A/N: Sorry I took so long everyone. I just got a second job and I've been crashing every night when I get home. I am so tired! But forget all that, here's the next chapter! And to everyone who reviewed last chapter, I love you all. There were more reviewers than usual last chapter and to personally thank you all would be difficult, but I really want everyone to know I really appreciate it! I do think that the reason last chapter got such a response may have had something to do with the adult type touching in the hot springs. Makes sense to me. Ha ha! Work sucks, enjoy!

Sesshomaru hesitantly brought his hand back up to cup Rin's face. Her skin burned against his. She whimpered and leaned weakly against his cool hand. Would it truly matter to him? If the girl was to die? He had simply to let nature take its course. Rin had been fated to die after all, long before now. She would have been dead in fact, if not for his curiosity about his father's sword.

He imagined the future without the child. He would no longer have flowers thrust upon him at inconvenient times. The serenity of the forest wouldn't be broken by childish laughter or embarrassing songs about himself. He would not have to endure uncomfortable moments when she would smile at him and tell him she loved him. That foreign emotion, that for all his years of living, he still could not understand.

He would never hear someone accuse him of being good again.

It had grown quite cold tonight. The forest was near silent. There were no sounds of animals rustling. Even the wind was still. He stared down at the child, the unnatural stillness of the forest no match for his frozen form.

"Sesshomaru?" Kodi prodded in a whisper. His whole body jerked, and suddenly, the forest was once more ablaze with life. He did not choose the child, but Rin had chosen him.

He bent and lifted the child, swiftly planning the best course of action. Kodi could not be left by herself. Jaken was not adequate protection. The child had to be transported as quickly as possible, but he was not able to transport both the child and the woman… unless? Yes.

"Hnn. Here, hold the child," he thrust the bundle of whimpering girl at the wide-eyed Kodi. She clutched the girl protectively to her chest. He turned and strode some distance away. He would need room to transform.

The girl huffed impatiently, "What are you doing? We need to go!" Sesshomaru restrained his urge to growl at the girl's presumption to give him orders and merely focused himself.

"Oh!" the girl gasped and stumbled back as he let out a roar.

**********************************************************************

I stumbled back in surprise as Sesshomaru was suddenly twenty times bigger and furry. The dog lowered his snout and nudged her before turning to the side and lying down. He turned his head nd looked at her.

"Um, should I climb on?"

Sesshomaru chuffed softly.

"Well, I'll just assume that means yes." I grasped Rin more firmly, shifting her weight so that she was supported on one arm. I grasped a handful of fur on Sesshomaru's side and began the awkward scramble onto his back. I ignored the soft growl my pulling on his pelt caused. It was quite difficult to climb up with Rin clutched to my chest but I managed out of necessity, eventually pulling myself up with both hands and using my weight to hold her up. Finally I sat just behind his neck, panting from exertion.

"Good Lord! You're freaking huge!" I gasped as Sesshomaru thrust himself to his feet. I grasped Rin more firmly as she moaned from the jerk and heave. I stiffened in anticipation as I felt Sesshomaru gather himself beneath me. One powerful surge of the beast and we were flying. Each bound he made carried us for what seemed like endless moments. There was nothing but the whistle of the wind and the rolling muscles of the demon that carried us below the black night sky. I was bent protectively over Rins prone body, my face pressed into Sesshomaru's soft pelt.

The distance we had traveled away from the well in the last two days was covered in what seemed like mere minutes. In some other situation, at some other time, I might have enjoyed that flying over the trees. As it was, I had my face pressed into Sesshomaru's fur with my eyes as tightly closed as I could get them; too tense and focused on holding Rin and myself on top of the demon to attempt to push myself past the instinctual fear and look.

If I had been able to look I would have noticed the way the moonlight slipped out from behind the clouds and shined on Sesshomaru's pelt with a singular white brilliance. Or the way the Sesshomaru leaped just high enough to clear the tops of the trees, but low enough so that the topmost leaves were close enough to touch. Instead I just held on for dear life, oblivious to it all until Sesshomaru once again landed and stay grounded.

An impatient rumble pulled me from my paralysis and I slid from Sesshomaru's back like a damp towel. Light swirled for a moment as Sessho transformed and he walked over to me. I handed Rin to him and stood up on wobbly legs. We had arrived directly in the center of Kaede's village and Sesshomaru strode confidently toward what I could only assume was Kaede's hut.

