"Koga…!" Nia raised her voice. "Do you want me to prevent you from having children?" The wolf demon almost backed up. He then had the nerve to ask her why she had become upset. "Why am I upset…? WHY AM I UPSET?" She pointed a finger over to the red head female demon. "You have, yet again, told someone that I'm your woman, when clearly I have already rejected you!" Koga merely brushed aside her statement, saying that they got pass that hill in their relationship. Kagura placed a hand on Nia's shoulder before she could give couple a few doses of her mutant power. The foreigner took a few breaths to calm herself. She couldn't understand how Koga managed to rile her up within moments of meeting. "Okay, okay…" She deeply exhaled once more. "Koga, don't make you hurt you." Nia wore a pleasant smile. "We have already established that I will not become your woman, especially since you're as experienced as Shippo. So do not go out and tell your wolf buddies that we're in a mutual relationship. Okay? Okay."

"Hey, don't talk down to Koga like that!" Ayame blurted. Her eyebrows knitted together. Obviously she was upset with the way this conversation had gone and she couldn't take it anymore. "He is the great leader of us wolf demons! A human like you should show some respect!" Nia stared at her for a good minute. Ayame—she remembered her clearly. The female wolf demon had shown up, out of the blue, saying that Koga promised to join her in holy matrimony. However, that relationship went, and probably wouldn't go, nowhere. If she remembered correctly, when the promise was given, Ayame looked to be a young child, while Koga seemed to be in his teen years. Even if Koga had remembered, he still wouldn't go through with it seeing as though it was considered a mistake in his youth. He probably thought she would not have taken it seriously.

Nia almost rolled her eyes. "Wolf demons," she thought. Hardheadedness seemed to go hand in hand. The foreigner gave a hard stare to Ayame. "Look, little girl-" Nia began, even though Ayame was probably more than three times her age. "-You don't know nothing about me, so don't step to me. Back up before you get smacked up. Got it?" It was uncomfortably silent after she was finished. And then Koga moved closer to her.

"Wait, Nia! It's not like that!" he said. "She's not challenging you."

"Hmph…" Nia turned her head away. "I'm just saying that she doesn't know me. I could turn into my stereotype right now and set it off!"

"My pack has increased recently because of Ayame, so I wanted to introduce you," Koga explained.

"What? Wait… How is she contributing to the increase of your pack?"

"Because I mated with Hakakku!" Ayame stated with a sneer. "Because of our union, my pack has joined his." Clearly the female demon did not like Nia. "Since I-"

"Yeah, shut up," Nia interrupted. She could sense that Ayame didn't like her, and she wasn't about to be polite to a person who wouldn't show her not an ounce of respect. Although news of her getting together with the Mohawk wearing demon was a surprise, Ayame's attitude made her not want to know how that happened. Her hazel eyes turned back to Koga. Was he being serious? Wanting to introduce them to her…? Nia clicked her tongue. "Koga." He focused entirely on her. "Why are you doing this?" she questioned. For a moment, there was complete silence. The spectators narrowed their eyes, wondering what the foreign woman meant. Then the wolf demon leader spoke.

"I plan to settle everything," he replied. Nia's eyebrows furrowed. "Everything."

"Why? Why now?"

"Because, Nia, I'm serious." Koga's eyes averted for a moment. "What you said last time made me think about everything I've done up till now. You are right, and so I'm settling the things of the past… for you." Nia clicked her tongue again.

"Serious, huh?" She almost scoffed. She placed her hands on her hips and sigh heavily. Finally, she returned her hazel eyes to the wolf demon. "Kiss me."

"Eh…?" His voice squeaked. The others seemed just as shocked as he was. Annoyed, Nia repeated her demand. "H-H-Here? In front of everyone?"

