Okay, I'm expecting to be attacked and mobbed for not updating for...-checks-...holy crap ; A lot has been happening in my life, and I really didn't have the means or attention to write. High school, not having any word document until now, family crap, surgery, ect...you name it. It happened. But recently, my new computer has been handling word document things so I'm able to update! Exciting huh? I know. Anyways, on with the chapter!

Disclaimer: I do NOT own anything in this story except my own original characters. Rumiko Takahashi does.

-x-

Chapter three- A mothers love

"Ugh..." a moan escaped, as the young woman rubbed the back of her head. It was like she had been hit with a sledge hammer. She tried opening her eyes, but quickly noticed she would most likely see nothing. It was a dark cave, with just a little fire behind her. The young girl sat up and looked around, trying to find something or someone she knew.

"Oh, you're awake!" Another voice came. A young girl, probably only around the age of 12 or 13. This girl looked familiar, but she seemed different. The girl smiled kindly, and squatted down next to where the other laid. "I suppose it's been awhile, Kagome. I'm Rin."

Instantly, a smile appeared on Kagome's face. "Rin!" she exclaimed. It had been probably a year since she had seen the young girl, and she was growing fast. Rin smiled and gave Kagome a hug. Kagome had first met Rin when she was 10, so it was amazing to see her now. "How've you been?" Kagome asked, hugging back.

Rin smiled, and scooted back some. "I've been alright. Jaken is out with Sesshoumaru looking for some food for you, me and the other girl." she explained.

"Other girl?" Kagome asked. Run pointed over her shoulder, pointing to a little girl lying on the ground. It was Inori. Kagome froze for a moment, then crawled over to her side. She seemed to be fine, just asleep. Kagome reached her hand down, and rubbed her head softly. The little girl stirred, but didn't wake up. 'She must be exhausted...' she thought.

"Wait...Rin. Why are we here, and where are my friends?" She asked, looking around. Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango, Shippo and Kirara were no where to be seen.

"Lord Sesshoumaru brought you two here. I don't quite know why, he just said it was because of a smell." Rin shrugged. Sesshoumaru was quiet, and didn't really tell her much.

Kagome continued to rub Inori's head slowly, before the little girl awoke. She yawned but sat up quickly, looking around. Spotting Kagome right next to her, she hugged on tightly, her fists balling in her shirt. "It's okay Inori..." Kagome said gently, patting her back. Inori lifted her head to stare at Kagome, put didn't let go. Kagome smiled down at Inori in a comforting way, trying to calm down the little girl. Tucking a lock of Inori's black hair behind her ear, she turned her head towards Rin.

"Rin, this is Inori. Inori, this is Rin." she greeted them.

Rin walked up close, and examined the girl before putting her hand out. "Nice to meet you Inori, want to be friends?" she asked. Inori was shocked by the gesture. No one had ever offered to be her friend. She slowly nodded, still a little shocked. Rin cheered.

"Rin, it's time to eat." a voice sounded from the entrance of the cave. Kagome turned her head to look. It was Sesshoumaru. His long silver-ish hair flowed freely in the wind, as his amber eyes pierced through the night. Kagome gulped slightly, holding onto Inori a little tighter. Inori trembled, never seeing such a strong demon before, excluding her father. Inori watched as Rin skipped happily towards Sesshoumaru, where he handed her the large fish. She had a little bit of a hard time carrying it back to the fire.

"You, Kagome was it? Come with me." Sesshoumaru commanded, and she had no desire to deny unless she wanted to suffer his wrath.

"Inori, why don't you go eat and play with Rin?" Kagome asked of Inori. The young girl took a moment to respond, before nodding and slowly let go of Kagome. She walked timidly over to Rin, who was in the middle of cooking the fish.

Kagome stood up, brushing off her skirt, before walking carefully over to Sesshoumaru. She was wary of him, and the fact that she could barely see anything in the dark, cold cave. He turned around and started walking to the opening of the cave, and she followed. Reaching the outside, Kagome looked up at the sky. It was defiantly night, maybe even somewhere around 10pm. The stars were bright and full, the moon a small sliver of its full self. 'The new moon is coming' she thought to herself, but turned her attention to Sesshoumaru.

Sesshoumaru, without warning, grabbed hold of her arm and pulled him to her. Using a claw, he ripped the cloth that covered her shoulders, and sniffed her neck. Kagome froze, knowing it was no use in trying to escape no matter how hard she wish to.

"Strange...you have no mark, nor do you smell of mating..." he said quietly. Kagome didn't answer, she just stayed still. He pulled his head back and glared. "Explain now. Why does that child have your scent mixed with Naraku's if you have never mated. Especially since you would have been barely old enough to conceive at the time of her birth." He glared into her eyes, lifting her chin, examining her more.

