Chapter 3: The Compromise

"Inuyasha! Calm down!" Miroku watched warily as the Inu hanyou paced impatiently back and forth in front of the Bone Eater's well, grumbling under his breath.

"She hasn't been back for a week!" he growled half to himself, half to Miroku, who was peacefully sitting in the snow far enough away so that if the already-on-edge half demon wanted to lash out at him, he would have time to react but close enough to prevent Inuyasha from trying to go down the well. Miroku sighed annoyed and tired. The hanyou had kept them up all night with his ranting and whining.

Miroku looked over at the already lightening sky and groaned as he realized that it would be dawn soon and he hadn't gotten a wink of sleep. Even Sango had enough sense to excuse herself from their camp in front of the well to, no doubt, find a place far quieter and leave the tired monk to deal with the agitated hanyou.

Miroku coughed slightly to catch Inuyasha's attention and as soon as he had it, he once again held up a piece of paper over his head that whipped in the breeze. "For the millionth time and last time Inuyasha, her note said that she was going stay longer than usual." He stated as he brought it down to his eye level and looked at her scribbled handwriting, momentarily thinking. "I wonder if she had another one of those "tests" to study for…"

"Well I'm not going to wait all day for her to mess around in her time while we need more of the jewel shards now!" Inuyasha huffed as he stopped pacing and swung a leg over the edge of the well, ready to travel through time. "I'll be back in a minute…HEY!" he screamed in protest as Miroku tackled him from behind and dragged him from the well's rim. "WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA!" Inuyasha screamed as Miroku pulled him into a choker hold. Miroku held on to him with one arm and shoved the letter in Inuyasha's face. "READ!" he demanded.

Inuyasha glared at him and bared his fangs, ready to fight the stupid monk. "But she could be in trouble!" he yelled in the monk's face, waiting to be released. Miroku glared back at him with equal force, his own violet eyes glowing warningly, "She can take care of herself and if she does need help she WILL send for you so READ!"

Inuyasha angrily swiped the note from Miroku's hands and read through it:

Dear Miroku,

I figured you would read this letter because you are usually one of the first ones up besides Inuyasha and he always over looks my letters even pinned to his nose. I am going home through the well again but I will be gone longer than expected so don't wait up! Tell Inuyasha that I'm not in trouble and that I'll be ok. I'll be back soon! I promise!

Love,

Kagome

P.S. Try to keep Inuyasha from coming through ok? My world's still recovering from the damage he did the last time!

"What does she mean by 'my world's still recovering from the damage he did last time'?" He exclaimed as he threw the letter back in Miroku's face. "I didn't do nothing!"

Shippo popped out of nowhere and landed on his head, sitting Indian-style. "Oh yeah? Well what about the time you broke her alarm clock?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes in annoyance as he wiggled out of Miroku's hold, "Feh. Big deal…"

"And the time you ran in on her while she was taking a shower?" Shippo looked down at him accusingly from his perch.

Inuyasha blushed, "I didn't see anything!" he protested as he took a swipe at the fox, who nimbly dodged and landed on the ground in front of him. After years of battle, and traveling with Inuyasha, he had gotten very good at predicting attacks and dodging from enemy and ally. He also learned how to bring events back to haunt people too, one of Inuyasha's biggest pet peeves.

Miroku stared at the hanyou in a new light and Inuyasha fidgeted angrily under his accusing eyes. "I didn't know about that…" He mumbled as he leaned in closer to Inuyasha and whispered in his ear, "Now tell me the truth; what did you see and was it worth all the "sits" she gave you afterward?" Inuyasha turned and growled at Miroku's smirking face and punched him by his temple. "Damn Hentai!" he yelled as he turned his back away from the fallen monk, grumbling to himself, his face still flushed.

"And what about that time she was on a "date" with that one human? You nearly killed him!" Shippo cried hysterically, while pointing an accusing finger at the dog hanyou.

Miroku rose from his lying-down position, a lump visible on his head and paused in thought, "Now that I remember. I think his name was Hobo? Hoho? Something like that…"

"He touched MY Kagome!" Inuyasha screamed in his defense. It wasn't his fault that she forgot to come back on time and he came after her only to find that she was with some weak human boy…or that the boy gave her flowers and hugged her… Inuyasha huffed. He deserved what he had gotten. Inuyasha did wince though at the thought of all those "sits" she gave him.

