Disclaimer: Still not mine.

CHAPTER 13 Theories

Kagome shook her head furiously at her mother, who was listening slack jawed to Eri's frantic explanation, as she ran past them outside. She had to find Sesshomaru before something bad happened to him. Her world was just as dangerous for a youkai child as the feudal era. Even without all the usual predators.

She ground to a halt, when she heard the distinct sound of laughter coming from around the corner. Her heart pounding and feeling faint with relief, Kagome rushed around the corner in time to see Inuyasha catch his brother and toss him up into the air again.

Sesshomaru's giggling filled the air and he gasped out, "Inyasa!"

Inuyasha clutched his brother to his chest and said softly, "I missed you, too, pup."

The pup relaxed into Inuyasha's embrace, but a second later his little golden eyes popped open and his nose twitched. He discovered a rather messy scratch on the side of Inuyasha's face, and a few other bleeding wounds through the fire rat.

Whining softly, Sesshomaru licked his brother's cheek and said, "Inyasa hurt."

Inuyasha chuckled, a low, throaty sound. "I'll be alright, pup. Just a few scratches"

He then tapped his claw gently against the colorful bandaid that spanned the little youkai's nose and arched an eyebrow. Sesshomaru's eyes crossed in attempt to see what his brother was indicating.

Sesshomaru frowned and said darkly, "Cat!" Then he brightened and lifted his wrist to show off the other band-aid.

Inuyasha bit his lip, his eyes sparkling. "It must have been some battle," he told Sesshomaru in a serious voice. Sesshomaru nodded solemnly.

Inuyasha ruffled his brother's hair, then suddenly seemed to notice that he wasn't alone. He glanced at Sota's dumbfounded expression, Rin's odd makeover, and a very ruffled Kagome staring at them both in relief, then put an annoyed expression on his face.

"Oie, Kagome, what have you all been doing? The brats smell like they've been rolling in ink. And what the heck is he wearing?"

Instead of responding, Kagome ran over to them and swept Sesshomaru into her arms. "You're all right! Don't you ever do that again, Sesshomaru. I thought you had run off, and without Inuyasha's nose, how would we have found you?"

Inuyasha blinked, unsure of what exactly was going on. Sota came sprinting back around the corner and tossed a ball cap at Inuyasha.

"Put it on, Inuyasha!" he urged quietly and looked back over his shoulder.

Inuyasha heard the sounds of running feet. A lot more feet than Kagome had pack members. He glanced at the girl, who nodded and mouthed either "My friends are here" or "More free root beer." He really had no idea what root beer was, so he went with the first explanation and crammed the hat down over his ears. He took his brother back from Kagome. Sesshomaru inhaled happily and buried his face in Inuyasha's fire rat.

He absently ran a hand over Sesshomaru's head as he watched Kagome's three school friends and her mother round the corner. Each looked just as frightened as Kagome had. What the hell was going on here?

"Kagome, is he okay?" Yuka called out.

Kagome nodded and smiled. "Inuyasha was walking by and caught him."

Her friends' eyes widened. "Wow, was that lucky, or what?"

Uncomfortable with the stares, Inuyasha sniffed and muttered, "Keh, caught? The brat jumped right on top of me, nearly tackled me to the ground."

Fortunately, no one heard.

Kagome's friends were looking very pointedly from Inuyasha's white hair, to Sesshomaru's and back to Kagome.

"How'd such a little thing get all the way up on the roof?" Ayumi asked when she realized Inuyasha had noticed their not-so-subtle looks.

Kagome hurriedly stepped in. "My grandfather was doing some work on the gutters earlier. I guess Sesshou just found the ladder, and then got stuck up there when my grandfather finally put the ladder up."

That seemed to satisfy that question as all the girls nodded and quietly discussed how dangerous ladders could be with small children. Finally, Eri looked at Inuyasha's hair again and blurted out, "So, he's yours I take it?"

Inuyasha tensed instinctively at the hard, accusing tone. "Keh, he sure as hell ain't yours."

He frowned as the girls shared a look and started whispering about cheating and violent boyfriends. Why would they start talking about guys in the middle of a conversation? Girls.

Kagome laughed uneasily and said, "Don't mind Inuyasha. He's just very protective of his brother."

The air lightened considerably. Her friends all said, "Oh, your brother," then smiled at him.

