Author's Note: I'm getting there...

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

oOo

Kohaku stood leaning against the open doorway of the small teahouse settled in a secluded glen beyond the forest. He stared blindly out over the tree-lined horizon that was slowly becoming a bright orange with the dying sun.

A slight shifting absently caught his attention and he turned his head to find the little girl, Rin, still asleep in the far corner of the empty house. He started for a moment, fearful she would awaken with a million questions that he couldn't answer and didn't want to answer. She turned with a blissful sigh and stilled once more in the realm of sleep.

Kohaku sighed in relief, but not completely without a sense of dread. He finally realized at Mount Hakurei that this little girl seemed to have a strange affection for him, but then that meant that Naraku had learned as much also. So he decided to use that affection that the little girl held for Kohaku in order to kidnap her.

Kohaku slid down the door-facing into a tired crouch; his forearms slumped onto his knees and hung his head. He turned to look at the girl's sleeping form with sense of vulnerability. Whatever Naraku's plan, Kohaku became determined to protect the little girl.

'But who's going to protect her from me?' he thought helplessly and allowed his head to fall

"Kohaku?"

Eyes alight with a sense of dread, the young demonslayer turned to see the girl from the corner of the small house. He only hummed in a spiritless fashion as affirmation to her inquiry.

Rin delicately rose from her spot, oddly tip-toeing towards the boy.

Watching as she rubbed the sleepiness from her eyes, Kohaku worried immensely. Naraku had sent him to retrieve the girl. Kohaku had pleaded and begged with the gods for Rin to run screaming in the opposite direction as he approached her.

But that hadn't happened. Instead, she had grasped Kohaku's hand willingly with glee and excitement.

He couldn't help feeling that alone had been a grave mistake.

Through all the situations that he and the girl found themselves in together, she still did not see him as a danger. Would the child ever learn?

"Kohaku? When we will look for Sango?" she asked, her voice meager with trepidation.

Kohaku's mind reeled and he felt the need to resist his head from swinging. "It'll be a little while from now," he lied, hoping that she would be appeased.

A wide grin and Kohaku let out a sigh of relief. So far, they were alone and Naraku had not made a move.

"Hey Rin, would you like to go get something to eat?" Kohaku proposed in as positive a tone as his emotions would allow. "I know where there are some of those melons that you like so much."

Rin's face dissolved into near rapture. He remembered she liked sweet melons.

"Sure!" she cried with glee and flew out the door, arms outstretched as she giggled with excitement. Kohaku nearly wanted to smile at her positive demeanor, but didn't feel as if he deserved to derive any enjoyment from her company. Instead, he dragged behind her, hoping that her demon protector found them before Naraku could inflict any more of his torment. At least then, he would know that there would be no chance of his hurting Rin, even if it meant his own death.

A scream abruptly pulled Kohaku from his depressive thoughts and he was faced with a whole new predicament. Standing just outside the house was the oddest lady that Kohaku had ever seen.

She glistened with a golden shimmer. Immediately, he bristled at her presence and eyed her with scrutiny. She was very beautiful and he marked that she smiled at them, a smile most malicious.

He looked towards Rin.

She was on her knees; her face white and wide-eyed with terror.

"Ah, now here you are," she declared casually.

Kohaku bent into his battle stance, grasping his sickle in a tight-fisted grip. Whoever the demoness was, her intent was obvious.

He stepped in front of Rin in a protective manner.

Neither one of them had a chance. Emi simple gave a flick of her wrist, and sent her crimson veil whipping towards him.

The last thing Kohaku remembered was a wicked laughter just before everything went black.

oOo

Sango awoke to the feel of hardened shards of rock sticking to her face from where she'd been lying on the cave floor. A fuzzy fluff was twitching about her nose and without opening her eyes, Sango insisted on wrinkling her nose in a lazy attempt to avoid the irritancy.

Her mind was still rather hazy. She felt as though she'd been in a deep sleep and despite the gradual realization of the hardened cave floor, had the lazy feeling of not wanting to rise.

Warmth began to seep into her body, the sound of the wind outside calling to her senses.

Finally the sound of a 'mew' caught her attention and she suddenly jerked up out of her drowsy state.

Turning her head about, she found that she was still in the cave. The fire had gone out. It was daylight outside.

Another 'mew' and Sango finally looked down and was met with a familiar feline.

"Kirara?" she questioned with confusion and swiped the smaller pieces of rock from her cheek.

Quickly, she turned about. "Sesshoumaru?" she called once she hadn't seen him.

