediately bending down to reach for what he came to get, but stopped suddenly
at the sound of Souta�s voice.

�Looking for something?�

Inuyasha stood up to see the boy standing in Kagome�s
doorway, dangling Kagome�s bra from his pointer finger. Inuyasha blushed. He
hadn�t planned on confronting
that
situation yet. Actually he hadn�t
planned on confronting it
at all. He knew Kagome would overcome her
embarrassment eventually and would come back here to visit her family. He
figured
she
could tell them why her clothes were in the well and he
wouldn�t have to deal with it.

�Uh...� Inuyasha began, not sure what to say, but Souta�s
expression changed from slight amusement to surprised concern as he
interrupted.

�What happened to you? Did youkai attack? Is Kagome alright?
Where is she now?� he asked anxiously.

Inuyasha had forgotten how bad he looked. He wasn�t sure
how to explain...or what he wanted the thirteen-year-old to know.

�Yeah, my brother came to the well on my side and attacked��
he began slowly only to be interrupted again.

�Did he use his poison claws? Kagome told me all about him!
Is that why your clothes and skin are burned? Did he do that to your face?
Where is Kagome? Did the poison get on her clothes too? Did she have to hide
in the well? Is that why her clothes were in there?� He looked at the bra
hanging from his finger and suddenly dropped it in horror. �They didn�t look
like they had poison on them, but is Kagome okay? Tell me!� he insisted as
Inuyasha stared at him dumbly.

�Uh, yeah, she�s okay...she�s taking a bath with Sango��

Souta looked relieved, but continued with his questions.
�Did she have to wash off the poison? Will she be okay? Do you still have
poison on you? Maybe you should take a bath too, Inuyasha. Your brother�s
poison smells bad. Oh, and why are you here anyway? Do you need first aid
supplies?� Souta asked, his face still reflecting some of the hero worship he�d
had for Inuyasha over the years.

Inuyasha looked at the boy with mixed feelings. On the one
hand, he was absolutely willing to let Souta make up his own explanations for
why Kagome�s clothing was in the well. On the other hand, Souta was Kagome�s
brother and Inuyasha didn�t want to be completely dishonest with him. If things
went well for him later that night, Souta would be what humans called his
�brother-in-law�, and he didn�t want to be on bad terms with any member of
Kagome�s family. He decided on a compromise. He wouldn�t tell Souta what he
already did with Kagome at the bottom of the well, but he�d tell him what he
planned.

�Kagome�s fine, and no, we don�t need first aid stuff, and I
do need to get cleaned up, but...I actually came to get something to...that
will...that I need to...for tonight.� Inuyasha blushed, knowing he had made no
sense. How was he supposed to tell this kid that he wanted to mate his sister?

�What do you need, Inuyasha? What�s happening tonight?�
Souta asked, clearly confused.

�I�m taking your sister somewhere...and I need the mood to
be right...so I can....� Inuyasha began but stopped talking at the knowing look
that crept into the boy�s eyes. He blushed more.

�Oh, now I understand,� Souta said with a smug smile. �I
told
her you liked her like
that, but she didn�t believe me.�

�What?!� Inuyasha�s eyebrows rose behind his bangs. Did
Kagome discuss all this with her brother already? And Souta approved? And the
stupid girl! Gah! She should have known he wanted her like
that
and
every other way there was to have her! His brows lowered as he scowled at the
thought.

Souta�s smiled faltered and he asked, �You
do
have
feelings for her, don�t you? You�re not gonna leave her afterwards, right?�

Inuyasha could see the slight doubt in Souta�s expression
and he stated with complete sincerity, �I want to be by Kagome�s side forever.�

Souta relaxed and smiled again. �That�s what I thought. Wow,
you�re really going to be my brother now!�

Inuyasha looked at him with slight apprehension.

�I�m a hanyou, you know. Most people wouldn�t be happy to
have one in the family,� he said, thinking that Souta wasn�t the one he really
needed approval from. He knew Kagome�s family accepted him as Kagome�s friend,
but to welcome him as a family member...he had thought they might protest. It
wouldn�t change his plans, but it would be easier for Kagome if they didn�t get
angry with her for mating him.

Souta must have understood Inuyasha�s unspoken worry,
because he said, �I know, and it�s so cool! Don�t worry about Mama and
Jii-chan. I�ve seen Mama looking at baby clothes lately and Jii-chan gripes
when you�re not here because he has to lift boxes by himself.� Souta paused and
sobered. �We like you the way you are, Inuyasha. It doesn�t matter that you�re
a hanyou. You know that, right?�

Inuyasha turned his head so Souta couldn�t see how grateful
he was that he�d met Kagome and this family. Souta�s mother had been kind and
welcoming from the beginning, even when he snatched her daughter and took her
down the well into certain danger. And the old man hadn�t thrown those useless
ofuda at him since nearly the first time they�d met. Inuyasha had spent a lot
of time with the old man over the years, helping him around the shrine, and
they had gotten along pretty well, regardless of those few broken artifact
incidents. He liked Kagome�s family...and soon they would be his family too.

�Keh. Like I care what anyone thinks about me,� he said, but
he knew his voice was shaky.

Souta wasn�t fooled by Inuyasha�s statement, but he smiled
and said, �Good! You shouldn�t care. Just be yourself. Now, what did you need
from here?�

Inuyasha was glad the kid changed the subject. All the
emotions he was feeling made him uncomfortable. He reached into Kagome�s closet
and pulled out the rolled up futon mattress that she kept for his use, even
though he never used it. It was wide enough for two people to lay side-by-side
if they pressed closely against each other. It would provide comfort for her
during his planned activities and was necessary since the ground around the hot
springs was mostly hard rock.

Souta�s smile became amused again when he saw what Inuyasha
had in his hand. �Where are you taking her?�

Inuyasha blushed, and gestured toward the mountains as he
said, �There�s a hot spring that I use sometimes. Humans don�t usually go there
since it�s a good distance from the village.�

Souta seemed to be thinking about it for a moment and
Inuyasha started to think the boy didn�t like the idea when he finally said,
�Well that sounds romantic and Kagome will probably like it, but you�ll need
more than just that mattress. Will it be outside completely?�

�Uh, yeah...but Kagome likes staring at the stars and I
don�t think it will rain tonight.� Inuyasha wasn�t sure if Souta was criticizing
his choice of location or not and he became a little defensive.

�Yeah, that�s fine, but will you have food available? Will
it be cold?� Souta clarified.

�Well...I guess I can tell Kagome to bring her backpack.� He
made a mental note to make sure she had what they would need in her backpack
before he grabbed her.

�Yeah, but she won�t be surprised if you tell her where you
are going and that she has to bring the supplies, right? Girls like it when you
do something romantic to surprise them. You don�t want to ruin the mood, do
you?� Souta insisted.

Inuyasha didn�t think Kagome would be surprised to begin
with when he grabbed her and took off with her
again, but he didn�t want
to explain that to Souta. And thinking about it, maybe it would be better to
have some supplies already there, just in case he didn�t have time to grab
Kagome�s backpack along with Kagome.

�I guess I could go put some supplies there first, before I
bring her there,� Inuyasha agreed.

�You go take a bath and I�ll get some stuff together for you
to take back. Okay?� Souta said, excited about helping both Inuyasha and his
sister, and thinking that the next time he saw Kagome he could tell her, �I
told you so.�

Inuyasha nodded, still blushing and wondering how he ended
up getting help from Kagome�s little brother...and still marveling over the
fact that Souta
wanted
his sister to mate a hanyou.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Sango stared at the stiff, semi-dried
stuff
on
Kagome�s skirt with wide eyes. Kagome was getting undressed so they could take
their baths and didn�t notice Sango�s astonishment and keen observations. She
watched as Kagome had to forcefully peel her skirt away from her panties
because the two garments seemed to be glued together by more dried
stuff.
She
had
to ask. Her curiosity would not be denied.

�Kagome-chan? What is that on your skirt?�

Kagome�s head turned toward her so fast, Sango thought the
girl might have injured her neck. And her eyes became impossibly wide and her
face darkened in a deep blush. Sango could see embarrassment, guilt, and a
myriad of other emotions pass over Kagome�s face before she finally spoke.

�Uh...um.... I can explain....�

Almost thirty minutes later, Kagome concluded, �My brain
shut down or something, because I couldn�t think of a thing to do and I think I
was about to faint. If Inuyasha hadn�t picked me up and activated the well, I�m
sure they would have caught us. I don�t even want to think about what Jii-chan
would have said if he�d seen us.�

She covered her face with her hands again just thinking
about her panic and embarrassment during those last moments at the bottom of
the well. Kagome had summarized why she was late returning and how she�d made
a barrier to save her and Inuyasha from Sesshoumaru. She�d also given Sango a
very much edited version of what happened at the bottom of the well, but she
was sure the girl understood what that dried
stuff
was on her skirt now.

�But...I thought your family didn�t mind that Inuyasha was a
hanyou,� Sango said, a little confused.

�It�s not that. They accept him the way he is, but that
doesn�t mean I want them to see us rolling around together half-naked. What
would you do if Kaede-obaa-chan caught you and Miroku-sama doing
that?�
she asked, knowing that Sango, along with Kagome and her other friends, viewed
Kaede as an adopted grandmother.

Sango blanched. �I see your point,� she conceded. After a
moment, she asked, �He really admitted that he loves you? He�s such a baka
sometimes, but at least he finally told you. What did you say to him when he
said it?�

�I said...uh, I don�t think I said anything once he told me
he really meant it. I think I just kissed him,� Kagome admitted and realized
that she didn�t tell Inuyasha that she loved him too...not that he seemed
concerned at the time.

�Maybe you should tell him so he will calm down,
Kagome-chan. We were worried about him while you were gone. He was afraid you
left him forever and we thought he might end up hurting himself or one of us
with his temper,� Sango told her.

�Tell me everything that happened. I want to know why
Miroku-sama thought he needed to seal Inuyasha,� Kagome insisted, beginning to
let a little anger creep back into her voice.

Sango sighed and began.

Another twenty minutes later, Kagome asked, �So Miroku
thinks Inuyasha wasn�t comparing me to Tessaiga like a possession and that he
loves Kikyou like a good friend or even a sibling now and it�s different from
his feelings for me, and Inuyasha said he would have �claimed� me sooner if he
knew I was on birth control...and, he �scent-marked� me, which means a lot more
than I thought it did?� She sighed, thinking again that she really hadn�t been
fair to Inuyasha by leaving and not talking to him like a rational adult, and
that maybe her own communication skills were as bad as Inuyasha�s.