"Kagome, that is just so sweet," one of them whispered loudly, and they all

looked at him and giggled again.

"Well, Kagome, it's getting kind of late," Yuka announced as she glanced at her watch.

"Yeah, we'd better get going," Eri added. "Thanks for the tea and we're so glad you're feeling better. Hope to see you at school tomorrow."

Inuyasha almost smiled as he watched the girls going. Finally. He could feel Sesshomaru relaxing also. What had been going on?

Kagome turned around and immediately ran over to him. "Inuyasha what happened? Did you get rid of that woman? Is everyone okay?"

He winced as her hands brushed against a wound on his arm. "Keh, she took off once she realized Sesshomaru wasn't around anymore, but she sure gave us a beating before she did.

"I'll explain more later, though, first I want to know what happened here. Why was Sesshomaru up on the roof? And why does Rin look like that?"

Kagome did not seem convinced that things went as simply as he had suggested, but she let it be. Instead she replied, "My friends dropped in to visit while Sesshomaru was taking a nap. They scared him, so he and Rin went downstairs with my mom."

"I make Rin pretty," Sesshomaru proudly informed his brother and pointed a claw at Rin, who blushed and smiled at her lord. "I make her youkai."

Inuyasha chuckled and stripped the cap off his head, then slapped it onto his brother's. "You did that to her?"

The cap bobbed wildly.

"My lord and I went outside with Sota, and my lord snuck onto to the roof while we were playing," Rin continued to explain. "We were looking for him when you came."

"Pup, is that true? You ran off without telling anyone?" Inuyasha questioned sharply and he lifted Sesshomaru to his face by the scruff of the neck.

Sesshomaru shot Rin a glare, then whined softly and licked at Inuyasha's wrist apologetically.

Inuyasha growled low and forced the pup to look him in the eye. "You will not run off without letting me, or whoever is caring for you, know. Is that understood?"

Sesshomaru yipped and licked his brother's wrist again. "I be good. I listen."

Inuyasha relented finally and relaxed his grip on Sesshomaru, who smiled and clambered up his brother's arm to his back where he burrowed down beneath Inuyasha's thick mane of hair.

"So, I guess it's time for us to go, huh?" Kagome asked. "I'll go get my bag."

"Kagome, I need to ask you something first. Well, your mother actually," Inuyasha called after her.

Mrs. Higurashi started. "Me?"

Kagome paused and turned back around.

"I need you to come with me, Kagome," Inuyasha explained. "Sango is still frozen by that woman's spell, and Kaede says she does not have enough power to free her."

"Of course, I'm going with you. I need to help Sango. But what does that have to do with my mom?"

Inuyasha crossed his arms and looked at Mrs. Higurashi. "I want to ask if the pups can stay here until it's safe? I don't know what she wants with him, but she will be coming back. And I think we need a little time to prepare before bringing him."

Mrs. Higurashi nodded. "Of course, they can stay as long as need be. Do you think your brother will stay without you or Kagome here?"

Inuyasha frowned and tried to look back at the tiny head nestled against the crook of his neck. "He should. He likes Rin a lot, so he should be willing to stay for her. And don't fight him too much if he does start to get frightened or angry. He wouldn't mean to, but he could seriously hurt you, and I don't want my pup responsible for hurting anyone in your family."

Mrs. Higurashi nodded. "We'll be careful. Come here, Sesshomaru. Why don't we go inside and call the others for dinner?"

Sesshomaru whined softly and snaked his arms around Inuyasha's neck. Inuyasha growled low.

"Pup, I need you stay here and look after Kagome's family and Rin while we're gone," Inuyasha told him. "You're the only youkai at the shrine, so it's up to you to stay here and guard them."

He then gently lifted the youkai from his back and settled him on his feet. Sesshomaru hunched forward, his arms wrapped around himself, and his face scrunched from the effort of fighting tears. Looking like a very forlorn stray puppy, Sesshomaru nodded his agreement.

Inuyasha sighed and bent down to his brother's level. "Oie, Pup, I don't want to leave you, you know. And I will be back."

Sesshomaru sniffed and looked even harder at the ground as he traced a toe in the dirt. "Inyasa promise? He come back?" he whispered so softly even Inuyasha almost missed it.

Inuyasha swallowed, trying to lessen the emotion that weighted his voice. "I promise, pup."

