When Sango shook her awake at sunrise, Kagome was exhausted. She had spent most of the night trying to figure out how to get over Inuyasha. It had been well after midnight before she had been satisfied with her strategy.

Now all she needed to do was put it into action.

She decided to start as they were eating breakfast. Inuyasha was off doing who knew what, and she hoped that her friends would be willing to help her.

"Sango?"

"Hai, Kagome-san?"

"May I ride on Kirara with you from now on?"

She could see surprise, quickly followed by comprehension on Sango's face.

"Hai Kagome." Sango said quietly, smiling at her friend.

"I suppose it is for the best," said Miroku with a nod, and Kagome nearly wept with relief. She knew that the monk enjoyed the enforced proximity with the youkai exterminator that riding the cat youkai caused, and she was grateful he was willing to give it up without protest.

"Thank you." she told them. "I need to get over him," she continued bluntly, wanting to spell it out so they would know that this wasn't just another one of Kagome and Inuyasha's ongoing fights. "I can't keep this up anymore."

"It's OK, Kagome," Sango told her, coming over to hug the younger woman. "We understand. And we'll try our best to help you."

***

The next step came soon after Inuyasha returned to camp, ready to set off for the day's travels.

"Come on, Kagome," he said, tapping his foot impatiently. "We need to hurry if we're going to make it to Nara by nightfall." He reached out to lift her onto his back, but Kagome jumped away from him.

"I'm going to ride with Sango today," she told him, trying to keep her voice steady.

"Feh. If you think that means I'm carrying the pervert, think again." His voice clearly reflected his opinion of that strategy.

"You're the one who wants to get to Nara, Inuyasha," Sango surprised Kagome by telling the hanyou. "If you don't want to carry Miroku, don't, but we won't make it."

"Feh." Inuyasha snorted again. "Whatever. Get over here monk. Looks like we're stuck with each other until Kagome stops sulking again."

***

They made good time with Shippou, Sango, and Kagome riding on Kirara and Inuyasha carrying Miroku as they hurried towards the ancient capital. By late afternoon, it seemed they might manage to reach their destination before sunset.

They were crossing a rain swollen river when Sango noticed some odd ripples in the water and directed Kirara towards the shore. Inuyasha, seeing them land, leapt towards them.

"What are you doing wench? We don't have time to waste here. Get moving!"

"I'm not sure, Inuyasha" the youkai exterminator told him, watching the ripples vanish and reform. "But something about those," she indicated the source of her concern, "bothers me."

"Feh. It's nothing but wind. Move."

Kagome had been peering into the water as they spoke. She wasn't certain, but she thought she could see...

"I think there's a shard in the river," she said, wishing that the water was clearer. She could sense a shard, yes, but somehow it's presence was fuzzy, hidden. She was about to continue when the surface of the river erupted as a massive head on a long neck lifted out of the water, turning to examine them through baleful eyes.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, Inuyasha," said Miroku as he retreated slowly away from the towering monster, "but I don't think we want to get close to that thing.."

"It has a shard in it's mouth," Kagome told them, suddenly able to see its glow now that it was above water.

"Shit," muttered Inuyasha as he drew Tetsusaiga and launched himself towards the river youkai. "I wish these damn things would quit popping up." He swung his sword around for a clean blow at the neck, only to be flung abruptly back when the thing opened it's mouth to spit a stream of vile looking liquid over him.

"Arrgghh!" Inuyasha fell to the ground, trying frantically to wipe the noxious substance from his face before it overwhelmed his canine senses.

The aborted attack had given Kagome and Sango enough time to reach their weapons and begin their attacks. Sango launched her boomerang at the thing, but it dodged easily. Kagome's arrow was more effective, but still managed to miss its target when the creature dodged again. Before they could rearm, the thing lunged at them, mouth open to reveal serrated teeth. It might have managed to capture one of they, but Miroku suddenly appeared, knocking them aside.