"Is that a problem?" Nia's eyebrow rose. Koga's cheeks glowed bright pink. "Kiss. Me. Right. Now!" Of course, the wolf demons were staring, absolutely astonished. Kagura, used to this behavior, merely rolled her eyes. The leader of the pack slowly reached out, grabbing the foreigner's shoulders. He swallowed hard as he pulled her closer to his body. Nia blinked, waiting for her kiss. She dropped her arms to her sides. Then she closed her eyes and slowly poked out her lips. Koga's eyes widen slightly, and then he leaned down... only to kiss her cheek. Nia's eyes fluttered open, and then they narrowed into a glare. She scoffed and turned her head away. "I knew it," she said. "That was the first time you've kissed someone, wasn't it?" She turned her back to him, crossing her arms. "That whole mating for life thing…" Rolling her eyes, she glanced back at the clearly embarrassed Koga. "Like I said before, I can't become your woman. I will not be satisfied with a virgin like you. I'll go get my kisses somewhere else!" And with those words, Nia began to walk back towards the village.

"That's it!" Ayame's shout caused her to stop. Not to mention, when the female wolf demon slammed her fist to the ground, a minor quake happened. The red head glared at Nia, ignoring the efforts of her mate to calm her down. "Not only are you disrespectful to Koga, but you're also a perverse woman and an adulterer!" She pointed a finger. "I refuse to acknowledge such a woman as Koga's mate! And I definitely will not see you as his new love interest either! You must be extorting him with something, right? And you're doing this to make a fool outta him!" Nia regarded her with a cool expression as she ranted. However, when she was done, the foreign woman's lip twitched into a snarl.

"Do not accuse me of anything, especially when you do not know the situation," Nia nearly yelled. "What I do and say to Koga is our business, not yours or anyone else's. I don't care if you're a new addition to his pack, you will not talk to me like that because I won't stand for another childish brat!"

"Hey, she is my-" Hakakku began.

"Shut up!" Nia growled. Immediately the demon flinched away. Did her eyes turn completely white for a second? The foreign woman clenched her teeth, returning the glare to Ayame. The wolf demon involuntarily took a step back. "I can't do this anymore. I'm out." She turned and nearly stomped away. After a moment, Kagura followed after her, leaving the three wolf demons by themselves. Ayame finally let out several indignant huffs.

"I can't believe her!" she exclaimed. "Who does she think she is?" Green eyes settled on Koga, who had been unnaturally quiet. "Why, Koga? Why? Out of all the women you could have chosen, why did it have to be her?"

"Because she's exactly what I need," he answered.

"Eh?"

Koga turned narrowed eyes in Ayame's direction. "Nia may have strange methods, but everything she says is the truth. I need that honesty. I'm attracted to her. Everything about her is what I need. And now… She's what I want." His newest member looked as though she wanted to say something else. "Don't talk about her like that again. She may have been rude to you, but she was right. You are a childish brat, Ayame. Kagome is a childish brat. What I need, what I want—is a mature woman fit to become my mate."

"Ko-Koga…" Ayame choked out. She pressed her lips into a thin line. "All this time—you thought that way of me?"

"Yes."

"And Kagome…?"

"… I've realized that recently," Koga admitted. "Anyway, Nia is the one I intend to become my woman, and this time, I won't give up." He turned his eyes to the night sky. "I just have to… grow up, so she'll accept me."

Ayame bit her thumbnail and glared down at the ground. "I won't accept this!" she thought. "Koga's making a mistake! This isn't the right one! She'll be the downfall to our pack! I can't let that happen!" The red head demon began to devise a plan. Although it seemed as though this Nia wouldn't accept Koga's feelings, Ayame didn't want to take any chances. "I'm doing this for you, Koga… You'll thank me one day!"

0-0

Nia tapped her temples several times. She was still very heated about that confrontation. Pacing back and forth, she ignored Kagura in favor of trying to calm her heart and relax her muscles. She couldn't understand why, nearly five minutes later, she was still thinking of ways to murder Ayame. Usually, she could control her emotions quite well. Her uncle hadn't drilled lessons into her head for nothing. For the sake of her acting career, what she should feel was kept under wraps. However, it was taking too long to control her anger. Why…? "Oh shit," she thought when it finally came to her. The woman stopped pacing. Nia sighed heavily.

