"Can I have another, please?"

Kiyomi's looking up at Kagome with wide, pleading eyes. She's in Sota's green pajama pants and one of his dinosaur t-shirts. Both are now sticky but not with blood; no, she's covered her hands, feet, and borrowed clothing in popsicle drippings. The corners of her lips are stained purple and red and her plum-colored tongue is the result of all of her hard work. She's shrewdly figured out how to play Kagome's mom like a damn koto; the woman is already on her way to the icebox. Inuyasha throws the little girl a dismissive glance. He knows what's really going on; the pup can't fool him that easily.

"You've already had two," he reminds her.

She gives him her best pout, the one she tends to save for when she's either gotten herself into trouble or she's about to get herself into trouble later on. She's been using it on Mama and Kagome all afternoon now. So far they've given her two popsicles (one strawberry and one grape), three cookies, and now she's apparently getting something else. She's been cleverly using both Mama and Kagome, going back and forth for snacks so that neither one's really keeping track of what she's been given.

Well, he has been keeping track and she's been spoiled enough for one afternoon. This kid is a glutton to the highest degree.

"But"—she raises her voice so that it can be heard clearly from the kitchen—"it hurts and the popstickles make it feel better! I was so good today, Miss Kagome told me!"

Oh, so she's playing the injury card again? Well, surely they will see through that. She can only use it so many times before it gets old.

He crosses his arms. "Doubtful. Don't think I don't know what you're— Oh, damnit!" he huffs.

She's been given her third popsicle. Mama is back to sitting on the couch with Kagome, fawning over the pup like she's their new house pet. The kid boldly turns her head around to look at him over her shoulder with a fucking self-satisfied smirk on her face. His blood begins to boil.

She licks the orange pop while still maintaining eye contact, fluttering her lashes, and says, "Mmmm! Now I feel all better!"

This little shit.

"You were so brave today, Kiyomi-chan," Kagome praises for what must be the hundredth time, scratching the girl behind her little puppy ears. Mama joins in, rubbing the ear that Kagome's not scratching.

"I love that her ears are just like his," Mama gushes. "It's amazing that you found her. You said she was living in the forest alone? Do all half-demons have ears like this, Inuyasha?"

"Feh," he rumbles, moodily watching the pup who's in seventh heaven with all of the attention and treats. He can hear her soft growl purring like a damn cat. "No, it's cause we're inu-hanyous. Some hanyous don't even look any different from you and Kagome."

"Those're the lucky ones," he thinks sorrowfully.

Some half-demon kids look all human. Those are the lucky ones; they usually get picked up and taken in if their parents don't make it. Then there are half-demons like Jinenji, so blatantly different that they can't fit in even if they tried. He's thankful that he didn't turn out that way and neither did the pup. They fit somewhere in the middle. They look normal enough save for a few… oddities.

"Well, I think you and Kiyomi are perfect as is," Mama says, massaging the girl's scalp while she happily slurps away at her treat.

Kagome's mother is a wonder to him; the last person to call him perfect had been his own mother. Here she is looking at him like he's nothing special and treating Kiyomi almost like a normal child, possibly nicer than she'd treat a plain old kid. Seriously, she's been doting on the pup ever since they patched her up. Sure, he felt bad about hurting the kid in the process of wrapping her up but this is a little overindulgent if you ask him.

Maybe since the kid's been so spoiled he'll be able to figure out just what had happened this afternoon to warrant such indulgence. He whistles, Kagome and Mama tittering when her ears jump to attention. She spins in a half-circle on her bottom so that she can look at him, her eyes wide and ears alert.

"What happened this afternoon, pup? Who did all that to you?"

Kiyomi frowns, leaning a little closer to the two women and their gentle pats and light touches as if she'd never expected him to ask. "Why?"

He raises his brow. This cuddle treatment is making the kid bold. "I don't need a reason why."

"I got chased," she tells him stupidly.

Something doesn't add up. He was gone for a solid hour and a half, enjoying some free lunch. Either the village was attacked, which he doubts, or the pup's not telling him the whole story. Problem is that he needs the whole story to figure out his next steps. He needs to know the 'who's and 'how's and the 'where's to come up with a plan for when he crosses back over without her and Kagome. She obviously hadn't gone back to the village. He knows Miroku and Sango would never let something like this happen to his pup.

"Where'd you go?" he asks her knowingly. "I wasn't born yesterday, whelp!"

"Inuyasha!" Kagome scolds, going in to save the day. "She's been through enough, don't you think—"

He stands up abruptly, grabs Kiyomi by the back of her shirt being mindful of the fact that she's still got puncture wounds near her neck, and marches her out of the house before Kagome can sit him. It takes the girl an extra couple of seconds to figure out what's happening but once she does, her popsicle falls to the kitchen floor. If they're gonna keep babying her then the solution is simple; remove her from that environment. She peers at him guiltily after he sits her ass down outside under the Goshinboku, the only landmark he knows.

He sighs heavily; he's not gonna lose his temper, it won't help him if he does.

"You tell me everything and I'll give you immunity on this one," he bargains, crossing his legs to sit in front of her. He's got a feeling it's going to be a long story.

She tilts her head, confusion evident on her face. "What's that?"

"It means you get a pass if you tell me exactly what happened."

She's skeptical, she doesn't believe him the slightest bit. "You mean I won't get in trouble?"

"This one time, yes."

It pains him to offer his little mischief-maker such a pass. The last thing he wants to do is encourage her to keep wandering off. That being said, he's no fool; he's not gonna get a straight answer unless he either negotiates or beats it out of her. She's taken enough of a beating today so that's off the table. That leaves him with negotiations. She looks at him as if he has just sprouted a new head or something.

"You promise?"

"Mhm."