I tottered after him, speeding up when I noticed people peeking out of neighboring huts. Were Kagome and Inuyasha here yet? I hoped so, little girl Rin needed a fever reducer like no tomorrow. I'd settle for a Tylenol with the way how hot she felt when I held her.

A short, hunched over woman hobbled out o the hut we were approaching. She blinked at us in bemusement before blanching.

"Demon! Ye' do not belong here," the woman screeched. "Begone, we have done nothing to incur your presence!"

The woman gasped as she caught sight of me goggling at her from behind Sesshomaru.

"Ah, hello. Are you Kaede?" I asked as she gaped at me.

The woman turned a stern glare on Sesshomaru, "My lord, I really must protest your habit of collecting human girls."

Sesshomaru growled, "Be silent Miko. This Sesshomaru requires your assistance."

"What he means to say is, we'd be very grateful for your help," I interjected quickly.

"The human child who accompanies me is ill. You will aid her."

"Rin is sick and we don't know what to do. Can you help us?" I translated. Kaede blinked at me before turning her gaze back to Sesshomaru, ignoring my more polite variations of Sesshomaru's words.

"The child is sick?" Kaede asked slowly.

"Hnn."

"Very well, you may bring her in."

We followed her into the hut, ignoring the murmurs from the neighbors. Rin moaned softly as Sesshomaru laid her out on a mat. I brushed the damp bangs back from her sweaty cheeks.

Kaede felt the girls forehead as I had done earlier, made a distressed sound and immediately began rummaging through a shelf of jars. They probably contained herbs and such. Although I was a little hesitant to trust such medieval medicine I really hadn't any other choice until Kagome arrived.

"When is Kagome expected to get here? I understand she comes here before going through the well?" I asked, interrupting Kaede as she ground something green and smelly in a bowl. She shot me a startled look.

"Kagome has come and gone, and Inuyasha with her. They've already gone through the well."

"What? Damn it! We need real medicine! Now how are we going to get it?" Kaede squinted at me and I apologized and assured her that of course the slimy sludge she was mixing was real medicine.

"It's only that I'm more confident of modern medicine."

"Hnn," Sesshomaru murmured from where he sat cross-legged on the other side of the hut. "We will send the miko back to her time as soon as she arrives here."

"Oh. When are they expected back Kaede?" I asked.

"Not for a day at least."

I turned beseeching eyes toward Sesshomaru, "Isn't that too long? And who knows how long it will take for Kagome to go back once she gets here?"

"And what would you suggest this Sesshomaru do girl?" he growled in response. I lowered my eyes in thought, ignoring his annoyance. He was frustrated after all. I firmly shoved the memory of the strange intimacies from earlier aside, refusing to think about how that could be related to the youkai's frustrations as well. The thoughts would torment me later I was sure, but for now I wouldn't think of it.

A sudden idea jerked me upright. Oh. Maybe… Would he allow it? He might if I… embellished a little.

"Sesshomaru-sama," he raised his brow at the unusual honorific. "Ah, what if I were to go through the well Sessho?"

He snarled, "Absolutely not!"

"But she's so sick Sesshomaru! She could die by the time they get the medicine!"

Kaede coughed, "Er…"

I cut her off quickly, "I'd come back! I promise Sesshomaru, I wouldn't leave like that! It's only that I'm so worried about Rin."

"I'm sure Rin will-" Kaede tried again, but Sesshomaru released another thunderous growl as he stood swiftly to his feet to glare down at me.

"Mate you will not be leaving at all! I will not allow you to go through the well!"

"And what if Rin gets worse Sesshomaru? I need simply to go through and come back and she would be healthy again in a heartbeat! Will you take responsibility Sesshomaru, if she gets worse?"

Kaede cleared her throat, "Really, Rin is only-"

Sesshomaru snarled and whirled away. He strode over to the mat covering to entrance of the hut and stared silently (save for the rumbling, which he couldn't seem to help) out.

"I wouldn't be gone long Sessho, an hour at the most. I'll be back in no time at all," my words turned low and as assuring as I could make them. "I give my word Sesshomaru, and I value honor as much as you do. Besides, we do not even know if the well will work for me. She needs medicine Sesshomaru."