�Yes. He�s apparently had plans for you for years,
Kagome-chan, and he seemed to think you should have known about it,� Sango told
her.

�How was I supposed to know? He�s never told me anything or
made any promises like that to me. It�s not as if I could read his mind if he
doesn�t tell me things,� Kagome griped, sorry for not making Inuyasha talk to
her more and for running away when he was finally trying to talk to her.

�You know, Kagome-chan...most men are not like Miroku or...or...Kouga.
They don�t usually talk about their feelings. My father almost never told me or
Kohaku that he was proud of us or that he loved us, but I knew how he felt by
his actions. Inuyasha might not ever say that he loves you again, but...his actions
speak louder than words, don�t you think?� Sango said, hoping Kagome would
understand.

�And it really wasn�t until the fourth day you were gone
that he got really hard to handle,� Sango continued. �He thought you would be
back by then, and when you weren�t, he was scared that you had left him for
good. He really can�t stand to be away from you. We didn�t know what we were
going to do if he actually used Red Tessaiga to try and get to you. He...he
really believes he belongs by your side.�

Kagome knew Sango was right. Inuyasha would never lavish her
with gifts or sweet words like Houjou or Kouga, but he would always make sure
she was safe and cared for in his gruff way. And he did stay by her side. He�d
been with her almost every minute of the last three or so years. And now that
she thought about it....

�You know, Sango-chan, he did once say something to me that
I thought was odd at the time. I was upset about failing a test at school and I
yelled at him and blamed him for distracting me. He told me to cheer up
because, even though he didn�t know why I was upset, he would always be with
me. I think I just thanked him or something for saying that, but I didn�t
realize he
really
meant that he would always be with me...and that was
over three years ago.� She looked down and confessed in a low voice, �I should
have let him talk to me last week instead of running away. I haven�t been fair
to him.�

�You both need to talk to each other. It�s not all your
fault, Kagome-chan. I think��

Sango stopped talking and looked up as Miroku walked right
out into the open near the bushes. She grabbed a rock and ducked further into
the water, but Kagome put a hand on her arm before she could throw it.

�He can�t see us,� she whispered and Sango realized again
that it was true. They were invisible inside the barrier.

A slow smile spread over Sango�s face at Miroku�s very
apparent confusion.

�He can�t hear us either...at least I don�t think he can,�
Kagome continued.

�He can�t. Otherwise Shippou-chan would have heard too and
neither one of them look like they are aware of us at all,� Sango assured her
in a louder voice, but she stayed low in the water just in case.

Kagome watched their would-be voyeurs as they made their way
up the path that eventually led to the hot springs. Kirara growled at something
Shippou said and Kagome noticed her glance at Sango nervously. With the noise
of the rushing water, she hadn�t been about to hear Miroku and Shippou�s
conversation, but Kirara was on the bank nearer to them.

�Do you think they are going to the hot springs to look for
us?�

�Probably...the pervert. And now he�s made Shippou-chan a
pervert too!� Sango answered. �I�m going to use Hiraikotsu on him the next time
I see him!�

�I don�t think Shippou-chan was being perverted. I think he
just wanted to check on me. Besides, he�s seen us naked plenty of times and
never looked at us like
that,� Kagome insisted.

Sango sighed, �You�re probably right. He acted like he was
going to die when we thought Sesshoumaru killed you and Inuyasha. I was crying
too and I don�t think I helped him much. You�ll have to tell him everything you
told me when we get back to Kaede-obaa-chan�s...well, not
everything.�

Kagome blushed at Sango�s teasing, but smiled along with
her.

�Well, since we�re finished in here, let�s get out and dry
off so we can wait for Inuyasha. It�s already been about an hour. I wonder
where he is,� she said.

�He was headed toward the well. You don�t think he went to
look for Sesshoumaru, do you?� Sango asked.

Kagome thought a moment as they both moved toward the bank
of the river. �No, he wouldn�t do that now. He�s not really in any shape to
fight. I�m sure he just went to clean up somewhere.�

She started looking through her bags and pulled out two
small towels so that she and Sango could dry off. She handed one towel to Sango
who was nervously looking in the direction that Miroku had gone.

�It will take them a while before they realize we aren�t at
the hot springs, Sango-chan. They can�t see us anyway even if they do come
back.�

Sango looked at the dagger that anchored the barrier and
asked, �How did you keep them out but let Kirara and me in?�

Kagome understood that she was asking about the shield. �I�m
not sure. I just concentrated on the barrier and pictured you and Kirara with
me inside it. That�s what the scrolls said to do. I�m not sure how it works,
but since it does, I�m not going to worry about it.�

She dug around in her shopping bags some more and pulled out
some clothing for herself as Sango put her own clothes back on. Kagome found
the rings she had purchased for Sango and Miroku, and debated in her head for a
few minutes whether or not to show the other girl. She finally decided to go
ahead. She sat on a small boulder and motioned for Sango to sit near her, and
the other girl did.

�I told my brother that you and Miroku were getting married
and he suggested getting you both wedding rings.� Sango looked puzzled, and
Kagome went on to explain. �In my time, it has become common for couples to
exchange rings as a symbol of their commitment to each other. A ring is a
circle, without a beginning or end, so it represents eternity and a wedding
ring is worn on the third finger of the left hand. I thought you and Miroku
might like that. My brother picked out some rings for you two. Would you like
to see them?�

�Oh, you mean it is like a wedding gift to your spouse? Like
a bridal comb?� Sango asked.

�Yeah, something like that, but both the man and woman wear
their ring to show they are married.�

�I�d like to see them. I think I�d like Miroku to wear
something that says he�s taken,� Sango said, a little irritation in her voice.

Kagome giggled, �He hasn�t groped anyone but you since you
two have been promised to each other. I know he�s a lecher but I really don�t
think he would cheat on you.�

�No, maybe not, but some girl from his past might show up
again and I�d rather not have any confusion about my relationship with him if
they do.�

Kagome smiled sympathetically at her friend and pulled the
jeweler boxes out of her shopping bag. She handed them to Sango and at the
girl�s confused look, realized she needed to open the hinged boxes for her.
Kagome reached over and snapped the first one open in Sango�s hand.

�That one is Miroku�s. I hope it fits him,� she said.

�Oh, Kagome-chan...this looks like gold! It�s very
beautiful, but we can�t accept something so expensive!�

�Yes, you can,� Kagome laughed. �In my time, rings like this
are easy to get. It was no hardship for me to buy them, I promise.�

�But it is so heavy! I don�t know....� Sango fretted.

�Sango-chan, please accept them as wedding gifts. I really
want you to have them if you want them and you are not allowed to refuse them
if it is only because you think they are expensive.�

Sango locked eyes with Kagome for a moment and saw the
gentle sincerity and the happiness she had for the union of her friends. They
smiled at each other, feeling as close as sisters.

�Thank you. I think we will accept these gifts and wear them
proudly,� she said.

Kagome�s smile grew wider. �You haven�t even seen yours yet!
Here, let me open the other box.�

Sango gasped in awe when the box popped open. Kagome watched
her eyes water as she pulled the ring from its niche and tried it on the
appropriate finger.

�His eyes are this color...� Sango said very softly.

�I thought so too.�

They sat in silence for a few moments while Sango admired
the ring. Finally she said, �I really should make you take this back,
Kagome-chan, but I won�t. I like it too much.�

�Good! I wouldn�t let you give them back anyway!� Kagome
smiled.

Sango put her ring back in its box and tucked both boxes
into a pouch in her clothing. Kagome started putting the towels and bathing
supplies back into her shopping bags and looking through the bags to see what
else she had. She came across the paperback romance novel that her mother had
given her while they were cleaning her uncle�s house. She pulled it out and
briefly wondered how it got into her bag, but since she packed so quickly it
didn�t surprise her too much that it was there. It reminded her of the sex book
she had given Sango and she turned to the other girl.

�Did you have a chance to look at that book I gave you?�
Kagome asked, blushing.

The question startled Sango out of her thoughts of the future
with Miroku and she blushed too.

�I...I...uh, haven�t thought about it. It�s still in the bag
you gave me with the con-, uh, con-, uh.�

�Condoms?�

�Y-yes, those things. I haven�t looked at anything in that
bag since a couple of days after you left. I�ve kept the �birth control pills�
with me since then and...I started taking them while you were gone. My
cycle....� her voice trailed off in her embarrassment.

�Oh, well you have at least three weeks to look at the book
then. It will take that long for you to finish the pills and have them be
effective if you want to...you know...with Miroku,� Kagome said.

Sango didn�t answer, clearly uncomfortable, and Kagome tried
to think of something that might ease her friend�s apprehension and
embarrassment.

�Maybe this will help.� She pulled out the paperback and
gave it to Sango. �It�s a story about a man and woman in love. It
describes...things, but there are no pictures.�

Sango, along with Miroku, Shippou, and Inuyasha, could read
modern Japanese fairly well thanks to Kagome�s tutorage over the years. Kagome
had not started out to teach any of the adults to read since they already knew
how to read the Japanese of their own era, but when she brought Shippou
coloring books and children�s books, teaching him what the words in them meant,
they became curious too. So over the years, all her friends learned to read the
modern written language, and she learned to read the older version when Miroku
taught Shippou.

�It describes �things� like in that other book?� Sango
asked, still blushing.

�Yeah, some things like that, but mostly it�s about the
couple�s feelings for each other.�

Kagome thought about it for a moment and decided maybe she
shouldn�t let Sango read it after all. The man in the book was rather forceful
and the woman was helpless a lot of the time. Also, Kagome had never brought
back a book like this before. Most of the books she gave her friends tended to
be useful how-to manuals or along the lines of classic literature. Maybe giving
something like this to Sango was a mistake, especially since Sango looked so
apprehensive about it.

�You don�t have to read it if you don�t want to,� Kagome
told her, reaching for the book.

�No, I think I do want to read it,� Sango said, pulling the
book out of range of Kagome�s hand. The pictures really embarrassed her, but
maybe just reading about it --and not seeing it-- would be better.

�Okay,� Kagome replied wondering which one of them was
blushing more. Not wanting to force Sango to talk about it anymore, she changed
the subject. �I wonder what�s taking Inuyasha so long.�

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

�So when are you and Kagome getting married?� Souta asked as
he and Inuyasha packed up the food and supplies. Inuyasha had bathed in record
time having long ago mastered the modern plumbing in the Higurashi bathroom.
His clothes were still damp, but he didn�t seem to care.