After a few moments, her face turns red as she holds her breath; the kid's a terrible liar.

She makes a tiny snort before announcing. "I went out 'splorin' and-and this lady found me!"

"Called it."

Seriously, if the pup just did what she was told then she wouldn't get into nearly half the trouble she does. For the sake of immunity, he purposefully ignores her misbehavior.

"What lady?"

The girl looks a little sad before uttering, "I think she was my Mama's… mom."

"Aina," he informs her. It'll be easier for her to talk about it if she can disconnect the ties this whole event has to her mother. The kid's, understandably, still a little weepy when it comes to her mom. "Myoga told me that your grandmother's name is Aina."

"Well, she told me to run, and then I ran really, really fast. And then, when I got to the well this big man grabbed me! He called me a rat and I said, "I'm not a rat, mister!" and then I kicked him in the eye and then he—"

"Okay, okay," he interrupts her rambling with a pat on her shoulder. "Let's slow down a little. You said you were out exploring, right? Do you know where you were?"

She hums, "Nuh-uh. It was someplace new. There was a lot of flowers and not very many trees."

He knows where that is. It's not very far from the village. This could only mean that whoever is hunting her down may be surrounding the village for when she returns. He'll need to round up resources for when he brings Kagome and Kiyomi back. He'll talk to Miroku and Sango. He'll have to go tonight, sooner rather than later. They will have noticed by now that the kid's gone. He's got to at least let them know that she's okay.

"Okay," he continues, "so you met Aina in the field. Did she say anything to you?"

"Uh-hum! She said I was pretty!"

"That's not helpful, pup."

"Anything else? You said she told you to run. Do you know why?"

The girl shrugs, the severity of the conversation finally starting to sink in. "I don't know… She just told me that if I was smart I would listen to her. And then she told me to run away… So I did."

"What happened next?"

She looks nervous now as if her pursuers could pop out of the well at any moment. She keeps looking back at the well house, chewing on her bottom lip. "A big man grabbed me and he said I was a rat."

"Did he say who he was?"

"He called Mama his sister."

"That must be Daiki. Damnit, they've brought the whole bunch."

"Okay, so what happened after he grabbed you. How'd you get away?"

This question makes her brighten up. "I kicked him really hard in his eye!"

"Heh, brave enough to fight off a demon; scared of a couple of bandages. What a trade…"

That makes him laugh. At least his little bruiser had the smarts to escape abduction. He nods his head at her and pats her ears. "Smart move, pup. So you kick him and then what? Jumped down the well?"

She looks lost in thought. She'd been so scared when he'd found her. He'd been lucky to get out of the scrapes he had when he was that age. He can't recall any serious wounds like the ones on her this afternoon. Then again, he doesn't have his demon relatives hunting him down for being an illegitimate heir… At least until Sesshomaru figured out where Tetsusaiga was hiding. Whether that was his father's doing or not, he isn't sure.

"That… That's when he got me… It really, really hurt."

"I know it did." He looks down at her. "It's a good thing you got away. Those instincts are what's gonna keep you above ground."

This poses an interesting problem. Sure, she's officially his kid now but that doesn't mean that he's always going to be around to protect her; today being a prime example. If this kid is going to be this impulsive and troublesome, he's going to need to do something about that…

"Hey, Kiyomi," he ventures, "do you know anything about your demonic powers? Like, do you have a special attack you could use if something comes after you again?"

Her eyes widen and she tucks into herself. "Something's gonna—"

"Did I say that? No, I'm sayin' that if you're gonna be this much of a pain in my ass I should start teaching you how to defend yourself if anything does happen."

She looks at him worriedly and whispers, "I'm a pain in the ass? Does that mean…?"

He actually bops her on the head mercilessly for that one. "Get that thought outta your head right now! You're not going anywhere! I would just feel better if you knew how to fight your way out of trouble going forward.

"When we get back home I'm going to teach you how to fight," he promises. "This ain't gonna happen again to you, got it? You're gonna know what to do to get yourself out of it."

Her ears perk. "You mean I'm gonna be able to fight oni with you?"

"Not for at least another ten years and you've got some decent practice under your belt." He doesn't dare say that aloud though so he smiles and pats the girl's ears. "Heh, you'll need a little training before you get that far but sure, kid."

Her face lights up and she flings her arms around his neck. "Wow! I'm going to be so strong!"

"You bet," he says, prying her off of him and standing up. "We'll get started as soon as we sort this crap out."

He looks down but the kid's already making a beeline for the house. Her ears are perked and her body language is too relaxed for someone who's been slashed up only hours ago. He focuses his ears to try and determine what could have possibly taken the kid's attention that rapidly. He can hear Kagome and Mama Higurashi in the kitchen. The metal oven's internal bell is ringing, which he knows means something has been cooked.

An overwhelmingly delicious smell hits his nostrils; baked goods. Some sort of simple confectionary has just been taken out of the oven. The kid's going to end up with more snacks.

"KIYOMI! GET BACK HERE! YOU'VE EATEN ENOUGH!"

~.~.~

It's almost dark and he really should be going. He knows logically that nothing's going to happen to the pup while he's gone. Well, nothing aside from an unreasonable amount of treats for her performance this afternoon. It seems like every time he turns around, the girl is being given something else to munch on. He's tried to talk to Kagome about it but all he's told in return is that the kid's having a bad day and can have whatever she likes.

If he doesn't get her out of here soon he's going to end up with a fat little pup.

She's lying on the carpet on her surely round tummy humming merrily. Her cheeks are littered with crumbs. Occasionally, someone—even Grandpa has gotten in on the fun—will bend over to give the kid a sweet or a cookie. Feh, it wouldn't be so bad if he didn't have to witness it.