Sesshomaru looked at me over his shoulder, simply looked with his crimson eyes. My own gaze pleaded with him.

"Hnn. Come," Sesshomaru ducked out of the hut without another word.

I blinked at the empty doorway and turned to the bemused Kaede, "Ah, I'll be right back."

She nodded as I scurried after Sesshomaru. He stood just outside and as soon as I stood before him he turned and strode toward the path leading to the well. I toddled silently after him, afraid anything I might say would change his mind.

We came to the well and he stood stiffly next to the wooden lip. I stood nervously next to him, my finger practically twitching to grasp the edge of the well and pull myself in.

************************************************************************

Sesshomaru practically twitched with bestial energy. This situation had become out of control and he was at a loss for the first time since… quite a long time. She was leaving. It did not matter for how long. She would be out of his reach and his youkai was insensate with fury at the very suggestion.

This well had always confounded him. As soon as he had learned of it's unusual capabilities he had made an attempt to use them. The attempt was a dismal failure and as soon as he had ascertained the powers of the well would not be useful to himself he had aborted any further inquiries. He knew that when he jumped to the bottom he would not be transported anywhere. What he did not know was rather the girl would be.

Kodi claimed that the child was in danger. In such a situation he was powerless. It was not something he could abide. He controlled his instincts with great effort. The girl would either go or not, she would either return… or not. He would risk this for the child. Kodi had given her word… but what use was the word of a human.

He held out his hand to the girl. She took it without hesitation, which surprised him until he understood she was that eager to go into the well. He growled and she looked up at him in surprise. He scooped her up without preamble. She squeaked is surprise. He had to hold her one handed and she sat in the bend of his arm like a child. She had thrown her arms around his neck when he had lifted her and she held on tightly as he stepped toward the edge.

"Hey! You're not going to throw me in are you?" she yipped in alarm. "I was just going to climb down!"

He ignored her and leaped onto the lip. The girl yelped in alarm. He could not allow her to climb down and he was not going to 'throw her down' either. In either situation she was liable to injure herself if the well didn't in fact work for her. He squelched his demon's growled desire that the well not work. Not work, don't work, don't work! He squelched his visceral reaction to the girl's lingering heat scent as well. She was coming to the end of it so it wasn't as hard as it would have been a day ago. Her time of fertility was coming to an end.

He used his preoccupation with the girl's scent to distract himself from what might soon happen as he stepped off the ledge. The girl shrieked (right in his ear!) and buried her face in his shoulder. Drop her indeed. They plummeted into the darkness and as the girl's form stayed solid in his hold he prepared himself to land with her weight.

Just as his feet touched earth (silently of course) he stumbled.

The girl had vanished. And the weight he had expected to catch as he landed was gone. His arm was frozen in place, his hand still curved where it had clasped around her thigh.

He had seen no flash of light. There had been no sound, no thunder to mark the passing. And yet she was quite out of reach. And there was no longer anything to distract his youkai.

***************************************************************************

I landed on my butt in the dirt. At first I thought Sesshomaru had dropped me after all, but I looked up to glare out, I noticed the odd lack of light coming in from the top. I squinted up at the dim gray square. Then I heard a car honk and practically flew out of my skin. I scrambled out of the well, my kimono hitched up around my hips to make movement easier. I stumbled out of the wellhouse and stared around. It was the shrine. I was back at the shrine! There was that big gnarly tree and the pretty little house. Oh! And there was Inuyasha sitting in the tree!

"Inuyasha! Where's Kagome?" I watched as he fell out of the tree and stared at me.

A window near the branch he had been sitting on slid open and Kagome stuck her head out, "Inuyasha! What were you doing outside my window again? You know I hate that! What if I had been changing? Why don't you just SIT down there!" She paused and blinked at me, "Kodi?!"

"Hey! Check me out! I'm back in the future!" I waved at her giddily. Her mouth dropped open.

"Kodi! What? How? Oh my God!"

"I know, right? Hey, we need some medicine for Rin. She's got a cold, poor thing."

"A- a cold? Oh, ok. I'll bring some right down. Er… Sesshomaru's not with you right?"

"What? No, of course not," I wrinkled my nose. "I don't think he'd do to well if he came through the well. I have to go back soon though. I promised." I gave her my best puppy eyes, "Can I come in?"

