Present Time

by alandrem

ON HOLD Inuyasha discovers the present is more dangerous than he was led to believe.

22. Chapter 23

Present Time.

Inuyasha Fanfiction

By alandrem

Chapter 23

Disclaimer: Blah, Blah, Blah. Same as chapter one.

Author Note: As always thanks to telosphilos for helping with the creation of this fic by providing ideas and/or adding insights to the plot and characters. After all she is co-writing this adventure with me.

Ok I said there were not going to be OOCness warnings, but well this chapter does require it. There is a reason for all this, so please bear with us. There will also be an explanation for their behavior, some on this chapter or the next, and some on others. Be assured your curiosity (or complaints) about why he is acting the way he is will be explained (eventually). If you read carefully the previous chapter and this one you might find a bit of insight as to the explanation.

I'm also sorry for taking this long, this chapter was 'done' when I uploaded chapter 21 & 22, but I was not really happy with it, something seemed off. So I had to wait a bit to clear my head and see why I was not happy with it. I read several fics and worked on some ideas I have to distract me a bit, and then I came back to the chapter. I ended adding, removing and changing some stuff to correct some of the OOCness from both Inuyasha and Shippou, although I'm not sure I really corrected all there was.

By the way, Present Time is now archived on Iridescent Dreams too. The fic was labeled as AU there. In the beginning it wasn't, but as the story progressed it might seem so. Still this is not an AU since it is set as a side story from what is really happening on the Manga and Anime (I base most of the story on the anime).

Thanks for your patience and well, enough rant, since I'm almost positive few people really read the author's note anyway.

Thanks again to my editors evercool resurrected and Lazuli

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Kagome had wanted to stay awake all night with Inuyasha and care for the kit, but between him and her mother they managed to convince her that it was not necessary once they explained what little he had to do. Only try to lower his body temperature with a cool cloth, apply Kaede obaa-chan's remedies, give him water if he was thirsty and his blood; nothing else since they did not know if modern medicines would help. Kagome after all had school, and someone had let the rumor that there would be a surprise test. Besides, Inuyasha could do without sleep even if he had to receive some basic training for that bust the Ando guy and his kitsune partner were planning. Still, the young woman had protested until her mother intervened, in the end convincing her that Inuyasha was quite capable of taking care of Shippou and that if anything happened to the kit she would be told.

Inuyasha woke up hearing the voices of the Higurashi family members; he had no recollection of falling asleep on the couch with Shippou on his chest. For a moment he was surprised to find a blanket tucked around them, but then remembered the old man had tucked them in and checked the kit's temperature before dawn, though the old man's actions puzzled him. The young hanyou was sure Kagome's grandfather did not like him, and yet he had done something nice for them.

It had been one hell of a night as the kit's fever soared and there had been moments when he really thought the little kitsune would not make it. Shippou's heart had stopped at least a couple of times for only a few moments, before it started beating again. And he had convulsed because of the fever making Inuyasha fear that he would hurt himself even more than he already was. So, he had forced him to drink as much of his blood as the little one could take on the very short semi-conscious spells he had, hoping that it would help him get strong enough to start healing.

Inuyasha was surprised that, while delirious, the people Shippou called the most were Kagome and him, and not all were complaints about being bopped or insults; in most he was calling him for help or telling something he had done to Kagome. He also talked to Sango, Miroku and Kirara. And his Otou was mentioned several times too, but surprisingly his Okaa was only mentioned once and the runt sounded really sad. It made him curious; maybe he would ask the twerp later about that.

The young hanyou had not been sure his blood was any help during the night, as Shippou seemed to get worse for a while instead of better, but some time before daybreak the fever went down, and he slept easier. Perhaps that was when he too fell asleep. Keeping watch, taking care of the kitsune boy during the night, and worrying for his survival had left him more exhausted than he ever thought possible.