Gingerly, Sango bent her stiff body to stand. "Sesshoumaru!" she called once more.

She took a few steps deeper into the cave, but a feeling told her that he wasn't there. She turned back and walked to the cave opening.

The sun had just crested over the mountains and filled the sky with brilliant shine. The wind was gently blowing in a pleasant, fragrant breeze.

"He's gone," she said to no one in particular as she stood looking out of the cave entrance. Sango allowed her shoulders to drop in a heavy sigh. She knew he would leave eventually and once again, she felt the beginnings of a painful emptiness.

How foolish she had been to think that he could see her in a different light, a different light with which she saw him now.

All those times she'd heard him berated. Hell, all the times she'd berated him herself. At least now she had a better understanding of his nature and just how much of it had been cultivated out of so many circumstances, so many emotions, that unwittingly made him into the great demon that he had become and greater still were it not for his own obstinacy.

A longing continued to build within her breast as she gazed into the sunlight. How had it happened? How had she managed to make a place for the great Lord Sesshoumaru, despiser of the human race, cold and calculating to his enemies, vulnerable to virtually no one…

How had she managed a place for him in her own heart?

For certain she had and she was surprised that it didn't feel at all the way she thought that she had loved Miroku.

First she'd been drawn to Miroku for he was certainly handsome and he was always there to lend a comforting ear. He'd always seemed to go more than out of his way to pay attention to her and inwardly, she had enjoyed that attention. Not many of the men in her village had truly seen her as a woman, only their comrade.

But it had never failed. Miroku was always true to form. Each time that they came up on a village, Miroku managed to make her feel as if she were simply a substitute for when he couldn't surround himself with beautiful ladies. To her, she didn't feel as if there was anything about her that set her apart from any other woman.

They were constantly at odds when it came to right and wrong. He was the perpetual con artist and a perfect letch. He never failed in those moments to bring out the very worst in her. To bring out a person that she didn't like, but he still continued to lead her on; to make her believe that he truly wasn't that person, only to let her down again.

Would she ever get it right?

Kirara simply sauntered up to her contemplative mistress and looked up with large, inquisitive eyes.

"…our intent…our purpose, they are somehow the same."

Sango felt a strong surge of determination as Sesshoumaru's voice echoed through her mind, bringing her back to last night. While he most certainly would never return her growing affection, Sango knew what needed to be done.

"C'mon Kirara," was all she said.

Within seconds, Sango was airborne. Where Sesshoumaru was, she didn't know. But she was absolutely certain that she'd run into him again and not under the best of circumstances.

oOo

Night quickly settled with a half moon settling on the horizon between dark casts of clouds. There were no stars to be seen this night. A slow wind carrying the scent of rain began to softly blow over the small threesome settled beside a small lake before a modest campfire.

"Hey Kagome, where's Miroku?" Shippo asked as he happily roasted a rather large fish over an open campfire. "He's gonna miss a yummy supper."

"Hn, so let him miss out," Inuyasha mumbled as he began to chomp down on his own catch.

"Shippo's right, Miroku has been wondering off a lot here lately," Kagome observed as she demurely ate her own supper.

"Eh," Inuyasha chomped. "He's just moaning and groaning over Sango," he continued, his mouth full of fish. "Wait 'til the next village. Miroku will be back to his old lecherous self in no time."

Kagome narrowed her eyes at the half-demon that continued to noisily devour his food, but sat quietly gazing up at the night sky, beginning to reflect upon the strange circumstances in which they'd found themselves lately.

Sango's leaving had a greater impact on them than she would've ever thought possible. She missed her friend and often wondered if she might ever come back. She missed having another girl to talk to and like it or not, they were without one of their best fighters.

Miroku had begun acting strangely. Often disappearing into the night for hours at a time with no explanation as to what he was doing or where he'd been.

Shippo moped every now and then for his lack of Kirara as a companion and Inuyasha grumbled about losing a good fighter over his "stupid" brother. But all in all, Shippo and Inuyasha remained the same.

A roar from the darkness and Kagome suddenly flinched in surprise.

Before she could say a word, Inuyasha had already leapt to his feet, Tetsuseiga already drawn.

A large shadow began to descend upon the group, but quickly became known as they descended into the firelight.

"Kagome," they heard Sango call.

"Uh, Sango," Kagome called back in surprise as the demonslayer dismounted and Kirara quickly transformed into her smaller form. "What are you doing here?"

"Yeah Sango, I thought you were too busy playing babysitter for my ass-head of a brother," Inuyasha snapped.

Kagome cast a withering glance over her shoulder. "Inuyasha," she warned through gritted teeth.