There was only one time that she couldn't control her emotions well. The reason came once every month. "Already…?" she thought. She counted on her fingers. Sighing miserably, she realized that, yeah, it was that time. "Argh…! Mother Nature can eat a big one!" Kagura called out to her. "Huh?"

"Perhaps I'm over thinking this, but maybe you're being a little too hard on Koga." The wind witch decided to ignore the way the foreign woman replied to her. "He is sincere in his pursuit of you."

"… I know," Nia muttered, looking down. "I know he is now. When he kissed me—that's when I knew how serious he really is." She sighed. "If he had any doubts, even a little bit, he would have gone for my lips. However passionate or chaste it might have been, aiming for my lips would be a sign that on some level he did not feel strongly about me. But since he kissed my cheek-" Frowning, Nia closed her eyes. "-I can tell he's completely chosen me."

"And… You don't want that?"

"No! God, no! I'm the type of woman that… guys shouldn't fall for!" Nia shook her head and opened her eyes again. "Naraku was a lucky sumbitch because I can care less what happens with him. He's an evil bastard, but… Koga's innocent… and a virgin." She sighed again. "I'm not the woman for him. He's not the man for me."

"Ah, pity that," Kagura commented. "Now about Koga's friend—Ginta, I believe it was."

"Really, Kagura? You think Ginta's cute?"

"… Yes. So?"

"Whoa. I would have never thought that a guy like that would be your type." She then grinned as a thought occurred. "Then again… You don't seem like the type to be the submissive one in a relationship. You know he's a virgin, too, right?" Nia asked. The demon merely smirked.

"That's good news for me then," she said. "I could mold him into a man that can satisfy me and only me." Nia's eyebrows shot up, causing Kagura to chuckle. "Don't tell me this is the first time you've thought about this. Virgins are the best because they're a blank slate. Surely the first time will be awkward, and maybe the next time, but soon enough, they will be trained to do exactly what it is that has the highest pleasure rate." Nia smirked.

"Hohoho! What's this? Kagura, are you an experienced woman, too?" she asked.

"No," Kagura confessed. "Until recently, I have only focused on my freedom, but that doesn't mean I haven't thought about the touch of a man."

"Oh my God!" Nia laughed out. "You're a perverted virgin! Haah, I remember those days. You're going to be really happy when you finally get some, Kagura."

"That's what I hope for… and with Ginta, too." The two women shared a laugh. A few miles away, the wolf demon in question shivered and sneezed. "Now that you've calmed down, we should head back. They've probably come to a decision about Naraku."

"Yeah, let's go."

When the two reached Kaede's home, the smell of food drifted into their noses. Nia sighed blissfully as she headed towards the door. Something warm was bound to make her feel great. "I'm back!" she announced. She and Kagura entered the home of the old woman. To her slight joy, Kagome still hadn't awoken from her unconscious state. She must have shocked her a bit too much. Oh well—wasn't like she was dead, or something, right? Kaede was kind enough to fix her a bowl of delicious smelling soup. Kagura, though, didn't want to eat. "Thanks for the food!" The foreign woman happily began eating despite the ominous looks of her friends. As she thought, the warm liquid did make her feel loads better. She was about to ask for another bowl when Sango finally spoke up.

"Nia… About what you said…" she began.

"Yes…?"

"After much consideration, we have reached a decision," Miroku continued. He bowed his head. "We realize how dangerous this is and what it could cost you… Still, you have made us realize there are different ways to get to the same destination. So please…" The monk lowered his eyelids. "With your abilities, we ask that you assist us with Naraku."

"Please!" Sango also bowed her head. Inuyasha's eyes remained on the floor, his arms crossed.

"Yes, yes."

"That was fast," Inuyasha said with a flat expression.

"Well, I'm the one who suggested it," Nia replied. "It'd be hypocritical if I were to back down now." She smirked in thought. "Besides, this is my chance to finally sex someone up! Kekekeke! I can hardly wait!" She clapped her hands. "Now that that's taken care of, I want to try the well tomorrow morning."

