Thanks for the reviews! Here's the third chapter. Feast your eyes and enjoy!

Disclaimer: *sigh* same old, same old

Reflection

Chapter Three: Suspicions

By Enchanted Pink Jade

*~*~*~*~*

"Oi. Daijobu?" Inuyasha asked, as he laid the girl down onto her futon. The girl weighed nothing but air! How the heck did she manage to keep both her feet on the ground? Or from being blown away by a breeze? He still didn't know what had happened back there either. She was doing fine as she followed him through the vast castle. Then all of a sudden, she fell to her knees, clutching her head... He hated to admit it, but he was worried. Just a little. She had been alone with him and only him. There weren't any others around; they'd probably put the blame on him. He wasn't worried because he cared. Nope. He just didn't want to get blamed.

Kagome could hear him just fine, she just chose not to answer at the moment. Naraku had been inside her head. Did that mean that he could read her mind too? Will he find out who she was? She hoped not. It was too soon. Time was what she needed, all she needed, just to expose him before he could expose her. Time is also what she didn't have much of. But at least for the moment, he was gone, and her head didn't hurt as much anymore.

"Hey, what's wrong? You need anything?"

Kagome smiled slowly, hearing the concern in his voice. Maybe he really did have a good side, and his macho demeanor was just a façade. He was... being really sweet.

"Damn wench. You cause too much trouble," she heard him mutter.

Never mind that thing with him being sweet. Jeez, can't this guy loosen up?

"Well, if you don't want to be anywhere near me, because I cause too much trouble, why don't you leave?" she countered, with her eyes still closed, and an arm to shield her face from the light. When he didn't anything, she thought that he had left quietly. But when she peeked out from under her arm, she saw that he was still there, his eyes fixed steadily on her.

*B-bump*

*B-bump*

*B-bump*

So this is what it feels like to have your heart beat faster...

"You've gotten pale. Are you sure you're okay?" he finally asked. stepping closer.

"Uh... yeah," Kagome answered, unsure of what else to say. It was too awkward. One minute, he was the most aggravating, despicable and spiteful person. The next, he was the aloof but worried kind. What was she supposed to think about him?

He came closer and sat down next to where she lay. "Maybe you're not fully healed yet," he muttered as he felt her forehead for her temperature. She wasn't warm, only the opposite. Cold and damp. Silently, he got up to retrieve a blanket nearby, and covered her with it. "You shouldn't be up and about yet."

They were unbelievably close. That's what it was like to Kagome. The room was one of the best and biggest they had in that castle, but right then, with Inuyasha right there, it felt as if the room had shrunk. There was no place for her to escape, and he wasn't making any efforts to move. Slowly, she reached up and pushed away some bangs that were covering his eyes, to better see the golden orbs. In them, was turmoil, loneliness, sadness. concern, wariness, and her own reflection; a lost girl not knowing where to go or what to do, wanting love and companionship. What did he see? A miko. Kikyou. Not her. Not Kagome.

The door burst open and Inuyasha quickly pulled away. Too late. Whoever had barged in had already seen. And of all the people, it just had to be Miroku.

Standing at the entrance, he blinked. Once. Twice. A huge grin grew on his face. Inuyasha didn't like it at all. When the monk was looking at you in that particular way, you did NOT want to know what was going through his head.

Miroku's vivid imagination went right to work, not that it had ever stopped. Just now, it was working in overdrive. "Ah... Inuyasha, gomen. Please, continue what you were previously doing-"

"What the fuck do you mean?" the hanyou demanded. He moved a little farther away from where the girl lay, thinking that if he put some distance between them, the funny feeling in the pit of his stomach would go away- along with Miroku.

"You move fast you naughty dog, you," the monk teased. He knew that it was like digging your own grave by messing with Inuyasha, but it was just too fun! And besides, no one was getting hurt.

"Get those perverted thoughts out of your head before I do- with my claws," he said menacingly.

"What's going on in here?" Sango said, as she came in with Kouga and another girl. Another wolf-demon, Kagome noted.

Miroku laughed. "Oh, nothing. Inuyasha was just turning up the heat in here, with the girl's help." Three pairs of eyes widened at this declaration. Kouga whistled through his teeth while the other wolf-youkai squealed in delight. Inuyasha was finally choosing a mate! Now he wouldn't drown himself over needless things!

"Nani? Is that true?" Sango turned towards the said hanyou, waiting for a positive or a negative.

"Nothing was going on. It's Miroku you're listening to, or maybe you haven't noticed," Inuyasha growled.

Kagome watched this exchange happen with exasperation. Was this how it was always going to be around this crazy place?

"I was showing her around when she suddenly fell. So I brought her back here, thinking that she maybe she isn't ready to be up and about." At these words, Miroku stopped his teasing and Sango immediately rushed to the Kagome's side.

"Daijobu?" she asked.

"Hai. I was fine this morning... Don't worry. I think that it was just a dizzy spell."

"Maybe it was something you ate?" Miroku suggested over Sango's shoulder. Everyone then turned to the only female youkai present in the room.

"Nani? I didn't do anything wrong. I've made breakfast all the time, and none of you ever get sick..." Kagome studied the girl more carefully this time, now that she was closer. She had auburn reddish hair that was kept in two ponytails on either side of her head. Her clothing was very much similar to those of which Kouga wore, but hers were pristine white.