Inuyasha hadn�t really thought about getting married. He
knew humans sometimes had a public ceremony or some type of official agreement,
but he didn�t plan on ever leaving Kagome and he hoped she didn�t think he
would ever let her leave him. He wasn�t sure why a marriage contract was
necessary between two people who trusted each other. His blank look must have
alerted Souta to some of what he was thinking.

�You
do
plan on marrying her, don�t you? Mama has
looked forward to Kagome�s wedding for years. She�s not gonna let her just
shack up with you.�

Inuyasha wasn�t sure he understood. �Your mother doesn�t
want us to have our own hut?�

�Not unless you are married, but I guess as long as Mama
knows you
will
marry Kagome, she might not mind if she stays with you
before the wedding.�

�But Kagome has stayed with me for years,� Inuyasha argued.
�Why would it be a problem for her to stay with me if we mated�unless your
mother doesn�t want us to mate?�

�Staying with you and �mating� you are two different things!
Mama doesn�t mind if you �mate�. I think it will make her happy. But she
will
mind if you don�t make it official with a wedding�you know, with rings and
fancy clothes and�� Souta trailed off since it was clear Inuyasha was not
following what he was saying. He decided to try it another way. �Inuyasha, what
are marriage ceremonies like in your time?�

�In Kaede�s village, if two families agree on a union, the
couple moves in with one of the families or into their own hut if the man has
one. The headman is usually a witness to the agreement and Kaede blesses the
couple. If it was the headman�s daughter or someone important, they might have
more witnesses and a feast, I guess.�

Souta decided to do his sister a favor and explain what Mama
would expect from Inuyasha since it would be much different from what he was
used to.

�If you want Kagome, you�re gonna have to let Mama arrange a
wedding. There will be guests, or I guess you could call them witnesses.
Kagome�s school friends will most likely come and we have a few relatives that
may show up. Jii-chan will probably perform the ceremony. You and Kagome will
both be dressed in fine clothes and you�ll probably exchange rings. I guess you
could say it�s like the families are publicly agreeing to your union so that
everyone knows you�re a married couple. We�ll have a party afterwards with lots
of food.�

Inuyasha thought about this for a minute. He liked the idea
that the humans would know that Kagome belonged to him and that her family
approved. It sounded similar to what would happen in his time if Kagome were
the headman�s daughter. But he wasn�t sure that he wanted lots of people around
him or that he wanted to wear fancy clothes. It would be a pain. The whole
thing seemed like more than he wanted to endure.

Still, if Kagome wanted a wedding and her mother expected
it, he�d agree to it. They couldn�t take her back once they gave her to him,
could they? Besides, a ceremony like that wouldn�t take more than a couple of
hours, right? Maybe it wouldn�t be that bad. He�d have to ask Souta more
questions so he could do it right and so he�d get the right clothes and stuff.
He thought about how he would get what he needed for the ceremony and how he
would pay for it. He knew that Kagome sold objects from his time here in her
time so that she could buy the food and supplies she brought back for everyone.
Inuyasha knew he would need Souta�s help to do the same.

�How much would it cost and can you help me get your modern
money to pay for everything I need?�

Souta smiled, realizing that Inuyasha didn�t seem inclined
to be too stubborn about this. �Mama will pay for most of it. You could buy the
rings though. Did Kagome show you the rings we picked out for your friends? You
could buy some like that if you brought back some old stuff from your time and
sold it here. I know where Kagome goes to sell the stuff she brings back.�

�She didn�t tell me about any rings. Why do we need them?�
Inuyasha asked while slinging the handles of the two bags of supplies over one
shoulder and gripping the rolled up futon mattress under one arm. He headed for
the back door with Souta on his heels.

�A lot of couples give each other a ring when they get
married. If Kagome wore a wedding ring, people here in this time would know she
was married, just like if you wore one. There�s probably other reasons that
Kagome could tell you, but I�m not sure of them,� he said while holding the
door open for Inuyasha.

Inuyasha liked the ring idea. Humans wouldn�t know if Kagome
was claimed because they couldn�t smell his scent on her, but if she wore a
�wedding ring,� it would be like giving her a physical mark they could see.

�If I bring back something to sell, can we go this
afternoon?� he asked. It was best to get this marriage ceremony thing out of
the way quickly, he thought.

�Well, I guess we can. I didn�t have to go to school today
since we just got back from the funeral this morning, so I don�t have anything
better to do,� Souta replied, secretly thrilled to be helping his hero.

�And if I get the rings, can we have this wedding thing
tomorrow?� Inuyasha asked. By the look on Souta�s face, he guessed they
couldn�t.

�Uh...well, Inuyasha, it takes time to plan a wedding. Mama
will need at least a few weeks. But you can still get the rings. Kagome might
like to wear an engagement ring.�

�I thought it was a �wedding ring,�� Inuyasha said,
frowning.

Souta slid the door to the mini-shrine that housed the well
open for Inuyasha as he answered. �Yeah, both men and women wear wedding rings
after
they are married, but some women wear an engagement ring
before
they are
married to show that they are promised to someone,� he explained.

�What does she do with her engagement ring when she gets her
wedding ring?� Inuyasha asked, getting confused again.

�She wears both,� he shrugged. �I don�t know why. Maybe Mama
knows.�

Inuyasha sighed, ready to jump in the well. �It doesn�t
matter. I�ll get her both. I�ll try and come back later and bring something to
sell, but I want to be back in my time before dark.�

�Okay. I�ll see you later.� He waved as Inuyasha jumped in
the well.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Miroku and Shippou sat down for a few minutes to catch their
breaths after their hilly trek to the hot springs.

�I don�t understand how we didn�t see them leave here,�
Shippou said.

�Maybe they didn�t come here. Maybe they bathed at another
part of the river instead of their normal place,� Miroku mused. Still, he
couldn�t stop thinking about the spiritual energy he felt by the river. It
felt like a barrier, but it was illusive.

The thought that maybe Kagome had made a barrier did
fleetingly pass through his mind, but he dismissed it. He�d seen the very
visible barrier that Kagome had made around the well, and while it was very
strong, it was not a concealing barrier and he didn�t think she knew how to
make one. It had taken the combined efforts of both he and Kaede to create a concealing
barrier when Naraku had once used
Rouyakan to attack Inuyasha.
Surely Kagome couldn�t do that by herself.

He sighed and stood up. �Let�s go back to the
village, Shippou. If they bathed in the river, they are most likely back at
Kaede�s hut by now.�

Shippou nodded in agreement and followed him
back down the path.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Inuyasha jumped out of the well and tensed his muscles to
leap, but halted when he heard his name being called.

�Inuyasha-sama! Inuyasha-sama!�

He looked down and saw a flea youkai land on the rolled up
futon that was still under his arm.

�What the hell do you want, Myouga-jii-jii? I�m in a hurry,�
he said while taking off in the direction of his hot spring.

Myouga hung on to the futon and said, �I have news of the
wolf youkai called Kouga! He was slain by Naraku and his jewel shards are
lost!�

�Keh! You�re a little late telling me that. I heard it over
a week ago, baka.�

�Hmmm, perhaps it is old news. I heard it from a sparrow
several days past. Well, as long as you already know, there�s no harm done. But
I must ask, Inuyasha-sama, what happened around the well? The grass is all
burnt and the pattern suggests there was a barrier around the well to protect
it. Has Naraku attacked here too?�

Inuyasha stopped jogging and looked down at the small
youkai. Maybe he could get some information out of the little coward.

�Sesshoumaru made Kagome put up the fuckin� barrier. Then
the bastard got mad because she stayed in her time for so long,� he explained,
ignoring the part where he himself acted crazy. �He tried to break the barrier
with Toukijin, but it didn�t work. Kagome�s barrier was too strong for him.�
Inuyasha said that last part with unconscious pride.

�Well that explains the scorched ground, but why is
Sesshoumaru-sama conversing with Kagome-sama?�

�Because the asshole wants to take Kagome as his mate,
that�s why! The damn bastard has been hanging around since the new moon. He�s
really pissing me off!�

Myouga looked around them, both surprised and worried.
�What? You mean he�s still near here?�

�That�s what I said, isn�t it? But I�m gonna fix it tonight
so he can�t have her. I�m gonna mate her myself,� Inuyasha stated with
conviction.

�Inuyasha-sama, has Kagome-sama already agreed? Congratulations
are in order!�

�I think she�s okay with it,� he said, �but I need to get
something for her for the human wedding later. Do you know if any of my
mother�s belongings are stashed somewhere?� Inuyasha thought it might be a
useless question since he had never been aware of anything like that before,
but he wanted to make sure before he started bartering in the village for items
to sell in Kagome�s time.

�You mean you need a bridal gift in the human tradition?
Kagome-sama�s family has agreed to the union?�

�Keh, of course they agreed!� he stated as if he never had
doubts himself. �Do you know if anything is stashed away or not? I ain�t got
all day!�

�No, I can�t say that I recall anything in hidden storage.
Your father sent your mother back to her people for safekeeping while he dealt
with some trouble. She may have had some jewelry and other items of value, but
they were probably destroyed in the fire that broke out in her home on the day
you were born.�

Inuyasha sighed, not wanting to think about all that.
�You�re no use,� he mumbled and started walking again.

�I�m sorry, Inuyasha-sama. Perhaps you can trade in
Kaede-sama�s village for a bridal gift. I�m sure Miroku-sama would help you.�

�Forget about it. Now, get lost. I�m busy.� He tried to
shake the flea youkai off the futon.

�No, wait! I need to explain how to mate! You need to know
about bonding wi��

�I know how to mate, you stupid flea!� Inuyasha yelled, red
in the face and shaking the futon harder. Even though that book had weird
pictures that he didn�t understand, Inuyasha was still confident that he could
do what needed to be done with Kagome without having anyone explain it to him.

�But, Inuyasha-sama! I need to explain��

�All you need to do is
shut up
!� Inuyasha stopped in
his tracks and dropped the two bags to the ground. With his hand now free, he
grabbed Myouga and flung him into the forest with a wind-up pitch. He picked up
the bags again and took off running. �Stupid old fart...� he mumbled as he ran.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Myouga sat up and rubbed his abused head. �As hot-headed as
ever,� he sighed to himself.