"The well…?" Sango repeated. "Why?"

"To see if it works." Nia answered. "If so, I plan on spending an entire week there."

"What?"

"Trust me, I'm a whole lot of fury that you guys cannot handle during the following week."

"Ah…" Sango nodded in understanding. However, the males of the group still seemed perplexed. "During this period, you must not be able to control yourself?" Nia nodded her head gravely.

"You should've seen what I did to Jaken for the six months I was traveling with Lord Sesshomaru." She shook her head as if feeling guilty. She wasn't. "The poor guy couldn't open his eyes for days." Nia noticed that Inuyasha was about to question her. "Ah, ah, ah!" She wagged a finger. "You said you wouldn't inquire what happened during the time we spent apart."

"Feh! Like I care!"

0-0

Sesshomaru halted in his walk and narrowed his eyes. His head turned in the direction that the wind blew. "Lord Sesshomaru…?" Rin said after a moment of no moving on his part.

"She has returned to my brother's group," Sesshomaru said, mostly to himself. Then the demon resumed walking, but in a different direction. His companions had no choice but to follow. This trip was taking longer than necessary. If she had stayed in the village, they would have reunited in a few short hours. Now, however, since the foreign woman had gone back to Inuyasha, the trip would take more than a few days. Sesshomaru almost considered returning to his patrol. Rin was looking forward to meeting 'big sister' again after so long. He had already said that he would allow them to meet again. She would be gravely disappointed if she could not see the foreigner.

"When are we going to arrive, Lord Sesshomaru?" Rin asked.

"Another few days."

"Oh…" Already she sounded disappointed. Briefly, the demon lord closed his eyes. "I see."

"Rin, don't question him!" Jaken waved his staff. The little girl only stuck out her tongue from the safety of Ah-Un's back. "But may I ask, Lord Sesshomaru, why are you so insistent on meeting that horrid woman again?" Golden eyes cut to the smaller demon, causing Jaken to squawk and scurry back. He still must have been irritated with that woman's actions towards him whilst she was on her monthly occurrence.

"I can't wait to see Nia again!" Rin smiled brightly.

"Jaken, when we reach the village, take Rin and Ah-Un to Inuyasha," Sesshomaru ordered. "I expect even you to sniff him out from such a short distance."

"I understand, my lord."

0-0

It was the next morning on the outskirts of Kaede's village. Kagome and Nia were preparing to leave via time portal. Inuyasha stood there, annoyed with his arms crossed. He didn't like the idea of Kagome being gone for an entire week just because she needed a 'vacation' of all things. Expectedly, he wore his usually scowl. "Calm down, Inuyasha. It's just a week. Besides, I'll be able to get some much needed studying done." Kagome sat on the edge of the well. Nia sat on the opposite side of her, looking quite bored. The others had decided it was too early to say their goodbyes. Really, it was too early. If it had been up to her, they wouldn't have gone until the sun was at its peak. But no, this was Kagome's little revenge against Nia. Some people just couldn't forgive and forget! It's not like she ended up dying! She was only unconscious for a little bit.

Nia yawned loudly, but she was ignored. "Whatever, if I get tired of waiting, I'm coming back to get you!" Kagome smiled, and then waved. She turned to Nia and held out her hand. With a sigh, the foreign woman intertwined her fingers with the schoolgirl's. On three, the two females jumped in. To Nia's fascination, she didn't hit the ground. She and Kagome were surrounded by a void of blue, purple, and black colors. She almost couldn't believe it worked for her. Then again, Inuyasha could come and go as he pleased. And if the others attempted to go down the well, she couldn't remember that episode. Within a few seconds, her knees fell to solid ground. She blinked several times, still feeling light on her feet.

"Let's go, Nia," Kagome had already stood and was now climbing the convenient ladder. The foreign woman nodded her head, and then followed her up. "Don't look up my skirt!"

"Oh please, Kagome! Last time I checked, you didn't have a penis, so I definitely wouldn't do that," Nia retorted. Kagome's eyebrow twitched. It had just been a joke, a mistake on her part. A pink tint settled on her cheeks.

