A.N. This really has been fun to rewrite! Please review! I don't own Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho.

Inuyasha felt guilt creep into his heart as he watched Kagome walk in between Sango and Kikyou with a polite smile plastered on her face. "I did that, didn't I?"

Shippou bonked his head. "No baka! You really are truly egocentric aren't you? She fell in love with a man who used and betrayed her. Your treatment of her certainly didn't help her any, but none of this is about you. She's hurting because of Hiei."

"When did you start grown' up so much, runt?"

A sad smile took over the young kitsune's face. "After my otou-san died I had no one, so I had to try to take care of myself. But, when Okaa-san came along it was too easy to let her take care of me. I thought that someday you would come to your senses and take her as mate. Then you didn't and Hiei came along. I just knew he'd take care of her. But, he betrayed her. Sango and Miroku have each other and you have Kikyou. She has no one, so I have to take care of her like she's taken care of me."

Amber irises widened in shock before he gave a slight nod. "So you're a man now, huh runt?"

He shrugged and scampered over to jump on Kagome's shoulder.

Hiei jumped from tree to tree, his feet barely touching the branches as he moved. 'If I could only find her... Kagome... I need you.'

The hybrid let out a sharp gasp when his foot suddenly slipped sending him backwards to land on the ground with a thud. "Damn it!"

"Hmmm... You are growing quite pathetic hybrid." The voice was soft and feminine with a hint of deadly intention.

He sprang to his feet in anger, his crimson eyes meeting irises not so different than his own. "Hn. What are you doing here, bitch?"

Kagura's blood red lips tilted into a slight smile as she opened her fan to hide the lower portion of her face. "She is unworthy of you, you know... She fell for Naraku's treachery."

"Hn."

"She is not far from here. The little group is camped only a few miles from here."

"Why are you helping me?"

"I may think that she is unworthy of you and dislike all of you quite a bit, however I still recognize that you all are my only hope of freedom. A happy miko is more useful than a broken one."

He offered her a slight nod and disappeared into the trees, leaving the female youkai to herself.

"You didn't think I would let you get away with that did you? Foolish little Kagura. Always so defiant," Naraku hissed grabbing her chin as he came out of the shadows.

Spit flew from her mouth and to his cheek. "Kill me if you want. They'll dispose of you soon enough."

Dark chuckles fell from his lips. "You honestly think that I didn't prepare for your betrayal? Silly Kagura."

THUMP!

His lips formed a smirk as he kicked her head away, her heart crushed in his hand as well.

"Are you sure that you will be all right on your own?"

Kagome's lips formed a soft smile as she nodded. "Hai. I'll be fine Sango-chan. Don't worry about me."

"Are you sure?" she repeated, her warm brown eyes locking with her friend's silvery blue ones questioningly.

"Hai. I think I need a little alone time." The miko sighed with relief as she watched her friend go. 'Finally.' Her hand glowed softly as she rested it against her stomach feeling the child within her's continued growth. 'Still perfectly healthy. I do wish I could tell the gender though.'

Hiei crept forward soundlessly, his eyes boring into her as she leaned back against a rock. "Kagome..."

Her body stiffened and whirled around to face him. "Hiei... W-what are you doing here?"

Pain gripped his heart when she covered herself from his view and backed away. "Come to me," he ordered stretching his hand out to her.

She drifted forward against her will, her hand resting within his fingers hesitantly as tears glistened in her eyes. "Aishiteru... Oh kami aishiteru!"

He pulled her from the water, his arms wrapping around her damp form. "Sshh... Don't cry."

The miko cupped his face, her hands resting against his cheeks. "You're really here, aren't you? This isn't just another dream?"

His lips cracked open to tell her but froze as he felt a tug at his soul. 'Nani?' "I was in the area and I smelled your scent. Reminded me of the nights we spent together."

Her eyes widened as she felt his hand squeeze her breast roughly. "Hiei?"

His hand came up to slap her cheek as he shoved her against a rock, the sound of her body crashing against the hard surface and the fresh betrayal in her eyes sickening him to the core even while he slipped himself out of his pants. "Shut up. I want to get this over with quick so I can get back to the cave."

Tears trickled down her porcelain cheeks as his hands roamed her body, squeezing and pulling at her roughly. "Onegai... Stop."

Pain gripped his heart like a vice along with self hatred as he unwillingly grew aroused at the sight of her body. 'Why can't I stop?' He positioned himself at her entrance his hands gripping her painfully.

"Aishiteru..." she whispered, her reiki building and lashing out at her mate.

A sickening thud was heard as his head cracked against a tree branch on the other side of the hot spring.

Sobs wracked her naked and shivering body as she felt soft silk draped over her shoulder.

"Cover yourself Miko. I will deal with the hybrid."

Kagome flung her arms around him, uncaring of her current state of nudity, sobs still falling from trembling lips. "No! Don't kill him!"

Sesshomaru stiffened at the contact, his arm unwillingly circling her small figure. "He has caused you pain and betrayed youkai ways. You are his mate and he is truly dishonorable to strike out at you in such a way, especially in this state."

Her body tensed. "What state?"

He wrapped the previously discarded outer portion of his silken kimono around her gently, wiping her blood away from her minor scratches carefully. "If not for the presence of your blood, I would not have detected it. You are more than capable of masking your scent."

"Don't kill him."

He let out a soft sigh before nodding. "Fine. Gather your things and dress. You and your group shall be coming with me."

"It is done my Lord."

Naraku nodded at the albino girl. "Good, you may rest now Kanna."

"May I ask a question my Lord?"

He raised one single delicate eyebrow at his creation. "Hai. What is your question Kanna? If it is about Kagura than you must know that she was killed for her impudence."