The kid stirred a bit and whimpered in pain, it seemed like he was having some kind of nightmare. Inuyasha sniffed him softly and could not stop himself from nuzzling his hair, and letting out very soft, comforting and reassuring woofs. It was the kind that inu parents used to soothe a scared or sick pup. He was surprised that he even knew it; his mother was human, so she never used it. And he did not remember his father, much less if the once great Taiyoukai had ever used it.

The woofs had the desired effect, Shippou settled back into a peaceful slumber. His unexpected display of affection puzzled Inuyasha; it was so unlike him that he did not know how to react to that change in his character. Shaking his head a bit as if to clear it, he took a deep breath and marveled at how strong and subtly entwined his scent already was with Shippou's, it had taken almost no time for the change. There were other odors surrounding the little kit that disturbed him; pain and sickness. They were not as strong as the day before, but they still awoke in him the urge to protect his pup.

"My pup," Inuyasha muttered in a barely audible whisper, and wondered at how strangely right it sounded.

'Yes,' he told himself, 'Shippou is my son now.' Repeating those words brought forth a variety of confused feelings and worries that he needed to sort out, but was not even sure if he could identify all of them. Absentmindedly the young hanyou started scratching behind one of Shippou's pointy ears, like he had seen both Kagome and Sango do so many times before.

'He is alive now because I adopted him, but, I wonder if I could ever be a decent parent, I was a pretty rotten pack leader to him for starters,' he snorted, a bit disgusted at himself for not assuming his responsibilities before. 'Besides, it's not like I remember my parents all that well to begin with, or know anything about families or kids.'

"Heck! What I mess I got ourselves into runt, but at least you're still with us." Inuyasha sighed removing gently the matted hair form the kit's face, it seemed to be tickling Shippou's nose, and then he moved him to the crook of his arm. He thought that position would be more comfortable for the boy, who stirred a bit before sighing, calling his Otou and going back to sleep. The slight twinge of jealousy caught Inuyasha by surprise, his eyes almost bugging out of his face as he clutched the kid possessively. "Fuck! What the hell was that?" He exclaimed unaware that he was keeping his voice low to avoid waking up the boy. The hand that had been scratching the kit went to his face.

'Damn! This is definitely not what I expected! Grrrrrrrrr! I'm fucking jealous of the twerp's real parent! I can't fucking believe this shit!' He groaned mentally.

"Shit pup, things are just getting weirder," he told the little kit, "I just hope we can get some sort of understanding because possessive has just been added to the jerk part." Inuyasha could just imagine Shippou making fun of him because of that, since he already teased him enough when he acted possessive with Kagome. And the young hanyou knew he was much more possessive than could be attributed to his inu youkai heritage. He absentmindedly returned to scratching the kit, recently discovering it to be a very soothing activity and not just for the recipient, as he kept pondering on the changes the mark brought to him.

Kagome came to that scene and was pleasantly surprised at seeing him holding and treating the kit so gently, she did not think she had ever seen him like that with Shippou, or anybody else for that matter. Inuyasha's attention was so focused on the little fox and his pondering, that he did not notice his mate until she got into the living room and was almost beside his couch. She gave him a warm reassuring smile that was gone as she focused her attention on Shippou. He still looked deathly pale, not much different from how he looked the day before. The young woman carried her first aid kit, so Inuyasha guessed it was time to change Shippou's bandages. And he knew from experience that the first time getting them removed, was quite unpleasant and painful.

"How is he?" She asked softly, worry underlining her voice.

"Better I think, but he had a very hard night. A couple of times I thought he had died, but he pulled through." Inuyasha responded in a low voice, hoping not to wake him yet, the runt needed to regain his strength. He could see his words distressed his mate, so tried to soothe her worries. "He is still alive Kagome, the fever broke near dawn, and you'll see, he'll be fine." The young hanyou reassured her and then asked, "Are you going to change the bandages now?"

"Yes," she responded with a slight nod.

"He's not going to like it," Inuyasha warned her as he sat on the couch and carefully placed the kid on Kagome's extended arms.

