"So you think it was Naraku who attacked that kit and his pops?" Inuyasha asked the next day, lying on his side while Kagome cleaned his ears. She always did it when she was nervous, and he'd learned not to refuse her when she was like this.
"I know it was him," she rebutted, shuddering slightly. "I could smell his foul odour - it was as if he'd never left. It's why I didn't come tell you right away yesterday. I had to go back and make sure the kit was all right. After what happened to your human, I had to make sure something as small as him wasn't hurt."
Inuyasha nodded slightly, accepting her reasoning. After Sesshoumaru had scared him off, Inuyasha doubted Naraku would try anything again so soon anyway. But why had he attacked the foxes? Were they some threat to the rat, or had they just been in the way, and his true target had been one of them?
"Inuyasha, he's here much sooner than any of us thought he would be," Kagome said, bringing attention to her biggest concern. "I thought we'd have a few days, maybe even weeks, to prepare, but he's here, Inuyasha. I'm really worried."
"Don't be," he said firmly, lifting his head slightly so he could look at her. "If he even thinks he can get us, he's wrong. We've got each other's back; all we have to do is shout and the other will come running."
She was still clearly worried by the stiffness and jerkiness of her movements, but neither said anything further on the topic, allowing silence to reign between them; each lost in thoughts.
"...Is the runt okay?" he questioned mildly, closing his eyes as Kagome licked the tips of his ears. They flicked forward, slightly ticklish.
"Yeah, he's fine," she answered. "Better, really. He's so energetic and happy - it's like he's completely forgotten about yesterday's scare. They only thing is, he seems convinced that-"
"Kagome!"
"Oh!" she gasped as a small body collided with hers, nearly knocking her off Inuyasha, who growled, fangs bared as his head whipped around to see what had disturbed them.
The fox kit immediately hunkered down behind Kagome's back, eyes wide as he peeped up to stare at Inuyasha.
"Shippo," Kagome sighed, using the name Kaede had given the kit, "you can't do that. Inuyasha doesn't know you, and you never want to do anything that would cause a large dog to feel threatened."
The kit nodded frantically as Inuyasha slowly relaxed, laying his head back down with a huff. Shippo tottered forward on small wobbly legs, making his way from behind Kagome to the top of Inuyasha's head, where he promptly laid himself down between the two triangular ears.
"You're real big, mister," he commented, his front paws pushing Inuyasha's fur as he suddenly pounced sideways, nipping at Inuyasha's ears and growling playfully. He fell as the dog shifted, rolling off Inuyasha's side to land on his back, paws in the air. He grinned, gaze focusing on Inuyasha. "Bigger even than my dad."
Kagome leapt down off Inuyasha's side, picking Shippo up in her mouth and setting him on his paws before gently cleaning his fur of dirt.
"Kagome," he whined, trying to shy away from her tongue.
"I'll not let you stay dirty," she grumbled, focused on her task. Inuyasha laughed, the sound making his sides shake.
"Better get used to it, kid," he instructed, rolling up to lay on his legs rather than his side. "She likes to clean. Especially when she nervous."
"Why're you nervous, Kagome?" Shippo asked, doing his best to wiggle out of her firm grip. Inuyasha lifted a paw, and Shippo grinned, thinking he would be receiving the dog's help, but instead pouted when Inuyasha only pushed him further into Kagome's grasp.
Kagome paused in her ministrations, wondering what she should say. "I'm not really nervous, just..."
"There's a bad guy hangin' around here, and she's nervous," Inuyasha interrupted, silencing her with a firm stare. "Just cuz he's a kit, Kagome, doesn't mean you shouldn't tell him the truth. He looks like he can handle it."
"Yeah!" Shippo shouted, bouncing forward as Kagome released him. He dashed towards Inuyasha, leaping back and forth in front of the dog's face. "I'm super strong, just like my dad! If someone's scared you, Kagome, I'll get rid of them!"
Inuyasha chuckled, leaning forward and pushing Shippo over with a gentle nudge from his snout. "I don't think so, kid - but thanks. We'll deal with it."
On his side, Shippo sobered slightly, lifting his head up to stare back and forth between the adults. "Is it the rat that was chasing my dad and I, yesterday?"
Kagome froze, her eyes widening as she stared at the little kit. "You actually saw him?"
Shippo nodded, ears lowering slightly. "I didn't see much, cuz dad was carrying me, but I remember his eyes - they were red, and really scary looking."
