I don't own Inuyasha or anything having to do with this show. I make this only for entertainment purposes, (and an excuse to avoid my homework:). So don't sue and enjoy the fic!

The Feudal Fairy Tale Begins Again...

By: Msmelanie

Chapter 41: An Old Friend Far From Forgotten.

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Kagome looked down at the boy in her arms and sighed. It had been two days since they started walking after the fire rat cave and well.her son was still clinging to her.

Inuyasha frowned at her as she sighed. 'Like SHE should be sighing. SHE'S the one keeping some secret from me!'

///Two nights ago...

"Kagome." Inuyasha said as he realized Sly had fallen asleep along with her. Since there were no towns yet, he had to sleep in a tree with his family. That's the way he liked it the best. But tonight, he couldn't let her stay asleep peacefully until they talked.

"Kagome." Inuyasha replied again.

Kagome squirmed. "No, no....I can explain...the report is late because I was...in the Sengoku Jidai...*mumble* *squirm*...it's not my fault, they didn't have the software..."

Inuyasha just groaned. She was dreaming of that 'career' thing again. 'Is it a nightmare?' "Kagome, wake up."

Kagome blinked her eyes as she started to wake up. "Hmm?" she mumbled incoherently. "Oh, it's you Inuyasha. What is it?"

Inuyasha looked at her and smiled. She was too tired to go anywhere, and even if she wasn't, she was in the highest branch of a tree. No matter what, he'd get the truth. "How'd Mutsuki know Kikyou?"

Instantly, Kagome became wide awake at the question. "K-kikyou? Uhhh...Kawayou knows no one by the name of Kikyou." She faked a smile. 'Well, that part is sorta true...'

Inuyasha frowned. "He did too know her. He asked what she was doing in this time! Why did he ask that, Kagome?" he said seriously.

Kagome just stared at Inuyasha. 'I can't tell him that. I made a promise.' "I don't know. Maybe he thought he recognized her?"

Inuyasha didn't buy that. "Who else looks more like Kikyou than-!" He immediately stopped when he remembered how Kagome had acted in the past when she was compared to Kikyou. Not to mention how just mildy making her mad was making her act lately. 'I don't want to get hit in the shin again.' "I mean, I know you are hiding something!"

Kagome sighed. "It's not a life or death thing, Inuyasha. Drop it and go to sleep."

"No." Inuyasha refused.

Kagome being the bright person she was, wasn't going to let him get away with a simple 'no'. 'If he wants to know so badly, he's gonna have to give back in return.' "Inuyasha..."

"Yeah?" he answered.

"Will you tell me about your past? You know, about your mom and such?" Kagome asked, knowing that his answer would be-

"-That doesn't matter! What does that have to do with anything?!" He barked.

Kagome looked at Sly. 'Good thing he sleeps like a log.' "Don't me and Kawayou deserve to know her? Deserve to know more about you?"

Inuyasha fidgeted. "I can't tell you."

"Then I can't tell you about Kikyou." Kagome simply said as she snuggled herself back to sleep, happy that she could keep her promise.

Whether he liked it or not.////

Inuyasha angrily hit a rock out of the way.

Miroku looked over at the angry hanyou. "I take it something is on your mind?"

Inuyasha just growled a warning to him.

Miroku just grinned. Kagome had 'something' on him, he knew it. He just didn't know what. "Sango, would you like to walk ahead of me?"

"No." was Sango's quick and blunt reply..

Miroku just shook his head back and forth. "That is too bad. Are you sure?"

"Monk.." she warned.

Miroku put his hands up in a gesture of surrender. "Fine, fine." he said as they went over a hill.

Kagome held her breath. "This place looks familiar..."

Inuyasha just scoffed. "Yeah, I remember this place. Can we go around this village?"

"Why?" Shippou asked from Kagome's shoulder. "What's so bad about this town?"

"Is it you?!"

Inuyasha tried to turn away at the sound, but it didn't do any good since Kagome waved at the old woman coming toward them.

She smiled as she looked at Kagome. "What is a pretty thing like you doing back here? Came back for a visit?"

"A visit?" Sango asked. She did not remember this place anymore than Miroku did. "Kagome, did you visit this place before you met me?"

Kagome was about to reply, until Inuyasha interrupted.

"We're going around the town," he said sternly, crossing his arms. "I don't need to be near that wimp again. It might rub off or something."

Kagome looked sternly at Inuyasha. "So where is he?"

The old woman smiled with what teeth she had left and led them to their home.

Kagome looked at the little house. It was in better shape, but it still looked the same as all those years ago.

Shippou looked up at Kagome. "Where is this?"

"Kagome?" A familiar voice rang out from the small house.

Kagome smiled. It had been a long time since she had seen him. 'I wonder how he's doing no-'

And that was as far as her mental process could go as the man stepped out of the house...

She blinked a few times. That loving smile could only be his. But the gorgeous face...

That hair...

and those to die for eyes...

Jinenji smiled as he looked at Kagome. "It's been so long Kagome! Do you remember me?"

The old woman saw both Sango and Kagome gawking at him. She gently elbowed Kagome. "Jinenji's ugliness was apparently a phase. We we're so shocked, but he started to slowly change about a year and a half ago. He finally completed the transformation about four months ago. Now, as deformed as he was two years ago..."

