The day was a nice one, as it was yesterday. Nice weather was so annoying right now. Nice weather could come when Kagome returned. Waiting through bad weather seemed to suit my mood better. She always took more and more time in her own time than necessary. Not that the modern world of her future wasn't so interesting, but it was filled with so many sounds, smells, and sights that got to my heightened senses. It all gave me a headache. I liked the silence of my era better.

It was so boring when Kagome was gone, though I'd never admit that to a SOUL, other than myself. Being with her, especially after our most private conversation not too long ago, was getting better and better. Whenever she left, everyone would go their own ways until she returned, and I'd end up being alone and waited as well. I was quickly discovering deep down that being alone again wasn't something I wanted, though I always played differently.

And I'd go over to yank her back to this time, if I wasn't so irritated with that damn onna. Taking so long...what always KEPT her?? Stupid 'school' and all that studying. If she didn't like it so much, I'd almost swear she was a prisoner to it.

The wind changed and I caught a scent. I looked to the ground below from the tree I was in before the arrival came. "Nani?" I lazily called, turning my head back to its original lounging position.

"Inuyasha...it's getting late isn't it? Shouldn't Kagome-chan be back by now?" Sango called.

"What are you getting at? That onna ALWAYS takes too damned long." I retorted, feeling a little irked that others were probably thinking some of the same things I was.

"What I mean is, shouldn't you go see what's keeping her? It's been a few days already. She said she'd be back by this afternoon, yet the sun's half down."

I snorted. Who was I, someone's lapdog? No pun intended, and I wasn't about to be used on someone else's errand. So what if I was the only one who could go through the well with Kagome? That was their problem, not mine. "Then go look and wait at the well yourself if you want. I'm not waiting at the well for her to come back. It could be days and I'm not wasting that kind of time."

Sango huffed and I fought a smirk. Annoying her was fun sometimes, almost like bantering between siblings. As much as I enjoyed a good repartee as much as I did with the others from time to time, I didn't want to get into an argument I'd end up losing to from Sango's worry.

"Mou...can't you just go CHECK?? What if something's wrong?? What are you going to do if Kagome's HURT?? Then it'd be on your shoulders because YOU are the only one who can travel through to her time!"

My eyes peeked open and slightly glared through the trees. She raised a good point, but there was no WAY I was going to admit that. If Kagome was hurt, I'd never forgive myself, especially since I hadn't made a trip over there to see what was keeping her. And then patiently waiting, patiently for ME anyway, for her over here. I sighed. If nothing else, I could always use Sango's worry as my excuse if nothing WAS wrong and she asked questions about my appearance.

"Fine! Iku, iku!" I snapped, sitting up, I didn't want to appear too eager or ok with the idea of going because if I did, then they'd expect me to go more often. And then I'd REALLY be someone's lapdog. No way in hell.

With little use of my hanyou powers, I jumped from the tree and landed a yard from Sango. "Just go back to the village and wait. Sheesh...onnas..." I muttered, making sure to be heard. Sango huffed again and nearly stalked away as I calmly walked in the well's direction.

My mind was clouded with a few 'what ifs', mostly brought on by Sango's wonderings, and stupid explanations that wouldn't make it seem as if I was going to see Kagome PERSONALLY. We had a mission to complete first and foremost; I'd deal with her and everything we delved ourselves into later. Right after I helped Kikyou return to herself.

Just before I cleared the trees, I smelled that familiar smell and looked up from the ground. What the...? She was BACK?? That was just great! I got up for NOTHING! Scowling, I stepped through the trees with the intent on giving Kagome a good lecture on tardiness, when I stopped and looked in confusion at the emotions on her face. My eyes narrowed in befuddlement and thought. Just what was going through that onna head of hers?

Not to be perturbed of just that, I jumped across the stretch separating us and landed in front of her, waving a hand in her face. She blinked and looked at me with blank eyes and I gave her a small glare. Spacing off...that's ALL we needed when we were supposed to be looking for Naraku! "Cura!" I hissed, feeling angry. "You finally MADE it! What happened to 'I'll be back by mid afternoon'? NE??"

She blinked, as if not even hearing me speak. My glare hardened at being ignored, but a sliver of my mind was wondering what was going on. Kagome was NEVER this preoccupied with her thoughts whenever she returned. And she never passed up the chance to throw a retort back when I yelled at her.

"Ah, gomen ne Inuyasha." She quietly answered, reaching into the well. She brought back yet another huge bag and I rolled my eyes with a huff. She ALWAYS brought too much stuff! "Time...got away from me, I guess."

I sighed and grabbed her bag, shouldering it when she looked to be having trouble. "Mou...baka." I bit out, fixing the sleeves of my haori. These modern things didn't make wearing my clothes very comfortable. "Iko. Sango already told me to come see what was keeping you so long. So you can explain yourself to her."

