"Don't go far, Rin!" Kagome yelled.

"No promises!" Rin yelled, running off.

Kagome crossed her arms, looking back at Sesshomaru.

"Are you sure I'm worse then her?" she asked.

"Positive," the demon lord replied.

Kagome pouted a bit. Sesshomaru saw this and smiled a little. Jaken watched the exchange, feeling a bit disgusted. His master's father had loved a human and had died because of that love. And Lord Sesshomaru would surely follow. Kagome laid down on her back and relaxed.

"What's that?" she asked, looking at the document in Sesshomaru's hand.

He smiled a bit.

"Just one of many. The Eastern Lord is having some, problems," Sesshomaru informed her.

Kagome rolled over, looking serious.

"What kind of problems?" she asked.

"Don't worry, Naraku has absolutely nothing to do with it," he assured her.

Kagome's shoulders relaxed and she rolled back onto her back. She smiled.

"Yay! Still no sign of Naraku!" she cheered.

"Perhaps he learned his lesson. After he lost Yori, he lost his main wing man," Jaken said. Kagome flinched at Yori's name.

"What's the matter?" Sesshomaru asked.

Kagome smiled, rolling over onto her stomach. She rested her head in her hands. All that flashed into her mind was the spider tattoo on Yori Higurashi's back.

'Am I really related to Naraku?' she wondered.

She stood.

"I'm off to visit Kaede," she announced.

Sesshomaru said nothing but his face shadowed a bit as Kagome skipped out. Strong as she was, he didn't like the idea of her going off alone. Naraku could be laying in wait for a chance to recapture the miko and use her against him and the miko's friends.

"Jaken, go with Kagome," Sesshomaru ordered.

"Yes, M'lord!" Jaken squawked, running out.

No matter how long the poor toad seemed to serve the lord, it seemed Jaken would always be stuck as a babysitter for the human women in Lord Sesshomaru's life.

Kagome listened to Jaken's footsteps behind her. Every sound made her flinch a bit. Jaken could come with her. She knew his loyalty to Sesshomaru was boundless and asking Jaken to keep a secret was definitely a failed favor. Kagome stopped as she saw Sango and Kirara flying toward them.

"Kagome!" Sango greeted, waving.

"Sango!" Kagome yelled back, running to greet the demon slayer.

Sango leapt off Kirara's back and landed. The two women embraced.

"It's been too long," Sango said.

Kagome just smiled. She felt a familiar stab of guilt. Her trips to the village to see Kaede alone were secret. It wasn't that she was ashamed to be the mate of a powerful dog demon. It was the fact that she didn't know how the village would react to a miko pregnant with the child of that dog demon. Kirara brushed up against Kagome.

"Hello, Kirara," Kagome said, stroking the cat.

Sango mounted Kirara again and Kagome got on behind her. Kagome held her hand out to help Jaken up but the toad crossed his arms.

"I can walk just fine," he said.

Sango shrugged.

"Suit yourself," she said.

Kirara leapt into the air, speeding upwards quickly.

"WAIT!" Jaken cried, running after them.

Both girls giggled and Kirara purred with satisfaction.

"Sango's back!" Shippo yelled.

Miroku and Kikyo turned at the same time. Inuyasha was busily scarfing down as much food as he could. Shippo rolled his eyes and looked at Kaede. She was stirring the soup, looking distant. Shippo returned to Sango, who had landed. Someone was with her, dressed in a long kimono with light blue billowing sleeves. Shippo blinked twice.

"KAGOME!" he exclaimed.

Kaede's spoon clattered to the dirt floor as she shot to her feet and ran out with Shippo on her heels. Kohaku had beaten them both and he was helping Kagome down.

"Shippo," Kagome greeted, catching the little demon as he launched himself into the air. She snuggled him for a bit before turning to Kaede.

"Hello, Kaede," she said, bowing.

Kaede smiled.

"Hello child."