Kagome finally attempted to struggle free, but he just kept his grip. "I don't know how she got here...but she's from the future. Apparently, she's the daughter of Naraku and I. I was kidnapped by him, and I think you could get the rest..." she explained quietly.

Sesshoumaru looked into her eyes, looking for any deception. He found none.

"I see. If she is Naraku's child, I will kill her."

-x-

Miroku tried hard to wake the unconscious Shippo and Sango. It didn't seem to be from trauma, but from a special gas. Inuyasha growled loudly. He couldn't smell anything with the stupid gas still lingering. It wasn't anything to knock him or anyone else out anymore, just to hide the scent of the person who used it, and the way they went.

Miroku sighed in relief when Sango's eyes fluttered slightly. She groaned, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. "Thank goodness you've awake Sango." the monk said, rubbing her bottom. That was instantly greeted with a nice hand shaped mark on his face.

"Touch me again monk, and I swear you will NEVER be able to bear any children." Sango warned, her hand forming a fist as she glared. Miroku laughed nervously, and nodded.

"Will you two stop fucking joking around?! Kagome and Inori are GONE!" Inuyasha growled out, seriously pissed. The two instantly got quiet, and looked around.

The room was left the way it was before everything happened. Their supplies lied on the floor, blankets sat in the corner of the room, and Kagome's bag sat on the small table, completely undisturbed. Inuyasha tried finding the scent of her one last time, but got nothing.

"Sango, do you remember anything that happened before you were knocked out?" Miroku asked, looking around the room for clues. Sango shook her head and frowned.

"Not at all. Kagome and I were just talking and then next thing I knew, I woke up here..." she explained. She was worried about her friend, and the little girl. Inuyasha grew even more annoyed and upset every second he searched. He tried thinking of all the possibilities of who could've taken her.

Kouga was out of the question. The wolf was too stupid to think of something this sophisticated. Besides, he wasn't the type to hide and steal Kagome, he was fast enough to just take her without needing to hide her.

Naraku was another option. But it wouldn't make sense. Why would he take Inori, and why would he hide his filthy stench? He could easily just hide it behind some barrier.

Any other demon could be an option. But again, why would they hide their stench and take Inori? It made no sense. Kagome, it could. That girl always got herself into trouble, plus the fact she had jewel shards.

Inuyasha punched the wall, his fist slamming completely through. Sango and Miroku froze, staring at the enraged hanyou. They were certain that if he hadn't had his tetsusaiga, he would've phased into his full demon phase. Miroku gulped, and Sango rolled her eyes at the monks reaction.

"Are you sure there's nothing you can trace her down with Inuyasha?" Sango asked, slowly walking up to her enraged friend. "Like, can you hear her or anything?" She tried naming off options. Inuyasha just shook his head, pulling his fist out of the wall. "Nothing..."

Sango sighed. Going up to Shippo, she shook him lightly. "Shippo...wake up..." she said softly, trying to awaken the young kitsune. His eyes opened slowly, and released a jaw-breaking yawn.

"What happened...?" He asked, still in half sleep mode.

"Inori and Kagome are missing. I think we can use your help." Sango explained, and Shippo instantly perked up. Kagome was like a mother to him, and Inori was his friend. He had to help!

Inuyasha's ears twitched, and he turned to Sango. "What are you planning?"

Sango lifted Shippo up, and handed him to Miroku. "We're going to split up. Miroku will go with Shippo, I'll go with Kirara, and you go on your own. We'll spread of and comb the area for Kagome or Inori's scent using Shippo, Kirara or your nose." She explained, lifting up her feline friend.

Inuyasha thought for a minute, then nodded. It was the only idea that seemed to have any way of working. "Okay, but if you find her, don't do anything hasty." Inuyasha warned, Kagome and Inori's safety top priority.

Miroku, Sango and Shippo nodded. Miroku and Shippo headed south towards the village they were staying in. Sango and Kirara took off into the skies, scanning the neighboring forest. Inuyasha headed northeast towards the mountains.

'Please be safe Kagome...'

-x-

Kagome just stared at the dog demon. Her world froze. Something about the thought of Inori being killed made her freeze, then her blood boil. No one was going to hurt her child, especially not over something that she wasn't responsible for. Inori's life was hard, and only going to get harder. Kagome glared, gritting her teeth together.

"Stay away from her." she warned.

The dog demon stared down at her, a little shocked. No one had ever dared to speak to him in such a manner, besides his brother and Naraku. Sesshoumaru growled in a low tone, but Kagome stood her ground. Taking a deep breath of the cold night air, he closed his eyes before slowly opening them again.

"Why do you protect the child of a monster?" He asked, confused with the human ways. Kagome never backed down from her hard look.

"She's just a little girl. It's not her fault that she's Naraku's daughter. She didn't choose this life. Inori isn't dangerous..." she explained, looking back at the cave where Rin and Inori ate and played. Sesshoumaru was quiet for but a moment.