He desperately wants to get to Miroku and Sango to explain the situation and come up with a plan. The only problem is that for the past hour Kiyomi looks like she's about to shit her pants every time he says he's going to leave. The last time he didn't even announce his departure and made straight for the well. The kid must have heard the front door open because the second he went to jump inside the well he could hear her caterwauling and trying to race out the front door. She's apparently convinced that the second her main source of protection disappears that she's going to be attacked again. Funny, she avoids him like Myoga avoids danger when she thinks she's going to get in trouble. She's clearly using that immunity he so graciously offered to her advantage.

His biggest problem now is that he can't stand to see the pup crying. Granted, he's never been thrilled when she cries but ever since that damn ceremony it hits him differently. There's a weight to it that demands that he step in. Kagome isn't wrong, the kid's had a shit day and he is her pops now. With all of these factors laid out, his only option is to get the kid to take a nap.

"Hey, Kagome," he asks quietly. "do you got a place for the whelp to sleep?"

Kagome looks annoyed. "Inuyasha, she's your daughter now. Don't call her that!"

There's a happy bubble of pride that inflates in his chest at the thought. He has a daughter and a pretty incredible one at that. He's got his mate, Kagome, and his own pup, Kiyomi. She isn't his flesh and bone but she's still his. She's incredibly naughty and a major pain in the ass but definitely still his. He wipes the sloppy grin from his face and replaces it with a glower before Kagome can figure out how soft he's gone.

"Whatever, she's still a little shit," he huffs. "Got a place for her to sleep tonight? I can't bring her back with me. Not until I've figured out what the hell's going on."

"Oh, I suppose she can share my room with me," Kagome says. "I'm sure the familiar smell will be comforting for her."

His amazing Kagome even remembered that he and the kid have different noses than the rest. God, if he could go back in time a hundred years and tell himself how lucky he's going to end up… Hell, he wouldn't have believed it. He still doesn't sometimes. It feels like a dream and he's going to wake up alone in some tree again.

No, this isn't a dream. He's got a feeling that like it or not he's never going to have a night alone ever again.

"Uh, okay. You're sure? I don't want her taking up your bed."

Kagome laughs lightly. "Worst case scenario I can sleep down here. It won't be my first time sleeping in the guest room, Inuyasha. Don't worry about it. It's still better than the forest for sure."

"If you say so… Damn kid needs to take a nap or something 'cause I've gotta go."

"Oh, in that case I should go and check—"

"It's fine," he interrupts, waving his hand at her to go away. "I'll do it."

He crosses the room and picks the girl up from the ground by her armpits, mindful of her bandaged back. It's amazing that she's six… She's still so small for a hanyou pup. Maybe those extra treats today weren't such a bad thing after all. She's as light as a feather. She yawns against him, her canines on display. Good, she's already tired, which makes his job much easier.

As if she's read his mind she murmurs, "'M not sleepy, 'kay?"

"I know you ain't." He's got to think fast or she'll see through his bluff. "I just wanted a couple of minutes to talk."

She tenses in his clutches. He's climbing up the stairs so she can't just jump away. "You said I wouldn't get in trouble! You promised outside!"

"Eh? What are you—" Oh, she thinks he's going to punish her. He sighs, "No, pup, I told you that you get a pass this one time. I just wanna… uh… take a look at your bandages."

That doesn't seem to make her feel any better. "Miss Kagome said they don't need to be looked at."

Great, he forgot his kid is a little fibber too. "Liar, she said no such thing. I've been with you and Kagome all day."

He opens the door to Kagome's room and puts her down on the bed. Within seconds the girl is busy sniffing around Kagome's purple room on all fours, her little nose pressed into the carpet.

'Pack?' her youkai asks with a tiny yap.

"It smells like Miss Kagome here."

"Well, yeah, this's where she sleeps."

Those big eyes grow even wider. "All by herself? Where's the rest of her pack?"

She doesn't wait for him to answer before she goes back to her investigation. There are a lot of new smells to discover in this world and Kagome's scent isn't as intimidating as others. The kid's never gonna unwind unless she figures out on her own that this place is safe. The world outside of here? Not so much. But in here she's definitely going to be okay.

He's not really sure who needs the reassurance more: the pup or him.

She buries her curious nose into Kagome's "rolling chair" and "teddy" (he still has no idea why it's called that) with vigor. He doesn't quite understand the concept of filling a bunch of cloth with fluff in the shape of a bear. Textiles are expensive and this seems like such a waste. The kid seems to like it though because she starts to nuzzle it playfully. Then he discovers her true intent: she's about to treat this thing as if it's a training dummy. Before she can gnaw on the ears and rip where the heart should be, he pries it gently from her grasp with a firm "no".

"We're not supposed to kill it," he explains. "She uses it to sleep."

She looks confused but doesn't argue with him. "Why does Miss Kagome sleep without her pack? Is she an orphan like me?"

"No, stupid, she's not an orphan. That's her family down there. Everyone sleeps separately here, kind of like how sometimes Miroku and I will sleep in separate rooms from you and Kagome and Sango."

"But that's because you're boys. So then why doesn't her mama share the room?"

He rolls his eyes at her, "Because they're diff'rent from us. Now, you got that smell in your head?" She nods perkily. "Good, get up here. Kagome told me to check out your bandages."

She stays rooted to the spot eyeing him suspiciously. "You promise not to touch nothin'?"

He rolls his eyes. "Yeah, you big baby. I'll leave it alone as long as it's fine."