"And what about that time you…" Shippo started to say but was quieted by a swift kick by an angry Inuyasha. Shippo had learned a lot about fighting but he couldn't escape everything unscathed!

"ENOUGH! I GET IT! Geez!" he ran across the clearing and jumped in a nearby tree to sulk with his back turned to his "traitorous" friends and wait for Kagome, looking anxiously around but he was soon deep in thought. Miroku leaned down to the little fox demon and whispered, "I think more than Kagome's delay is worrying our hanyou. Please go find our beautiful demon slayer while I talk to him…"

Shippo nodded knowingly and ran into the woods of dead trees and snow, calling Sango's name.

"Yin for your thoughts?" Miroku asked as he sat under the tree where Inuyasha was perched and the campfire burned brightly, giving Miroku warmth from the cold air as waited patiently for the hanyou to speak. After a long pause, Inuyasha finally did speak in a far away voice as if he was asleep.

"I'm just worried that she won't come back…" he sighed deeply and stared at the sun rising over the horizon, its magnificent color and light coloring the sky like a huge canvas waiting to be painted on. The color and light and warm spread far across the snow covered land, making it reflect the beautiful purples and pinks of the dawn.

"Why are you worried she won't come back?" Miroku asked patiently though he had a feeling why. He would just let the hanyou tell him. Inuyasha never appreciated being second guessed and it was even worse when the person guessing was right.

Inuyasha blushed a deep red, not daring to meet the monk's eyes as he stared at the horizon, "The night before the one she left… she saw… Kikyo… me… Kissing…."

Miroku sighed annoyed, filling in the blanks. Not this again. Damn I hate it when I'm right… he thought but aloud he said in a calm tone, "Well she did look unusually mellow that day…"

Inuyasha's ears drooped in a defeated and worried gesture but Miroku ignored it as he continued.

"And she does hate it when you do that…numerous times…even after Kikyo's tried to kill you…numerous times…and aids Naraku in gathering the shard for himself…numerous times…" he knew he should stop while he was ahead but Miroku wanted to cause as much pain as he knew Inuyasha had caused Kagome…and make Inuyasha feel stupid and guilty. That was an added bonus!

Inuyasha's golden eyes glittered angrily at the monk as he hung upside-down from his perch, his silver mane touching the ground like a flowing white waterfall.

"Your point?" he muttered angrily as his eye bore daggers into Miroku's face.

Miroku closed his eyes annoyed, ignoring the "look of death" of Inuyasha's. "Only that…" he grabbed a handful Inuyasha's silver locks and yanked hard causing Inuyasha to cry out in pain and fall out of the tree and on his head. "That no matter how STUPID you are…" he pounded Inuyasha on the head with his staff to make the point. "No matter how MAD you make her…pound no matter how many times you HURT her by running into Kikyo's death awaiting arms… pound she always forgives you and returns does she not?" WHAM! That last one was more for himself than Kagome. Sometimes Inuyasha's stupidity just drove him up a wall!

Inuyasha rubbed his head and glared at the monk and making a fist, "Why I outta…" he raised his fist above his head, ready to bash Miroku into the ground like he would hammer a nail into a board.

"She does return does she not?" Miroku repeated, glaring back at him with equal force trying to let the point sink in but having his staff ready in case he needed to "defend" himself…with extra force if necessary. Right now he was liking the "extra force" part.

Inuyasha thought for a second then put down his fist and ears, again in a sign of defeat and guilt. "Well yeah but…"

Miroku put up a hand to silence him, almost sad that he wasn't going to argue further. "No buts. She WILL return as always." He said confidently before setting his staff down on the ground next to him.