Kouga rolled his eyes and smirked. "Ayame, that's because we have strong stomachs, and we can take anything. Just quit it from now on. Let Sango do the cooking. That way, no one would have a 50/50 chance of dying." She threw a punch at his direction, one that he easily dodged. "Nyahhhhh!"

"Baka!" she screamed, and stuck her tongue out at him too. "And I do know how to cook thank you very much."

"No. You can't!"

This bickering went on between the two while Miroku and Sango watched. Inuyasha slipped out of the room unnoticed by anyone except for Kagome.

*~*~*~*~*

Sesshoumaru eyed his brother wearily. He wasn't being his normal self. But then again, there was always something wrong with his half brother. "We're winning."

"I know that! I'm not stupid." Inuyasha paced back and forth. "Did you call me here just to tell me something I already knew?" Earlier that day, their own troops had broken through three barriers, which meant that they were closing in on Onigumo.

Sesshoumaru, with the help of his brother had recruited men and demons alike to fight this one human named Onigumo. It irked him that a mere human had been able to conquer lands where demons prevailed. At first, Sesshoumaru didn't care. It was none of his business, none of his concern. But the bastard's warriors started crossing into the Western Lands.

When more of Onigumo's forces kept coming, Inuyasha came, offering his help. Of course, he didn't want it, but he didn't deny his half-brother either. Together they were able to pull in the cooperation of many. This was the turning point of the war in their favor. Demons and humans for the time being put aside their differences to help one another. It was never vocalized, but a silent agreement between all. When it was over, they could all go back to hating and killing each other. Ever since then, they had won battle after battle

This is exactly what had been worrying Sesshoumaru. He knew that he should be happy and rejoicing. Quietly. Not like those other imbeciles who jump up and down for joy all the while screaming. But still, shouldn't he be happy? Something was bothering him. "It's been easy."

Inuyasha stopped his pacing and turned to his oh-so-loving half-brother. "Would you stop being so cryptic and spill?"

"You're getting excited over nothing. Calm down."

"How did this conversation turn to me?"

"Go out and bed some bitch. Maybe that'll offer you some relief. You've been so tense."

"My well being is none of your business. Why the fuck did you call me here?"

"Because we're winning."

"Whoop-dee-doo! Should I get the wine so we could celebrate?"

"Idiot. It's just too easy. Don't you get the feeling that instead of winning, Onigumo is drawing us in for the kill?"

Now Inuyasha paid full attention. He'd never thought about it that way... but it did make sense. Onigumo was attacked randomly. There was never a pattern in what he did. It was as if he was trying to distract them from something else. He said as much to his brother.

"That's what I was thinking. But from what? What could he be holding secret?"

"How the hell should I know?"

"You're half human. Think like one."

Inuyasha growled in annoyance.. He was a hanyou, he knew and accepted that fact a long time ago. He just didn't really like being reminded of it.

Sessoumaru smirked, seeing that he'd aggravated Inuyasha again. "I'm telling you, bed a bitch and get it over with. Go for Sango. She's a friend, and she's active. It won't hurt so much for her."

"Shut up. And stop changing subjects damnit!"

Sesshoumaru decided to stop. If they kept on fighting that way, he knew that they'd accomplish nothing. And his brother was an idiot anyways.

Inuyasha approached a table where a map lay. It showed where their troops were and where the enemies where. From Inuyasha's view, it looked like they were closing in on Onigumo's troops. They were completely surrounded. "If he was trying to draw us away something... it would have to be from something that was near us, right? He's going the opposite direction from where we stand."

"I've thought about that already."

Inuyasha's eye brow twitched in annoyance. It was so like his brother to take him on a stupid goose chase. "Then why don't you come out and say so! Things'll go much faster. So Mr. Know-it-all, if you've thought about it so much, what are your conclusions?"

"I have none. Not yet. You can go now."

Inuyasha's head jerked up from the map. "That was it? That was all you had to tell me?"

"Yes. Just to put the idea in your head. And for your own good. Go get some hot bitch and-"

*SLAM*

Inuyasha had stomped out of the room in anger, and in the process, had broken the doors off of their hinges. Temper, temper.

"Sesshoumaru-sama?" Rin came in through another door to stand in front of him. He sat down on a chair and she took another step closer. "What's wrong with Inu onii-chan?"

"Nande mo nai. Nothing. Don't think about it. Are you okay?"

The girl smiled at his concern. She didn't know if he was aware of it or not, but he'd asked her that question at least a hundred times a day since she got back from the fire. He was worried, she knew. And that made her happy. She never got tired of assuring him that things were fine. "I'm okay. Thanks to Kikyou-sama. She saved mine and Shippou's lives."

Rin took another step closer with a question in her eyes, as if asking for permission. Sesshoumaru nodded and the girl climbed into his lap only to curl up. "I'm fine now. Nothing won't happen to me. I know because Sesshoumaru-sama is here."

*~*~*~*~*

Author's Note: Yeah... this was the third chapter. Hope you guys liked it! I don't have much to say at the moment... so ja!

~Enchanted Pink Jade

E-mail: Lyricalaznangel@aol.com