He just wants to make sure the kid's done bleeding. She doesn't reek of blood like she did earlier and he can't detect any spots of blood through the grey shirt. All the same, he'd feel better about crossing over if he took a quick look. She shuffles over to him reluctantly, gripping the hem of the shirt nervously. He rolls his eyes again and drops the kid back onto the bed, roughly smooshing her face into Kagome's pillows. He pulls the shirt up past her shoulders, the kid immediately starts wriggling and telling him something undoubtedly rude and potentially littered with profanities through Kagome's pink laced pillows.

He's actually very impressed, Kagome and Mama Higurashi have done a really good job wrapping this up. Everything is neat and tight, remarkable considering they had been dealing with such a squirmy kid. There are a few spots of blood seeping through but nothing that causes him any concern. She'll probably be healed within a couple of days, honestly. Keeping his promise, he doesn't touch anything and tugs the shirt back down. Kiyomi pops up out of the pillows looking a little grumpy but relieved that he hadn't hurt her. After that she curls up between him and the pillows, looking up at him sweetly.

She doesn't have to say anything for him to understand. She's relieved he's here. So he must be doing something right. She seems happy enough with him. Sure, it's not the same kind of happy that she was when her mom and dad showed up. He can't match that but it's okay. He's glad that he can make someone who was going to suffer as much as he had happy again. Maybe she won't turn out so much like he had if he takes care of her right; she won't be so rough around the edges.

"You doin' okay?" he asks while she continues to sniff the air curiously.

She looks up her ears folding back tellingly. "Miss Kagome says I was very brave."

"Yeah, I heard her. So has Mama and Grandpa Higurashi… usually followed by some kind of snack. You've had more snacks in one afternoon than I've had in my whole life!" he complains.

She giggles, her ears flicking upwards as she thinks about treats. "I don't think I was very brave… I was… really scared. I'm sorry I went down the well. I know you said I shouldn't but it was the only thing I could reach."

"That's what you're sorry for?" Fucking brat. None of this would have happened if she'd gone back to the village like he told her. "You were running for your life, it's fine that you went down the well."

She looks a little smug. "I told you so. I knew it would let me through!"

"Yeah, yeah," he grumbles, ruffling her hair under his large palm so that her head bobbles with it. "I guess Kagome's blessing did somethin' after all. We're lucky it worked."

"Um…" she murmurs, cheeks turning pink, before narrowing her eyes and shaking her head. Hmm, she usually does that when she's about to embarrass herself; he wonders what's up. "I mean, yeah! That's really lucky!"

He nudges her shoulder. "You about to say something, brat? Out with it. You promised me no more secrets, remember?"

She doesn't look up at him. Instead, she focuses her attention on a little button on Kagome's quilt. She immediately wishes she hadn't said anything. If she's honest, she's so unsure about what all of this means. If the ceremony made Inuyasha her… father… then does that mean that Miss Kagome is like her mother? The two of them do love each other after all, Inuyasha told her so! Is she even allowed to think of them that way? Shippo doesn't call Inuyasha his dad or Miss Kagome his mother so what right does she have to do so? Did one little ceremony really make her and Inuyasha a family? Is that even possible?

But they had agreed on no more secrets… It was a part of their pact during the ceremony; she knows that she has to honor that promise. She's the one who made it, after all.

Her face goes from pink to scarlet. "Well, it's just that… I called you Tou-san today… and you probably don't like that. It was an accident. I'm sorry."

Color floods Inuyasha's cheeks. It's not the first time she's called him 'Dad'. Only, the last time she was sick and half asleep. "It's fine, pup. You…uh, you can call me that if you want..."

An uneasy grin lights up her face. "I can?"

"I adopted you didn't I?" he asks, waiting for her to nod. "Then it makes sense. You can call me Tou-san or Oyaji."

She giggles with a toothy grin. "That's not very nice to call you!"

He glares at her. "You've definitely said worse things to me, missy."

She giggles before sticking her tongue out at him. While tempted as she may be to repeat her mama's naughty phrase, she decides against it. Instead, she goes back to breathing in all of these strange new scents around her. Most of it is yucky. But it's also mixed with Miss Kagome's scent and that makes her feel better.

"Is there…" She pauses, not sure how to explain what she's thinking. "Is there something wrong with me?"

"Why the hell would you think that?"

He didn't really need to ask to understand that she's worried. She'd been attacked by the very thing that defines safety to her. She thinks that she is supposed to rely on her family and she should think that. She's a kid. You're supposed to think that way when you're little. If anything, Aika's parents should be the ones to take her in, not him. That's probably why they've come… If Myoga's description is correct, they've likely come to take what they think is rightfully theirs.

And probably kill her afterward.

"My grandmo— Aina, said that I'm a dirty halfbreed… and that I stink."

Her voice shudders with uncertainty. Her mother had shielded her from the truth of the world; any parent would, his tried to do the same. The trouble with protecting the kid from the world is that, once she's caught a glimpse of the darker side, she's not prepared to deal with it.

She finishes her thought slowly. "N-no one wants me… My brothers hate me… Mama's family thinks I'm a halfbreed… I… I don't even know what that means."

"Well, you're on to the fact that it ain't a good thing. What the hell am I supposed to tell you?"

"No one wants you?" he complains playfully. "Guess I'm just chopped liver over here."

She lets out a little puff of air. "You know what I mean…"

"I mean, you do smell," he begins, smiling smugly at her when she narrows her eyes at his jibe. "It's got nothin' to do with you though. You've got those nasty inu-youkai smells all over you. They're the ones that stink. Listen, kid, there's nothin' wrong with you. You're diff'rent from them, that's all. They're the ones with a problem, not you."

She pulls her knees up to her chest, resting forward so that she's not leaning on the wall. Her back really does hurt. He reaches over and presses her into his side, her twitching ears tickling his ribs with their fluttering. It's his job to make it right, isn't it?

"What's a halfbreed?" she asks him softly. "It's something bad, right?"