Inuyasha sighed and leaned against the tree next to Miroku, "you're right…"

Miroku smirked. "Of course I'm right!" He looked around as he heard a twig snap to his left. "And here comes the beautiful Sango!" he said happily. He was wondering what was taking Shippo so long to fetch his gorgeous companion. After staring Inuyasha in the face for some time, her pretty face will be a sight for sore eyes! And his hand itched to brush soft, forbidden flesh on her person…

Sango calmly walked out bush with a frightened Shippo shaking in her arms and a tense Kirara on her slender shoulder. Inuyasha and Miroku jumped to their feet at the angry but helpless look on Sango's face and the tall, dark figure behind her. They gaped in complete surprise as the Lord of the Western Lands walked out of the shadows, icy façade set in serious, almost battle-like manner.

"Sesshomaru…" Miroku said when the shock wore off, scrambling to get up from the snow, tightening the grip on his staff and taking a defense stance while his hand fumbled in his purple robes for his sutras. Inuyasha too rose with unnatural speed and growled as drew the Tetsusaiga and both stood still, ready for battle and awaiting their enemy's first move. From the look on Sesshomaru's face and the glowing green claws, it didn't look as if he would object to a battle…

Again to their surprise, Sango moved between them and Sesshomaru with raised hands in a gesture to stop them, dropping Shippo in the process who scurried to get behind her in the snow.

"NO! DON'T HURT HIM! HE'LL KILL KAGOME!"

Inuyasha and Miroku froze, dumb-folded. Neither knew what to say nor did they wish to believe it as they both looked from Sango to Sesshomaru and back to Sango again.

Inuyasha was the first to snap out of their trance, "YOU LIE!" he shouted raising his sword once again, about to strike the great Lord of the Western Lands down.

Miroku nodded in agreement, "He's right. She's at home. She even left us this note." He reached into his robes and fished out the note, holding it about his head high like a banner, hoping it indeed was proof that she was at home.

Sango shook her head sadly, her brown eyes showing a seriousness it made Miroku's skin crawl. "He has her." She mumbled almost inaudibly, making Miroku strain to hear her. Inuyasha stared at her and looked at her closely, narrowing his eyes suspiciously, "What makes you so sure?" he demanded.

Sango slowly held up a white cloth that had blood on it, displaying it on her palm where her fingers had been previously wrapped over it. Inuyasha approached Sango, snatched the thing from her grasp, and sniffed the blood stained cloth, in haling deeply. It was Kagome's blood for sure. No one else had that special scent that made his heart pound. The one so similar to Kikyo's, he though as he went pale and glared at his half brother, who stood as if he was a cold emotionless statue.

"What have you done to her?" Inuyasha growled, flexing his claws. Sesshomaru ignored this but answered, "Nothing as of yet", as he looked over Inuyasha's head, as if the half-bred had no right to look straight into his royal eyes.

Inuyasha held up the cloth, eyes glowing with an internal fire of passion and anger. "THEN WHY IS HER BLOOD ON THIS CLOTH BASTARD!" he screamed, rushing Sesshomaru and shoving his face in front of the older demon's making sure to catch his attention and eye contact. He will deal with his half brother's superiority issues after he answered a few questions.

Sesshomaru smirked, revealing fangs as his eyes filled with amusement as he anticipated the group's reaction to this next bit of news. "That was not my fault but yours." Outwardly he let his smirk relax into its usual position but inside he was laughing at the group's astounded looks as he continued in a bored tone. "That night that she left to go to her home she was kidnapped by a werewolf."

Sango gasped as Shippo started to cry for his surrogate mother while the "men" looked absolutely shocked and confused. Sesshomaru inwardly smiled. He loved the looks on their faces; looks of pure agony and fear.

They must really care for the wench. He thought as he continued as if nothing happened. "Unfortunately before I arrived to save her pathetic soul, she was bitten and has been suffering from a fevered sleep from which she has not yet awaken from. I was hoping she would wake before I came to you but I grew impatient."

Miroku warily eyed him, trying to decipher whether Sesshomaru was lying or not. Finding no hint in the Lord's cold, protected gaze, he approached him and looked him square in the eye. "Is what you say true?" he demanded coldly.

Sesshomaru glared at the low human that dared approach him and question his morals and resisted the urge to slit his troublesome throat as simply answered "This Sesshomaru does not lie."

The truth far more entertaining… he added to himself, surpressing a chuckle and a smirk that threatened to cross his placid features. He didn't know what it was about this people that made him want to laugh at them. Was it their obvious concern, weakness, or the down-right stupid looks they wore? He couldn't decide.