He got to his feet and surveyed the foliage around him,
hoping to find a friendly bird to give him a ride to Kaede�s village. He�d try
and talk to Inuyasha again. The boy didn�t know about bonding even if he did
know how to physically mate. He sighed again and, not seeing any birds
available, started walking in the direction of the village. He hadn�t taken
more than half a dozen steps when he froze at the sound of a deep, frightening
voice.

�Flea, I have a use for you.�

Myouga trembled with fear.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Kagome and Sango sat by the river talking about the events
and changes in their lives over the last couple of weeks. Kagome now had a full
account of most everything Sango knew, including things that Inuyasha had
revealed while she was gone. Kagome, in turn, told Sango that she knew for a
fact that Sesshoumaru did not want Kagome for a mate, but he did want her to
improve her miko skills, though she didn�t tell Sango why.

�It seemed like you were gone a year, Kagome-chan. I hope I
didn�t forget to tell you anything. I should have waited until Houshi-sama and
Shippou-chan were with us.� Sango had a feeling she was forgetting something
important, but so much had happened, some of it was just a blur in her mind.

�That�s okay, Sango-chan. I�m sure I�ll get the whole story
from them again anyway,� Kagome said as she glanced up the trail toward the
cliff. She was about to look away when Miroku came into view. She nudged Sango
and gestured in Miroku�s direction.

�Speak of the devils,� Sango said as Shippou came into view
too.

�I wish Inuyasha would hurry up. Do you think he would be
mad if I dropped the barrier before he comes back?� Kagome asked.

�Yes! Inuyasha is paranoid about Sesshoumaru and he has good
reason to be even if you don�t think Sesshoumaru means any harm. Let�s just
watch the stupid lecher so we can confront him later for trying to peek at us.�

Kagome laughed. �I wonder what excuse he will use.�

�He won�t be able to give an excuse when Hiraikotsu

collides with his head,� Sango mumbled, and Kagome
giggled.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Miroku stopped at the base of the cliff and again looked
around the area. He could definitely feel spiritual energy and he was sure it
was a barrier.

�Aren�t we going back to the village?� Shippou asked when he
noticed that Miroku wasn�t walking.

�Yes, but��

�What the hell are you doing here, pervert? I told you I
don�t want you peeking at Kagome!�

Inuyasha�s voice interrupted Miroku. He and Shippou turned
to see the hanyou jogging toward them.

�Since Kagome-sama is not here, I fail to see why you are
complaining, Inuyasha,� Miroku calmly stated with an air of innocence.

�Cut the act, bouzu! You were trying to peek and I know it!�
Inuyasha yelled. He then turned to scan the bank of the river and said,
�Kagome, you can come out now,� in a lower voice.

The air shimmered for half a second and Miroku�s eyes
widened as his gaze locked with Sango�s narrowed glare. He felt like a rat
paralyzed by the stare of a viper. He visibly gulped.

�Finally!� Kagome huffed as Inuyasha walked toward her. When
their eyes met, they both blushed, both thinking about what they did together
in the well little more than two hours ago. She dropped her eyes and set the
dagger onto the ground next to her bags and turned to him, focusing her eyes
just below his chin. �What took you so long? You�ve been gone forever.�

�I had to clean up, didn�t I? And my clothes had to dry too.
It took time, wench!� he replied, not really answering the question and hoping
the �wench� remark would distract her. He had deposited the stuff Souta had
given him at his hot spring, hiding it behind a boulder, and run all the way
back here, but he didn�t want Kagome to know any of that yet. She also looked
nervous to him and he didn�t like it.

Kagome�s eyes snapped up to meet Inuyasha�s, her shyness
forgotten. ��Wench?� Are we back to�Oooph!� Her voice was cut off when Shippou
launched himself at her and barreled into her. She automatically wrapped her
arms around him and staggered back a couple of steps before she caught her
balance.

Inuyasha silently thanked the kit for redirecting Kagome�s
attention, but frowned when he saw Kagome almost fall over backwards from the
kitsune�s impact.

�I was so
worried, Kagome! We thought Sesshoumaru
killed
you! I swear I was going to
avenge
you if he did, but I�m soooo glad he
didn�t!� Shippou cried against her shoulder.

�It�s okay, Shippou-chan. He didn�t hurt me. We�re all
alright now,� she soothed, rubbing his back and hugging him closer.

�Hey, runt. You�re too fat to jump on Kagome like that. You
almost knocked her on her butt, baka,� Inuyasha said, glaring at Shippou who
was clinging to Kagome.

Shippou turned his head, obviously to yell at the hanyou,
but Kagome spoke first.

�Don�t worry about it, Inuyasha. I missed him too.� She
smiled over Shippou�s head at Inuyasha and he blushed. Shippou wisely held his
tongue.

Miroku cleared his throat and edged closer to Inuyasha, as
if he hoped for protection from Sango�s wrath. �Indeed, Kagome-sama, we were
all very concerned for your welfare and missed you greatly while you were gone
to your time, especially Shippou. I could not in good conscious stand idly by
and witness the child�s suffering and his distress at being parted from you,
especially after this morning�s events. It is for that reason that I led him to
you.�

Inuyasha and Kirara snorted, Shippou�s expression said, �Try
another one, baka,� as he looked askance at the monk, and Kagome giggled at
Miroku�s efforts to weasel out of whatever Sango had planned for him.

�Let us get one thing straight, Houshi-sama. Everyone here
knows you were trying to peek at us like the pervert you are, and no one
believes your excuses,� Sango told him angrily. �However, since Shippou was
involved and he�s not hiding anything,� she didn�t notice Shippou flinch at her
assumption, �and since you didn�t see anything, I�ll let it slide.� She saw
Miroku relax his tense shoulders and smile as if he thought he had pulled a
fast one, so she added, �This time only! Next time Hiraikotsu will be involved
in my reaction!�

She looked at her other friends to see them all gaping at
her like she had exposed herself to Miroku in front of them. �What?� she said,
not losing any anger in her voice.

Kagome recovered first and giggled. �Nothing, Sango-chan. I
guess everyone deserves a break after the morning we�ve all had.�

Sango sighed and agreed. �Yes, it has been a long day and
we�ve missed lunch. Let�s go to Kaede-obaa-chan�s and eat something. I�m tired
too. Shippou�s tricks kept me up all night.� She gave Shippou a stern look to
remind him that hadn�t forgotten about the kitsune�s fake fatal injuries.

�Oh, that�s right, Sango-chan. You told me what this bad
little boy did.� Kagome said, giving the kitsune a pointed look. He gulped.
�Well, Shippou-chan? What do you have to say for yourself?�

�Keh,� Inuyasha said before Shippou could come up with an
excuse. �They�re just mad because us youkai outsmarted them and Shippou was on
my

side.�

They stared at him for a short moment, since he almost never
defended Shippou from being scolded, until Kagome said, �Riiiight,� to
Inuyasha, who lowered his brows and frowned, but didn�t reply. She then turned
to everyone else. �I think we could all use a quiet night. Let�s go back to the
village.�

They all nodded agreement. She set Shippou down and he
immediately jumped on Miroku�s shoulder as the houshi started walking toward
the path to the village with Sango following, Kirara in her arms.

Kagome picked up the dagger she�d used to anchor the
barrier. She didn�t have anywhere to put it and was afraid to put the exposed
blade in her bag because it might cut something. She guessed she�d have to
carry it. She gripped the handle of one of the bags in her other hand.

�Inuyasha? Can you help me carry these bags, please?� she
asked.

He grabbed the dagger out of her hand and threw it across
the river. �There. Now you have another free hand,� he declared.

�Why did you do that, baka?� she yelled, glaring at him.

�You don�t need that bastard�s gifts! You would have cut
yourself carrying that thing around, idiot. We�ll go to Toutousai and ask him
for one with a sheath,� he defended himself, blushing.

Kagome might have said the �O� word if she didn�t realize
that jealousy was the real reason behind his actions. It made her feel a little
flutter in her stomach. She was still irritated, but she wasn�t as angry as she
would have been if he had done something like this a few weeks ago before she
knew his feelings.

�Well, you could have just given it back to him instead of
throwing it away. And he didn�t tell me I could keep it anyway. He just let me
use it,� she told him while picking up another bag.

His wary expression eased somewhat, and she knew he had
expected to be subdued. She smiled slightly and said, �Are you going to help me
or not?�

�Keh,� he said as he grabbed the handles of the remaining
bags and fell into step beside her.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

They ate a late lunch consisting of some fish a villager had
given to Kaede and some vegetables. Inuyasha and Shippou fought over the last
fish and, for Kagome, everything seemed almost normal.

She was very relieved that she was back with her friends.
She glanced at Inuyasha, who was sitting next to her, and caught him looking at
her. She blushed, thinking about what they did at the bottom of the well, but
smiled because she felt happy to be there with him. He blushed and looked away,
and her smile widened. Maybe everything would work out for her and Inuyasha
after all.

Inuyasha couldn�t stop watching Kagome. He was thrilled that
she was back, but he also couldn�t stop thinking of the intimacy they shared in
the well and what he hoped they would share later that night. He reminded
himself that he needed to go meet Souta with something to sell, but he couldn�t
bring himself to leave Kagome�s side just yet even though sunset was only three
or four hours away. Myouga�s arrival, however, forced him into action.

The old flea youkai bounced into Kaede�s hut and landed on
Inuyasha�s nose. �Inuyasha-sama! I must talk to you about that matter--� he
said without greeting anyone else.

�Shut up, baka!� Inuyasha replied, lightly smacking Myouga
away from his nose with a nervous glance at Kagome. He just knew the damned old
youkai would say something stupid or give away his plans.

�Myouga-ojii-chan?� Kagome said and Inuyasha was afraid she
might ask the flea questions.

Myouga recovered his balance where he landed on Inuyasha�s
knee and said, �Ahh, Kagome-sama! I must extend my warmest congrat��

�Shut
up, baka!� Inuyasha said again with frustration,
grabbing the flea youkai and capturing him in his closed fist. He needed to get
Myouga out of the hut and away from Kagome before the coward said too much.
After what happened this morning, Inuyasha didn�t want anyone to embarrass
Kagome in front of their friends again by blurting something about their
eminent mating, which she was not aware was eminent. He wanted her to be
cooperative when he took her away later that night, so he wanted to avoid
making her angry or flustered now.

Inuyasha turned to Kagome and said, �I need to go do
something and I want you to stay here and don�t leave the hut.� He started to
rise, intent on removing Myouga from Kagome�s range of hearing.

�But�� Kagome began only to be interrupted by Inuyasha.