"No," he says honestly. "All it means is that you have one human parent and a demon parent. It's just a not so nice way of saying it."

"Let's not mention the fact that I was trapped against a tree for fifty years because I wanted to become all demon. That's not gonna help."

"You're like me then?" she clarifies. "Your papa was a demon and your mama was a human?"

"That's right. So if you think there's something wrong with that, then you're insulting me too. And we all know I'm perfect."

She rolls her eyes at his self-proclaimed grandeur.

'Same?' she rumbles from her chest.

'Same,' he answers and he squeezes her shoulder.

"'M a little sleepy," she confesses softly, burrowing against him. "Can you stay for a little longer? I know you gotta go see Miroku and Lady Sango… I don't… wanna be alone right now."

"Feh," he scoffs, "nothin's gonna happen to you while I'm gone. I tried to tell you that earlier."

She rests her head on his thigh. "I know…"

"Eh, it makes her feel better, don't it?"

He's going to be a good dad. He's not going to be like one of those stupid parents that's never there for her; like her birth father. That man was an ass. He's going to be better than that. She deserves more than just one night a month! She's a good kid, once you get past her being a brat. She's brave, sometimes, and clever and she's fun when she plays. She's incredibly fair, always sharing her stuff with the others and playing with Shippo if he looks lonely. And he's never seen a kid try harder to be self-reliant than she does. She wants to do everything her way. Sure, she gets into quite a bit of trouble but that's only because she's curious. That's a good thing, well, if it's executed right.

Makotu clearly never knew how damn lucky he was. Well, goddamnit, he knows how lucky he is and this kid's gonna know he feels that way!

"Hey, pup," he begins, staring at the wall to ignore the fact that the kid makes him go all mushy. "I want you ta'know that—"

A tiny sigh interrupts him. He looks down only to find the kid's already snoozing against him. Feh, a little sleepy indeed; he knew the kid was wiped out. Between being attacked, patched back up, and all of the food she's ingested there was no way she hadn't been exhausted. He smirks, moving slowly to shift her so that she's resting on Kagome's pillows and not him. After covering her with the little blanket Kagome keeps at the end of the bed he takes an extra second to watch her breathing steadily. Maybe the fact that she's sleeping is a good thing. He doesn't have to tell her all those things. It's better to show her.

She's never going to feel like no one wants her again, he'll make damn sure of that.

~.~.~

The air in his time is different from Kagome's. It isn't as heavy. Her world's got all of those weird sounds and smells to it. He honestly prefers the air here. If he could have his way then Kagome would never go back to her stupid world and he could stay with her forever in this one. That being said, he knows that Kagome would be sad without her family. She loves her mother very much. It would be hard for her here…

He wants Kagome to be happy.

"INUYASHA!" Shippo's little voice rings out as he nears the village. "Miroku, Sango! Inuyasha's here!"

A ball of red-headed kid collides into his chest. Inuyasha can smell how worried the kid is and his breath is heaving frantically. Damn, he knew he should have come back sooner. He had just wanted to make sure the pup wasn't going to follow him when he did. Knowing her, she'd have tried and gotten herself, and him, into a worse situation. He sniffs the air, aware of the new scents lingering nearby but no one's come out to confront him. They must be waiting for the kid to get back through the well. They're probably waiting until they can smell her. Smart.

"Inuyasha!" Shippo hollers, tugging on his forelocks. His ears twitch in response to the sheer volume of the kit's voice. "We can't find Kiyomi! Miroku and Sango have been looking since the sun went down!"

"It's fine, Shippo," he assures, putting him back down on the ground in favor of rubbing his now ringing ears, "she's gone down the well. She's with Kagome."

Shippo looks furious. "What do you mean she went down the well? Why can she do it and I can't?"

He feigns ignorance. "No idea, we don't have time to figure it out either. We're in trouble—"

"MASTER INUYASHA! MASTER INUYASHA! Thank goodness I've found you!"

Myoga has landed on his left cheek and immediately helps himself to a drink off of his face. With an irritated grumble, Inuyasha smashes the heel of his palm into the flea, smushing him instantly. "Whaddaya want, Myoga?"

He really doesn't have time to deal with this.

"I have terrible news! The child! The little girl! She's in grave danger!" Myoga bellows, well, as much as a flea can bellow that is. "Kane is on his way here! He knows!"

"Heh," he scoffs, figures the flea would show up now with this information, "you're a little late, Myoga, they've already found her. They attacked the pup this afternoon. She's on the other side now."

That shuts the flea up for a solid ten to fifteen seconds before his face crumbles.

"Oh no! The child! How can I ever forgive myself?!" Myoga crows, misunderstanding Inuyasha's sentence to mean that Kiyomi has died.

Inuyasha squashes him for a second time to shut him up. "She's fine. She got beat up pretty bad but she'll live. She's with Kagome in her time now."

The flea looks relieved beyond measure despite being dented from Inuyasha's palm. "Oh, merciful heavens! It's not too late then! I'll go get your brother immediately!"

"What? Why would you bring Sesshomaru here?" the hanyou demands rigidly.

"If anything, he'll make it worse!"

"Your brother is the only one capable of standing up to Kane. As your father's full-blooded heir, his word could be the only thing that stops Kane from taking the girl!"

"But Inuyasha adopted Kiyomi!" Shippo says worriedly. "Doesn't that matter to them?"

Myoga looks interestedly at Inuyasha. "Is this true, m'lord?"

The hanyou looks incredibly irritated and slightly embarrassed by the flea's probing questions. "Yeah, what of it?"

"While this is wonderful news, I'm afraid it'll make little difference when it comes to Kane. No, no. The only solution is for Sesshomaru to intervene. I think it best that the girl stays where she is until Sesshomaru arrives. I'll be back in three days, understand?"