The monk was almost out of range of the creature's attack when it managed to catch him by the arm. He screamed in pain, a scream that cut off abruptly when Inuyasha, recovered, managed to decapitate the thing, causing it's jaws to loosen.

Miroku fell to his knees, his good hand pressing against the wound in his arm. Beside him, Inuyasha collapsed as the stench of the fluid finally overcoming him.

Kagome rushed forward, then came to an abrupt stop. She looked back and forth between the two fallen men before turning firmly away from Inuyasha.

He's youkai, he'll heal. Miroku needs your help more, she told herself, trying to dispell the incredible feeling of guilt that was trying to overwhelm her. And besides, he never wants you to help him anyway. Just give him what he wants. Let go.

She never noticed the stunned look on Inuyasha's face as she cleaned and wrapped Miroku's injured arm.

"Are you feeling better, Miroku-san?" she asked when she was done.

"Much better, Kagome. Please, you have such gentle hands..." he caressed them as he spoke, and she knew what was coming. "Will you bear my child?"

"You're so predictable," she told him laughingly.

"Your harsh words wound me, dearest Kagome," he replied, clasping his hands over his heart, his eyes twinkling madly. "For my heart is steadfast, and I know no other way to tell you of its hopes."

"Ah, houshi-sama," she sighed, "I fear to disappoint you, honest monk, but I fear my heart is not mine to give. Were it so, then yours it would be, but that can never come to pass. And so I ask you to cease your pursuit, and seek another whose heart is yet free." She saw Sango come into the clearing, and gestured towards her, declaiming, "Lo, and in this moment there comes such a maid. Make haste, sir monk, and woo her ere some sly dog steal her beauty also from thy side." She was amused to see Miroku blush and fall silent.

Sango was laughing as she joined them, having overheard their byplay. "I fear, dir sir," she said, easily falling into their silliness, "that I am but a simple maid, and no fit match for such a man. I have no gift to give save tears, for needs must I avenge my brother Koh, stole by a villain foul as cesspit's air."

"Dearest lady," Miroku seemed to have recovered his tongue, and his words tripped lightly from his tongue, "as thou willst grant me leave, I will assist thee in thy quest, for thy heart is pure and true, and I can but honor such cause with my unworthy life. But if, when victory is ours and this villain hast been routed by our righteous fury, then willst thou heed my suit and claim my heart? I fear it has been thine these many months before, and sickens for the lack of thee."

"Dear monk," Sango replied, "If when all tasks at last are done, and all our dreams within our grasp have come, if then thou art of this same mind, then I shall love thee for thy sturdy aid, and then shall we two build new worlds of hope and love."

All humor dropped from Miroku's face. "I hope so, Sango," he told her softly, brushing a strand of hair away from her face with his rosary bound hand. "I truly do."

Kagome turned away, pain stabbing through her heart. I wish I could have someone who loved me like that. she thought. Looking around, she spotted Inuyasha cleaning himself in the stream. I'm glad he's all right.

The next several days were filled with tension. Kagome and Inuyasha were trying to avoid each other, but in such a small group it was nearly impossible for them to avoid having to interact. Kagome was starting to wonder if she shouldn't just give up and go home through the well when her thoughts were interrupted by the appearance of Sesshoumaru.

Lost in her thoughts, she had missed the initial exchange of insults between the two half-brothers, and now they were engaged in full out battle for possession of the Tetsusaiga. Neither seemed to be able to gain any advantage over the other, although together they were doing significant damage to their surroundings. Kagome and the others were forced to retreat to a safer spot away from the battle.

As they sheltered behind a rock, a movement ahead and to her right caught Kagome's eye. She looked more closely, and was startled to see a young girl standing in the trees, her eyes locked on the battle taking place.

Horror filled her as she realized that Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru were drawing closer to the child, and that she wasn't going to be able to escape the energies being emitted by the swords' clashing auras. Praying to whatever gods would listen, she sprinted towards the girl, hoping against hope that she would reach her before the fringes of the fight..