"I know it's painful," she told him with a sigh, "You complain loud enough about it every time I have to change your bandages when you're injured." The young woman said in an attempt to lighten her mood. She was very worried when Shippou did not wake at the sound of their voices.

        Kagome cradled the little fox in her arms, and held him close to her heart. She could not help the tears that started flowing as she looked at him. His cheerful face was black and blue with several gashes that Kaede obaa-chan or Miroku had bandaged, but that bled during the night. Inuyasha had not let her examine him well the night before. She had been upset enough as it was without seeing the sorry state the kit was in, but as she held him in her arms she took the time to learn the extent of his injuries, and cry.

"Oh dear! Why? He is just a little kid," she sobbed seeing how his little body was full of huge bruises under the blankets, and the bloody bandage around his middle. "This is… this is much worse than I thought. I'm sorry Shippou, I'm so sorry we weren't there to keep you from getting hurt." Her voice was full of remorse and guilt.

        Inuyasha did not know what to do; he had known she would be upset, that had been the reason why he did not let her see the kit's wounds the night before. But he had also been aware that come morning she would insist on nursing Shippou. It was true he looked bad, but it was also true that he was looking and sounding a bit better than the night before, and he did not have the death stench around him anymore. He could hear him breathing deeply, sleeping, not unconscious.

        Not really wanting to see his mate so distressed he did the first thing that came to mind. He grabbed her and sat the young woman on his lap and hugged both of them close, careful not to crush the fox. Kagome was a bit surprised by the action but soon relaxed in his arms, tucking her head under his chin, still sobbing.

        Kagome was so worried for the little kid. She had finally learned of her duty to him, started to accept that she played a more important role in the little orphan's life, only to be on the verge of loosing him to some hungry youkai. She was a second mother to Shippou and she had known it, just not wanted to accept the responsibility that came with that fact. The young woman had told herself over and over that she was just a friend to Shippou, like the rest of their group. She was too young to be surrogate mother to a baby kitsune, but with all that Inuyasha had told her about the pack, about being the leaders and mates, Kagome realized she could not deny her new role, and that she loved Shippou enough to take the responsibility of raising him.

"I'm sorry Shippou, I found out too late that I'm like a second mother to you," she sobbed softly gently messing the kit's hair. It has no longer held in a ponytail and hung in disarray to his shoulders. She knew he probably could not hear her and yet she still had to tell him.

"It's not too late Kagome," Inuyasha told her in a soft voice, as he held the both of them close. "We're not too late, he's going to be all right now, you'll see." Inwardly the hanyou snorted, if someone had told him just a week before that he would be comforting Kagome he would have laughed, and yet there he was doing just that. Yes, there were a lot of changes already and not just towards Shippou.

"You sure? He… he looks… so pale… so lifeless."

"I'm sure mate," he reassured her with a soft kiss to her temple. "He doesn't smell of death anymore. It might take him a while to get back to be the annoying runt he was, but he is going to make it."

"I pray that you're right…"

"I am," Inuyasha told her firmly. "You and the guys are always saying I'm too stubborn to die, and well, he has my blood now and he was stubborn to begin with." Kagome could not help but smile, and then groan.

"Oh no! The last thing we need is another hard headed member in the pack!" Inuyasha feigned a hurt expression.

"I'm not hard headed," he told her but could not keep the smirk from his face at her disbelieving expression. He was stubborn, and knew it. "Shippou won't die easily Kagome; he fought real hard to stay alive. And as I said, he no longer smells of death. Now you better start taking care of those bandages, or you're going to be late for school."

"Yes, you're right; I'll change all of them but leave the splints on his arms… I really wish I could put a cast on each one instead of those things. I think it'll be better and more comfortable for him. Unfortunately, taking him to a hospital is not an option."

Kagome sighed, they had argued about it the night before. She was really surprised when Inuyasha had suggested taking him to the healers of her time. It told her how worried he was for the kit and how determined he was to save him. But between her mother and herself they had to talk him out of it even if she would have preferred to take Shippou to an ER.