To everyone's surprise, Sesshomaru smiled and threw himself at Inuyasha in a full hug. He rubbed his cheek against Inuyasha's face and then licked him. Then he hopped down and moved over to stand beside Rin and Mrs. Higurashi.

"Bye, Inyasa!"

Inuyasha grunted and turned away from everyone as he passed his hands over his eyes. "Whatever," he barked out hoarsely. "Let's go, Kagome."

Inuyasha put an arm around Kagome as they jumped into the well. The familiar blue light surrounded them, slowing their fall to a gentle floating. Kagome leaned closer against him, but frowned as a sudden thought struck her.

"Hey, Inuyasha, just how did you get through the well anyways?"

Inuyasha looked over at her questioningly.

Kagome blushed and said, "Well, you don't have your beads on…"

The blue around them faded and the late afternoon sky appeared overhead. With

a grunt, Inuyasha sprang up and carried them both out of the well. Kagome took a step back and straightened her uniform as he released her. When she looked back up she was nose to nose with tiny images of her and Inuyasha shouting. She leaned back so her eyes could focus better on the small, golden locket dangling in front of her nose.

Her cheeks tinted pink and she smiled lightly. She looked past it to the irate-looking hanyou holding it up. He glared at her and said, "Don't tell me you forgot that you gave this to me, baka."

Kagome smiled at his gruff response. "No, I hadn't forgotten, I just didn't think you had kept it. You put up such a fuss when I gave it to you, that I just assumed you'd tossed it a while back."

It was Inuyasha's turn to blush and look away. He shoved the locket back into his shirts and said, "I'd never throw away anything from you."

Kagome clasped her hands and looked up at him through her lashes. "Oh, Inuyasha."

He noticed this and crossed his arms defensively. "Keh, your stuff is too valuable to just toss. It'd be better to sell it."

Kagome's smile faded and she glared at him. "You're impossible, you know?"

"Keh!"

They returned to Kaede's village in silence.

"Kagome!" the ecstatic kitsune cried and launched himself into her arms in greeting.

"Hi, Shippo," Kagome said. "I'm so glad you're not hurt. I was worried about you."

He hugged her briefly and found a comfortable perch on her shoulder. Kirara mewed softly in greeting from her position curled up at her friend's feet. Sango stood frozen where the woman had left her, and a bandaged Miroku kept a faithful watch by her side. They obviously had made use of the medical supplies while Kagome was gone. Miroku stood up quickly when he saw Kagome, the concern for Sango clearly written in the deep lines and shadows of his face.

"Kagome, am I glad to see you," he said. "I'll go get Lady Kaede to help with Sango."

"Okay," she agreed as she went over to look more closely at Sango. Kirara leapt into her arms and watched in obvious concern. "So, what happened after we left?"

"Well, that woman followed me thinking I had the brats, so I lead her on a chase," Inuyasha told her.

"I helped trick her with my illusions. I pretended to be Sesshomaru and then Rin to lure her away," Shippo reported proudly and nimbly dodged a jab from Inuyasha by jumping to Kagome's other shoulder.

"I'm sure you were a big help, Shippo," Kagome assured him. "And I'm proud of you for working to defend Rin and Sesshomaru both."

Inuyasha sniffed and went on. "Damn, I swear she is just as fast as a full grown Sesshomaru, but I didn't get any scent from her human or otherwise."

Kagome walked a circuit around Sango as he spoke. "Whatever she is, she has very strong spiritual power. I should be able to break this once Kaede explains how, but it won't be easy."

"Aye, child, it will take a great deal of concentration," Kaede said as she and Miroku came up behind them. "I will combine my powers with ye to help ye focus, Kagome."

The older and younger miko sat down in front of Sango to concentrate, while Miroku, Inuyasha, Shippo, and Kirara sat nearby to watch.

"So now we have this crazy - whatever she is – who wants Sesshomaru because he is interesting, and a suspicious village miko," Inuyasha mused aloud. "Maybe they're working together on this, the miko supplying the spiritual energy and this woman the brute force."

Miroku sighed, crossed his arms, and leaned back against a tree. "There is only one woman, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes and looked over at the monk. "What do you mean, one? I thought you of all people could keep up with women, monk."

Miroku cracked an eye and leveled half a glare at the hanyou. "I meant that the miko Machi and our lovely attacker are one and the same."