Inuyasha begrudgingly shut up and went back to his fish. Shippo quietly chuckled into his hand, but it didn't stop Inuyasha from hearing it and raising his fist as a warning.

Kagome turned back to Sango. Her face seemed to be worn with worry.

"Sango," her face relaxed into a genteel smile. "Why don't you tell me what happened," she offered graciously, hoping that she could help out the best way possible.

Sango cautiously eyed the half-demon over Kagome's shoulder. What she was about to ask would certainly bring a fight out of Inuyasha.

Kagome, sensing Sango's reticence and a casual glance back at Inuyasha, who was completely engrossed in another fish. "Why don't we talk over there," Kagome suggested as she pointed to a far bank on the edge of the lake.

Sango simply nodded and followed after her.

"So, did you want to ask me something?" Kagome began.

Sango's eyes grew wide at Kagome's surprising insight, but cast her eyes away in shame. "Y-yes," she began nervously. "I-I need you to help me…to find…my brother," her shame and her dread causing her to stammer stupidly.

Now it was Kagome's turn to be surprised. "Kohaku?" she stated absently. "But why? Has something happened?"

Sango sighed. "I'm afraid that Naraku has manipulated Kohaku into kidnapping Rin again," she informed bleakly. "Sesshoumaru has gone after them."

Kagome flinched in a double take. "And you didn't go with him? I mean, wasn't that kind of the point?"

Sango sighed yet again and took a seat on a large rock over the lake. "Do you remember what I told you? About that demoness?"

Kagome hummed her remembrance.

"I had Myouga spy on her," she began as though she were confessing to a great crime. "He discovered that the Lord of the Eastern Province was planning an assassination by slipping a poison to Sesshoumaru during the ceremony."

Sango had Kagome's full and undivided attention. The young girl decided that she also needed to take a seat as she never took her eyes off of Sango as she listened.

"I found out moments before the ceremony," Sango continued and suddenly leap to her feet. "Gah! Kagome, what was I supposed to do? Let Sesshoumaru drink to his death?"

Kagome watched as her friend stood, her body rigid with conviction and worry. It didn't take a genius to figure out what came next. "So, I take it you stopped the ceremony?"

Sango stiffened for a moment, remembering that horrible night and suddenly allowed her shoulders to fall in near despair. "Yes," she replied dejectedly. "Sesshoumaru banished me from the fortress. He wouldn't believe that they were trying to kill him…that they could kill him. It wasn't long after I had left that he confronted me about Rin's kidnapping."

Suddenly she turned back to Kagome, her fervor once again regained. "Please, Kagome, you know Naraku is involved and if Sesshoumaru finds Kohaku before I do, he'll kill him if only to protect Rin. Please, Kagome, I'm begging you," she pleaded, not realizing that she had gotten onto her knees before her friend. "Both their lives are in danger and I can't lose them," her voice nothing more than a broken whisper.

Kagome gazed upon her friend with warm sympathy. Kagome had entered Sango's life just as she had lost everything and also had nothing to lose. Had they never figured out just how Naraku configured into Sango's attack upon Inuyasha, Kagome didn't doubt for a single moment that the young demonslayer would've gladly given her life in her quest for vengeance.

Once Naraku had guessed the lengths to which Sango was willing to go for her the love of her little brother, he'd mangled and twisted her heart in a torturous fashion for his own disgusting pleasure.

As much as Kagome wanted Miroku to realize his unending love for Sango, all he seemed capable of doing was to break what was left of her heart by encouraging her only to let her fall harder into doubt when he failed her.

Finally, on that day, when she'd seen Sango for the first time since she'd left them, Kagome had seen a different Sango, a happier Sango…a healthier Sango. Though Sango still worried for her brother, she'd also had been given the chance to bond with the little girl, Rin. And though she still wanted to defeat Naraku, Kagome had seen that she had been building relationships with them and was making a comfortable existence for herself within those beautiful surroundings and all those dog demons…as if she had cared for them like…dare she say…family?

"Of course," she finally murmured.

Sango was so overcome that she threw her arms around Kagome. "Thank you, Kagome," she whispered. "Thank you so much."

Sango jerked back suddenly. "But what'll Inuyasha say?"

Kagome smiled so wide that her eyes squinted. "Well, you know Inuyasha."

oOo

Author's Note: It's late and I've gone over this numerous times, so if there's discrepancies...sorry. And please don't pelt me with garbage. If you're wondering what happened to Sesshoumaru, have no fear, his perspective is coming eventually.