I am a Shippou fan so this is a little look into his childishness, because there is not much of it in this story so far, and he matures throughout it too, so it really is needed. This also explores how Sesshoumaru became the leader of the group; well you did not expect him to be anything less than the ultimate alpha for long did you?

That's why I'm Alpha

Sesshoumaru had been gone for thirty hours now, and Kagome was actually beginning to miss him. In the week she had had him around, she had gotten used to his presence and now that he was gone, even for the shortest amount of time was a weird sensation. Even during the darkest hours of the night he was there, and if she were ever to cry out in her sleep because of a bad dream or because, well for any reason at all, he would instantly appear. He was someone who was always there for her, a good friend, but so much more. He was torn between being a slave and being a friend, and he was not quite sure how to be either.

Kagome lifted her hands to brush her bangs out of her face as the wind whipped them around to block her vision. At least he had left a suitable substitute; Shippou was with her in his and her family's absence. There was never a quiet moment or a boring one with the energetic little fox kit bouncing around all over the place. He made sure she was occupied at all times either by practising i.e: showing off his fox magic, or drawing pictures for her, or playing some sort of game he'd conjured up in his head and insisting she join in.

After two of these games Kagome decided she did not want to play any more of them. They were far too long and complicated to understand, and Shippou being a child was not a good teacher, and neither was he patient. It was however incredibly cute how angry he would get that she did not understand the rules that he were explaining to her so clearly. She taught him how to play 'it' and he took to the relatively easy game quickly. The countless times he wanted to play games with her went much more smoothly after that.

Kagome was busy cooking a meal for Sesshoumaru, wanting a good meal waiting for him when he came home – this was his home now after all. She got halfway through when she ran out of ingredients, so she had to leave the meal unfinished while she went to the market in the centre of the village to pick up supplies. This was just annoying, but then it was her fault, she should have been paying attention to the amount of food she had in the house. She had given the last of the good sushi to Sesshoumaru for his flights after all, so there was not even enough for a snack to give to a complaining Shippou in the living room.

"Shippou, I need to go to the village to pick up some supplies to finish the meal, and I'll pick you up something to eat while I'm there O.K? I won't be very long; I should be back in about an hour, maybe an hour and a half." She grabbed some money and headed out the door to her hut and just about made her way out of it before a suddenly frightened fox attached himself to her shoulder and refused to let her out of his sight.

"I'll go with you, mama, I promised alpha that I will keep you safe," a steely expression was on his face. Kagome rolled her eyes and wondered just what exactly the demon said to her surrogate son to make him so determined to look after her. She was more than capable of going to the village market and back without getting scathed in any way. Though then again, Shippou had always been adorably protective, and she knew he was a quarter of her size, and could fight with fox magic but could barely look after himself let alone her, but she soaked up his affection like a sponge, it was nice to know someone cared so much.

"Alright you can come if you like," Kagome conceded knowing there was no way he would be left behind, so there was no point arguing. "I am setting one condition though, if you are seen you could get hurt and get us both into a lot of trouble so you have to either turn into a rabbit or something, or stay in my bag." Two minutes later, Kagome headed towards the market with a small white rabbit perched on her shoulder.

When they reached the village, the only stares she got were from demons. She was known as the miko who detested the keeping of slaves and on her shoulder was a youkai, the demons could sense that if the human ere ignorant of it. They were careful not to be too obvious for if they were, the innocent rabbit may be suspect of something. As bitter as some demon slaves may be, they would not subject another to the same pain.

Shippou whispered into her ear as she brought the ingredients she needed to finish the meal she had started. He was very useful as he could smell deceit and such like much in the same way Sesshoumaru was able to. She was much too trusting and the little fox told her when she had been short changed, or sold a faulty product. He kept his whispering quiet, but being a mother for the boy, she was attuned to the sound of his voice. Those large brown eyes of the innocent rabbit on her shoulder missed nothing, and told her everything.

Her undoing, or more, his undoing, came in the form of a cake. Shippou saw the fruity, sweet piece of food, and mixed with his growing hunger it was too much for him to bear to watch pass. "Kagome," he started, making his voice higher so she would not be able to resist. He as a good kit most of the time, but he was a crafty fox, he knew how to manipulate. "No," Kagome answered shortly, before he finished his request. He knew how to manipulate, but she knew how to manage him, it would fit she pick this moment to become immune to him.

"But Kagome," he began to argue as it drew nearer, it looked like the most delicious thing he had ever tasted. No matter what he needed that cake, it looked like a meal fit for a king, fit for a lord, like his alpha Sesshoumaru – oh that was an idea. "Please mama, I know you like the look of it too, and you know Sesshoumaru sama would like it too Kagome." He knew Kagome had affection for him and so would likely buy something that would make him happy, and no one would be displeased at the sight of such a delicious desert.