"Er, yeah sure. Of course."

"Thank you! I'll be right up!"

"Um, just let yourself in."

I scurried over to the door and into the house. I came into the kitchen and waved to the startled woman inside.

"Hi! Don't worry, I'm Kagome's friend. Are the stairs this way? Thanks."

I ran up the stairs and whirled into the open door when I saw Kagome inside. She had her big yellow bag open on her bed. I clapped impulsively when I saw her computer.

"Ah! Can I e-mail some people so they know I'm all right?"

"Of course. Um, how soon do we need to get back? Is Rin that bad off?"

I sat down at the desk and logged in to the internet, "Oh, she just has a cold. A touch of the flu you know?"

"Did you run away from Sesshomaru to get here?"

"Nope. He agreed to let me come get medicine."

"Really? That's… really surprising."

I grinned at her, "Well, I may have exaggerated Rin's cold to him just a little bit. I mean, she is sick. It was definitely a good thing that we brought her to Kaede so she can stay warm and fed properly until she's better. And she will get better faster with medicine. I just also wanted to see if I could get back through the well." I frowned, "Also, I want Sesshomaru to stop taking Rin for granted."

"Oh."

"I do think I should go back soon though. Sesshomaru is liable to have a seizure if I take too long."

"He is?"

"Yeah. He's kind of psychotic and contrary that way."

"I think that's a dog thing."

I peeked out the window as I finished up my email. Inuyasha was sitting grumpily against the base of the tree, his arms crossed over his chest. I grinned and nodded in understanding. Kagome continued filling her bag. I had sent out a mass letter to everyone on my mailing list, explaining that I was taking an extended vacation and not to expect any news from me any time soon. Luckily, (or unluckily) what there was of my family wasn't very close, so this wouldn't be something anyone would look into. I hit 'send all' and logged off.

I looked at the clock. It had already been a half hour. I had told Sesshomaru no more than an hour. I tapped my fingers against the desk for a few minutes before jumping up.

"I'll wait for you to finish up downstairs ok?" I toddled out of the room and down the stairs, absently rubbing Sesshomaru's mark on my neck. It had begun to burn ever since I had gotten here. I was only really paying attention to it now.

I slid into the kitchen went to stand near the door. Kagome's mother introduced herself to me with an indulgent smile for my earlier antics. She offered me a glass of juice and I accepted.

"How do you know Kagome dear?"

"Ah, my… erm, my husband is Inuyasha's brother."

"Oh really? So you're from the past? But you don't seem…"

"No, I'm not from the past. I'm from now, like Kagome. I just… got sucked in."

"That's interesting. Will you be visiting often?"

I smiled, "Probably not. My husband gets lonely." I heard a snort from Inuyasha outside but ignored it. I tapped my toe impatiently as the minutes passed by. I was growing more irrationally uncomfortable by the moment. Was this another symptom of the bonding? My chest was getting tight and my belly ached. My fingers itched and my head was beginning to ache just behind my eyes.

Where was Kagome? We had to go back. Sesshomaru was probably going doggy (Ha!). I fidgeted and jumped to my feet as Kagome tromped down the stairs. I hurried her back out to the well house, barely managing to remain politely patient as she kissed her mother goodbye and fetched Inuyasha. He was still sulking and trudged along behind us. I glared at him. He was slowing us down!

Kagome opened the door and led us to the well. Inuyasha gruffly took her pack and lifted her onto the ledge. She teetered there for a moment, "Ok, are you ready?"

"Of course wench."

"And you Kodi?"

I stared at the well; my earlier anxiety was quickly being replaced by a different kind altogether. Kagome smiled gently, "You don't have to go back Kodi. We won't make you."

I frowned, "But… Sesshomaru-"

Doesn't really care. All that possession he threw around was merely an instinctual reaction. For heaven's sake, he was threatening to kill me as soon as the mating was lifted. He would kill me as soon as the mating was lifted. A few kisses didn't change a thing.

The ache behind my temples throbbed. It didn't matter, I had promised to go back. I straightened, "No, I'm fine Kagome. Lets go." She nodded and jumped down, followed closely by Inuyasha. I pulled myself up behind them. I looked down into the inky blackness and let myself fall.