"Keh, they don't look alike," Inuyasha argued. "And Machi had a scent, while this woman doesn't."

"Can you two keep it down a bit?" Kagome said. "This is a bit more difficult than it looks."

Inuyasha sniffed, and Miroku gave them a slight bow. "Our apologies, ladies. We do not wish to hamper your efforts to free Sango."

In a quieter voice, Miroku continued. "I know a woman when I see her, Inuyasha. And though her appearance is slightly more alluring now, our strange attacker and Machi are the same."

A gasp and short scream from Sango interrupted them. The slayer fell forward onto her knees and panted heavily as the spell finally released her. Kagome sprang forward to help her, only to be beaten by Miroku, who eagerly offered his own body as a crutch to help her into Kaede's hut, and Kirara, who transformed and assisted from Sango's other side.

Inuyasha, Kagome, Shippo and Kaede followed.

"Do you think it's possible?" Kagome asked. "That they are the same woman?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "Anything's possible. Heck, Sesshomaru is a toddler right now. And if anyone would be able to tell, it is definitely Miroku. The question is why does she find Sesshomaru so interesting? And is she the same castor who started this whole mess?"

They entered the hut just as Inuyasha finished his statement, and all heads turned towards him, considering his questions.

"I would bet that she did have something to do with this odd transformation, and all the strange happenings lately," Sango told them. "You said there was no scent where Sesshomaru was first attacked, and no trace of the spell."

Inuyasha nodded, and Sango continued. "So if this woman has the ability to hide scents and auras, then she is the prime suspect."

"I agree with Sango," Kagome chimed in, a frown of concentration on her face. She looked up at Sango, who was accepting a bowl of soup from Kaede and added, "But first off, are you all right? You weren't injured were you?"

Sango slapped Miroku's wandering hand away from her chest and replied, "I'm fine. Or I will be after this. Thank you, Kaede. Continue, please. I'm as eager to stop this person as the rest of you."

"So we finally have a suspect behind all of this, but we still need a motive," Kagome mused aloud. "Why would anyone want to make Sesshomaru into a child? She must have benefited from it some way, or it wouldn't have been worth the risk to go up against such a powerful youkai."

"Keh, I'm more interested in how she manages to fight how she does," Inuyasha told them. "She's a human miko, but she also fights and heals like a youkai. How can one person be both?"

"Ye are forgetting Tsubaki," Kaede inserted quietly from where she sat. She tended her fire as she spoke and did not look up at them.

"What does that other hag have to do with this?" Inuyasha snapped.

"Think about it, Inuyasha," Miroku said. "Tsubaki fought using the powers of a miko as well as those of youkai."

"A kuromiko," Kagome whispered with a shiver. She had definitely not forgotten the ordeal with Tsubaki.

"So, we're dealing with another kuromiko," Miroku said. His gloved hand stroked his chin thoughtfully. "I wonder if her motives are the same as Tsubaki's?"

"What do you mean?" Sango questioned.

"Her vanity and jealousy," Kagome replied. "Tsubaki was tainted by her desire to remain young and beautiful and her jealousy of Kikyo's beauty and appointment as the guardian of the Shikon no Tama. Miroku, do you think all this has something to do with this woman's quest to maintain her beauty or an act of jealousy on her part?"

Inuyasha scoffed and crossed his arms. "Why would any woman be jealous of Sesshomaru? Or think that he could keep them beautiful?"

"Well," Sango said, tapping her chin as she thought. "He is beautiful."

"And has that great hair," Kagome added wistfully. "So soft and shiny. I don't know how he does it."

"Probably some kind of herb," Sango added.

"Hey!" Inuyasha protested. "So what if the bastard is beautiful? It won't make Machi beautiful. Or make her so strong."

"I have to agree with Inuyasha on that one," Miroku put in, as uncomfortable with the ladies observations as the hanyou. "I doubt she decided to target him for not sharing beauty secrets."

"Perhaps not," Kaede said. "But I think ye are following the correct path. If her motivations be ones similar to Tsubaki's, perhaps she is targeting youkai, not out of jealousy per say, but for selfish reasons none the less. Youkai are long-lived creatures with magical abilities not only for self-preservation, but for the creation of pleasing humanoid forms such as ye credit Lord Sesshomaru with."

