I finally have a longer chapter for you guys! Thanks for all of your reviews, I always enjoy reading them. I know you guys want these chapters to be longer, but I wrote a lot of these months ago. The most recent chapters I've written are a lot longer than the ones I've been posting so far. So I just need you guys to be patient please. :P

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or its characters.

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Chapter 38 - Questions

When Kagome returned to camp with Kohaku in tow, they were both greeted with a gasp. Turning a little, they found a very emotional Sango fighting to hold back tears.

"Kohaku?"

"Hello sister."

"Kohaku!" Sango quickly went barreling across the campsite before running straight into her brother enveloping him in what may have been the tightest hug in existence, if Kohaku's slightly blue face was anything to go by. "What – When – How…?"

Chuckling lightly, Kohaku merely gestured to Kagome who was watching the exchange with a somewhat wistful expression. Before she could comprehend what was going on, she too received an extremely tight embrace. "Oh, Kagome. I don't know how you brought him back, but thank you!"

"It's nothing Sango. Now stop wasting your time with me, go catch up with your brother."

The older taijiya wasted no time in dragging her brother over to her previous spot in the camp and introducing him to the monk.

"Miko."

Jumping slightly, she turned to find the taiyoukai standing just on the edge of the camp. 'Funny, I thought he went ahead of me…'

"Hai Sesshomaru?"

"I have questions."

"About what?" He gave her a pointed look before his eyes swept the camp. 'Ah, he wants to talk alone.'

"Hey guys." She raised her voice slightly so she could gain the attention of anyone who was already awake. Which really just meant Miroku, Sango, and Kohaku. Inuyasha was, of course, nowhere to be seen. Once she had their attention, she continued. "I'm going to clean our breakfast, okay?" She received their acknowledgement before they returned to their conversation.

Refocusing on Sesshomaru, she gestured for him to follow her to the stream. Arriving quickly, she wasted no time in beginning to clean the small buck Sesshomaru had caught. 'Mine was bigger… I would have totally won.'

"Alright Sesshomaru… sama… Ask away." She inwardly was glad she had the buck to focus on, her nerves would have been shot if she had to look at him while he asked his questions. She was greeted only with silence, and she had to risk a glance in his direction just to make sure he was still there. What she saw astounded her. 'Is that – Is that real emotion? Wow, that's new…' It seemed the stoic lord had dropped his mask while she was occupied.

Deciding it was best he not know she had seen, she went back to her task and waited for him to ask his questions. 'Kami, I hope they aren't awful. He's having to think about them for a really long time.' Just when she was beginning to feel the first stirrings of panic, he spoke.

"Back at the village, when you protected Rin and passed out afterwards, the miko told me you had used to much reiki. How did you accomplish such a feat?"

'Damn, I think that's the most words I've ever heard him say at once. And if that's his first question, how many does he have? That was almost two weeks ago…'

"Well…" Thinking back on that day, she remembered why it had taken so much out of her. "Oh, yeah. The day before I had done some pretty extensive training with my reiki, or at least extensive for me. Then when the oni attacked, I think I expended too much reiki much too fast. Basically, I haven't had much training and I'm still trying to control my powers."

"Why did you not want my money?"

'Okay then, rapid fire questions. Fun.' She paused in her work before looking up to meet his gaze. She wanted him to be able to see the truth in her eyes. "Because, you are worth far more than any sum of money you could give me. I – we needed your help."

She watched with veiled interest as his eyes widened minutely. They however narrowed just as quickly. "Flattery will get you nowhere, girl."

'Oh, "girl". Looks like I've been demoted.' She thought wryly. Narrowing her eyes as well, she offered him the coldest tone she could produce. "Clearly you do not know me. I only give compliments where they are due." With that, she gave him the metaphorical cold shoulder and returned to her work. She could feel her ire rising after that comment. 'Wait, why should I care what he thinks? I obviously shouldn't put much stock into his opinions. So far, he apparently thinks I'm nothing more than a foolish human, and apparently a gold digger.' As the silence reigned, Kagome thought she had been given a reprieve with his questions. Therefore, she was not prepared for the one to follow.

"What has changed between you and the hanyou?"

Gasping, a familiar sharp pain in her heart made itself known once more, and she suddenly found it hard to breathe. Feeling the tell-tale prickling of tears, the panic reasserted itself in full. Trying to cover up her pain, she lashed out at the one person near her.

"What's it to you?" She all but snarled. Still she refused to look up from the now skinned buck, she didn't want him to see her weakness.

Immediately, she found herself pressed against a tree with a hand wrapped around her neck. 'What is it with my neck? Why can't we change it up and use the wrists or something?' She dared not raise her eyes, fearing what Sesshomaru would see if she did. For some stupid reason, she valued what he thought of her.

"Watch yourself, miko. My patience runs thin." Nodding her head, she hoped that he would leave it at that, leave her alone for a few minutes. Of course, as had been the case as of late, luck was not on her side. "What are you hiding?"

Taking a deep and shaky breath, she responded in a whisper. "Nothing."

"You lie."

"I am hiding nothing. Nothing that matters." His hand left her throat, and she let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding. Her relief was short lived, however, as she felt his hand grasp her chin. She was surprised at the gentleness with which he held her, and even more so when he lifted her chin so that he could view her face.

It was when she looked into his eyes that the tears she had been holding back burst forth. She had been expecting anger or even disgust. But all she saw in those golden-hued orbs was confusion and what may have been a spark of concern.

"You are hiding your pain."

Tearing her eyes away from his, and her face from the grasp he had on her chin, she tried her best to conceal her shame. She knew what role she played in her group. She was the one that was supposed to keep everything together, make everyone happy. She couldn't do that if she herself fell apart. Wiping fervently at her eyes to dispel her tears, she waited. She knew the taiyoukai had more to say.

"Pain matters miko. And it will destroy you from the inside out if you continue to hide it away."

"What do you suggest I do then? I can't tell them."

"Why?"

"They don't understand, none of them. I'm too different. The way I act and the way I live doesn't make sense to them." The tears were starting again. She was telling him things she hadn't even told her own mother. Things she had blocked up and stowed away from the beginning. 'You are too trusting. Stop telling him everything. Shut. Up.'

"Hn."

'Please don't ask anything else. Please. I can't talk anymore right now.'

"Miko."

"What." Her tone came out sharper than she liked, and she was half expecting to be pinned to the tree again.

"Should you wish to talk. This Sesshomaru will endeavor to… listen."

Whipping her head back in his direction, she stared at him with complete and utter confusion on her face.

"What?" Looking at him, she realized he was entirely out of his element again. He appeared distinctly uncomfortable.

"This Sesshomaru does not repeat himself." With that, he turned heel and walked away, leaving her standing alone gaping like a fish. He seemed to leave her in that state pretty often. Even though their conversation had ended, she knew the offer remained on the table. Sesshomaru was nothing if not serious. Every word that came out of his mouth, he meant.

'Geez, if the first day has been this much fun… I don't even want to know how the rest of our time with Sesshomaru is going to go.' Running a shaking hand through her hair, she decided she really wanted to go hunting, even more so than she had a few hours ago.