A/N: So, I posted this chapter last night, but for some reason it deleted two paragraphs when I did it, so I took it down. Here's the chapter though, and sorry about the wait.

Chapter 10: Fitting In and Colorful Words

It had been a month since Haven had joined the Inu-Tachi group, and by now she was fitting in just fine with everyone.

Kagome had found the young hanyou pup to be like a mini Inuyasha, and if she hadn't know any better, she would have thought Haven really was his kid.

Over the past couple of weeks, Kagome, Sango, and Miroku have found many similar traits in the two hanyou's. The way they ate ramen like it was their last meal. How they sat like dogs when they were pouting.

One time Kagome caught Haven watching Inuyasha scratching his head with his foot like a dog, and when she saw Haven start to mimic his action she had finally realized the girl was only copying him.

This lead to him being yelled at for being a bad influence.

Sadly though because of their constant mentions of the subject prior, Shippo had gone and asked Inuyasha if he had somehow fathered an unknown pup, which caused a sputtering fit from the elder hanyou, which later ended with him eating dirt after hitting the small kit in the head.

"Kagome, look I caught one!" Said woman, who was snapped from her musings, turned her gaze to Haven who stood grinning on the riverbank holding a fish between her claws.

Currently they were down by a large stream trying to catch fish for dinner.

"Good job Haven." Kagome flashed the young pup an approving smile before the girl turned to look for more fish with a happy squeal in return.

Things had gotten better between her and the hanyou pup over the past few weeks, and Kagome was thankful the pup had stopped trying to bite her.

Inuyasha had been taking the girl on hunts lately and Kagome thought it would be good to spend some alone time with her as well.

She had noticed when Inuyasha or her would give the girl praise for doing something right a spark would light up in the little girls eyes. It was natural of course, but she felt like the girl was always expecting a different response.

When she had went and asked Inuyasha about it, he said it was probably due to how she was raised.

That answer had brought on a long lecture on how that was probably the reason Sesshomaru was an ice prick, and that it was lucky for the pup that the asshole had left her with a more compassionate provider like him.

'Compassionate? Yeah right.' Kagome thought, failing to catch another fish as she wondered how he knew such a word since he always seemed to beat on Shippo.

He had ended the conversation with how Inu-youkai crave affection and praise as pups, so there was nothing new about her trying to gain it.

Kagome knew he was slightly lying about it being just pups craving affection and attention though, but she knew better then to say anything.

It did however lead to her wondering if Sesshomaru wanted to be shown a feeling like affection, but she quickly squashed that thought before it became too thought through in her mind.

Feeling a tap on her shoulder, Kagome was finally able to stop her wandering thoughts as she watched Haven's uncertain expression closely.

The girl had grown, much to everyone's shock since she came to them. It wasn't a normal growth though.

After only being with the group for three days, the Inu-tachi had awoken the next morning to find the once five year old pup looking to be about eight or nine.

Inuyasha had, much to everyone's surprise, been the one to explain why Haven had grown at such a fast rate.

He believed something traumatic, something like the Sesshomaru incident, had happened to her. If a pup was exposed to a traumatic or life changing event, it can cause their instincts to react. Their instincts can some times make the pup age a couple years to make them stronger and better able to defend themselves, so something such as the past event won't happen again.

'She's so sweet though. I wonder what could have happened to her.' Kagome could only think of it being Sesshomaru's fault.

She stood from her crouched position in the river and smiled at the girl, who at first only stood to her upper thigh, but now was just past her belly button in height.

"Kagome is this enough?" Haven asked, eyes shinning with hope of pleasing the young woman she had grown to look up to as she played with the purple sleeve of her haori.

It had been a gift from Inuyasha when he had taken her to some old witch lady in a cave two weeks ago. The woman had taken measurements of her body before given her an outfit similar to Inuyasha's but in a deep purple a few hours later. It fabric was soft, and according to the two would keep her safe.

Kagome looked over to the pile of fish that Haven had been collecting and almost choked at the sight.

There were probably around fifteen fish! There was no way they needed that many, let alone the thought of how they would carry those back on their own.

"Um, honey I don't think we need that many." Kagome said hesitantly.

Seeing Haven's uncertain look turn into one of almost panic, Kagome knew she had made a mistake by saying such a thing.

"Shit! Kagome I'm sorry! I'll put some back I promise."

"Honey it's okay, we'll just-" Kagome stopped when her mind registered the profane word Haven had said.

"Wait. What did you say?" Kagome looked at the confused pup as she tilted her head.

"What did I say?" She asked clearly confused.

"That S-word. Were did you hear it?" Kagome had a feeling she knew where.

"Sorry?"

"No, the other one."

Kagome saw the spark of recognition in Haven's eyes before she spoke.

"Oh, you mean shit. Inuyasha says it every time you tell him to sit and he hits the dirt. He's like, 'Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Fucking Wench! Shit!'"

There was a long pause between the two before the miko woman felt her purifying energy flare as she grabbed Haven's hand and started dragging her back down the path toward camp.

Murder waas evident in her dark gaze.

"Kagome what about the fish!" Haven shouted, looking over her shoulder at her fading accomplishment as they got farther away from the stream.

"We'll get them later." Kagome mumbled.

Dinner was the last thing on Kagome's mind, and at the head of it was all the painful ways she was going to bury the ignorant hanyou who needed a lesson on the importance of not cursing in front of children!

A/N: So, there really isn't any excuse for my missing updates after school got out, except for laziness and I've become addicted to Candy Crush Saga! O.o That game is awesome... and addicting. Plus I got me a new phone that lets me play it on there so now its like an obsession. Anyway, I still got a month of free time to entertain you guys with, but BEWARE I do have five other stories to write for, I think its five, so it can always take me maybe a week or two to update. Love you all though and thanks to the reviews and stuff. Til next time. :)

NOTICE: For those of you who are waiting for me to update 'The Bang Buddy 10 Commandments' I'm working on it. Everything is done except Kagome and Sesshomaru's lemon, which I'm trying to make awesome and keep putting off. I promise though that it will be updated with 'Soberness of the Dawn' by Sunday.