"That makes sense, Kaede," Miroku said. "If she has found some way to harness their abilities such as healing and speed, perhaps she has found a way to make their life-energy and youth her own."

Kagome shivered. "Killing youkai just to make yourself more beautiful and stay young longer. How can someone be so selfish? Especially someone with spiritual powers as strong as hers."

"Keh, Sesshomaru ain't dead," Inuyasha pointed out. "He's just become a pup."

"He's become younger," Sango said thoughtfully. "Could that be why Machi is so interested in him in particular? We ran across several enraged youkai, who seemed to have lost something, which would be understandable if she has been killing off their mates and kin. Those youkai died, but for whatever reason, Sesshomaru survived her spell. So now she wants him to either learn why, or take whatever ability he had to retain his life."

"I guess that could be it," Inuyasha said. "She does move a lot like Sesshomaru, which would be possible if she has stolen his life-energy."

"Okay, so now we know what she wants, and probably why," Kagome said. "Now all we need is the how. How is she doing this? And how did Sesshomaru survive?"

"It's her spiritual powers," Miroku supplied. "Each time she has used a spell or some other spiritual power. Her manipulation of scents. The sutra restraints. The curse on Sesshomaru and when she froze Sango. It is in battle when she uses the youkai energies for speed, strength and healing. If she understood a youkai's energy enough, I would not be surprised if she could use their attacks as well."

Shippo had remained quiet throughout the discussion, but now he jumped up onto Kagome's shoulder to add his own two cents. "I don't care how or why she's doing all this, all I want to know is how we're gonna stop her and get things back to normal. She fights like a priestess and a youkai, and she wants Sesshomaru. Why don't you tie him up in a tree as bait, and then when she comes to get him, we attack her?"

Shippo's smile broadened as he spoke as if he were already envisioning his plan put into action. He never saw Inuyasha's fist coming.

"Baka! Like I'm gonna tie the pup up and hang him from a tree," the hanyou snapped with a growl.

Shippo whined loudly and rubbed the lump on his head. "You did it to me," he grumbled under his breath. "To catch that fox deity."

"Perhaps the method is a bit crude, but the idea is rather sound," Miroku said. "Using your brother as bait would draw the woman out on our terms."

"No!" Inuyasha barked out so harshly even Kaede jumped. "My pup is not bait. Think of some other way, or we can just wait her out, but I'm not risking his life."

He stood up suddenly and cracked his claws menacingly.

"But-"

"My pup is not bait, end of discussion," Inuyasha snapped and stormed out into the night.

"Oh dear," Sango murmured as they all stared at the swinging mat in the doorway.

"I fear the greatest struggle will not be with the kuromiko," Kaede predicted in a solemn voice.

"I'll go talk to him," Kagome said. She stood and brushed her skirt down, then headed out the door.

It was already dark outside, but Kagome could see Inuyasha's white hair bounding along like a nervous silver firefly in the night. By the direction he was heading, she could tell he was going to the well. Kagome jogged after, but he was gone by the time she got there.

Kaede was right. Inuyasha's feelings would be harder to deal with than that kuromiko. He had almost completely accepted Sesshomaru as his own, and it tore her up inside to know how much it would hurt him to let Sesshomaru grow up once this was over. Silently, she jumped into the well and climbed out in her time. The door was open still, so she slipped off her shoes and went inside.

Inuyasha stood against the doorframe just outside the kitchen. Without a word she moved to stand beside him, curious as to what he was doing just standing there. Inside the kitchen, she discovered her mother and Sesshomaru at the kitchen table. Her mother had a bowl of diced meat in front of her and she was carefully feeding it to Sesshomaru. The little youkai was dressed in one of her brother's old pair of footy pajamas covered in tiny cars that raced across the deep blue background. Both were oblivious to the silent observers.

Once Sesshomaru finished, Mrs. Higurashi put up the dishes and picked him up. He yawned broadly, baring his sharp little fangs, and collapsed against her. His golden eyes blinked sleepily as the woman stroked his hair and hummed softly as she carried him out of the room. Kagome assumed Rin was already asleep.

"Inuyasha?" she said hesitantly.

"I just wanted to make sure the brat was doing okay," he finally said. "And don't try to convince me to use him as bait, 'cause I haven't changed my mind."