�Don�t leave the hut!� he repeated, and then in a softer
voice told her, �I�ll be back in a little while and I�ll tell you about it
then.� Yeah, he�d tell her about it when he had her far away from anyone who
could interfere. When she didn�t argue and only watched him with concern, he
nodded once and left.

Kagome followed him with her eyes as he went out the door.
Where was he going? Why couldn�t he tell her now instead of later? It made her
uneasy and doubtful again. She tried to push those feelings away and distracted
herself by catching up with her friends.

She spent the rest of the afternoon telling Kaede, Miroku,
and Shippou why she was gone so long and about the barriers she could make.
They all had questions and comments so their conversation lasted quite a while.
Kaede and Miroku were surprised that Kagome could make a barrier that rendered
things and people invisible all by herself, but quite proud of her for it too.

She had a brief argument with Miroku about his use of ofuda
on Inuyasha, but Kaede ended the discussion by reminding Kagome that Inuyasha
knew very well there was no malice behind the monks actions or he would have
given Miroku more than just a black eye.

Afterwards, Kagome distributed the items she had brought
back for everyone. She then settled down to spend some time with Shippou and
his new colored pencils and sketchpad, but her worry about Inuyasha�s
whereabouts was always on her mind.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

�What the fuck do you think you�re doing, Jii-jii? What�s so
important that you have to bother me now?� Inuyasha fumed as he stalked into
the forest, out of view of the village. He opened his fist and stared down at
the tiny youkai on his palm.

Myouga gulped. He wasn�t a good liar and he hoped Inuyasha
fell for his story. �Why I j-just wanted to congratulate Kagome-sama for��

�Well, don�t! You�ll ruin my plans!� Inuyasha interrupted.

�But, Inuyasha-sama, I thought she knew already. How could
congratulating her ruin it?� he asked in a confused voice.

�She knows already, but she don�t know it�s
tonight,
baka! So keep your trap shut!�

Inuyasha started to close his fist, and Myouga hurried to
prevent the hanyou from throwing him again.

�Wait, Inuyasha-sama! I have good news! I can help you!�

�Spit it out if you have something to say, old man. I�ve got
things to do.�

�Ah, w-well, you see, I j-just remembered that there is one
thing that you may be able to retrieve as a b-bridal gift for your mate��

�But you said my mother�s things were destroyed!� Inuyasha
hissed.

�Yes, yes, the things s-she had with her when you were born
were d-destroyed, but your f-father had something hidden that I�m certain he
intended to give your mother at a later t-time, but he died before he c-could,�
Myouga stuttered, wiping his sweaty forehead with his handkerchief.

�Why didn�t you tell me this before?� Inuyasha questioned.

�Forgive me, p-please. My m-memory isn�t what it used to
b-be. It just came to me after we last s-spoke,� he answered nervously.

Inuyasha didn�t want to think about his mother and father�s
deaths, or things that Myouga might have witnessed or remembered about them.
�Keh, stupid flea,� he muttered and then sighed. �Tell me what it is and where
it is hidden. I don�t have time to waste.�

Myouga allowed himself to relax a little since Inuyasha
seemed to believe him. �I don�t know what it is, but it is not too far from
here; perhaps an hour away if you hurry. I can s-show you where it is if you
like.�

Inuyasha mentally cursed. It would take him longer than he
thought to get the rings this afternoon. He glanced at the sun. He only had a
few hours until dark. He sighed again and said, �Let�s go. No sense standing
here wasting daylight.�

He waited a second for Myouga to jump into his hair and then
took off running in the direction the old youkai indicated. Myouga hung on for
dear life and, over the course of the next hour or so, guided the hanyou to a
cave in the hills.

The cave looked small and damp to Inuyasha and he glanced
around the area suspiciously.

�Sesshoumaru has been here recently. It�s very light, but I
can smell the bastard�s scent in the air,� he complained. He turned back to the
cave. �Why the hell would my father hide something here? And why would
Sesshoumaru visit here too? Is it some secret family hiding place that I don�t
know about?� he asked with a frown.

�Eh, funny you should ask, Inuyasha-sama,� Myouga laughed
uneasily. �I�m quite positive everyone in your f-family knows about this
place.� He hoped Inuyasha didn�t pick up on the fact that he was speaking in
the present tense, and that Sesshoumaru was the hanyou�s only living family.

Inuyasha wasn�t really paying attention to Myouga�s
explanation. Sesshoumaru�s scent reminded him that he shouldn�t have left
Kagome in the village with only Sango and Miroku for protection. He became
agitated.

�It�s a stupid place to hide things. Let�s just get whatever
is buried here and go,� he barked.

�Of course, Inuyasha-sama. I believe there is a rock that
was used to cover a hiding place near the entrance of the cave.�

�Fine, show me where,� he said as he walked into the cave.

�Ah, I think that may be the very rock we seek,� Myouga
said, pointing. �Right there.�

Inuyasha bent down and visually inspected the large rock for
a moment as if it were dangerous. He didn�t like Sesshoumaru�s scent in this
cave and it put him in a foul mood.

�Eh, you have to move the stone, Inuyasha-sama,� Myouga said
helpfully after a moment.

�I know that, baka! I just want to make sure it�s not a
fuckin� trick!� he replied with irritation.

With much effort, Myouga kept his mouth shut as he watched
Inuyasha slowly lift the rock and look under it. They could see a small
fabric-wrapped bundle in a small hole. The indentation had prevented the stone
from crushing whatever was in the cloth. Inuyasha set the rock aside and poked
the bundle with one claw. It didn�t move.

Myouga bit his tongue, not wanting to aggravate Inuyasha any
more than necessary, but it was hard when the boy just stared warily at the
bundle for several minutes as if he expected it to crawl away or jump at him.
The hanyou finally picked up the cloth-bound lump and carried it out of the
cave into the sunlight. Myouga slowly let out his breath in relief.

�If my father hid this, there must be a spell on it,�
Inuyasha said, eyeing the bundle with distrust.

�W-why would you say that?� Myouga asked.

�Because this silk looks pretty new and the old man�s been
dead long enough for anything he buried to rot by now.�

Myouga scrambled for an explanation. �Eh, well, perhaps it
is youkai silk and...and it�s impervious to time. Yes, much like your fire rat
clothing, it does not d-deteriorate. Yes, I�m sure that must b-be the case.� He
wiped his brow again with his handkerchief.

Myouga�s anxiety level rose when the hanyou seemed to become
even more suspicious. Inuyasha was naive in many ways, but he was not stupid.
Maybe a different tack was needed.

�Or perhaps, S-Sesshoumaru-sama is aware of it since it
belonged to your father. Perhaps he has recently changed the s-silk wrapping to
protect whatever is inside.�

Inuyasha scowled. He didn�t want anything that belonged to
Sesshoumaru. �Keh, let�s just throw it back in the cave and go. This was a
fuckin� waste of time.�

Myouga panicked. He had to convince Inuyasha to take the
bundle! His life depended on it!

�B-but, Inuyasha-sama, anything found in this cave belonged
to your father! You have as much right to it as Sesshoumaru-sama! In fact, you
have
more
right to it if it was meant to be a gift for your mother!
Perhaps Sesshoumaru-sama was hiding it from you! Open it, Inuyasha-sama!
Please!� he begged.

Inuyasha growled. Would Sesshoumaru keep something that
should have come to him after their father�s death? �Oh, hell, yes, he would,�
he thought as he glanced down at Tessaiga�s hilt. Maybe he should at least see
what was wrapped in the silk.

He glared at the fabric as he opened its folds. Sesshoumaru
thought he could steal Inuyasha�s inheritance, did he? Well, the bastard
wouldn�t get away with it! A second piece of silk was wrapped around the
object, but finally Inuyasha could see what he held. It was jewelry. He�d seen
important and rich women wear this type of decoration in their hair, and he
could vaguely remember that his own mother wore something similar.

Myouga caught his attention again. �Yes, Inuyasha-sama, that
is d-definitely a gift for a lady and I�m certain your father would have given
it to your mother had he lived. I b-believe it belongs to you now. It is a
priceless family heirloom and should be yours since it was intended for your
mother.� The flea was practically begging Inuyasha to take it.

Inuyasha thought about it for a minute. He didn�t give a
rat�s ass that it was a family heirloom, however he could sell this and buy the
rings for Kagome so he could marry her. But was it really his to take? �Fuck,
yes!� he decided.

Since Sesshoumaru didn�t seem to have any qualms about
trying to take family heirlooms that didn�t belong to him, Inuyasha shouldn�t
feel bad about taking something that may or may not rightfully be Inuyasha�s to
take, right? Just because Sesshoumaru hadn�t tried to take Tessaiga in years
didn�t erase that fact that, at one time, he would have killed Inuyasha to get
it. Inuyasha figured that Sesshoumaru owed him for all the times they fought
over Tessaiga, so it was okay to take this little bauble now, right? His mouth
firmed into a straight line as he made up his mind.

He wrapped it back up, shoved the bundle into his haori, and
headed back toward the village. He didn�t notice that Myouga nearly collapsed
with relief on his shoulder, or that his brother, well hidden near the cave,
nearly smiled in satisfaction at the success of his current scheme and the
predictability of the hanyou.

Sesshoumaru fingered the dagger that he had retrieved after
his brother had thrown it. He�d been tempted to kill the fool then and there,
since the idiot hanyou hadn�t mated the girl yet. The only reason he let
Inuyasha live was because the baka was actively planning to consummate his
relationship with the miko later that night. Sesshoumaru hoped the flea
explained the necessary information to Inuyasha. He would personally squish the
tiny youkai into oblivion if he failed in his task.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

�You took it! You pervert! You went through my bag, didn�t
you?! I
knew
I shouldn�t trust you!� Sango�s angry scream startled
everyone in the hut.

Kaede, Kagome, Shippou, and Kirara all turned their
attention to the enraged young woman and her fianc�.

Sango had the tote bag Kagome had given her with the birth
control items in her hand, her knuckles turning white from clenching her fist
in the fabric. Her eyes were narrowed as she stared angrily at the monk and
blushed.

Miroku�s expression was one of confusion and surprise, and
his palm was flat against his chest in a gesture that seemed to say, �Are you
talking to me?�

�My lovely Sango, I don�t know what you are talking about.
Is something missing?� he asked in a bewildered voice.

Sango didn�t seem to believe his innocent act. �Yes, and you
do know exactly what I�m talking about, Houshi! Who else would take that book?�

�What book? What was it about?� he asked with what looked
like genuine concern.

