I do not claim rights to Inuyasha or any of the characters, blah blah blah, you know this. I do, however, claim rights to Angel and a couple of the other characters that eventually come along belong to a friend of mine.

No me ames porque estoy perdida.

"I don't get it." Inuyasha shook his head, landing in a crouch with Kagome still firmly attached to his back. "There's no sign of him for days and then we find a trail that leads us to nothing. He's up to something. He's gotta be."

"Not to mention the jewel shard that I sensed." The miko added almost unconsciously in her contemplative silence. Hopping from Kirara's back almost immediately upon landing, Miroku made his way over to the distraught pair. He, too, had noticed the tension amongst the small band, including himself, since Naraku's disappearance. Something was happening and they were helpless to stop it.

"We need to regroup. Let us find your sister, Inuyasha, and collect our thoughts." The hanyou seemed uninterested, merely grunting before striding casually in the direction where they had last seen Angel. "Perhaps…the injured human she was searching for could provide some answers for us?" That seemed to do the trick. Inuyasha's ears perked up and his pace seemed to quicken instantaneously.

"Well, what you waiting for, monk? An invitation? We need to find Angel!" Miroku sighed heavily, closing his eyes just after the red clad hanyou became a blur in the distance.

"Yes, Inuyasha. That is exactly what I'm waiting for." Sarcasm dripped from his words, his eyebrow giving an irritated twitch as he turned to the demon slayer. "Come, my love. We mustn't dilly and we mustn't dally. Time is of the essence."

He could not sleep. There was no question as to why. The answer was irritatingly obvious. He had done nothing but sleep since arriving at the cabin a little more than two days earlier. Taking a deep breath, he silenced the hiss brought forth by the sting in his battered ribs, turning to make sure he had not awakened the sleeping hanyou merely a few feet away. Cobalt eyes narrowing, he raised to prop himself on one elbow, ignoring the small amount of pain it caused. 'I don't understand. Why is she helping me? Why…is she staying?' Biting his lip while casting frequent glances toward the girl, he reached up to grasp the edge of the small table where Angel kept the herbs and used the leverage to pull himself to his feet, thankful that she had left him the dignity of his pants. He almost immediately realized his will had outdone his ability tenfold, his legs trembling fiercely before he almost crumbled to his knees…had a small hand not reached out to steady him.

"You shouldn't be up." Bankotsu would have described her tone as cold, her rivaling blue eyes piercing into his with a promise of defeat should he question her. The mighty mercenary himself was even willing to admit she could defeat him with ease on that day. He was in agony. He was tired and confused, and now he was questioning his reasoning for battling to his feet in the first place. "Hey, I asked you a question."

"Huh?" Giving her a blank stare, it became clear that he had not heard a word she said. Sighing, she held her gaze to the ground for a few moments before looking to him with a warm smile.

"Would you like to go outside for a while?" His bewildered expression remaining, he nodded, allowing her to guide his arm across her shoulders. "Ok, one step at a time. Try not to put too much weight on that right ankle. It still looks a little swollen." Her words were nothing more than incoherent gibberish, his mind more interested in her actions. Never, in all his years as a mercenary, had he been treated with such kindness. And from a hanyou, no less. "Here, let's put this across your shoulders. You're just now beginning to heal and catching pneumonia wouldn't really be the best thing to keep that going." Pulling away from him to reach for the blanket, she slid her hand down the arm that had moments ago been positioned across her shoulders, leaving it to rest in his larger, tanned hand. Bankotsu watched her silently with both sheer curiosity and awe, never noticing her grip on his hand nor its absence when she released it to return to their previous stance. The light was a welcomed beam as the door slowly slid open to reveal the white terrain outside. Turning his head, Bankotsu squinted, his eyes needing a few moments to adjust after being concealed in the dark, gloomy cabin. "You alright?" Opening one eye, he looked over and down at the girl next to him.

"Yea." He answered quietly, never voicing complaint as she assisted him to sit on the small deck that surrounded the hut. Draping the blanket across his shoulders before taking a seat next to him, the hanyou drew her knees to her chest and rested her chin on them, a heavy sigh crossing her lips as they formed a small smile. The mercenary remained quiet, his eyes traveling over every few seconds to study the strange creature called Angel.

"If my brother were here, we'd be buried in that right about now." Her words shattered the silence after quite a few moments of relaxed tension had passed, Bankotsu casting a curious glance her way. When she did not receive a reply, Angel bit her lip and tapped her claws on her knees before maneuvering to her feet. From the corner of his eye, he watched her disappear into the hut and made no move to stop her. Forcing all curiosity aside, he allowed his thoughts to travel back to the last moments he remembered before waking up under the snow.

