Disclaimer: I obviously do no own Inuyasha or any of its characters…

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

Chapter Seven: Of Packs and Poisons

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

Kagome hummed as she sat in the garden with Rin, smiling at each and every flower that the little girl offered her. She now had a full bouquet.

"Kagome-chan! Rin has found another pink one!" She ran up to her, holding it forward for inspection, a thoughtful look on her face. "Do you know, Kagome-chan, there are alot of pink ones." Kagome nodded, noticing that indeed there were a lot more pink than anything else. "I wish there were more yellow ones. Or blue. Or purple."

"Hm. Perhaps you should speak with the gardener? I'm sure they would be happy to plant a wider variety. I imagine that they thought you'd prefer pink."

"But why would they think that?"

"Because, Rin-chan, you're a girl. A lot of little girls really like pink."

She looked down at the bloom in her hand, thinking.

"I suppose so," she mumbled. She looked back up at Kagome. "But I really do like yellow better! I shall go speak with Hitomi-san!" She turned tail and headed towards a youkai who was pulling weeds on the other side of the expansive garden.

"Ningen."

She turned abruptly at the voice, looking down at Jaken who was glaring at her rather obviously.

"Yes, Jaken? Do you need something?"

He didn't say anything for a moment, his face turning a hideous shade of plum.

"Sesshomaru-sama demands your presence."

"I see." She looked over at Rin, laughing at how animatedly she was expressing her want of color.

"Jaken-sama, isn't Rin cute?" She was curious about his reaction, and honestly, she liked to mess with him. Once more, his face turned an odd color, this time a blue-ish grey.

"Go on, ningen, Sesshomaru-sama is waiting for you!" he screeched, trying his best to shuffle her along. "Do not make him wait!" She stood from the bench and was moving carefully along, each step sending a little jolt up through her spine. She was beginning to get used to it, but it didn't make it feel any better.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

She nodded at the servant outside of the screen to Sesshomaru's room, stepping in when he bid her to enter.

She saw Sesshomaru sitting at a low table, along with another. Her eyebrows rose up. She'd never seen him before. Was he the one who she'd listened to speak with Sesshomaru the other day?

She went to the table, sitting down on a cushion and bowing her head politely. She knew she shouldn't be disrespectful. Especially to Sesshomaru. And especially after last night.

"Sesshomaru-sama," she acknowledged. "You called for me?"

"Hn. Miko, this is the healer Shinta. He has discovered something that may help your ailment."

"Really?" she looked over at the calm youkai, surprised at not only how handsome he was but also how mellow and humble he was. With Sesshomaru's reaction when Shinta was first mentioned by Rin she had expected a playboy of sorts.

"Indeed," he began, watching her calmly as she situated herself. "It would seem that with time, and in small doses you could build up an immunity to the poison in your blood."

"But how can we do that? Do you know what kind of poison it is?"

"No, but after some initial tests, I have found something that is, in itself, a poison but may aid in building up your immunity to any poison and thereby eliminating the problem."

(AN: Apparently, it IS true! XD By taking small doses you can make yourself immune to it; but DO NOT try it! I repeat, DO NOT TRY IT! It is NOT safe to play with!)

"How is that physically possible?"

"It counteracts it in a way."

"I still don't quite understand how it would work, but I suppose it's worth a shot."

"Very well. We shall begin you on low doses, daily, starting after dinner tonight."

"Alright. Thank you Shinta, for your help." He stood smoothly, his long midnight blue hair rolling off of his shoulders as he stood.

"Of course, Miko-sama." He bowed his head before exiting the room.

Kagome and Sesshomaru sat in silence for a moment, each quietly contemplating it.

"Wait," thought Kagome out loud. "Did he say what kind of poison I'll be taking?" She turned to Sesshomaru, wondering why Shinta did not tell her when he was there.

"Hn."

"And? What is it? It won't kill me will it?"

"You will be given it in small doses, diluted in tea. While you will suffer some mild side effects, it is not likely that it will kill you. You may not be happy with these effects at the time, but they will make you stronger in the long term."

"Fantastic."

To this he said nothing. Instead, he stood, and went to hold the screen open for her. Apparently he wished to be alone.

Kagome stood carefully, cringing at the pain and walked slowly to the door. Before Sesshomaru closed the door though, she heard him murmur one thing.

"It is this one's doku that you will be given."

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

"So this won't kill me?" she asked as she contemplated the cup in her hand. Shinta watched her from across the table, as serene and calm as ever.