Behind her, she heard the sound of Tetsusaiga and Toukijin clashing, but she ignored it in her race to reach the girl, who seemed mesmerized by the fighting youkais.

Dimly, as she broke through the trees, she heard Inuyasha shout. "Cutting Wind!" She grabbed the girl and looked around to see that Sesshoumaru had leapt clear of the strike and that the blades of the wind were coming directly at them. There was no way to avoid the strike. The girl screamed as she saw the swirling winds, and Kagome closed her eyes, stepped behind a nearby tree, and turned her back, bracing for the impact, hoping that between the tree and her own body, enough of the attack would be absorbed that the girl would be protected.

It never came.

She could hear the sound of Inuyasha's attack around her, the furious shaking of the underbrush, but no blade touched her skin. Confused, she opened her eyes, and was stunned to realize that she was surrounded by a bright blue aura, a shield that was protecting both her and the child. Behind her, the sounds of battle had died away, and when she turned, the girl still held in her arms, she saw Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru staring at her.

Inuyasha looked stunned by what had almost happened, by what he had nearly done.

Sesshoumaru had lost his customary composure, and was speeding toward her with a curious look on his face. He's frightened! was all Kagome had time to think before the youkai lord came to a stop outside her shield.

"Let me in," he ordered, and Kagome took a step back, frightened by the fierce emotion she could hear in his voice. Her arms tightened protectively about the girl, but her young charge had other plans and wriggled free of Kagome's grasp to dropped to the ground.

"Sesshoumara-sama! Rin was scared! But the pretty lady saved Rin!" she cried as she ran toward Sesshoumaru, and Kagome was stunned to see relief pass over the youkai's face before the familiar impassive mask dropped over it.

"What are you doing here, Rin?" Sesshoumaru asked the girl calmly, standing unmoving as she wrapped her arms around his legs. "You were told to wait with Jaken."

"Rin got lonely and wanted to see you, Sesshoumaru-sama." she replied with a happy smile, completely unafraid of the youkai towering over her.

"And where is Jaken?" The tone of his voice promised that someone, probably Jaken, would soon be hurting.

"Rin hid until nasty Jaken went away." The girl seemed proud of herself, and Kagome was stunned to see resigned humor in Sesshoumaru's eyes. She was having a hard time processing the thought of Sesshoumaru and a human child, a girl at that, when Inuyasha broke in.

"Do you think you can hide behind a kid, Sesshoumaru?"

Sesshoumaru shot Inuyasha a look of barely restrained disgust. "I, Sesshoumaru, have no need to hide from a hanyou such as yourself. But I fear I must leave for now. We will resume our discussion later."

They stood and watched as he lifted the girl into his arms and leapt into the air. In a flash he was gone.

***

Sesshoumaru looked through the trees towards his brother's camp. He wondered why he was doing this.

Rin. He was doing this because of Rin.

His brother's miko had saved the child earlier, when Sesshoumaru had been too distracted by his fight with Inuyasha to notice her standing in the woods. She had protected Rin, risking her own life to shield the girl from the same attack that had nearly killed Sesshoumaru himself several months earlier.

He was in her debt.

He brushed aside the thought that Rin was human, and that he should not feel such gratitude towards her saviour. He did care, and that was all that mattered.

And so here he was, skulking through the forest like some low youkai, in search of a woman he had almost killed mere hours before.

He could see his brother seated in one of the treetops, staring off into the distance. Below him, the monk and youkai hunter were setting up camp for the night. The kitsune was calling something up at his brother, but the wind carried the sound away before it reached him. Where is she? he wondered with mounting frustration.

He began to circle the camp, his senses sifting the world around him for some clue to her whereabouts. He was downwind of the group when he caught the first hint of her presence, a muffled sob coming from some nearby rocks.

She was crying.

Sesshoumaru was irritated by this sign of human weakness, but his honor demanded that he at least offer the woman his thanks, so he strode over to stand before her. He had managed to come within arms length of her before she reacted to his presence, looking up and dashing the tears from her face. Her eyes widened in shock as she realized who stood before her.