Kagome looked past Kaede and saw Miroku running towards them. Behind him was Kikyo, standing in the doorway of Kaede's hut. The woman looked grumpy, to say the least. Kagome kept on eye on the priestess as she hugged Miroku.

"Where are the kids?" Kagome asked, eager to see her nieces and nephews.

"The fields," Miroku replied.

"They grow up so fast," Kagome joked.

"Just wait until you have some of your own," Sango laughed.

Miroku wrapped his arm around her shoulders and the two walked back to Kaede's hut, laughing and talking. Shippo scurried off with Kirara and Kohaku. Which left Kagome alone with Kaede. Perfect. And she had a few minutes before Jaken arrived.

"Kaede," Kagome said.

Kaede smiled but looked at Kikyo.

"Come, child. Let us walk," Kaede said, leading Kagome off.

They were walking towards the Inuyasha forest.

"I see that thee is doing well. Has thee told Sesshomaru?" Kaede asked.

"No. Not yet," Kagome replied honestly.

"Why not?" Kaede asked, surprised.

Kagome sighed.

"I don't know. I mean, he barely lets me out as it is and he has me and Rin and Jaken to worry about. I mean, Naraku is not dead. We need to kill him before Sesshomaru and I can even think of happily ever after," Kagome admitted.

Kaede sighed.

"I know that is not thy only excuse. Sango and Miroku manage their family and their crusade perfectly well," she pointed out.

"Yes but their children are fully human. I'm carrying a half demon. An Inuyasha! Am I ready?" Kagome asked.

Kaede chuckled.

"Kagome, I am a priestess not a fortune teller. I cannot tell thee if thee is ready for a child. That is for thee to decide."

Kagome sat on a stump nearby and sighed.

" Also, Kaede, I think, I think Naraku is an ancestor of mine," she said.

Kaede stared at her in shock.

"I never told anyone before but when I killed Yori, well, before I killed her she said Naraku created her. It's been bugging me for awhile and I need to know if it's true or not," Kagome said.

Kaede patted Kagome on her head.

"Kagome, even if thee is, it matters not. He may be evil but thee is pure. Thee is a human who knows love and hate. Naraku does not understand any is better," she declared. Kagome smiled, standing and hugging the woman.

"Arigato, Kaede-sama!" Kagome exclaimed.

Kaede hugged her back. Both women were startled by a rustling in the bushes. Kagome focused her power, allowing into glow around her. Jaken tumbled from the bushes, looking worse for wear. Kagome smiled.

"Oh Jaken, you made it," she said, kneeling beside him.

Her power slowly resided. Jaken did not object when Kagome picked him up and walked towards the village with Kaede.

Sesshomaru rubbed his forehead, glancing worriedly out at the setting was standing behind him.

"Lord Sesshomaru. Don't worry, Kagome-sama is strong and Master Jaken will protect her," Rin assured him.

Sesshomaru could sense worry in the way she stood, nervous, anxious almost. That's when he saw it. Kirara was flying towards the castle with the demon slayer on her back. Sesshomaru saw Kagome holding the woman's waist and Jaken, holding tight to Kagome. "Sesshomaru!" Kagome called, leaping off Kirara's back.

She landed on her feet, stumbling a bit. Sesshomaru ran forward, catching her and sweeping her into an embrace.

"Oh come on. I came back alright and I wasn't gone that long," Kagome objected.

But she hugged him anyway. Sango came up behind her, looking a little uncomfortable.

"So, Kagome, good luck," she said.

Sesshomaru looked over Kagome's head at her. Sango grinned.

"Congrats, by the way," she said.

"Sango!" Kagome hissed.

Sango grinned and jumped back onto Kirara as Jaken was climbing off. With only three quick steps, Kirara was airborne.

"Kagome, what did she mean by that?" Sesshomaru asked.

Kagome smiled, hugging him again.

"Nothing. She's just being weird again," she said.

Kagome skipped inside, leaving him standing him there, puzzled.