Before Inuyasha can protest Myoga's meddling, the flea hops off of him and onto a small rabbit. Now Inuyasha is left alone with Shippo who looks mad as all hell now. Clearly, the kit's not going to be deterred from his new fascination with the well. This is the last thing he needs to deal with. The boy is pouting at him and Inuyasha is certain that he's trying to find a way to bypass him to jump inside. Feh, it's obvious that the well only works for Kiyomi because of the ceremony. He knows the boy is only jealous that he can't get through the well and see Kagome. It's got nothing to do with him. He'd offered the kit the same opportunities that he'd offered the girl. It's not his fault that the pup's adoption had some unforeseen side effects. The boy hadn't wanted it.

He grumbles to the boy, "Go for it. It'll be your busted ass if you do."

"How come she can get through," the boy asks sourly.

He continues walking towards the village where he can hear Miroku and Sango's footsteps coming closer. "I already told you, I don't know."

The kitsune is not going to be convinced so easily. "It's because of Kagome's blessing, isn't it?"

Inuyasha just shrugs.

"It's not fair!" Shippo whines. "I want to see Kagome's world too."

"No, you don't," Inuyasha informs him, eyeing the boy who's climbed the length of his body to perch on his shoulder. "Trust me, her world stinks. You wouldn't be able to stand the smell."

He's not lying. Kagome's world smells something awful. It's all smokey and shit. It's the reason why he avoids venturing from the grounds as much as possible. The air inside Kagome's home is cleaner than the rest of her world. He still hasn't quite worked out if that's because of her spiritual powers or one of her modern conveniences. He can't really use this era to test his theory, this air is pure and clear. Either way, the boy wouldn't be able to handle the smell. There's going to be no telling him that now though.

"Inuyasha!" Sango calls out, jogging over and she is quickly followed by Miroku. "We can't find—"

"Don't bother," Shippo snaps bitterly, "Kiyomi's fine. She went down the well."

Sango looks surprised as she asks, "You mean Kagome's well?"

"Yeah, and we've got a problem," Inuyasha warns her lowly. "Her ma's family's caught up with her. She showed up at Kagome's soaked in blood."

Now Shippo looks like he feels bad for his bout of jealousy. Heh, the kid is too easy sometimes. Sango frowns earnestly and grips hiraikotsu firmly, beyond that she shows no other outward signs of rage. Inuyasha can smell the fury rising off of her though. Heh, wait for Sesshomaru to show up, indeed. He doesn't need to wait for shit. He doesn't have to rely on Sesshomaru, that's his pup and he'll take care of it with his friends.

"Oh gods," Miroku breathes, "is she all right?"

Inuyasha nods. "Scared out of her damn mind and covered in bandages right now but she'll live."

"Myoga said we should wait for Sesshomaru to come and help us," Shippo explains, still eyeing the well enviously.

"Feh," Inuyasha starts, "I ain't waitin' around—"

Sango interrupts, "No, that's a good idea. We should wait for him. If what Myoga said about her family is true then we could have a real problem on our hands."

"Sango!" Inuyasha argues. "I'm not—"

"Think of the village, Inuyasha," Miroku chimes in, looking at him sternly. "Without enough support then it's not just us on the line. How long do we have until Myoga arrives with Sesshomaru?"

"Three days," Shippo answers, ignoring Inuyasha's attempts to silence him.

Sango nods her head, "That gives us a few days to prepare. We'll need sutras to protect the village and we'll need to warn Kaede. Shippo, come with us, we have a lot of work to do."

"Excuse me?!" Inuyasha demands, upset that he's being ignored. "What about me?"

Sango peers at him over her shoulder. "You are going to go back to Kagome's world and make sure that little girl stays there. Myoga is right, she should keep away until Sesshomaru is here to help us."

With a scowl that very well could frighten away their enemies with its intensity, Inuyasha stomps all the way back to the well. This visit was both short and clearly unnecessary. All it's managed to do is put him in a bad mood.

That's his pup, he's supposed to be the one protecting her; not Sesshomaru, not Sango, no one but him. It's his damn job. Having to rely on others to do his job is not his style, even if it is the smart thing to do. And he hates that the person who'd be helping is Sesshomaru of all people, it's almost as bad as asking that mangy wolf, Koga, for help. Ignoring the fact that he thinks his brother should rot in hell, he'd nearly taken Kiyomi away from him not that long ago. If his brother tries anything like that again, he'll throw the kid down the well and kill him, that'll do.

He thumps lightly on the ground, grimacing as he takes in all the nasty smells from this world. He can smell the kid's blood in a corner, lingering just underneath all of the other scents. Like it or not, he should at least ask if it's okay for the girl to stay here for a few days. If it's not all right then he'll have to figure something else out. Ah shit, what's he going to do if they don't let Kiyomi stay? He wouldn't blame them at all, she's not their problem…

Well, someday she'll be Kagome's problem but it'll be quite a while until that happens.

"Yo," he calls out once he's back inside, trying his best to sound bored and uninterested.

He's only been gone about thirty minutes so Kagome is still in the living room where he left her. Sota is home now, sitting in front of the magic box that shows the future. Kagome's head swivels around to look at him and a smile lights up her face and the whole damn room with it. He really hopes that she smiles like that forever…

"That was fast," she says to him as she stands. "Kiyomi's still asleep."

He rolls his eyes. "I figured she would be. Uh, can I talk to you?" He blushes brightly. "'N your mom?"

Mama calls out from the kitchen. "What is it, dear?"