"No. I wish to know why you are doing this... I could have stolen his soul, but instead you had me merely control him. I don't understand why you are doing this."

His scarlet irises snapped to her face as he yanked her forward. "Weakening the group is the objective Kanna. Though I wonder... Who is putting such thoughts in your head?"

"No one my Lord. It just seems that your energy could be better spent fighting them physically. The miko can recover from psychological damage, so it seems prudent to destroy her physically while she is still weak. The blast of purification damaged you and the continued effort to keep the miko and forbidden child apart is weakening you."

His lips pulled into a scowl as his hand wrapped around the unflinching child's throat. "You are not supposed to think, Kanna. I did not make you to question me. And if you think that I am weak, perhaps I should recharge a little."

Twin black voids stared unblinkingly into his blood red orbs as she was absorbed.

Sesshomaru's calm golden depths stared down at the sleeping miko with interest. 'Such beauty and power... He is truly a disgrace.'

Shippou let out a low growl from the doorway when he spotted the stoic taiyoukai kneeling next to hs okaa-san on the bed. "What are you doing?"

"Calm yourself kit. This Sesshomaru merely heard her whimpering in her dreams and came to investigate. The others?"

The kit glared at him in suspicion. "Inuyasha is still unhappy about being here, Kikyou is uneasy, Sango and Miroku are suspicious, and Kirara is patrolling the halls. Now, what were you doing in my okaa-san's bed?"

His one clawed hand snatched the kit from the air by his tail. "Do not make such insinuations kit. Your okaa-san trusts this Sesshomaru with her life as well as yours, the latter being far more important to her. Now go to your bedroom."

A pink tongue made an appearance as the kit scurried away, temporarily pacified.

His ears caught the tiniest catch of her breath and he turned quickly to meet her eyes. "Miko."

Kagome offered him a slight smile and accepted his help in sitting up, slight worry coming into her eyes as she remembered his earlier words and the fainting spell she'd had shortly there after. "Did Inuyasha smell my blood?"

"No. I masked your scent with mine. Why do you hide your pregnancy?"

Her eyes fell to her hands, shame coloring her features. "I know it is terrible to hide such things from them, but... I can't stay back. I have to keep fighting. The shikon no tama is my responsibility and I just can't be alone. Not in my time."

He grasped her chin gently, guiding her eyes to meet his. "I understand. You should be more careful though. You shouldn't have allowed him to get so close."

She flinched but nodded. "It's just so hard... I really thought that he loved me and these dreams I've been having. He's so gentle and loving."

"Do you trust me miko?"

"Hai."

"Go to sleep. I wish to look into your spirit. Perhaps it will help you find your answers."

She bit her lip nervously but nodded and laid back on the soft bed, her eyes closing as she felt a slight pressure on her neck.

His eyes skimmed over her unconscious face before he began to concentrate. Youki reached out to brush reiki and suddenly all Sesshomaru could see was her soul.

'A bond of spirits. Small but growing... It must be the hybrid's. She loves him dearly but I'm certain it can be broken. He cares for her on some level but he is obviously too selfish to acknowledge it...

'Another bond... The kit. Her son. Smaller bonds of friendship for several others.

'And a bud.'

His brow furrowed as he came back from the inner workings of her soul. "You can't truly still love that baka, can you?" He recognized that shrunken and shriveled yet still there bud of a love bond. 'Inuyasha... Baka. You do not deserve even a small amount of her love.'

Her body shifted in her sleep, a slight shudder going through her at the lack of a certain warmth.

Sesshomaru let out a soft sigh and pulled the covers up over her shoulders. 'She is a truly strange creature.'

Hiei's eyes cracked open, his body feeling numb. 'Kagome... What have I done? Aishiteru.'

Thud.

Crimson irises widened in shock at the sight of one of his own hiroseki stones lying on the ground next to him.

"I don't see why we gotta be here! I say we leave, NOW!"

Miroku bopped his friend on the head with his staff, letting out a soft sigh. "Calm down Inuyasha. None of us are exactly at ease in this place."

Amber eyes flashed in the morning sunlight as the inu hanyou cracked open his mouth to yell some more.

Kikyou's smooth cold hand rested on his shoulder. "Calm down Inuyasha. Sesshomaru will not harm any of us."

"Indeed. It would serve no purpose for this Sesshomaru to kill you when we both seek the end of the same enemy."

Sango's soft brown eyes snapped to the stoic taiyoukai as he entered. "You never did tell us why you brought us all here. So, why?"

Cold calculated eyes peered into theirs, thoughtful. "This Sesshomaru happened upon the miko being assaulted by her former mate. She wouldn't allow this Sesshomaru to kill him, so I thought it best that we remove ourselves from the area."

"WHAT? You let that bastard get away? What the hell is wrong with you?"

Everyone was shocked to see Shippou standing in the doorway, shaking with fury that could not be expressed even with words.

"Calm yourself kit."

Blue green eyes snapped to his face angrily. "Don't tell me to calm down! That's my okaa-san in there, and she is hurting because of that bastard! Why did you let him live?"

"It would have hurt her more to know that he was dead. My reincarnation is far too loving for her own good."

Silence descended and finally Shippou left.

"Are you sure you want to travel with us? Inuyasha and Shippou are going to be quite angry with you for awhile."

"Hai, Miko. We are all stronger together."

A small cyclone appeared in front of the group being trailed by Ginta and Hakaku.

"You guys weren't going to start this party without me were you?"

"Baka Ookami, we don-"

"Arigatou Kouga-kun. I'm glad you decided to help us."

"Anything for my favorite miko! Now let's go!"

"Who says you're in charge?"

"No one but it sure as hell can't be you, mutt face!"