She nodded and silently walked next to me. I didn't say anything else to prod, since I never prompted her about her thoughts. She could say what she wanted, when she wanted, if she had something to say.

Still...whatever was going on in her mind NEVER made her this spacey. She always managed to push thoughts aside whenever she came back, except for that homework stuff. My curiosity was burning, but I didn't have a good way to ask her what was on her mind, except for my usual gruffness.

When we were alone, I didn't want to be so abrupt with her, since it was all private. It was okay to be a little soft around her, I learned, but only when we were alone. Though now that we were, I couldn't bring myself to say anything.

I adjusted a strap over my shoulder, put my hands back in my sleeves, and kept quiet.

If Kagome wanted to talk, she knew she could come to me.

~*~*~

It'd only been a few days since the stranger's appearance, but he was more than I thought he was, as far as mystery went. There was just something about him, and I felt the need to figure out and satisfy my curiosity. There was no way to find him and outright talk to him, since he seemed to vanish and appear like the wind. That was another question on my mind. How did someone DO that??

I sighed and sat up from my sleeping bag, carefully holding Shippo to keep from waking him. I held his sleeping form against me and stood, walking from the small camp we had to a clearing to look at the stars for something to do. The moon was half out and its low luminescence gave a better view, something I didn't get in Tokyo that often. Too many streetlights. These were the nights to stay up and lose sleep, to see such majesty. Better than lying down with my head full of wonder anyway. At least I could give my eyes something to do.

I gave a quiet sigh and wistfully stared at the moon, as if it had all my answers. I was so confused, and it'd only been a few days time. Everything seemed to happen at once.

"Konban wa Kagome-chan."

I whirled around and blinked, but smiled despite myself. "Konban wa kyo-san." I slowed my walk to a crawl and let the mysterious stranger catch up and match my stride. A little late-night shopping before going back to the feudal era was the reason for this sudden meeting. "I see you are learning Japanese." I smiled a little wider, wondering if it was done for me to communicate better.

"Hai, I am picking up bits and pieces here and there. I'm a fast learner." He quietly replied, sending a charming smile. Something told me it was more than friendly by the look in those dark brown eyes I blushed and looked away.

Silence accompanied us for a small distance until his hand reached down and grabbed one of my bags. I blinked in shock and stopped walking, looking at him with wide eyes. "Nani-"

"Here. Let me help you. Those look heavy."

Again I blushed, but let him help. "A...arigatou..." I stammered, feeling like a little girl. This was ridiculous, I was nearly a grown woman and already in love with Inuyasha...why was I thinking this way? "So...you're not from here I see. What continent do you live on normally?"

I received that charming smile again and felt my heart speed up for some reason. "I don't really live anywhere now, but I used to live on very old land. Sort of like this. It's fascinating to see such mix of old and new."

I couldn't find anything to answer that, even though my tongue burned with statements about my family's life on a shrine and the many old temples we had. I could've started a conversation that was otherwise so normal for me, but was unable. Questions burned instead. Dare ga, nani, itsu, doko, naze, doyatte. And none I could answer...

I could feel my heart pound again, and another blush come just thinking of the memory. Something about this made me feel guilty, talking to another man that seemed to be interested in me other than friendship. Though I always discouraged Hojou, there seemed no problem in letting this person, whose name I didn't even KNOW yet, flirt with me. I sighed and fought the urge to massage my head to loosen the tension there. It wasn't like Inuyasha was as outgoing as that stranger was anyway, and we BOTH knew his loyalty was to Kikyo first. So why was I feeling guilty in the first place??

Not too much time later, there was a small thump on the ground, but I knew what it was and wasn't afraid. I wondered how long it would take him to find me and talk to me actually. He COULDN'T have been asleep, since he rarely slept at night. He always took that time to watch over the group instead. My lips quirked at the gesture.

"What are you doing up? Doushita? You need your sleep." He quietly ordered.

I gave a quiet, amused snort at his gruff tone, but looked past the words into his questions. He was worried enough to find me and ask them? I always DID think that was sweet. I also didn't have the energy or want to snap back at him for invading my privacy of solitude either. I wasn't tired, just mentally exhausted to the point of insomnia with wonder. I always DID have too much of an inquisitive mind.

"Daijoubu." I quietly assured, giving him a sleepy smile. "I just couldn't sleep. Too much on my mind I guess." I gave a small shrug, still mindful of the kitstune in my arms.

"You've been that way all day too." Inuyasha pointed out, taking a few steps closer. He stopped only inches from me and I had to look up to see his eyes. "If it's going to cloud your judgment, you should forget it until later or you go back again." A small scowl popped up on his face, but those gold eyes were a little worried. No one could see that but me, and I doubt Inuyasha would even see that. I looked to the ground, that small, touched smile still on my face. He was right, but I just couldn't get that stranger out of my head, no matter how hard I tried. He seemed to pop up through something someone said or did since the day I met him. I think next time I go back, I'll find a way to contact him and satisfy my curiosity. That way Inuyasha won't have something ELSE to yell at me for.