Miroku stared at him a little longer but finally sighed in defeat and stepped back and bowed his head gracefully. "There is no doubt that you wish for something for Kagome's safe return."

Sesshomaru inwardly stopped laughing. Well…maybe not all of them are completely stupid…after all Inuyasha himself probably had enough idiocy to make up for them all.

"I want the Tetsusaiga of course." Sesshomaru said as if stating a fact.

Miroku shook his head, confused. "Why do you want a sword you know you can't wield?" he asked, his human curiosity winning over judgment.

Sesshomaru glared down at the not-so-dumb human…monk? He guessed by the robes. Not that what the man was really made that much of a difference to him.

"If you must know, which I'm sure you think you do, I want that sword because I hope to overcome the…barrier around it and use it to my own ends and if I am unable to do that, then I at least want it out of this idiot's unworthy hands. That is my price for your "Kagome's" return." He said coldly as he held out his hand, ready to take hold of the sword that he longed to grasp in his claws.

Inuyasha stubbornly tightened his grip the worn hilt and glared. "HELL NO!"

Sesshomaru drew back his hand and shrugged in indifference. "Fine, have it your way." He lifted his hand as it started to glow a poison green and looked idly at it, as if bored once more. "I'll just slit her throat. She's asleep still. She won't feel a thing."

He paused, pretending to think as the green glow around his hand faded. "Or I could sell her to one of the demon lords. They would love to have a pretty thing like her around their castle." This time he smirked openly as he watched Inuyasha quiver with rage. "I wonder how much Naraku would be willing to pay for the girl that looks so much like the miko he desires along with that portion of the shikon jewel in her possession…"

THAT hit home…

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Inuyasha screamed as he jumped into the air and swung his sword wildly at the place Sesshomaru was standing.

"WIND SCAR!"

Power was released from the sword in a wave of light that destroyed everything it touched as it crashed toward Sesshomaru and into the ground, causing the ground to turn into a cloud of dust.

Inuyasha landed on the ground, sword raised, as he and everyone else waited. The smoke cleared and there was a giant crater with what looked like giant claw marks leading to the hole, Tetsusaiga's trade mark after usage. Miroku looked around anxiously, searching for the demon lord's body; "Did you get him?" he asked, seeing that Inuyasha and everyone was looking for the same thing.

That question was answered as Sesshomaru rushed up from the tree cover and wrapped his hand around Inuyasha's throat, his eyes glowing red as he lifted him into the air so that his feet were dangling helplessly. "Do not push me brother!" he growled low as he continued to squeeze the breath from the hanyou's body.

Behind him he heard the yowl of the demon cat as she was surrounded by flame and emerged as a ferocious wild cat, baring her huge fangs at the demon lord as he saw the others prepare to attack from the corner of his eye, weapons in their clinched fists as they glared at him in warning.

Sesshomaru released Inuyasha and he fell on the ground, wheezing for air. He had come to make a compromise, not waste his time fighting half-breeds, weak youkai, and loathsome humans.

As Sango flew to Inuyasha's side only to be shoved away by a stubborn Inuyasha, Miroku cautiously approached the demon lord and did a little bow of respect. "Lord Sesshomaru?"

Sesshomaru eyed the monk suspiciously. Should he converse with this human? He glared at Inuyasha. At least the monk was showing respect toward his superior self. He might be easier to converse with then Inuyasha.

"What is it puny human?"

Again Miroku bowed. "Lord Sesshomaru. We thank you for your hospitality toward our friend who is most unworthy of your care and time but I would like to ask you on behalf of the entire group if you would give us a little time to consider your proposal."

Sesshomaru inwardly smiled at the monk's use of flattery. He truly doesn't mean the things he said but he seemed to truly care about the girl's safety and instead of fighting a losing battle, he is trying to bargain and buy more time to convince his brother to surrender the weapon. Indeed he was beginning to respect this mortal. At least he wasn't a rage-blinded fool like a certain half-brother of his.

"Exactly how much time do you think you will require Monk?"

Miroku seemed a little taken back by the sudden change of titles; his violet eyes momentarily filled with surprise, but quickly recovered.