"I know that," Kagome said, agreeing for her and Sesshoumaru, it did look very nice. "However, it is too expensive; I do not have the money to go throwing around on things like that." She tried to sound mature about the matter, but the truth was, she wanted that pudding too. "It wouldn't be throwing money away," Shippou argued, thinking that cake was worth not eating for an entire week for, not thinking ahead at how hungry he might get in that week after the cake was finished. "Please, just this once, I'll never ask for anything again."

'Yeah right,' Kagome scoffed, 'if I had a penny for every time he had said that to me I would be able to buy that cake and think nothing of it.' Still, perhaps she may be able to afford a bit of it, if she just asked for one slice, she may be able to afford it. "And Shippou if you even think about using your fox magic to swindle that man out of his cake, I will send you back to the village." They both knew it was an idle threat, but Shippou got the message – don't do it.

"Excuse me sir, could I perhaps buy one slice of that cake instead of all of it?" She questioned the man behind the stall.

"You certainly can, that will be one piece of silver though."

"Go on Kagome," Shippou urged in her ear, "you know it is worth it."

Kagome was not convinced.

Her fate however was in that moment decided for her as the dog at the man's feet started to bark very loudly, not at her, but the rabbit on her shoulder. Shippou tried to hide in Kagome's hair, but fell off her shoulder in the process and the dog bit his tail. He shrieked in outrage, pain and shock, turning into his fox form and revealing himself.

They were done for now.

The man's eyes widened, "a demon," he growled, reaching out and grabbing him by his furry orange tail, holding him up in the air. "How convenient, I've been looking for a little runt to play as chew toy for my dog."

"Stop it!" Kagome cried out, "let him go right now, he is only a kid!"

"He's a demon!"

"And you are a big bully!"

"And you are the demon lover," he growled, "you are infamous in the village for those ridiculous antics of yours!"

"So what if I am, it is better than being heartless like you?"

Frightened at being literally thrown to the dogs, Shippou bit hard into his captor's wrist, trying to make him drop him so he could run to the safety of Kagome's arms. He did not get the desired effect; the man just growled in irritation and hit him over the head so hard he went falling to the ground. "Shippou!" Kagome cried in alarm, worry and anger, throwing a punch at the man who dared assault her son.

It drew blood from his nose but did not injure him nearly as much as Kagome would have liked. He pushed her over and she struck her head on some rocks as she fell. She watched in hazy vision as Shippou threw his weapons at the man and scorched him and his with his fox fire. Unfortunately, it was too much for him and he found himself dangling in the air by his orange tail once more. He planned to call out for Kagome to save him but did not quite get round to it and the name he actually cried was that of his alpha.

"LORD SESSHOUMARU! HELP!"

It was as if the Kamis themselves decided to answer them with a blessing. In a flash of silver light, there was a sword tip protruding through the man's chest. He missed his heart though and his grip on Shippou loosened as he slipped into unconsciousness and fell to the ground. He was just thankful no one else had witnessed the event. Sesshoumaru caught him as he fell, holding him to his side with one hand wrapped around his middle. He strode over to Kagome who was nursing her head with one hand and reaching out to his with the other.

With his free hand, Sesshoumaru hoisted the girl over his shoulder and sped back to the house with his youki cloud under his feet. Not a word was said until they were both tucked up in Kagome's bed and she was the first one to speak. "Sesshoumaru, you came for us." It was a statement, not a question, but gratitude.

"Of course," he muttered, sitting on the foot of the bed. "I had to come and save you, it is fortunate I came back early. I left you for a mere 33 hours, it was not a long time, but you managed to get yourselves in danger."

"I'm sorry," Shippou said, "I failed to protect her."

"Yes you did, but you also fought for her, which is commendable."

"You beat him so easily," Kagome noted, "it was frightening, but amazing at the same time, and kind of embarrassing in a way too."

"I had the element of surprise," he reasoned.

"Still... thank you Sesshoumaru, thank you. You were so quick, so easy. You were so skilled, in a second you had handled the situation with perfection. You were there right when we needed you, not only did you knock him out, you carried us home and nursed our injuries." Well he licked the cuts shut, that counted in her book. "You did not have to do any of it, but you did, you did so much more than any friend usually would."

The only answer he gave to that was a 'hn', and though Kagome did not know it, it was the start of his change. He was not her slave in that moment any longer; he had completely morphed into the Lord of the Western Land, about to enter a war for supremacy. In that moment, for reasons not known, the collar lost its power, Sesshoumaru felt it fade. Maybe it was because he was a strong Taiyoukai and his will had not been crushed like before, but in that moment he reverted back to the proud demon he once was.

Shippou being a demon understood what had happened in his next comment. To Kagome, it just sounded like an egotistical reply to her last comment. Both boy and girl were happy though for separate reasons to hear him say those words. It made them feel safe and secure, and Shippou for one knew he would follow that man to the ends of the earth if it was but asked of him. "That is why I am Alpha," he stated proudly.

And unspoken, but portrayed, 'That is why I am your Alpha.'

And he was, Shippou and Kagome slept in the safe knowledge of that declaration and the watchful, caring eye of their guardian, their protector, their savoir, and ultimately, their Alpha, Lord Sesshoumaru of the Western Lands.