The remnants of Mount Hakurei crumbled in his wake, creating a cloud of dust that would spread across the land like a flood, yet Naraku never looked back. Stopping briefly to collect the battered mercenary, he slung him over his shoulder with ease and continued forward, his incarnations silently falling in line behind him.

A drop of blood trailed its way across the purple marking on Bankotsu's forehead as he glanced up to watch the last of the mountain disappear. Closing his eyes tightly to drive away the pain, he clenched his teeth and allowed himself hang limply. "Why…didn't you really kill me? Why did you…only want them to think…you did?" Speaking was only painful, his words interrupted and followed by heavy pants and deep moans. Naraku chuckled.

"That was too merciful a death for the likes of you." Bankotsu's eyes opened and focused on the ground. "I have much more in store."

"Here." Her tone was quiet but enough to snap him from his daydream. Glancing up, he stared momentarily at the small bowl she was offering before hesitantly accepting. "Broth...You need to eat." The mercenary nodded, sipping the hot liquid. Peering over the rim of the bowl, he watched her walk to the end of the deck and lean against an obviously unsteady column that was poorly supporting the roof. His gaze never remained for too long, in fear that she would catch him staring. The last thing he wanted to do was seem ungrateful and staring at a hanyou was not the wisest thing a human could do when in their presence. Moments later, Angel heard him quietly clear his throat.

"Where is he?"

"Hn?" Turning to completely face him, she stifled a smile. He looked almost shy, refusing to even glance in her direction as he stared blankly into bowl she had handed him moments earlier, which was now empty.

"Your brother…Where is he?" He asked again.

"Oh. He's around." She replied, leaning onto the rotting rail between the supporting columns. It was not long before silence once again ensued, leaving Angel a bit disappointed that their first attempt at real conversation was so short lived. Watching him silently, she began to question his background, his depressive demeanor leaving her to wonder where exactly it was he had come from. Her moment of contemplation was cut short by an icy breeze, her hair whipping about her small form wildly. Crossing her arms to somewhat shield herself, she approached her comrade and kneeled at his side. "We should get you inside. The cold might cause a relapse in your condition." Feebly nodding in agreement, the mercenary placed the bowl on the deck and weakly attempted to push himself to his feet. Never looking in her direction as he felt her small hands grip his arm, he wobbled unsteadily and turned away, pulling out of her grip before reaching to steady himself on doorframe. Being raised by someone as stubborn as Inuyasha, Angel knew all too well of a man's need for independence and permitted Bankotsu to maneuver himself into the cabin, though she never allowed more than a few feet to elapse between them. Stepping into the hut, she gave the sunset behind her a willful glance. 'Where are you, Inuyasha?' Sighing almost inaudibly, she turned back and watched the mercenary slide down the wall into a sitting position, eyes tightly closed and teeth clenched. Appearing somewhat distraught, her blue orbs cast downward as she slowly closed the door.

"Damnit!"

Kagome watched silently as Inuyasha, perched on all fours in the snow, punched the ground. The sun had long ago set and there was still no sign of their new companion. The snow, still falling steadily, had drowned any trail, deliberate or not, that the girl could have possibly left. "I'm sure she's alright, Inuyasha." The miko soothed, kneeling at his side.

"You don't know her, Kagome." Shrugging her small hand from his shoulder, the hanyou stood and stared into the white emptiness. "She's a deadly force with the heart of a human."

"Like you, neh?" The young miko smiled, never seeing the one that was returned as she joined Sango and Miroku in calling for the girl. His face straightening, Inuyasha turned his golden orbs to the sky.

'That's what scares me… She's exactly like me.'

Pushing another patch of snow aside, Angel sighed and stared momentarily at the wilted herbs. "Well, this is a lost cause." The morning air was chilling, even to a hanyou, and the hope of finding anything that would aid in the mercenary's recovery was quickly diminishing. Empty handed, she turned and began to advance back to the hut, pausing and tilting her head. Eyes narrowing, she gave the air two quick sniffs before spinning and lowering herself into a defensive crouch. "Who the hell are you?"

"Easy, kitty, we just want to," the dirty looking man gave his comrade a devilish grin, "have a talk." Angel hissed.

"Do I look like a cat demon to you?"

"You look like a woman." The other man seethed, placing a small tube to his mouth. With a quick puff of air, a small dart impaled itself in the hanyou's neck, its poison pouring into her veins before she had a chance to remove it. "A fine specimen of one, at that." Her vision already blurring, Angel collapsed to one knee, a wave of nausea and disorientation washing over her.