"A month?" he inquired, throwing a time out there.

Sesshomaru shook his head. Too long.

"Two weeks?"

Sesshomaru thought for a minute and digested this proposal. Yes he was going to allow the human to stay a little longer for his little Rin's enjoyment and two weeks is probably the amount of time he could stand to be around her and not get her blood on his claws. He nodded.

"The wench will remain alive and quartered with me for the next 2 weeks until you have made a decision."

He narrowed his eyes at the group and flexed his claws. "But wait a day longer and all you will get back is her remains."

He watched in silent joy as their eyes once again lit up in fear. It was so entertaining to see them in distress! It also made him wonder what was so important about this female to make them fear for her safety so.

"Bring the Tetsusaiga to my castle in two weeks." His white cloud formed under his feet as he looked over at the still stunned Inuyasha. "I have no doubts you remember where it is. Don't you dare be late." He growled as he took off into the dawn colored sky, leaving the group to ponder his words.

The group stood in silence as they watched the Taiyoukai fly away till he was only a white dot in the colored sky before they visibly began to relax.

And by relax, it was meant that all hell broke loose.

Shippo started wailing, crying for his surrogate mother while the taijiya began to scream at the hanyou.

"How could you do that! After all Kagome has done for you!" Sango snapped while trying to comfort the wailing kitsume. She has having no such luck with consoling the child or getting any answers from the surprising silent Inuyasha.

Who remained silent for only about three more seconds before yelling back to defend himself.

"Just shut the hell up woman when you have no fucking idea what is going on!" he bellowed back at her as his eyes became hard and fiery with anger. The woman he was referring to, however, showed no fear or mercy as she brought her face within a few inches of his own, her own brown eyes filled the fire of passion as well.

"Well everyone here knows what goes on! We always know what goes on! If you hadn't run off with Kikyo yet again, she wouldn't have left, been bitten by a werewolf or had been kidnapped by your brother to be used as a mere bargaining chip!"

"Are you saying this is all my fault!"

"Yes! It is all your fault! Truth hurts dog boy!"

Miroku sighed as he rubbed his temples with his fingers. Better break everyone up before they get into a battle of sorts. At this rate, Sango will go from verbal to physical attacks in defense of her "sister". Last thing he needed was a dead hanyou on his hands. The rage of the woman can be fierce.

He calmly shoved himself between the two, making them both back away in surprise but were still staring each other down with daggers in their eyes. Now that Shippo had stopped wailing and had been watching the spectacle with big blue eyes, an eerie silence seemed to fill the clearing, nothing but the wind, snow fall and the passing of down to reassure them that time itself had not stopped as they seemed frozen in their positions.

As soon as Miroku was sure he had their undivided attention, he began to speak in a calm but commanding voice. "It has been a hard day for everyone. What's done is done and now all we can do is wait. There is no point in further arguing about it."

Inuyasha broke eye contact with the taijiya and turned away in a huff. "Feh. Whatever." He growled before jumping and propelling himself through the trees, obviously toward Kaede's village.

Miroku began to follow him, grabbing Sango's shoulder as he walked by, seeing that his touch seemed to drain her of any energy as she unclenched her fists till the were once again at her side. She signed in resignation as she tiredly followed him, walking side by side as he guided her with a comforting hand on her back as Shippo followed in their wake. Shippo also rolled his eyes as he saw the monk's hand slide down Sango's back…

The sound of her hand violently connecting with his cheek flesh seemed to resonate through the dead trees of Inuyasha's forest as she proceeded to stalk off, leaving Miroku sprawled out on the snow, using a hand full of the white ice to press against his red cheek in hopes to numb it enough so he didn't have to bear the stinging sensation. Shippo shook his head ashamed at the monk before pattering after Sango. Miroku smiled softly as he continued to rub the snow on his sore cheek. He had achieved the desired effect after all.

Sango was no longer mad at Inuyasha.

"JAKEN!" Sesshomaru yelled as he threw open the huge wooden doors of his castle, the winter wind blowing in drafts of snow that skidded playfully across the front hall's marble tiles, carried by the cold wind at his back.