"Wakaru." I mumbled, nodding in agreement. My mind was already thinking of the places he seemed to find me in and the times of day. The earliest was always late afternoon at the best, just around mid sundown.

In the silence that encompassed us, Inuyasha took an almost timid step forward and I could feel his hesitation. I looked into his gaze again, finding it serious, but not angry. There was something he wanted to tell me, but was unsure of for some reason.

I blinked, but held his eyes. "Ne? Inuyasha...nani..." I almost whispered, feeling my chest tighten with those feelings of love. My heart fluttered at his nearness. I tried not to blush, even though it was dark out.

"Kagome...you know that...if there's anything you want to say, or if your thoughts are getting too much...that you can come to-"

Shippo stirred and my sight jerked to my arms, breaking the spell. I felt bad, because I knew that Inuyasha rarely said something so touching. But I knew he wouldn't want to be embarrassed if Shippo heard and gave him a hard time, even if Shippo KNEW about some of Inuyasha's feelings.

"Eh? Kagome? What's going on?" Shippo sleepily asked, rubbing his eyes with a tiny hand.

I had to smile at how cute he was being. "Nan demo nai Shippo-chan. Sorry to wake you." Not bothering to ask any more questions, the youkai shifted a little more and went back to sleep. I looked up, mouth poised to answer Inuyasha's previous statement, but looked at nothing except the trees across the way. I blinked and wondered if I was THAT lost in thought to have missed his silent departure. I frowned a little and shook my head. That was unacceptable...I NEEDED to put the thoughts out of my head before I lost it to a youkai.

With a small sigh of irritation that he didn't even bother staying around, I shrugged off Inuyasha's odd behavior and headed back to camp. He was right and if I wanted to be of ANY use in the morning, I'd try my hardest and get SOME sleep...

I stopped and looked up to the high branch he was perched in again. I couldn't see anything except the red of his clothes in the dim firelight and gave a small smile. He looked asleep, but I knew every sense was tuned to the entire area. "Wakaru Inuyasha. Arigatou." I tenderly whispered, going for my sleeping bag. I didn't wait to see if he acknowledged me, but I knew he heard me.

~*~*~

I followed her home and hid in one of the trees, letting my senses track her, until she walked into a small wood shed of some sort and her blood smell disappeared entirely. Shock was an understatement. When I knew the coast was clear, I flew from the tree and cautiously pulled the doors open. I didn't know what I expected, but some sort of explanation was warranted to help me understand what just happened.

All I received in return was a dark, lightless, empty well room with a smell of magic and the mustiness of time.

I searched the entire area, even flew down near the bottom of the well, but didn't find her. The mystery of this girl deepened to dramatic proportions and I knew that with my entire mind, along with finding my creator, I had to figure this girl out. As I had mystified her with my abrupt, silent ways, so too had she entranced me with the smell of her blood and this new twist.

Though she disappeared, for how long I had no clue, I would wait and check the air for her return. In the meantime, I would continue to search, to see if I could find ANY leads. So far, all were dead ends, or no one knew of my old master. Those who did, didn't know where he was, or if he was even still alive.

I leave the well by flight for stealth and shut the doors as quietly as I could to keep from alerting anyone. Hovering above the ground, I take a look around at the large domicile this Kagome lived in and felt more magic coming from an extremely large tree close-by. Intrigued, I flew to it and circled the entire thing.

The whole thing was just a very old tree, but the feel of it was humbling and calming. I marveled at the size of this tree, how it could withstand the test of time, almost as much as I had. It looked hundred of years old. How I didn't know, in such an industrialist time, but I went to the top branch and looked out at the view, the current problem forgotten at the moment.

The one good thing of being able to fly...there was always the possibility for a great view. I wryly smile and look around, just taking a moment to enjoy the surrounding area. I don't worry about anyone seeing me, as my clothes are dark as always and the branch is stories in the air.

The city of Tokyo had many possibilities to it, some of deadly fun. I smile again and felt my fangs poke my lip. Until Kagome returned, I would deal...as I did for centuries.

Till I could smell her blood in this time, I will search for my master and contain my hunger until I taste her essence for the first time.

When I see her again, I will take that time to delve into her mind and understand her...and also plan my attack.

I've waited long enough and though I am patient when it comes to matters of time, this new twist makes me wonder how much time I HAVE with Kagome. I need to plan and figure things out.

The plot has just thickened.

**I am a BEGINNER Japanese learner...so if these are not 100% correct...please let me know if you care to do so. I only have a web page to learn from, a dictionary, and a few months experience to work with.**

Translations: Kyo-san-Mister/Sir Dare ga, nani, itsu, doko, naze, doyatte-Who, what, when, where, why, how