Sango turned very red when she realized she could not
describe the book in front of everyone. She just could not bring herself to
talk about
that
subject. It made her even angrier that Miroku probably
knew she wouldn�t answer that question too, and she thought he was teasing her.

�You know what book, pervert! Don�t act innocent about it!�
she yelled.

Kagome blushed for Sango. She knew that Sango would not be
able to reveal the type of book it was to Shippou or Kaede, just as Kagome
herself would not willingly talk about it in front of them. The pervert was
using Sango�s modesty against her. She became angry for Sango�s sake too.

When Kaede asked directly what book Sango was looking for,
Kagome became alarmed at the sight of the other girl�s flushed, angry face and
the look of panic that was surfacing.

Kagome intervened to prevent further distress for Sango even
though she knew her own face was flaming. �It is...it�s about...having a
successful marriage, Kaede-obaa-chan.� Kagome grimaced at such a lame
explanation, but she couldn�t think of anything else to say.

Kaede was no fool. By the looks on the two girls� faces,
she realized the book must deal with the more intimate side of marriage and she
sympathized with Sango if the monk had taken it. Although Kaede herself had
never had those types of relations with a man, she was not ignorant. She had
counseled many young brides regarding that aspect of married life and delivered
many children from those unions.

She herself had been given dire warnings about having a
physical relationship with anyone. When she was very young, the older mikos
told her various tales about the consequences of losing her virginity, ranging
from loss of her spiritual power to permanent blindness and even death. It was
not until she was older and wiser, and the opportunities of youth had passed,
that she recognized those grim stories of a miko�s fall from grace as the lies
they were.

Not every village had a miko, and finding a miko with actual
spiritual power was uncommon. Most mikos only had knowledge of the healing
arts, but no ability to make barriers or imbue their arrows with purification
power. As a result, young mikos, especially those with spiritual abilities,
were very valuable to the communities they served. No village could afford to
lose their miko. Young mikos were ruthlessly discouraged from shirking their
responsibilities in any manner. They were told terrifying tales of divine
retribution if they wavered from their duties or failed to put the welfare of
the community before their own desires, especially their carnal desires.

Kaede realized that such tales were not really meant to save
the miko from suffering the punishment of the gods for having an intimate
relationship with a man, but rather to avoid a serious conflict of interest if
the miko married and raised a family.

A miko was trained to serve the village and place the well
being of the villagers above all else in her life. If the miko had a husband
and family, her first concern would naturally be for her family, and the
villagers would be second in her priorities. Most headmen and older mikos
wanted to avoid having that conflict of interest occur, so they concocted
horrible cautionary tales to dissuade temptation.

Kaede thought about her own sister�s desire for an ordinary
life with a husband and children. It was a normal longing in all young women,
but for a miko it was a forbidden dream...for the good of the community.

If anything had ever convinced Kaede that those warnings she
had received so long ago regarding �intimate relationships� were a pack of
lies, it was her knowledge of the dark miko Tsubaki. Tsubaki had to �join�
with her youkai partner in more than just the spiritual sense in order to
retain her youth. If copulating with a truly evil youkai didn�t taint her
enough to lose her spiritual abilities, then nothing would.

Kaede had concluded that some souls had spiritual power and
some didn�t. It was no different than hair color or height. Spiritual and
physical attributes varied from person to person, and how a person lived their
life wouldn�t change those attributes.

Kaede herself was satisfied with her life as a miko and was
proud of the respect she received for her leadership role in the community. The
villagers had become her family and she did not begrudge her service to them.
She enjoyed sharing their joys and supported them in times of tragedy. She had
few regrets regarding the path that her life had taken. But the spouseless life
of a miko was not for everyone, even those with strong spiritual powers.

She glanced at Kagome and was glad no one ever told the girl
any nonsense about the �loss of purity� that went with the loss of virginity or
the act of loving a man. Kagome would not have the worries and guilt that came
with any decision she had regarding her relationship with Inuyasha, as Kikyou
had so long ago. Kagome�s power would not diminish as her self-recriminations
grew and she would not be prey to self-doubt as Kikyou had.

Her sister had been young and had still believed the lies
she had been told. Kikyou�s love for Inuyasha was accompanied by guilt and a loss
of confidence in her own abilities. Kikyou
believed
she would lose her
spiritual powers and so she slowly did. Even without a physical relationship
with the hanyou, Kaede knew Kikyou�s feelings were strong for him. As her love
grew, her spiritual abilities diminished, eaten away by self-reproach and
conflicts between duty and desire.

Kaede was thankful that Kagome would not suffer such grave
doubts about herself as Kikyou had...all because the villagers needed a miko
devoted solely and completely to their welfare with no personal life or family
of her own.

The sound of Hiraikotsu connecting with Miroku�s head
brought Kaede out of her musings and she realized she had missed a verbal
sparring match between the houshi and the taijiya.

The houshi was knocked out on the floor and Kaede watched
Sango search through the small cloth bundle that held Miroku�s personal
belongings. After a moment, she growled in frustration and threw the lump down
near the wall in its original resting place. She then turned her enraged eyes
back to her fianc�.

�Check his clothes for me, Shippou-chan,� Sango commanded
since she herself would not go so far as to run her hands over the monk�s
unconscious form.

�Wh-what? Why do I have to touch him? I don�t even know what
you�re looking for!� the kitsune whined.

�It�s a book like one of my school books, Shippou-chan. It
has a hard cover and it�s about this big,� Kagome told him, holding up her
hands to illustrate the height and width of the rectangular book. �It should be
easy to feel through his clothes if he has it.�

�But I don�t��

�Just do it, Shippou!� Sango shouted, her intense glare
aimed at the boy.

Shippou gulped, not liking Sango�s anger being redirected to
him, and moved toward Miroku who was sprawled on his back on the hut�s floor.
He gingerly patted the pervert�s clothing, touching the area around his chest,
abdomen and sleeves since they all knew that�s where the book would be tucked
if he had it. Shippou reached into one of Miroku�s sleeves when he found a lump
and pulled out a pouch with some coins in it. He pulled a bundle of ofuda from
the other sleeve, glancing nervously at Sango the whole time. He pulled a
fabric wrapped lump from its hiding place inside Miroku�s outer robe but didn�t
unwrap it since it didn�t feel like a book and he was sure it was the
collection of talisman and good luck charms that the monk carried.

Finally, he looked up at Sango and fearfully said, �He
doesn�t have it.� He cringed away from her when her brows lowered even more
over her narrowed eyes.

�Are you sure? I think you should check him again!� she
said.

�No, he doesn�t have it. You watched me check him and I�m
n-not doing it again,� the kit bravely told her despite his fear of her anger.

Sango�s face slowly changed to one of horror and guilt. She
dropped Hiraikotsu behind her and her hand came up to cover her trembling lips.
Her eyes filled with tears.

�What have I done?� she whispered. �He really is innocent
and I hit him anyway!� She kneeled beside him and started to gently shake his
shoulders. �Houshi-sama! Houshi-sama! Wake up! Please!�

Kagome and Kaede exchanged a glance, not entirely sure this
wasn�t one of Miroku�s tricks, but still feeling compassion for Sango. Kagome
automatically went to get a chemical ice pack from her first aid supplies and
apply it to the lump on Miroku�s head. He moaned at the contact.

For the next hour or so, Shippou, Kagome, Kaede, and Kirara
watched a contrite Sango hover over Miroku obsessively, trying to atone for the
bump on his head that she�d given him. The monk took full advantage of the
attention and even got in a grope or two without retaliation from Sango.

Kagome and Kaede exchanged amused glances as they cooked a
light supper for the group, but their youkai companions seemed mildly disgusted
by the whole affair. Shippou and Kirara settled together in a corner to nap
until it was time to eat since the humans were behaving in boringly predictable
patterns.

With no more disturbances, everyone eventually ate their
supper and prepared for bed, carefully not mentioning that Inuyasha had not
returned yet or that Kagome kept her eyes on the door as the sun began to set.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Inuyasha had tossed Myouga to the wind halfway back to the
village when the flea kept insisting that the hanyou should allow him to
explain mating. He was still mumbling to himself about stupid old men trying
to tell him what to do when he jumped in the well to bring the jewelry to
Souta.

The kid was waiting for him in the well house and Inuyasha
almost landed on him when he jumped out of the well.

�Inuyasha! I didn�t think you were coming back! You found
something to sell?�

�Yeah, I told you I would, didn�t I? It just took me longer
than I thought to get this,� he replied, taking the silk bundle from his
haori. �Let�s go sell this junk and get the rings. I�ve got to get back to
Kagome and it�s getting late.� He walked out of the well house with Souta on
his heels.

�Wait!� Souta yelled as he caught up with Inuyasha. �Here.
You need to wear this.� He handed the hanyou a ball cap he�d been holding in
anticipation of his hero�s return.

Inuyasha grabbed it without comment and shoved it on his
head. They left the shrine at a fast walk. After a quick bus ride that still
made Inuyasha uncomfortable no matter how many times he�d done it with Kagome,
they arrived at their destination just minutes before the shop closed.

Souta led the way to the counter and prepared to do the
talking. He cleared his throat he watched a man make his way to the counter,
putting away his feather duster. Souta recognized him as the man who had served
Kagome the other day and thought he must be the shop owner.

�Can I help you boys?� the man asked in a friendly manner.

�We have something to sell,� Souta stated but realized he
didn�t know what Inuyasha had with him. In the rush to get to the shop, he
hadn�t had a chance to ask Inuyasha to let him see the object.

�Inuyasha, show him what you have,� Souta prompted.

The hanyou pulled his silk-wrapped cargo out of his haori
and unfolded the fabric. Both Souta and the man behind the counter gasped at
what they saw. The man reached for it, but Souta was faster.

�I�m very sorry, sir, but we made a mistake,� he explained
as he clutched the object to his chest with a shaking hand and used his other
hand to pull Inuyasha away from the counter.

�But, I am willing to pay��

�But, I need to sell��

Inuyasha and the shopkeeper tried to talk at the same time,
but Souta interrupted them both.

�I apologize for taking your time, sir, but we must go now,�
he almost shouted while tugging his scowling future brother-in-law out of the
shop.

Once on the sidewalk, Inuyasha became stubborn and wouldn�t
budge another step.

�What the hell is your problem? I needed to sell that so I
can get Kagome the marriage rings!�

�But, Inuyasha! This is a bridal comb! You have to give it
to Kagome! She�d kill me if I let you sell it!� Souta pleaded.