Jaken hastily turned a corner and waddled to his master and bowed at his feet. "What is your wish Milord?" he asked in his usual high shrill voice. To Sesshomaru it sounded like nails on a chalkboard and it just increased the tension between his eyes; the headache that had formed when merely trying to imagine what it would be like when his "prisoner" awoke. Human were damn stressful creatures.

Sesshomaru charged past him and down the grand hall, his steps resounding through the cavernous building and Jaken jogged beside him, his little legs far shorter than the Taiyoukai's. "Has there been any change in the human?" Sesshomaru asked as he put as much hate and disgust as he could in the word as he possibly could.

Jaken wheezed as he tried to keep up with Sesshomaru, his feet padding at a rapid pace. "Nay Milord." He answered after catching some breath.

Sesshomaru pretended not to notice his vassal's discomfort as he continued walking toward the room that "Kagome" was resting in.

"Have the servants prepare another bedroom for the wench."

Jaken stopped in his tracks and stared at his master as if he had just grown two heads. "But…but why Milord?" Jaken asked in confusion as he stuttered and then slapped a hand over his mouth at Sesshomaru's glare.

"Are you questioning me?" Sesshomaru asked icily with his coldest glare. He was yet again finding that he was resisting the urge to once again slice a throat that needed to be cut. It was too early in the morning for this.

Jaken got on his knees and bowed as his head tapped the floor. "Jaken is sorry oh Glorious One! Jaken did not mean to speak out of line! Please don't kill me!" his shrill voice begging and once again Sesshomaru wanted to cover his ears with his hands. Maybe he wouldn't kill him but ripping the vile thing's throat out at the moment was looking more and more attractive.

Sesshomaru stopped at the door of the quarters in which the wench had been staying the past week, and sighed in annoyance. He just wanted Jaken to leave right now. "Just do what I say." He barked at the imp.

Jaken jumped up and began kissing Sesshomaru's black boots. "Master is so kind to this lowly Jaken!"

Sesshomaru kicked him, sending him flying into a polished stonewall. "Just go before I change my mind." he said emotionlessly with a glare.

Jaken quickly recovered and retreated from his furious Lord's line of vision.

Just a year ago I would have slain him for showing such disrespect. Sesshomaru thought as he quietly opened the oak door and slipped into the room silently like a ghost, where he could see Rin sleeping beside the human.

That girl has made me soft.

As if he knew his thoughts about her, Rin wiggled uncomfortable in Kagome's grasp, trying in vain to roll over as Kagome unconsciously held the little girl even closer as if she were merely a doll to sleep with.

He watched as the light poured from the window and into the room, dancing on the two sleeping figure's faces, breathing in time. He quickly and silently approached the bed and had his claw carcass the little child's cheek while pulling a stray strand of dark brown hair behind her ear.

She had insisted on sleeping with her "angel" and even though he had warned her of the danger she wouldn't quit so he had moved the human into Rin's room so that he could watch her closely. He caught a whiff of the scent of the woman sleeping next to his precious daughter as she moaned in her sleep at the child's restless movements.

He pulled up a sitting pillow beside the bed, which was nothing more than a bundle of silks and fur blankets over a feather bed, raised on an slightly elevated wooden platform on the far side of the room by the only window, and watched the miko as the light shone off her skin, making it even paler as the silver crescent moon sparkled on her forehead. Her black hair (which had grown to a considerable length) lay sprawled out under her like waves in a black ocean and her chest rose and fell with the beating of her heart. They both look so peaceful. Sesshomaru thought to himself as he watched the two continued sleeping. He couldn't shake the feeling of dread that seemed to settle in his stomach as he looked upon their seemingly angelic and innocent faces knowing that they would be anything but peaceful when they woke up. Human females were just like that. And if this "Kagome" was anything like his Rin, he was in for some trouble.

The woman-child moved slightly in her sleep as the light from the window shining on her eyes caused her discomfort. He could hear her heart beat rising out of its slow pace and into the quicker pace of conscious and her breathing become less shallow, obvious signs of waking.

He scoffed. How like a human female to wait till he was in her presence to wake from her week's slumber. He leaned back in comfort, settling into the chair as Rin also showed signs of rising, obviously thanks to the other human's motions.

There are just some things about a human that are just so predictable.