He turned towards Kagome slightly, big blue eyes watery and morose. "Kagome, do you think my dad is okay?"
The cat sighed softly, her own eyes tearing up as she padded towards him, gently nuzzling his cheek. He nuzzled her back, sniffling. "Oh Shippo," she murmured. "I just don't know. I do know that he must love you very much, to leave you somewhere safe and keep Naraku away from you."
"That's the rat's name?" Shippo wondered, his gaze becoming sharp and fierce. "Naraku?"
Kagome hesitated. "...Yes."
"Don't even think about it, runt," Inuyasha barked, startling the fox. "I know that look, and you're barking up the wrong tree. There's no way you can avenge your pops."
"Hey now," the cat started weakly, "we don't know yet if..."
"Kagome, I may be a kit, but I'm not stupid," Shippo said, his fur standing slightly on end. "But I'm small," he admitted, glaring down at his tiny paws so near Inuyasha's large ones. "I can't do anything for those I care about."
"If you really want to help somehow, there is something you can do," Inuyasha told him quietly, noticing as Kagome looked at them, confused as to why they were whispering. The dog pressed his muzzle against Shippo tiny ear, making sure only he would hear. "Try to keep Kagome calm. She don't look it, but she's strong. If her nerves get the better of her, though, she'll panic. So keep her happy and you'll be helping a lot."
Shippo nodded eagerly, pleased with the task. He could definitely keep Kagome happy, and distract her when she's scared.
"What are you two talking about?" Kagome scowled, shoulders hunching.
"Nothing, cat," Inuyasha woofed, dropping his head and closing his eyes. "Now git - Kikyou's gonna come to take me for a walk soon, and you know how she feels about cats."
"Yeah, yeah," the cat grumbled, picking Shippo up by the scruff of his neck. He curled up automatically, paws tucking in against his belly. She trotted towards the fence, noticing a slight gap Shippo must have used to get through before leaping up to the top. "See you tomorrow," she said by way of good bye, falling into her yard.
"Kagome?" Shippo started, twisting his head slightly to look back at her.
"Hmm?" she mumbled, pausing in her trot towards the house to listen to him.
"Who was that other white dog from yesterday? That kept Naraku away?"
"His name's Sesshoumaru - he's Inuyasha's brother," Kagome answered, putting the fox kit down to answer him. His gaze turned hopefully on the back fence, and she smiled, charmed by the openness of his eyes. "Do you want to meet him?"
"Yes!" Shippo cried, nodding frantically.
"Okay, okay," Kagome laughed, bending to pick him back up. "Let's go then." Moving towards the back fence, she once again leapt up to the top, dropping down on the other side.
At first she couldn't see him, and Kagome wondered if maybe he'd been taken for a walk, but then he came out from under the back porch, eyes glowing faintly before he came out into the sun.
"Cat," he greeted. "What brings you here?"
"Shippo wanted to say hi," she told him, indicating the kit that had hidden behind her. "C'mon, Shippo," she whispered to him, nudging him with her nose.
He slunk forward from behind her, ears pressed flat against his head as he saw the dog up close. He's even bigger than Inuyasha! But his eyes...they're really pretty. Shippo's ears lifted, curious, and he continued forward until he was sitting in front of the great dog, head lowered slightly.
"I...I just wanted to say thank you," he whispered. "For not letting the rat get me. I don't remember a lot of what happened - I was just trying to get as far from it as possible, but I remember seeing you. So...thanks," he finished lamely, finally raising his eyes hopefully.
Sesshoumaru was silent for a moment, just taking in the sight of the kit, before he nodded once. "You are welcome."
The kit grinned at the response, head perking up. He bounced slightly on the front of his paws, already hero-worshipping the large male. "You're gonna help Kagome and Inuyasha beat Naraku, right?"
"He will not live if he attempts entering this one's yard a second time," Sesshoumaru answered elusively.
"I'm helping," Shippo announced proudly, chest puffing out slightly. He leaned forward conspiratorially, lowering his voice to a whisper. "I'm keeping Kagome calm."
Sesshoumaru slanted the much put upon cat an amused look, his lips quirking into a smirk. "That is indeed a grave duty. Do not shirk it."
"I won't!" he promised eagerly.
"Okay, time to go home," Kagome interjected, tired of the secretive whispers. She prowled forward, grabbing Shippo up in her mouth. "Thanks, Sesshoumaru," she nodded.
He inclined his head as they left, a speculative light entering his eyes.