He may be a thirteen-year-old kid, but he came from a shrine
family and some of what his Jii-chan told him over the years had sunk into his
brain. He knew that what he held in his hand was very valuable and he also knew
that it would be a crime to let Inuyasha sell it, regardless of Kagome�s
reaction if she ever found out.

The delicate comb had intricately crafted cherry blossoms
created from mother-of-pearl, jade, rubies, and pearls. It was exquisite and he
knew it was worth a fortune. His sister would swoon for a bridal comb even
one-fourth this beautiful.

�How would she know if I sold it or not? It�s just a hair
ornament and Kagome hardly ever wears shit like that,� Inuyasha replied,
getting frustrated.

�I�ll tell her!� Souta threatened. �Do you want her to be so
mad at you that she won�t let you touch her? If you don�t give this to Kagome,
you can forget about marrying her for at least another year, because that�s how
long it will take for her temper to cool off after she finds out you sold it!�

�Damn it! How am I gonna buy the rings I need if you don�t
let me sell it?�

Souta could tell that Inuyasha didn�t understand the impact
this bridal comb would have on Kagome, but he didn�t know how to explain it
either. Sometimes his hero could be so clueless! He sighed and tried to placate
the older boy.

�Look, Inuyasha. If you give Kagome this comb tonight, I
promise you that the rings won�t matter. And you�ll have time to get them later
anyway. Just bring back an old cooking pot or something the next time you come
back here and I promise we will sell it, but I won�t let you sell this comb.�
Souta set his jaw in a determined manner and gave the taller boy his most
ferocious intimidating glare.

Inuyasha knew a thing or two about intimidating glares and
gave Souta one of his own. The teenager gulped but didn�t back down. After a
moment of unwavering staring, Inuyasha finally gave in. It was already sunset
and he needed to get back to Kagome.

�Fine, but if she isn�t happy with that thing, I�m coming
after your hide, kid. Got it?� he threatened with a final glare before
snatching the comb back, haphazardly wrapping it in the silk fabric he still
held, and stuffing it into his haori. He set off toward the bus stop, but
changed his mind and headed down an alley away from curious eyes.

Souta grinned from ear to ear and hurried to catch up with
his hero. He was extremely happy to have won the argument with the older boy,
but he also knew Inuyasha well enough to know they wouldn�t be taking the bus
back to the shrine. He ran down the alley, excitedly anticipating his piggyback
ride back home.

Not too many minutes later, Souta, still happy and giddy
from their rooftop run, waved good-bye to Inuyasha as the disgruntled hanyou
jumped in the well.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Shippou looked around Kaede�s hut nervously. He was sitting
in front of the fire, his back to Kagome�s sleeping bag and watching everyone
getting ready for bed. He still hadn�t revealed his secret to Kagome. He
didn�t really want to tell her, but he was afraid of what Sesshoumaru might do
if he let things stay the same.

�Are you okay, Shippou?�

He looked up at Kagome and almost blurted it out. It was a
good opportunity since she was asking him to tell her if something was wrong,
but after a slight hesitation, he said, �Yeah. I�m just thinkin�.�

Kagome smiled at him and teased, �Well, don�t think
too
hard, because it looks like it hurts.�

He said, �Keh,� unconsciously sounding like Inuyasha and
dropped his eyes. He didn�t notice her frown as her concerned eyes stayed on
him for a moment before looking toward the door.

After a minute, she sighed and told him, �Come to bed,
Shippou.� She sat on her sleeping bag against the back wall behind him.

�Okay. I will in a little while,� he replied, not really
tired after his earlier nap. After another moment of studying him, she murmured
her acceptance and turned back to her own preparations for sleep. He knew she
was preoccupied with Inuyasha�s absence.

Maybe he should wait until tomorrow to tell her. She didn�t
know he had anything out of the ordinary to tell her anyway. And in all the
excitement of the day, no one even remembered to tell Kagome that Sesshoumaru
had used his energy whip on Shippou�s behind. Of course it had healed in little
more than a day and it had happened over a week before, but he still felt
slightly hurt that his friends didn�t tattle on Sesshoumaru immediately. If
they told her, it would lead very nicely into the issue he needed to talk
about.

Shippou didn�t want to be the one to tell Kagome about
Sesshoumaru�s abuse of his small, helpless kitsune body, preferring instead to
cast himself in the role of silently suffering victim rather than indignant
whiner. He had learned over the years that, as a victim, he could get a lot of
positive attention from Kagome, whereas if he whined too much, she sometimes
gave him stern looks or even a lecture on his behavior.

Of course, he could disguise his whining as fear of
Sesshoumaru and it would be the absolute truth. He could appeal to Kagome for
protection...but if he tried that, she�d be sure to bring Inuyasha into the
situation and Shippou could just imagine how Inuyasha would react.

Shippou could almost hear Inuyasha�s voice in his mind
saying, �Keh, the runt wasn�t hurt bad. Tell him to stop whining and keep his
mouth shut around Sesshoumaru.� That would probably be followed by a bop on
his head from the hanyou, which would make Kagome yell at Inuyasha, and
Inuyasha would start an argument with her, and once those two got into it,
Shippou knew he�d be completely ignored.

He sighed. After so much time had passed, there was no easy
way to do this, but it had to be done. He had to allow his friends to see him
as he really was, or else Sesshoumaru would do something Shippou was sure he
would not enjoy�or survive. And hopefully, Kagome wouldn�t be too angry about
it.

He came out of his thoughts and looked around at his
companions and suddenly realized that they were almost asleep. He glanced over
his shoulder to look at Kagome. Her back was to him, but he could tell by her
breathing that she was awake, probably waiting for Inuyasha to return.

He could tell her now. All he had to do was tap her
shoulder. His hands were sweating and he tried to harden his resolve. He took a
deep breath and then reached his hand toward her�and chickened out when the low
fire cast a feint shadow of his hand across her form.

He let his hand drop back into his lap, turned back toward
the fire and stared past it at the door, not really seeing it. He dithered a
few more minutes. The more he thought about it, the more he thought it might be
best to wait until tomorrow. After all, Sesshoumaru had just been near the
village this morning, so he probably wouldn�t be back for a few days. Why would
he come back now that Kagome was here? He shouldn�t be mad anymore, right?

But�didn�t he say something about training her when she left
last week? Did he plan on coming to train her soon? Tomorrow?

Shippou started to worry even more and wiped his sweaty hand
across his sweaty face. He didn�t have a choice. He had to tell Kagome before
Sesshoumaru came back. His shoulders drooped and he resigned himself. He might
as well get it over with now he decided, and hopefully Sesshoumaru�s ill
treatment of Shippou�s posterior could be brought into the conversation at some
point so that Kagome would still hug him and let him be a kid.

He closed his eyes. He quietly took a deep breath and
released it slowly, letting his illusion fall as the air left his lungs. Barely
a whisper of sound marked his transformation. He sat very still, ears alert,
expecting someone to yell at him at any moment�but nothing happened. He started
to breathe a little easier and opened his eyes. No one had stirred from their
sleeping mats.

This wouldn�t do. He needed to get Kagome�s attention and
tell her �or rather show her� his real self. Taking another deep breath, he
shakily got to his knees and turned to face her. He slowly reached for her
shoulder....

Kagome heard Shippou�s sighs and deep breaths behind her,
but didn�t pay much mind to it until she felt something weird in his aura and
heard his clothes rustling in a location higher than the floor, which is where
he had been sitting when she�d lain down. She glanced over her shoulder to see
what he was doing�and screamed.

A shadowy figure loomed over her, silhouetted by the low
light from the dying fire, reaching out its thin arm, its claws nearly touching
her shoulder.

Shippou screamed when Kagome screamed and looked behind him
to see what frightened her. No one was behind him except Sango, Miroku, Kirara,
and Kaede, who were all jerking up to see why Kagome screamed and reaching for
their weapons.

Shippou realized she was screaming because of him and turned
back to her with both hands outstretched in a placating motion. He heard the
mat hanging in front of the door being thrown aside.

Before he could say anything, he felt the side of Inuyasha�s
hard fist connect with the top of his red head, and he doubled over on his knees
more from his own emotional fears than from the blow. His forehead hit the
floor and his hands covered the back of his head.

�What the hell do you think you�re doing, Shippou?! Change
back to normal and quit fuckin� around! You upset Kagome, baka!�

Shippou heard Kagome�s startled gasp and started crying. He
couldn�t help it. He stayed on the floor and felt sorry for himself. Nothing
was going right. Kagome was scared of him and Inuyasha was yelling at him and
everything was going to change. He
hated
Sesshoumaru! It was all his
fault!

�Shippou-chan?� Kagome asked softly in front of him. �Is
that you?�

�Keh, of course it�s the runt! I know his stink!�

�Hush!� he heard Kagome say, and then in a quieter voice,
�Shippou-chan?�

He felt her gentle hand on one of his, pulling his hand away
from the back of his head and trying to get him to sit back up on his knees. He
could hear someone building up the fire so that there would be more light in
the hut.

�I�m sorry, Shippou-chan. I didn�t mean to scare you when I
screamed. I didn�t know it was you. Are you okay?�

He resisted Kagome�s tugs on his hand. He didn�t want to see
her expression yet.

�Get up, baka. Your little joke is over. And damn it,
Kagome, don�t apologize to him! The runt should be saying he�s sorry to you for
being a jerk in the middle of the night!�

Shippou felt Inuyasha�s toes nudging his thigh and all his
fear and frustration turned into anger. He sat up abruptly and turned to
Inuyasha with his teeth bared, subconsciously delaying the inevitable talk with
Kagome.

�Like
you�ve
never been a jerk in the middle of the
night, Inuyasha! How many times have
you
upset Kagome, huh, baka? Did
you
apologize?� he yelled at the hanyou.

Inuyasha flushed and his ears flattened against his head,
but he yelled back, �Shut the fuck up and change back to normal!�

�This
is
normal, baka!� Shippou cried, tears rolling
down his face.

All movement stopped. In the long moment of silence that
followed, Shippou started to panic again. His eyes dropped from Inuyasha�s
shocked face to the floor, but he kept his head turned away from Kagome. Just
when the tension made him ready to jump up and bolt out the door, he felt
Kagome�s arms embrace him, pulling him into a hug, and the side of her face
resting against the top of his head. His heart skipped a beat.

�I don�t understand, Shippou-chan. Why do you look like
this?� she asked quietly.