Jinenji smiled causing both Kagome and Sango to stop breathing temporarily.

"...is as handsome as he is now." Jinenji's mother smiled as she elbowed both Sango and Kagome. "You can breathe now, girls."

They both flushed and nervously laughed at their behavior.

Sly groaned. "Great. Mom's got the hots for a guy again."

"What?!" Inuyasha barked. He had noticed her odd behavior, but he was sure it couldn't be. But if Sly thought she was then...

Jinenji grinned even more at the two women, and they started to feel like they were going to swoon.

"He looks just like his father." the woman smiled as she stood next to her son. She winked at the girls. "And an extra bonus is the fact he didn't grow up with a swelling ego like most demons and handsome men."

Jinenji blushed as he thought of the word handsome.

Kagome and Sango couldn't believe what they saw. A truly sincere, blushing, handsome, decent man?

That was extremely rare in BOTH era's.

Kagome gulped, but her great view was interrupted as Inuyasha stepped in her way. "She's taken." he growled.

"That's right, she is." Sango agreed as she came up around Kagome. She extended her hand. "Hello, my name is Sango."

When Jinenji shook her hand she could feel the strength in his arms and the kindness in the firm yet gentle handshake.

Kagome tried to move away from the back of Inuyasha. "Inuyasha, I'm trying to talk to a dear old friend!" she scolded.

Inuyasha wasn't going to fall for that. "You're mine. So quit it."

Kagome peeked around Inuyasha's shoulder as she set her son down on the ground. "Jinenji?"

Jinenji looked at Kagome and smiled.

Kagome smiled back.

Inuyasha frowned at the both of them.

Sly just looked around and wandered off a little farther with Shippou.

Sango tried to catch Jinenji's attention again, but instead she felt a hand wrap around her waist.

"Sango, he is a strange demon. You should stay here, it may not be safe." Miroku insisted.

Sango tried to get out of the monk's grip. "Let go of me." she warned.

"I am only thinking of your best welfare." Miroku added. He knew he was risking getting smacked with the Hiraikotsu, but he just couldn't risk Sango being 'affected' by this demon.

Kagome continued to talk to Jinenji, despite Inuyasha's protests.

"That's it!" he barked after growing tired of being ignored. Kagome made a sound of surprise as Inuyasha lifted her bridal-style. She quickly put her arms around his neck. "Inuyasha?!"

"See this?!" Inuyasha barked. "She's mine! Not yours! Not some wolf's! She's not my claimed mate yet, but she is still MINE!"

Miroku also shot a warning glare at the handsome and sincere hanyou.

"Why do you act funny around me?" Jinenji asked confused. "Do you not...want to be my friend?"

The old woman just laughed. "Don't worry, Jinenji. They are just afraid that you might take their ladies' hearts away."

Jinenji looked confused. "I would never steal someone's heart. That would hurt. I don't want to hurt people."

The old woman smiled, while Sango and Kagome sighed heavily.

"Wow...he's so innocent." Sango said a little in awe.

The old woman smiled while the two possessive men held their ground. "No, Jinenji. I mean that these young women may fall in love with you."

Jinenji nervously smiled and blushed as he made little circles in the dirt with his foot. "Ooooh..." he said in an embarrassed manner.

The old woman patted Jinenji on the back. "Being handsome is still quite new to him...so I'd get him while you can ladies." She winked at both Kagome and Sango.

Inuyasha clung Kagome tighter to him. "No way! Besides, she's had my pup!" Then, he stopped and looked around for a second.

Where was his pup anyhow?

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Hi everyone. Now, don't get mad that I only put up two chapters. I plan on putting the next two chapters up tomorrow alright? (Umm...might be up round 2:00 to 4:00 central time.) Although I will give this warning now...Chapter 43 doesn't end on the best note.^^'...so please don't be too upset. I will have 44 up soon after that. But I have decided that I wanted to write the WHOLE thing on paper now. Since I am on my vacation (Yes!!) I don't have much to do except...read...watch anime...and write.^^ So, if my updates seem a little slower than normal, remember that it's not because I'm not writing. Because I am, I'm writing ALL of it.

Also, I held a vote on my mailing list for who wanted to continue putting the edited version up first VS. Who wanted me to put up the unedited version, THEN update it with edited when I got them back from Kibi my beloved editor....

And surprisingly only one person voted...but hey, every vote counts! So since that person said they wanted the unedited versions first, I accepted it! So, lucky you...if it would've been just edited there would only be 40 and 41 for you guys, but now you get 42 and 43 tomorrow...and 44 soon after! \(^0^)/ I really hope you've enjoyed the story thus far.

And one more thing: The ending will be coming soon. (Errr...somewhere between ten and twenty chapters I think.) So, just to warn you that many of your 'confusing mysteries' should be solved soon!

I think many of you will really like it.^^ I did! (I REALLY did! Especially the ending ending. Wow, I can't believe I came up with that! Really, sometimes its more like stories write themselves, isn't it?)

I'll try and answer your reviews around...chapter 44? So, I hope you continue to review!^^