"That reminds me," Kagome began as she glanced back. Nia had just pulled herself from the well. "You can't, under any circumstance, act the way you normally do around my family! And no powers, either!" The foreign woman blinked twice, and then grinned.

"Why, Kagome, I would never behave like myself the first time I meet someone. Remember how I eased you guys into it?" she asked. The schoolgirl gave a sour look.

"People shouldn't have to ease into a personality," she remarked. Nia only shrugged and gestured for Kagome to lead the way. "Okay, let me do the talking first, and then once they're used to your presence, then you can talk." Eyebrows furrowed as the foreigner stared.

"Okay," she finally said. "Just a fair warning, I'm probably not going to follow that." Kagome sighed heavily as she climbed the stairs. Typical Nia—she should have known the older female wouldn't follow orders. The schoolgirl briefly wondered how Sesshomaru put up with her for six months. Then again, Nia was incredibly smart. If she could convince Naraku that he was in love, then surely she could get out of a life or death situation with Sesshomaru.

The two headed towards the door. After a few knocks, Kagome's little brother, Souta opened the door. He smiled and greeted his older sister. Then he noticed the foreigner standing behind her, wearing his sister's school uniform. "Who is…?"

"This is my friend. She came from the well," Kagome explained, moving past her younger brother. She set her yellow bag down and removed her shoes. "We're going to stay here for a bit."

"The well?" Souta exclaimed. Nia grinned and waved.

"Please take care of me," she said as she, too, walked past him. As she did, she patted his head. Little kids were so cute, after all. Ignoring Souta's exclamation, Kagome asked where their mother was. The younger Higurashi stated that she had just returned from the store and should be in the kitchen. Nia followed Kagome into the kitchen. She was greeted by the sight of her mother putting away groceries.

"Mom, I'm back!" Kagome announced. The older woman turned around and smiled. She then noticed Nia. "Mom, this is Nia. Her story's complicated, but she came from the well. She missed the technology, so can she stay for awhile?"

"Hm…?" The mother, if Nia remembered right, was called Nodoka. As a die-hard fan, she knew even the tiniest detail of minor characters. Nodoka blinked once, and then she smiled. "Of course she can stay. Can you speak Japanese?" Nia bowed politely, giving an affirmative answer. "That's a relief. I don't understand too much English."

"Haha, thanks, Mrs. Higurashi!" Nia replied.

"Where's Grandpa?" Kagome asked.

"A checkup. He should be back later," Nodoka replied.

"Mom, could me and Nia go to the store. We're running low on supplies." The schoolgirl linked arms with Nia. "I promise I'll explain her presence over dinner!"

"Of course, of course."

"We're leaving right now—bye!"

Kagome proceeded to drag Nia out of the house again after grabbing the credit card from Nodoka. Clearly, she was excited with the concept of shopping. The foreign woman opened her mouth to speak. "It's no wonder," she said. Kagome looked back at her with questioning eyes. "You're childish because your mom spoils you and lets you do whatever you want." Because of her statement, she was glared at. "What? It's true. Don't get offended. It's just a difference in culture."

"Yeah, yeah." Kagome suddenly stopped walking down the steps. She blinked, and then turned around, staring at Nia from head to toe. The woman raised a brow. "You're not wearing shoes."

"Look who's a genius," Nia replied.

"I'm going back to get you a pair of sandals—wait here," Kagome instructed. The schoolgirl went back up the stone steps, leaving Nia on her own. Five minutes later, she returned, holding a pair of simple black sandals. "I've never gotten a chance to wear them." She handed them off. Nia examined them a moment before dropping them. Surely, she couldn't have the same size feet as Kagome, right? To her surprise, the sandals fit. "I haven't been shopping in awhile I'm excited! Let's go!"