"Fine, she may keep her life. Rin seems to have taken a liking to her." He said, his eyes seeing much further and better in the dark cave. "But if I ever hear of her doing Naraku's bidding, she won't be spared." He warned coldly, before turning his back to her and entering back into the cave. Kagome sighed in relief. This was the best she could ask from someone like him.

Kagome strained her eyes to look deep in the cave, and saw Inori and Rin playing. It was nice seeing Inori acting like a real child. For a few brief moments, her face was filled with joy and innocence. Kagome decided to let them be, and sat outside of the cave. It was too dark out to find her way back with Inori. The other way she could get back was with Sesshoumaru's help, but knew that wasn't really going to happen.

Finding a large boulder, Kagome climbed atop of it using the little grooves in the side. She sat on the boulder, its flat surface making it easy to sit on. Taking a deep breath, she lied back against the hard cold rock, and stared up at the stars. Her thoughts were all over the place. Naraku, the jewel shards, Inuyasha, Inori, tests and school work , her era and finding her friends again. She was afraid of what the future had in store for her and her friends. She didn't want any of them getting hurt. Kagome would give her life any day to protect her friends.

Kagome placed a hand gently on her stomach, and looked down. A small smile appearing on the corner of her lips, thinking of being a mom. Though she hated the idea of Naraku being a father, Inori was a sweet kid. Shy, but a good girl. Her heart beat quicker when she thought of Inuyasha being the father instead. A wider smile creased her lips.

A blush appeared on her cheeks, and she shook her head. "What am I thinking..." she said aloud, and sighed. Watching a star fly over the sky, she made a wish. 'Please, keep my friends happy and safe...'

-x-

Inuyasha jumped higher and higher over the large cliffs. He didn't care how high he needed to go, he would anywhere just to get a whiff of Kagome. He paused for a moment, catching his breath. He had been running so fast, and jumping so much, that even he was at a loss of breath. "K-Kagome...where are you?" he asked out loud, but expected no answer.

He froze when a familiar scent filled his nose. The gentle smell of roses and lavender, Kagome's new shampoo. It was nice, but nothing compared to her true scent. At the smell, Inuyasha gained an immediate energy rush. It was coming a little west of where he was.

Taking off in an all of sprint, a little relief filled his spirit. She didn't seem to be bleeding or in distress. But he wasn't going to take his chances and wait. He hopped up into the trees, using them to climb and push off of. He entered a dead end, and slowed down. He looked for only a minute, and spotted Kagome lying on a boulder, and a light in a cave.

Kagome sat up, and smiled. "Inuyasha!" she exclaimed. He smiled slightly, and did one graceful leap on top of the boulder.

"Are you okay Kagome?" he asked, looking up and down her body for any signs of an injury. The only thing he found where that her shoulders were bear due to the clothing had been sliced. He growled lightly, getting the stench of an all too familiar asshole. Turning his head, he slid in front of Kagome, blocking her.

"InuYasha." Sesshoumaru said coldly. Both Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru glared at one another, grabbing the hilts of their swords. Kagome sighed, shaking her head.

"That's enough you two, not in front of the children." she said firmly, before looking over Sesshoumaru's shoulder to see Inori and Rin watching intently, spying. Rin groaned, mad that she was caught, and Inori rushed to Kagome's side. Inuyasha jumped down next to Kagome, before stepping forward in front of both her and Inori. Inori watched intently to see what Inuyasha's next move would be. Besides Kagome, he was one person she seemed to feel safe around, mainly because of Kagome. She seemed to trust him a lot, and spoke highly of him.

"What do you want with Kagome, Sesshoumaru?" Inuyasha asked, ready to attack at any moment.

Sesshoumaru just ignored his brother and looked past him, staring straight at Kagome. "Do not forget my warning." He reminded, looking down at Inori before flying off into the cave.

Inuyasha continued to growl, but stopped when he felt something grab onto his sleeve. Looking down, he watched as Inori gave a small smile. "Thank you for saving us..." she said quietly. Inuyasha looked at Kagome, a little embarrassed before crouching down and pat her head. "No problem Kiddo..."

At that moment, no problem seem to hard. As long as they stayed like this, nothing would stand in their way of achieving their true happiness. A calm wind passed through the three, who at that moment, easily could've mistaken them as a small, happy family.

Kagome couldn't help but stare at the two, almost like they were a father and daughter. She smiled, and hoped to one day have a family of her own, on her own standards, just like this.

Okay, that's the end of chapter three. I hope you all enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed writing it. It seemed to flow so easily! Anyways, I'll hopefully update soon. At the latest, next week. But most likely soon after I finish up on another chapter of "The Stray". Please review what you thought of the chapter! And if you're still wondering why it took me so long to update, please read the very beginning of this page.

Thanks for reading!

-Miko