"Inuyasha, we don't want your brother to get hurt any more than you do, but we do need to catch Machi," Kagome told him softly. "He can't stay a pup, you know. We just want what's best for him, Rin, for all of us – to restore him to normal."

Inuyasha said nothing, but his shoulders slumped a little.

"Come on," Kagome told him. "We ought to get back and finish planning so we can get some sleep. Maybe tomorrow we can draw her out and end all this."

"What if we're wrong?" Inuyasha asked so quietly, Kagome almost didn't here him.

"About what?" she asked.

"About that kuromiko," Inuyasha explained, still refusing to look at her. "What if she isn't the one who did this to him and even if we kill her, he isn't restored?"

Kagome sighed and bit back a groan. She knew what he was thinking, what he was hoping, but in her heart she knew it was a vain and foolish hope. "I guess that is a possibility, Inuyasha," she admitted. "But what do you honestly think? Deep down, do you really have any doubt that she is responsible, or are you just trying to deny what you're afraid of?"

Inuyasha's shoulder's slumped further and his ears drooped. "I- I guess we'll find out when we get her. There's no use hoping one way or the other until we do."

"Come on, let's get back to the others," Kagome pressed and took his hand in hers as she drew him back out into the shrine yard.

About halfway to the well, Inuyasha balked. Kagome looked back at him and he answered her unspoken question. "I'll be right there. I'm just gonna check one last time and make sure the brat doesn't need anything. I'd hate for him to cause your mom trouble."

Kagome opened her mouth to assure him that her mother could handle almost anything, but closed it again. If his mind was made up, there was no way she would convince him to go until he had visited his brother one last time.

"I'll see you soon, okay?"

She stood there until he nodded his agreement, then returned down the well. Inuyasha waited until he felt the surge in magic subside, then bounded lightly up to the ledge outside Kagome's window. He listened for her mother to settle into her own bed, then stealthily peeked inside.

Rin was curled up fast asleep on Kagome's bed up to her nose beneath the pink covers. Sesshomaru had been tucked in between her and the wall. He had his back to the girl, and he was curled up in a tight ball. Inuyasha's heart ached to see the slight shudders of the pup's shoulders as he cried silently. Then he heard Sesshomaru call out his name softly and wipe his face on the strange sleeve of the garments Mrs. Higurashi had dressed him in.

Unable to stand the sight before him, Inuyasha slid the window open and whispered, "Oie, Sesshomaru."

The pup stiffened immediately and sniffed the air. Inuyasha chuckled as the luminous gold eyes sought him out.

"Inyasa!" Sesshomaru exclaimed as he launched himself across the room. Inuyasha caught the little youkai and clutched him to his chest. He didn't even mind when Sesshomaru dried his face on his fire rat, then nestled his little head right underneath Inuyasha's chin as he inhaled the hanyou's scent.

Inuyasha ran his fingers through his brother's hair and rubbed slow circles against his back.

"Inyasa come for me?"

Inuyasha growled low in an effort to comfort the child. "Not yet. I just wanted to make sure you were behaving yourself, pup."

Sesshomaru relaxed against his brother and picked at the sleeve of his fire rat. "I miss you, too, Inyasa. You stay?"

Inuyasha wasn't sure when he started rocking gently. "I'll stay until you fall asleep, okay?"

Sesshomaru's reply was cut off by a loud yawn. "Not sleepy," he murmured; but under influence of Inuyasha's deft touch, he couldn't keep his eyes open. Inuyasha ceased his stroking when he felt the tiny hands fall limp against his arms and the youkai's breathing even out. He embraced the pup a moment longer, then he stood and tucked him back beneath the blankets beside Rin.

Inuyasha hesitated only a fraction of a second before he bent and brushed a kiss over the crescent moon on his brother's brow. The little youkai stirred slightly and snuggled closer to Rin. Inuyasha smiled at the sight. Then, as silently as he came, he left.

He walked slowly to the well-house, struggling with feelings of love and protectiveness he'd never encountered before. Was this truly how it felt to be a parent? If it was, then Kagome's mother was a lot stronger than he had first thought. She allowed her only daughter to return down that well with him to dangers she could only imagine. He could not say he would do the same with his own pup were their places exchanged.

The others looked at him strangely when he entered Kaede's hut, but he was too wrapped up in these new emotions to care. Maybe it wouldn't be permanent, but he did have a pup to love and protect. And he would do it to the best of his ability.