0-0

Kagome hadn't been lying when she said she was excited. She and Nia had been hopping from store to store for the past several hours. They had only needed a few items, but Kagome had gone crazy with bargains and discounts. Sure she had gotten things cheap, but surely they didn't need this much crap! Who was going to carry all of this all the way back home? Nia sighed miserably. She was now waiting for Kagome to return from another store in the mall's food court. Not that she despised shopping herself, though. She, herself, had gotten many outfits—mostly shorts, tank tops, skirts, and sundresses. Shoes weren't really important. When Kagome commented on her choice in wardrobe, saying that she believed Nia to be a tomboy, the foreign woman merely replied 'Easier access.' It took a minute for Kagome to understand, and when she did Nia got a firm talking to. If they hadn't been in public, she would have electrocuted her.

So here she sat, sipping iced water from a straw, waiting for her host to come back to her. Nia gripped the big plastic cup with both hands, glaring at anyone who had passed her. "This stinks," she muttered around the straw. She had bitten the top of the straw until it had become flat, barely able to produce water. All she really wanted to do is sleep the week away, like she normally did when the time came. Even Sesshomaru had given her some space during the six month period that she was with him when it was this time.

She closed her eyes for a moment. Speaking of the demon lord, she was really missing his ward. Such a cute little girl deserved to be hugged and kissed profusely. "That reminds me—I should buy some lip gloss. Haven't had it in awhile." Nia licked her lips. She had a habit of biting and tearing the skin from her lips whenever it was that time of the month. Already, her lips had become rough and deformed and the blood hadn't even come yet. One of the reasons she had wanted to stay in the future was because of these non-kissable lips. How was she supposed to seduce Naraku, or any other unsuspecting guy, when she didn't feel confident about herself? So it was best to stay here until it was all over.

"Excuse me," a voice called. It sounded close by—right in front of the table she was sitting at. Slowly, Nia opened her eyes, noticing she was staring at someone's crotch. Definitely male. Hazel eyes traveled up, stopping on his face. "I couldn't help but to notice you wearing my school's uniform."

"Hojo," Nia blinked in surprise. This was unexpected. It must have not been a school day because he was not sporting his uniform. He seemed to be surprised that she knew of him. "Ah—Kagome told me about you."

"You know Higurashi?" he questioned. "Who are you? I didn't think there was a foreign in our school." Most people wouldn't approach a foreign person, assuming they wouldn't know the language. Nia mentally applauded his bravery… or was it foolish friendliness?

"My name is Nia Dodson. I am not a foreign exchange student at your school, though. I am a friend of Kagome's, and I'm currently staying at her house."

"Ah, I see," Hojo replied. He looked around. "Is Higurashi showing you around?"

"Yes, she is actually," Nia said. "I'm waiting for her to come back for me. She saw something really cute apparently and just had to check it out." Hojo chuckled. Then he asked why she was wearing the uniform. "I wanted to try it on," came the simple answer. She didn't think telling him her original clothes were torn due to two demons. That would have been bad, and surely Kagome would scold her again. Come to think of it, Nia was getting tired of that. She was approaching twenty, and the schoolgirl was only sixteen, maybe seventeen. Shouldn't she show some respect to those older than her? "So anyway, I'll tell Kagome you said hi."

"Well, I kinda want to talk to Kagome about something, so can't I wait here with you for her return?" Hojo asked.

"No." Her instant reply caused the schoolboy to look disappointed. "We're having girl time right now, so no boys allow. Talk to her when you see her at school." Hojo appeared as though he wanted to say something else. However, he shrugged his shoulders and smiled.

"Alright then," he said. "It was a pleasure talking to you, Miss Nia." Her name sounded heavily accented on his tongue, which caused the foreign woman to glower. Luckily, the boy didn't notice because he had turned around.

Minutes later, Kagome finally returned looking quite satisfied with herself. "Sorry about the wait. I saw some shampoo afterward I bought that cute jacket." She had several more bags. "And then I spotted some other stuff, too." Nia only shook her head, standing up.

"Can we just go?" she frowned. "I'm tired as hell."

0-0

I'd like to thank Yokuraromaru and Psychotic Rose for their wonderful comments on the last chapter. I smiled a lot as I read those two reviews, so please keep them coming. :D