He threw his arms around her middle and buried his face
against her pajama-covered chest, hiccupping through his tears. It felt good to
have Kagome rub his back and still accept him.

�Shippou, did someone do this to you?� Miroku questioned in
his calm, concerned voice.

�Maybe we can fix it, Shippou-chan,� Sango said, and Shippou
realized that they didn�t understand any more than Kagome did. He felt Kirara
rub against his lower back, trying to comfort him in her own way. They weren�t
rejecting him...yet.

He took a deep breath and tried to speak, not raising his
face from the fabric of Kagome�s pajama top. �T-this is m-me...the real me.� He
could feel their eyes on him and tightened his arms around Kagome.

Another silent moment followed that statement until Inuyasha
spoke.

�What the hell do you mean, �the
real
you�?! What
happened to the fat little runt?�

Kagome�s arms around him gave him hope that maybe everything
would be okay, and Inuyasha�s insults sparked some sense of normalcy within
Shippou. He turned his head slightly until the knee area of Inuyasha�s hakama
came into his view and said in a louder voice, �I�m not fat, baka!�

�Not now, you�re not! Hell, you look like one of those stick
figures you made that time as a decoy to fool me, but you
were
a pudgy
little fuzz-ball when I saw you just a while ago. So, what the fuck happened?�

Shippou let his eyes slowly move up Inuyasha�s tall form. It
felt like the hanyou was looming over him since he stood right next to he and
Kagome�s sitting forms, looking down on them like a large predator, the silver
hair reminding him of Sesshoumaru, and the kit was again glad the girl was
holding him. But as Shippou�s eyes locked with Inuyasha�s, his fear subsided a
little. He couldn�t read all the emotions in the older boy�s expression, but
genuine concern was clearly there behind the angry tone. Shippou relaxed a
fraction more. Even Inuyasha wasn�t rejecting him. Maybe everything really
would be okay.

He took a deep shuddering breath, still slightly hiccupping
from crying. He maintained eye contact with Inuyasha as he said, �I�ve been
using an illusion�so that I�d look the same as when you and Kagome met me.�

Shippou watched Inuyasha�s expression turn to confusion and
maybe even guilt, while his lowered brows still indicated anger. He turned his
face back to the crook of Kagome�s arm and tensed, waiting for the accusations
to start. Kagome�s soft voice next to his ear startled him.

�Why, Shippou-chan? Why did you think you needed to hide
from us?�

Her voice was gentle, but he could hear the hurt beneath her
concern and it made him tighten his arms around her again. He had never meant
to hurt her, and truthfully the illusion had become so second nature to him
over the years that he rarely thought of it any more. Even while he slept, he
kept the illusion going and it was as automatic as breathing to him. Of course
that meant that all other illusions were
on top
of this constant
illusion, which made them shaky at best, but once he started using it, he
thought he could never stop. So now, he wasn�t sure how to answer Kagome even
though he�d been thinking of what to say for days.

After a moment, his breath still hitching from crying, he
said, �I w-wanted to stay with y-you�and I w-was worried that...if I got
b-big��

�You stupid little jerk! Has Kagome ever given you any
reason to think she�d send you away? What the hell��

�Inuyasha!� Kagome hissed, interrupting him. �Sit down and
let Shippou tell us himself. You�re not making this easier for him.�

�He should know by now��

�Inuyasha! Do I have to say the �O� word?�

Shippou listened to Inuyasha huff in annoyance, but he sat
down next to them anyway.

�Shippou-chan, why did you think getting bigger would change
things? Everyone grows up, you know,� Kagome said after she was sure Inuyasha
was going to be quiet.

He hesitantly told her the truth, �I didn�t at first,
b-but...I noticed that humans send their kids away young and I didn�t want t-to
have to go away.� He paused when Kagome�s arms hugged him a little closer.
�Sango said Kohaku w-was eleven the first time he went into battle...and�and
all that stuff happened to him. And the kids in the v-village go work in the
fields before they are ten...and girls go away t-to get married when they�re
twelve or thirteen...and I...I�m not...I don�t want anything to change.�

�Baka! Humans only have maybe fifty years before they keel
over dead! They don�t have time to waste before they start living their lives!
The hag there is fuckin� ancient for a human!�

Kaede glared at Inuyasha with her single eye and Kagome said
his name in a warning tone, but he kept talking anyway.

�But you�re a fuckin� youkai! You don�t age like them!
You�re still a baby! A stupid cry-baby who��

�Inuyasha!� Kagome tried to interrupt him.

��still needs someone to wipe your ass for you and��

�Inuyasha! Osuwari!�

Inuyasha raised his head barely a second after it hit the
floor. �Why the fuck are you punishing me when he�s pulling shit like this?!�
he fumed.

Kagome could tell that Inuyasha was angry, angrier than the
situation warranted. She wasn�t sure why he was acting like this, but it wasn�t
helping the situation and she told him so.

�You�re not helping by yelling! Let Shippou talk!� She
glared at him, meeting his angry eyes without flinching. She was still hurt
that he wouldn�t tell her where he had gone and she was scared to push him to
tell her in case the answer ripped her heart out yet again. She was still
unsure about where their relationship would go even after the intimacy that
occurred between them just a bare twelve hours ago, regardless of his declaration
of love.

The spell wore off and Inuyasha sat up suddenly, crossing
his legs in front of him and pushing his hands and forearms into the sleeves of
his haori. He snorted and looked away from her, obviously upset under his
anger.

Kagome watched him for a moment before focusing on Shippou
again. �Shippou-chan, you didn�t really think we would send you away, did you?�

Shippou took a deep breath, relaxing against her again. He
didn�t say it out loud, but Inuyasha�s yelling actually made him feel better. If
Inuyasha thought he was still a baby, then he wouldn�t try to send him away
either. He tried to explain his fears.

�I started hiding my changes a l-long time ago, right after
we met. And the longer I hid it, th-the more it would have shown if I stopped
using the illusion. Inuyasha s-said he was on his own by my age and��

�You think I had a choice? You stupid fucking��

�Inuyasha! Don�t make me say the word again!� She glared at
him and he turned his head away again. They would definitely have to talk
later. He was unreasonably angry about Shippou�s confession and she wanted to
know why. �Go ahead, Shippou-chan. What were you about to say?�

He hesitated a moment before he continued. �And then I was
afraid to let the illusion g-go because I didn�t want anyone to change how they
feel about me. I didn�t want
anything
to change.� He hugged Kagome
harder, his face pressed against her shirt.

Kagome hugged him back. She felt a tear roll down her face
as her natural compassion for Shippou overflowed. Everyone was quiet for a
moment and Kagome thought about what Shippou said and his fears felt familiar
to her.

Didn�t she also hide behind a mask these last few years?
Didn�t she pretend that she was just a friend to Inuyasha when she really
wanted to be more, but was too scared to tell him? Wasn�t she still scared of
the changes in her relationship with Inuyasha? At that moment, she realized
some things about herself and she didn�t like how cowardly she�d been. She took
a breath and tried to reassure the kitsune.

�Shippou-chan,� she paused and turned her head slightly
until her eyes locked with Inuyasha�s angry ones. �It�s natural to be scared of
changes. Changes in
relationships
can be especially scary. I�m very
proud of you for being brave enough to reveal yourself to us. I know it was
hard for you to do. What if something changed and you lost what you had before?
What if you misread someone else�s feelings and they didn�t feel the way you�d
hoped they felt? Sometimes, it�s easier to pretend nothing about yourself or
your feelings has changed just so you can keep what you already have�even if
you want more.�

Kagome didn�t notice that Sango and Miroku exchanged
understanding glances as she continued watching Inuyasha as she spoke. His eyes
softened a little as she continued.

�I guess we all hide ourselves sometimes, don�t we? We all
have insecurities that make us afraid to show ourselves, our feelings,
completely. But, Shippou-chan, there comes a time when you just have to trust
the people you care about. You have to trust that they will change with you
and let your relationship grow. You have to trust that they will not hurt you.
You have to trust in love. And I�m glad you did.�

No one said anything for a moment. Kagome watched as
Inuyasha blushed and dropped his eyes. At least his features had relaxed a
little, losing some of the anger. Did he know she was talking about herself as
much as Shippou?

�Never doubt that your family cares for you, child,� Kaede
said, breaking the silence. �None of you were born into this odd family, but
you have all bonded in the way only a family can bond. In some ways, you are
all closer than many blood-related families and that is a gift you should thank
the gods for. You will not be abandoned, Shippou.�

Kagome smiled at Kaede, knowing what she said was true, and
glanced at Sango and Miroku who were smiling too. They were a family of sorts.
The relationships within their family would evolve and change, but nothing
could sever the connections they felt for one another and the caring love they
all had for each other.

�Keh. The stupid runt should�ve known that.�

Kagome looked at Inuyasha wryly. He was blushing, with a
scowl on his face, and looking at his feet. She found that remark rather
hypocritical since he seemed to think she was ready to run off with his brother
any second now. He should know better. But she refrained from telling him
anything since there were things she should have known too. She smiled at him
instead.

Miroku broke the tension in the room by calling attention to
the �new� Shippou once again. �Stand up, Shippou. Let us get a look at you. The
back of your head looks the same to me, so there cannot be too much that is
different.�

Kagome kissed the top of his head and loosened her hold on
him. �Yeah, Shippou-chan, let�s get a look at you,� she said, smiling down at
him as he lifted his face to her. She wiped the wetness from one of his cheeks
and he gave her a slight smile too.

He glanced over his shoulder at Miroku and Sango who
returned his smile. He felt Kirara put a paw on his thigh and dropped his eyes
to her red ones. Even she seemed to be encouraging him. He let go of Kagome and
slowly stood up.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo ~ End Chapter 13 ~ oOoOoOoOoOoOo
...
Author�s Notes: Thank you for all your patience and encouragement! I�ve appreciated every review and email. Please let me know what you think of this chapter too.
Chapter 14 will be posted soon. I�ve got it mostly finished and my friends will look it over for me before I post it. I apologize for the long wait for this chapter and I hope you are still reading this story. There is a long teaser for Chapter 14 on my Live Journal if you are interested. See the URL in my AFF Author�s Page.
I really do enjoy getting every review and I appreciate all the support and encouragement you�ve all given me. Thanks again!
And the lemon is written. It will be at the end of the chapter 14 but it will not be the last intimate moment our favorite couple shares. Stay tuned.
�

September 2006 � Minor corrections made. Originally posted on Mediaminer.org and Fanfiction.net in March of 2006.
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