"Sesshoumaru," she whispered, her eyes wide.

"Miko." It occured to him suddenly that he didn't know her name. She was human, mortal, and so he had never bothered to remember it, although he knew he had heard it many times before.

"W-what do you want?" She was calmer than he had expected, and it prompted him to ask her a question.

"Why are you crying?"

A strange look passed over her face, and he wondered what was going on in her mind. Her answer surprised him. "Inuyasha."

"What has my idiot brother done now?" he asked in disgust. What had the hanyou managed to do that would cause this woman to creep off and cry alone? And why did he care?

"Nothing. He just ... it's nothing." She broke off suddenly, as though realizing who she was talking to. But watching her eyes, Sesshoumaru could see that it *was* something, and he suddenly realized what it must be.

"He has chosen the undead thing has he." New tears sparkled in her eyes, letting him know that he had guessed correctly.

"I keep trying not to care, but it hurts." She whispered.

Sesshoumaru pondered. He owed this woman for what she had done. She needed to get away from his brother. It would chafe his brother to lose her. She was human, but at least she was powerful, and she did bathe regularly. Having a human woman around might be good for Rin.

"Then leave him. I, Sesshoumaru, will permit you to travel with me." There, the offer was made.

"But why?" she asked, shocked.

"For many reasons," he told her, irritated that she had not simply accepted the honor he had offered her.

He could see in her eyes that she was tempted. "But the Shikon... I have to fix it and stop Naraku."

Sesshoumaru was reluctantly impressed. Clean, and she seemed to have a sense of responsibility. How very unusual. He admitted to himself that although he, himself, did not fear Naraku, or covet the Shikon no Tama, the shards of the Shikon had nonetheless been an annoyance. It seemed that any youkai that acquired one immediately deluded itself into believing that it was capable of defeating the Lord of the Western Lands, and over the last year and a bit he had faced a ridiculous number of challenges for his land. Perhaps it was time to take a more active role in pest control.

"Very well. We will search for the shards." From a pocket in his obi he withdrew a small pouch and offered it to her. "As a token."

She took the leather bag and opened it. Inside she found over a dozen shards that Sesshoumaru had removed from the remains of defeated challengers.

Kagome surprised him by grinning.

"Oh, that's going to make Naraku's life sooo much fun when he runs out of other shards to collect."

She weighed the bag in her hand for a moment, her eyes focused on something only she could see.

"All right. I'll come with you." She closed her hand around the bag and tucked it into her pocket. "I'll be back in a minute. I have to get my bag, and let my friends know I'm leaving."

Sesshoumaru felt something inside him relax at her acceptance. Had he truly wanted her to travel with him? How strange.

He remained behind, watching as the miko strode back into the clearing and lifted an overstuffed yellow bag to her shoulder. She spoke to her companions, and whatever she said got a violent reaction. The kitsune threw himself at her, sobbing, while the two humans seemed merely concerned, drawomg close and asking questions.

The miko seemed to waver under their concern, and Sesshoumaru was on the verge of striding off in disgust, when his idiot brother intervened. Whatever the hanyou said caused her to turn bright red, and he could hear her shout.

"Sit, sit, sit, sit, sit."

At her words, Inuyasha flew face first into the ground as his body was pummeled by some invisible force. When he lay groaning, the miko gestured violently in his direction, saying something to her friends. They nodded, and she removed something from around her neck, handing it to the monk. She hugged the cub one last time and turned to stomp determinedly away from them.

Soon she was facing him. Sesshoumaru could see lingering anger in her eyes.

"One more thing," she told him, and he waited, curious, to hear this new condition. "My name is Kagome. Or miko. Or hey you. I 'll even answer to human. But I won't answer to wench, and I won't be responsible for what happens if you call me bitch."

Sesshoumaru, amused by this new evidence of his brother's idiocy, decided that he could live with that.