"No. It is very unlikely, especially given that you are a miko. Your reitai should counteract the toxins as it seems to be doing in your body at this moment."

"Hmm," she watched the liquid swirl innocently in her cup. You'd have never known that Sesshomaru had just dripped a single drop of his lethal doku into the mixture.

"Afterwards you will more than likely have some reactions to the doku, but they will have gone by morning and should lessen as you progress."

"So, will I in actuality be immune to poisons after this?"

"It is my educated guess. It has never in actuality been tested out on a human before."

"Lovely. So I get to be the guinea pig." She sighed as she looked down at the glass once more before downing the liquid. Hm. She tasted no difference.

The others watcher her a little cautiously and when no obvious signs occurred they relaxed.

"Hm. That wasn't so bad!" She grinned.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

He wrapped the blankets around her, hoping to increase her temperature and warm her a bit. Her skin was incredibly pale and she had a fever. Obvious signs of the poison taking effect.

She was breathing rather rapidly and was growing listless and he was growing frustrated. He knew this would happen. She was only human after all. The only thing he could do was wait it out. He'd been through it many times himself after all.

He leaned on his elbow next to her, dabbing at her brow with a bit of cloth. As the Alpha it was his job to care for her. There were no appropriate females in his pack after all; Rin was much too young. And so it fell to him. It was only right, he supposed. It was his doku after all that she'd ingested.

He was in for a long night, but not as rough as the miko's.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

Kagome sighed as she laid in bed, rubbing her face in the soft furs. She was thoroughly exhausted, despite the fact that she couldn't remember anything about the night before. Apparently she'd had a fever of some kind, and she'd had to lay on her back in order for her to be cared for. When she finally woke she'd been covered in blankets and felt as if she'd run a marathon. Her whole body was sore and her back burned.

"Kagome-chan looks so tired," hummed a grinning Rin. "Rin hopes she is feeling better today."

"Hmm. I am feeling better I think…better than last night anyways."

"Good. Rin is glad."

"Rin," came a voice from the door. "The Miko needs rest. Perhaps you should go and visit Jaken."

"Of course Sesshomaru-sama!" The little girl waved at Kagome before bounding out of the room. Jaken was in for a pleasant surprise.

Kagome smiled softly as he entered the room, shutting the screen behind him.

"Did you sleep at all since I left?"

"A little. Maybe an hour."

"Hn."

"Thank you for helping me." She couldn't help but blush. She was a bit embarrassed that he'd had to care for her. "It was really very kind of you."

He bowed his head in acknowledgement.

"Hn. As Alpha of the pack it is my responsibility." He sat on the cushion he'd occupied all night, near her.

"Pack?" There was that word again.

"Indeed. Being in the company of the hanyou, it is very unlikely that you are accustomed to such things." He sat a bit straighter, preparing himself for an explanation. "In the Inu youkai society we have packs. They are comprised of those that we consider what you humans refer to as a family. In your case it would be the hanyou, Kitsune, Houshi and Taijiya as well as any biological family. In my case it would be Rin, Jaken and Ah Un." He waited for her to react in some way. Her nod was enough. "But it is not so simple as that. Packs are joined by family circles and links as well. Inuyasha is a part of my pack. And while he is considered one of the least in it, in my opinion at least, he is still pack. That means that his pack is also inadvertently my pack. And while he is the alpha of his pack, I am the alpha of our family pack, and therefore I am also the alpha of your pack."

Kagome's head was swimming with all of the information.

"Inuyasha is constantly attempting to take my place as Alpha, hence the rivalry whenever we meet."

"Ahh, that would explain a lot. Why hasn't he ever mentioned it?"

"I am unsure of his motives for having never confided this in you. Perhaps he is truly ignorant and is acting only on instinct. I do not know."

Kagome sighed yet again.

"It wouldn't surprise me. He grew up away from youkai society from what I'd heard."

"Indeed."

Kagome rested her chin on her arm, laying on her stomach now that she was awake. When she woke a bit earlier she'd had quite a painful feeling in her back and insisted on immediately if not sooner switching onto her stomach. And she was sooooo glad she had.

"Either way you are pack, miko. And you are now my responsibility."

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

~~Well, there you are, another chapter and I know this one's short and not much really happens, but it was necessary. I has also been requested that I explain the meanings of some of the Japanese words, so here ya go:

Doku = poison

Ningen = Human

Miko = Priestess

Reitai = Soul body

Houshi = Monk

Taijiya = Slayer

Kitsune = Fox

Hanyou = Half demon

Shoji = A type of sliding screen door used in Japan and I believe other asian countries…?