Chapter 10: Demon or Person??

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or much of anything else. This computer isn't even mine ^^

Author: I would first like to give a huge apology to everyone who has been waiting for an update, I am so sorry! I just haven't been writing Inuyasha stuff lately. I think when the 13th graphic novel comes out, I will resume, but until then it's like blank. I have not however, abandoned this story or fanfiction.net. (I'm laboring over several Harry Potter fics at the moment!)  Thank you for being so patient with me, I feel so guilty! .

            "Shippo, this is boring." Miroku had been sitting on the couch for the past two hours listening to Shippo and his friends chatter endlessly. At first he had tried to pay attention, but now it was just ridiculous. They were talking about the most boring things! Who cared what kind of problems Shippo had traumatically after his friends left him alone, orphaned in a demon stricken world? Who cared how many weeks the girl waited for her demon lover ask her to marry him. Who cared what monk—wait.

            "My dad???" he asked, suddenly sitting up to listen more intently.

            "Yep, that rascal. We missed him at the wedding. We wanted him to be there." Kagome smiled at him lovingly. Miroku grumbled.

            "Well I'm bored. Is there any food?" Sasuke had been standing beside Shippo silently, but looked up hopefully at the prospect of something to eat. Inuyasha smiled. 

            "Of course there is. Makoto! Makiko!"

            Two little kids came running down the stairs. The stopped and stared at the people shyly, golden eyes wide.  Small pointed ears peeked out from behind midnight black hair.

            "Twins." Kagome commented for the guests. "Makoto and Makiko, our children."

            "We've met." Sasuke said dryly. Makoto gulped.

            "Go get some food." Inuyasha ordered. Kagome swatted him.

            "I told you to stop doing that. Now, Mako, Maki, come help me get something for our guests to eat." The kids nodded and followed their mother obediently.

            Inuyasha just rolled his eyes.

            "You will stay the night, won't you?" Kagome asked, hopeful.  Shippo nodded.

            "We still have more business to attend to, but it can wait till morning. I'm in no hurry to leave." He said. The fox demon was eager to catch up with his old friends, and get to know their small family. He always wanted a family. For a moment his mind flashed a vision of Miroku and Sasuke, but he ignored it determinedly. He had only known them for a few weeks. Sasuke was a traitor and Miroku was just a kid. A kid who needed to be taken care of, he thought. But he ignored that too. Thoughts were too much right now. He let himself be led to an extra bedroom up a set of stairs by a still chattering Kagome, settling Miroku in the bed and making a blanket ready for himself on the floor. Sasuke was downstairs on the couch.

            "Thanks Kagome." He said. This hospitality was unfamiliar to someone so normally shunned by society. An outcast. No wonder people loved her so easily. She just smiled.

            "Always for a friend like you Shippo." She said, and then slipped away to her own room with her family.

            Shippo didn't sleep for a long time. But when he did, listening to the soft snores of the young monk, it was quiet and peaceful.

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            "I think he's a demon."

            "No, I think he's a person."

            "Demons are people stupid."

            "Not all of them."

            Shippo listened to the two soft voices conversing without moving a muscle. He feigned sleep and continued to listen.

            "Mamma says he's a good guy."

            "So does dad."

            "So why are you scared?"

            "I'm not! You are!"

            "No! Shut up."

            "Raaaaaaaaghhhhhh!!!!"  Shippo leapt to his feet, scaring the kids out of their wits.

            "EEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKK!"

            "EEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKK!"  The two children jumped and ran screaming from the room. Shippo burst into laughter and Miroku sat up in bed groggily.

            "Shippo, why'd you wake me…" he yawned and started to get dressed, Shippo still rolling with laughter on the floor.  "I had a good dream Shippo." Miroku said, smiling and staring off into space. His brown hair was mussed up and his robe was only halfway on, and Shippo was still giggling senselessly at his own idea of a great joke. "I dreamed that I had a family, and you and Sasuke were my family."

            Shippo stopped laughing and glanced at the boy's almost hopeful expression.

            "No." he said. He didn't even think of shattered dreams for Miroku, he just spoke on the impossibility. "I don't ever want to be a part of anything as sappy as a family. Especially not one with you in it!"

            "Hey!" Miroku threw the pillow at him. "I was being nice! I told you my dream!" the boy pouted and made Shippo almost feel bad. If he weren't such a fierce demon he might have tried to rectify the situation. He did the opposite.

            "The only time I was a part of anything close to a family it ended up shredded to pieces. That ain't happening again. Families are for dopes who don't care about themselves."

            Miroku pondered for a moment.

            "I thought that families were supposed to provide for each other and care about one another."

            "Supposed to, yes. But believe me it never works out that way."

            "What do you dream of Shippo?" Miroku asked so innocently, that Shippo was caught off guard. He stared at the pillow.

            "I don't dream anymore."

            Miroku blinked at him. "Not even when you sleep??" he asked. Shippo glared.

            "When I dream at night I see death and gore and things that would make a kid like you cry. When I'm awake, it's just surviving. That's all there is. Now stop bugging me!"

            Shippo jumped up, good mood destroyed, and stomped down the stairs to the kitchen. Kagome was bustling around making breakfast and drinking coffee.

            "Good Morning!" she smiled at him.  Shippo growled. 

            "We have to leave today. This world makes me uncomfortable. Kagome, the reason we came is actually kind of serious. We came to deliver half of the Shikon jewel. Miroku passed it on to his son, and I think it actually belongs in your care. It somehow became impure through whatever killed Miroku and Sango, and I think you are the only one who can help."

            "Oh…" Kagome's face fell. "I don't know about this…Show me the jewel and I'll see what I can do. But I'm not promising anything." Kagome stood face to face with her old friend. "Shippo, I know it's been hard for you. But you are a strong, kind boy."

            "I'm a demon." He muttered.

            "You are a person." She said sternly, causing Shippo to blush. Then she smiled. "Not just anyone would take the company of a half demon and a little orphaned boy. You and I are a special breed of people. It takes a certain kind of heart."

            Shippo gawked for a moment. He never thought…. what he was doing was just what Kagome did. He is to Miroku as Kagome was to him…he is to Sasuke as Kagome was to Inuyasha…

            "You left me. I was all alone Kagome. I had no one. I was an orphan. You and Inuyasha and Sango and Miroku all left me to fend for myself. You all left me alone."

            Kagome stared at Shippo in surprise.

            "They left you?" she asked. The fox demon turned away from her.

            "Yes."

            "Sango and Miroku would never—"

            "—Well they did. And you were gone and I was alone."

            "And you still care for their son…" Kagome's eyes filled with tears. "That is so sweet! Shippo I had no idea!" she wrapped her arms around him like he was still only two feet tall and squeezed. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know."

            "Yeah yeah." Shippo blushed and pushed the woman away from him. It wasn't like it was her fault. For that matter, it wasn't Miroku's fault that his parents left him, were killed, and left the Shikon jewel in their baby son's care. The fierce demon felt a little bit bad. He had grown to like the kid a little too. Maybe this time he wouldn't make the mistake that other people had made on his own-orphaned self. Maybe now he would take a persons life a little more seriously.

            "You turned out great anyway Shippo." Said quietly, going back to making breakfast. A quiet moment later, the others joined them in the kitchen.

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Author: Questions and comments are welcome. (Please don't be mad at me… .)