The hanyou shuffles into the kitchen and leans in the doorway, trying to contain the nervous energy he feels. Kagome's mother is very kind and he doesn't want to be a burden but, as much as he is loathe to admit this, they do need somewhere for Kiyomi to stay until they sort all of this out. Mama Higurashi is busy preparing dinner. Every time he's here that woman is cooking, it amazes him. His mother never cooked so much; then again, she was a princess.

Come to think of it, Kiyomi is a princess too… No matter which way you look at it, adopted or biological, she's the daughter of a lord. Not that being a lord has ever made any damn difference for him and he doubts the kid cares about titles. Mmm, maybe he should wait a while before he tells her she's a princess. The girl has already got more attitude than every kid in their village combined, he doesn't need to add fuel to that fire.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome interrupts his trail of thought by brushing a hand on his shoulder. "Is everything all right? What happened when you went back?"

Oh yeah, he's got to ask if she can stay here.

"Uh, ran into Myoga. The damn flea knew all about them looking for Kiyomi. Turns out it's not exactly a secret."

Kagome rolls her eyes, standing to grab a cookie from the plate on the table. "Just like him to show up after the action. Where is he now?"

"Getting my brother."

That cookie drops to the floor. "Are you serious?!"

Mama Higurashi pauses her work to peer at them over her shoulder. "Is something wrong with that?"

"Uh…" Inuyasha starts, "we don't exactly get along. I chopped his—"

A cookie shoved in his mouth stops him and Kagome frantically shouts, "Cherry tree! He chopped down his cherry tree and he's very upset!"

Mama doesn't believe this in the slightest but nods her head. She's not really sure what happens to Kagome on the other side of the well but she is sure it's a lot more than chopping trees. Mama is sure that Kagome is going to be all right though. She seems to be able to handle it just fine; at least with that young man to protect her.

Mama simply chuckles and says, "Oh, that's unfortunate."

"So, what are we going to do?" Kagome asks Inuyasha. "What about the well and the village? Are they safe?"

"I think so," he answers. "When I stepped out of the well I could smell them, they're close by. They didn't approach me though. I… think they are waiting until they can smell… her."

Kagome nods her head. "Well, she'll have to stay here until we work this out."

Right now Inuyasha can't help but see the resemblance between her and her mother. Not physically but that is there as well. No, in spirit they are so similar; kind and giving. He can't say it, and especially not here of all places, but he's always awestruck by how amazing Kagome is. She's the perfect mate for him and, goddamnit, he's proud right now. Okay, not the time to be thinking all sappy like this. He's got shit to do.

"Can she?" he asks Mama, knowing the decision really doesn't rest with the two of them at all. "It'll only be for a few days… I-if you don't mind."

Kagome's mother smiles warmly. "Of course! It will be lovely!"

Inuyasha releases a breath that he hadn't realized he was holding in. Okay, so the hard part is over. Next is the easy part where he just has to slaughter his adopted daughter's extended family. No big deal, right? He looks into Mrs. Higurashi's eyes and he hopes she understands how much he appreciates this.

"Thank you."

Mama smiles and goes back to her cooking. "It's no trouble at all. We'll be happy to have her here."

~.~.~

Kiyomi pads her way down the stairs in the dark. She can smell Miss Kagome is down here and so is her mother. Inuyasha isn't here anymore and she doesn't like that at all. She wishes that he'd stayed, she doesn't like being by herself right now, which is the reason why she left the room to look for Miss Kagome. As she rounds the corner, following her nose to find Kagome she's surprised to find that there is a bright light in one of the rooms. They must have a fire burning in there… This hut is strange with its floating lights and there are too many doors... It's kind of scary.

"Oh, good evening," a warm, comforting voice calls out. "Is everything all right?"

Kiyomi looks up to find Kagome's mother standing in the kitchen, she smells of soap and freshly cut flowers and she's smiling welcomingly. Kiyomi nods her head shyly, lifting her nose to the air again to try and find Kagome. Truthfully, she's not really okay at all. She wants to go home… She misses Shippo and Lady Sango and she wants to play with her Temari ball.

Okay, the real reason she wants to go home is that she doesn't really feel very safe here without Inuyasha…

"I came down for a midnight snack. Would you like to join me?"

It seems that the little girl is less sure of herself without Inuyasha's presence. It must be strange, sleeping in a new place with strangers. It's no wonder she's hesitant to speak. Mama will have to find a way to show her that she has nothing to fear here.

"I like snacks…" Kiyomi thinks as she nods her head lightly.

Mrs. Higurashi is already rummaging through the cupboards. "Well, let's see what we can make in here. Have a seat."

Kiyomi slips into the kitchen and climbs into one of the chairs to watch her forage. After a few moments, she's procured a metal pot, some cooking oil, and some popping corn. Kiyomi doesn't understand what's happening in the slightest. The two remain silent while the older woman busies herself with preparing the kernels and covering the pot.

"Do you like popcorn?" Mama asks after a few minutes.

Kiyomi frowns. "What's that?"

Her answer comes in the form of a soft 'pop' from the metal pot. Immediately, her ears shift towards the sound and her eyes widen. What was that? Magic? Kagome's mom laughs softly before lifting Kiyomi into her arms to bring her to the stove. The girl's so interested in this new sound that she hardly registers that she's being held by a stranger. If he were to see it, Inuyasha would be quite proud of her trust in Mrs. Higurashi.

POP! TING! POP! POP!

"Wow!" Kiyomi whispers, squirming to get a closer look through the clear cover even though the condensation makes it difficult to see what's happening. "What's that?"

"It's popcorn! The heat makes the kernels pop into fluffy bites."

"Is it tasty?"

"Absolutely! Here, let's melt some butter to put on top. Don't touch anything, it's very hot."

