Credit goes where credits due, and I own none for the characters in this bit of whimsy. All the respect in the world to Rumiko Takahashi and the astounding amount of creativity that went into the masterpiece that is Inuyasha.

The day was bright. Sunny, and cloudless, and everything that could be expected during the middle of summer. Birds chirped somewhere off in the distance with friendly cheer. The fact that the day was so brilliantly perfect didn't escape Kagome's notice as her brows furrowed at her best friend. In fact, she could have scoffed at the ironic contrast between that and the heated arguement that lit between the two.

"I'm just saying," Inuyasha growled, shoving his fists in his pockets, "We're not makin' enough progress here. We've been at this for too long."

"I'm trying my best, Inuyasha. It's not like I can just order everyone who has a shard to come stand in front of us so we can collect them one by one. It doesn't work that way."

"It wouldn't hav'ta if you would stop getting distracted all the damn time. If we'd kept after that demon yesterday instead of helping that stupid village-"

Kagome interrupted him with a scowl, "Then that stupid village would be dead, Inuyasha. All those people would have been dead. We wouldn't have gotten to spend the night or eat their food, because they would have been dead. Helping them wasn't a distraction. It was the right thing to do."

"Fine then. We coulda left right after, and still caught up to the demon-"

She interrupted again, "Miroku was injured!"

Inuyasha made a disgruntled sound in the back of his throat, pulling his hands out of his pockets to cross his arms, plowing on head first, "We're goin' too slow. We need help. Someone who can find the shards when you're off not being distracted."

Her eyes widened momentarily before narrowing as she followed his train of thought. "You want Kikyou to join us." When the only response she got was another grunt, the fight left her shoulders, and her eyes left her friend. It was all anything had ever come down to with him. Kagome or Kikyou. Kagome never seemed to have the upper hand. Her voice was soft, "I'm doing my best, Inuyasha."

Her friend seemed to think over his words carefully for a moment, his brows furrowing in contemplation, "If we had Kikyou, whenever you went home or wanted to stay overnight at some village, Kikyou could pick up the slack."

Kagome's eyes were cold as they returned to Inuyasha, and her voice only mimicked them, "Slack." She shook her head, already feeling a headache, "How do you even know she'd want to join us. If you hadn't noticed, she doesn't seem like a very social person."

Inuyasha's shoulders straightened, "I already talked to her."

There was a pause, "You already-" And then another head shake. Kagome would have to get an aspirin soon. "You know what? I don't care. Do whatever you want." Before he could retort, Kagome had rounded, turning on her heel and trudging back toward where the rest of their friends were setting up camp.

Inuyasha's eyes never left her back.

"What did you fight about?"

"What we always fight about. Kikyou, Kikyou, Kikyou." Kagome sighed, taking the water the taijia offered and pouring it into a pot. "He wants her to start traveling with us. He's off getting her now."

Miroku, who'd been silent during the endurance of their conversation sat up, eyes wide, "He wouldn't."

Kagome's shoulders lifted in a half hearted shrug, "He is."

Sango let her hand rest on Kagome's shoulder, "Are you okay?" It was quiet, the very question she'd expected to hear.

"I will be," Kagome replied. "There's not very much I can do about it, anyway. She'll be here by dinner, and we'll just have to make the best of it." Despite what she said, her heart hurt. Her mind replayed Inuyasha's words with cruel clarity. She almost wanted to believe that it hadn't happened. That Kikyou wouldn't be joining them for dinner that night. Or the next. For however many nights it took to finish their work in the feudal era. But despite how much she wanted to deny it, she wasn't surprised. Inuyasha had made his opinion clear more than once before.

Sango's fingers tightened on her friends shoulder for a moment before dropping to her side. Miroku caught Kagome's gaze and gave her a smile, reaching for the noodles, "I'll help with dinner."

Kagome brightened, and she each of them a smile of her own in turn, "Yeah," She murmured, thankful that they were with her, "Thanks."

Dinner that night was quiet, stalked with a tension that filled the air like smoke, weighing down on everyone. Inuyasha and Kikyou sat side by side, muttering to each other in low voices. Miroku and Sango sat across from them, closer to Kagome than was probably necessary, and Kagome sat in between them, Shippou in her lap as she dished out the ramen.

Her friends took their bowls with murmured thank you's, even Inuyasha was noticeably pleasant, making sure to meet her eyes before giving her his own thanks. And then she turned to Kikyou, her mind turning over nervously as she wondered whether or not to offer the dead Miko a bowl. In the end, common courtesy won out, and she poured the noodles, stretching her arm out toward Kikyou.

The dead priestess and the half demon paused in their conversation, and Kikyou scowled at the offered food, "I do not eat." She said it in a way that made it seem like it should be obvious.

Kagome pulled her hand back, picking up a pair of chopsticks and and taking a bite, "I won't make that mistake again."

The days would pass in a blur and the group would make little progress. While demons would attack by the many, shards would come few and far between. Inuyasha would become slowly more agitated and pace around camp, grunting in reply to anyone who wasn't Kikyou. Kagome would sit quietly, watching the bond between them grow deeper each day.

Kagome walked about camp later that night, picking up the dinner plates. She looked around, giving Shippou a smile, "I'm going to go wash these." The kit nodded, leaning back on her sleeping back and rubbing his full belly happily. She gave a glance to where Sango and Miroku were already asleep by Kirara and then to the half demon and his dead miko where they rested by a tree before turning and wandering into the forest alone, a dull ache in her chest.

New stories are always nice. I know it's short, but I think I'll keep the chapters this long. Short and to the point, so you guys had better be paying attention. Lots of important bits in here that'll make a huge difference later on! If you like this one, head on over to my profile and check out Inu-Chi.

-Jeri:)