"Sh…shit…" She found her voice unable to conjure more than a whisper and watched helplessly as two darkened silhouettes began to close in on her.

"What's so funny?!"

He watched with an amused expression as his comrade unsteadily stood before him.

"Every time one of us dies, YOU collect the Shikon Shard! You were just using us!"

'Renkotsu, you fool.'

"What's the difference?!"

Just as quickly as he blinked, the scene around him changed. Blood spilled into the air directly in front of him and he watched helplessly as three shards were caught by a clawed hand. For a moment, he could not breathe. He could feel the final shard in his wrist pulsing, increasing its own power to continue granting him life. The mercenary's vision was blurred but he felt the pain surge through his back as he connected roughly with the rocks.

"I've taken five." The blur of read stood slowly, tucking the captured shards into his kimono. "Now, all I have to do is take the shards from your left arm and it'll be over, Bankotsu."

'I can't lose.'

"Your bare hands were strong enough."

'No…'

"You let us down, Bankotsu."

'Suikotsu, there was… nothing I could do.'

"You betrayed us."

'Jakotsu, you of all people should know that would never happen…'

"You failed."

'Jakotsu…'

"You... FAILED!"

"NO!" Jolting upright on the cot, the mercenary cried out and enveloped his protesting ribs, drawing his knees up slightly. "Fucking nightmares…" He whispered, wiping the sweat from his forehead. His fever had obviously broken, but he was left drained. He was left… weak. At least she was there. Something told him that he could trust her. She was kind. She was gentle. She was…beautiful. He never even noticed he was smiling, cobalt eyes searching every inch of the hut for the girl. Then it hit him. She would have been at his side upon hearing him wake unless, of course, she was outside. "Angel?" The name felt strange rolling from his tongue, being the first time he had spoken it in their three days together. Throwing aside the furs that covered him, he felt a chill tear through his spine. Ignoring it, he shakily stood, balancing himself against the wall as he made his way to the door.

Bankotsu had to admit that he liked the attention, though that was the one thing that a woman had never denied him. Those times were different though, fueled by barrels of sake and lustful indulgence. Still, he had no complaints. His past, though stained with murder and greed, was something he refused to regret. His men…his friends would have and did follow him into the very bowels of Hell. Tragic as it was, his death was still that of a warrior. Rebel to the very end and he knew that he would not change that for a single moment. But what about now? He had been handed yet another chance at life. One that he could perhaps make into something different.

Hissing through clinched teeth, he rested his forehead against the doorframe, thankful that the few feet between his cot and the door had been traveled without collapse. A few preparing breaths later, he slid the door open and slowly made his way outside, his upper body going into a small spasm from the sudden rush of cool air . "Angel?" Hand enclosed over his healing ribs, he leaned against one of the weak columns. 'Where…could she have gone?' The mercenary turned back to the hut, giving the surrounding area one last scan from over his shoulder before heading back inside to await the hanyou's return.

Taking merely a couple of steps, he paused. Brow knitting, he stared into nothing, focusing all of his attention into listening.

"Do you think the hut is worth looking into?"

"She's a demon. This sword and a few articles of worthless jewelry seem to be all she carries. Let's just take her and go."

"You're right. We can sell her off to slavery after we're done… supposing there's anything left of her."

Cobalt eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Here…take the sword and get the bags we swiped from that wagon. I've got the girl." The second bandit did as he was told, licking his lips as the nearly unconscious hanyou was draped across his partner's shoulder. "Leave her belongs. They will bring nothing in the markets."

"Alright, let's get out of here." Bag in each hand, he fell in behind his comrade and reached up to snatch a fistful of Angel's hair. Roughly yanking her head up, he gave her a looking over. "Don't you worry, little demon. We're gonna take real good care of you."

"Hey!"

"Eh?" Both bandits spun on a dime to face the new and unexpected presence. "Who the… Ha, it's a boy!"

"Get out of here, kid. Leave us alone."

"Gladly…"

"Stupid kid." Adjusting the girl on his shoulder, the older of the two thieves looked to the sun. "It will be nightfall soon; we should stop by the brothel and…"

"…Leave the girl."

Sighing exasperatedly, the bandit turned back. "I thought I told you to get lost."

"Leave the girl and be on your way…" His tone left no room for argument and received raised eyebrows from the men he addressed. His expression remained solemn, even as the bandits began to chuckle at his demands.

"And what can a kid like you do?" The younger bandit slapped his knee, both men laughing hardily. The wind picking up steadily, a streak of light tore across the ground causing silence to fall over the two. The light of early sunset reflected from the blade, the mercenary's hand tightening on the hilt.

"I can kill you."