Kiyomi is placed down on the ground where she watches the pot with rapt attention. That's the coolest snack she's ever seen! They don't have this in her world… Come to think of it, this whole world is crazy and weird. She'd heard voices coming from a box earlier but when she sniffed it, there were no new scents. At first she thought maybe there were a lot of flea demons inside before she remembered that she would be able to smell those too. So there are weird sounds, and lights, and smells, and it's way too bright outside for nighttime.

She's not really sure if she likes this world even if it is interesting…

After a few minutes, Mama moves the popcorn off of the heat and shakes it into two small bowls. As soon as she's poured a layer of butter and a sprinkle of salt over the top, she brings the bowls into the living room so that she can sit and get to know her little guest better. Curious and quite hungry, Kiyomi follows. That popcorn stuff sure smells good…

"Here you go." The bowl is placed in Kiyomi's hands while she sits on the floor in front of Mama. "I think you'll like it."

The little girl picks up one kernel gingerly with her claws. "It's small."

"That's why there's a bunch of them," Mama explains kindly.

Without any further questions, Kiyomi pops the kernel in her mouth. "It's kinda crunchy!"

Okay, maybe this place isn't so bad after all… A gentle hand reaches over to rub her ear. It's not as good as Lady Sango's pets but it still relaxes her. She smiles up at the matronly woman before pushing her head into Mama's palm while she cheerfully munches on her new snack. Kagome's mother was right! This is tasty!

"That's it," Mama murmurs. "I know it's scary being in a new place. You don't have to be nervous here, sweetie."

Kiyomi peers up at the woman and grunts something to her in inu-youkai before she remembers that only Inuyasha understands her when she speaks like that. "We're friends?"

"That's right. I'm very excited for you to stay for a few days."

She doesn't have all of the details but, from what she's pieced together, she understands the girl's life may be in danger. The mother in her insists that she watch out for her as long as she's here. The girl is going to need some fresh clothes to wear for starters, not to mention new shoes and something to play with while she's here. Some stuffed animals will probably suffice. She'd pick out board games but she's not sure if Kiyomi knows how to read yet. She'll have to pick up a couple of beginner's books as well.

"Is Inuyasha coming back?"

"I believe so," Mama answers.

"Where's Miss Kagome?" the little girl asks with a mouthful of popped corn. "Can I sleep in her den with her?"

"You don't want to have your own room?"

Kiyomi shakes her head. "No… I don't like that I can smell her and not see her."

Well, isn't that remarkable, a child who can smell another person nearby. She's almost like a puppy… She wonders if Inuyasha has the same capabilities.

"Miss Kagome said you're her mama," the girl informs her. "Are you really, really her mom or is she like me?"

Mama Higurashi frowns. "What do you mean?"

"My mama and papa went away so now Inuyasha's my family. Is that like you and Miss Kagome?"

Oh! She's referring to being an orphan. "No, dear, I'm Kagome's mother."

"Oh," Kiyomi responds. She's not totally sure why she asked. It hadn't made her feel any better to hear that Miss Kagome still has her mama.

"You know," Mama says wisely. "Kagome might understand a little bit how you feel. When she was about your age her father passed away."

"Yeah, she told me. 'N Inuyasha's mommy died when he was little too," Kiyomi says glumly before she perks up unexpectedly. "But it's okay because Inuyasha said Miss Kagome is going to be my new mommy someday!"

Well, isn't this quite the development? Mama's eyebrows arch interestedly. "Oh? Did he now?"

"Yup!" Kiyomi responds through another mouthful of popcorn, completely oblivious of the ramifications of what she's saying. "Once she's as tall as he is they're going to be in love like I am with Koga the wolf!"

Mrs. Higurashi giggles into her hand. It's amazing how in a few months her daughter could grow up so much. She doesn't understand what exactly happens over on the other side of the well, she probably never will, but she's so proud to see the woman Kagome is becoming. Falling in love is such a big moment for a young lady and Mrs. Higurashi is relieved to hear that the object of Kagome's affections cares for her as well.

Kiyomi is looking shrewdly at Kagome's mother, as if she's adding something together. "Have you ever been in love?"

Another warm smile. "Of course I have."

"You're not as tall as Inuyasha is…"

She's not entirely sure what height has to do with anything. "No, I'm not. Love doesn't care if you're tall or short."

"Sooo…" Kiyomi muses, her eyes narrowing. "Miss Kagome and Inuyasha are in love?"

"They might be."

AHAH! She knew Inuyasha was fibbing when she said she had to be as tall as he is to love Mr. Koga!

"Do you think they've kissed?" Now it's Kiyomi's turn to giggle. "No way! Inuyasha's too much of a wuss!"

Now that's surprising; he's always come across as such a tenacious young man. She'd never have thought Inuyasha would be shy. Then again, he is such a young man that perhaps he doesn't really know what to do. How romantic can the feudal era be? Perhaps he just needs a little help setting the right… mood. Oh, this will be fun, indeed! She just has to make sure that she plans it in a way where her daughter won't be embarrassed. She'll need flowers, maybe a few candles, oh, a new picnic blanket as well! Oh boy, she's got a lot of work ahead of her.

And then there is the challenge of distracting the two lovebirds while she plans everything… Kagome will be easy, she'll have homework to catch up on but Inuyasha… She might need an extra hand with that.

"Kiyomi," Mama says quietly, peering up to make sure Kagome isn't eavesdropping, "how would you like to help me with a little project tomorrow?"

Kiyomi recognizes that tone of voice. Kagome's mama is planning something sneaky and wants her to help! "Is this about kissing?"

That question makes her giggle again. Inuyasha is probably too wussy to kiss Miss Kagome on his own so Mama is going to help him! Mrs. Higurashi nods and Kiyomi decides that she might really enjoy staying here, after all. The two share a sly grin as they hatch up the perfect plan.