"There is no way we can explain his injuries." She said leaving the comfort of her mate's arms to place Shippou on the couch, and start working on his wounds. "But if we don't change the other bandages, I fear they might get infected." Inuyasha just nodded, he might not have believed youkai got sick, but he knew infection could kill one. "I think you'll probably have to hold him down if he wakes."

        Neither Kagome nor Inuyasha could help but feel horrified as they realized the extent of the kit's belly wound, knowing he had it and actually seeing it gaping at them were two different things. Shippou awakened as Kagome cleaned his injuries and both teens had to ignore his pained cries in order to finish. During that time, the young hanyou's instincts kept screaming at him, someone was hurting his pup and he needed to protect him. Inuyasha had to grit his teeth and ignore his reaction, telling himself it had to be done and there was no way around it. All the time he wondered how a demoness could stand taking care of a wounded pup, the instinct to protect was stronger on females.

The young Miko cried along with Shippou, apologizing for hurting him even when the young woman was doing her best to be gentle. Several times Kagome commented on how much she wished she knew how to stitch him up, if they did not do it, she feared it was going to remain painful and heal all wrong if at all. It was an agonizing process for the three of them, but when it was finally done they breathed easier.

        Kagome cuddled Shippou for a few moments caressing his matted hair and being as reassuring as she could to soothe him. She explained they were in her time and that he was to live there, with them, from then on. She promised the kit that when she came back from school she would show him all the wonderful things that were to be seen at her home, and properly introduce him to her family. Kagome told him too that her brother Sota would love to play and show him all his toys when he felt better. The distraction of being in a new place, the loving moments and soft words helped to lull the kit almost back to sleep; he was too exhausted from crying, weak and in pain.

Kagome handed Shippou to Inuyasha; she picked up her stuff and walked to the door. The hanyou followed her having left the kit comfortably tucked in a blanket and about to doze off on the couch. Neither realized that her grandfather had passed by and stopped to see their interaction with the little fox and listen to their conversation. He had been surprised yet again by the hanyou's actions, especially when he heard him call his granddaughter 'mate'. There was also the way Kagome acted with the youkai that bothered him a bit. They… had looked like a married couple caring for their sick child instead of just friends. He needed to talk with his daughter in law about it.

"I have to go to school Inuyasha, but I really wish I could stay." She said still distressed and feeling a bit torn by having to leave. "I really don't want to leave Shippou alone with just Jii-chan to care for him, since you have to be at the precinct for that 'bust' the cops are planning. I wish you had not accepted."

"I don't think the Ojii-san," as he had started referring to her grandfather after their discussion on Monday, "would have trouble with the twerp. Shippou is probably going to sleep most of the time. This Ando guy was asking for me, and sitting in that cramped place reading old stuff is boring. I wish we could go back to hunt shards," he saw her expression change to annoyance and he added. "I know I agreed that we would not go shard hunting yet… and with the twerp as hurt as he is we can't anyway," he said shrugging. "Besides, I don't like sitting on my butt waiting for those thugs to kill again. We should be after them, but there is nowhere to look." Inuyasha sounded really frustrated by that, he never was a patient man to start with, and waiting doing nothing was just not for him.

"I know," Kagome told him with a sigh and a small smile as she lightly caressed his cheek. "I just wish there was someway to stop them, perhaps the visions will tell me how." She made a pause and shuddered a bit; she still had a lot to think about them, but had not had the time for it. "Anyway, those 'busts' are dangerous Inuyasha. You could get hurt." She went back to less disturbing themes, since him getting hurt was nothing new.

"Feh! I don't think they are more dangerous than what we face in my time Kagome. I fight demons there, what can puny humans do?"

"You got shot last week, and by PUNY HUMAN KIDS," she reminded him, stressing the last words and heard him growl.

"Feh! I didn't know those gun thingies existed. But I know now, so I'll avoid them, Feh! It's no big deal," he said shrugging indifferently. "Besides it's not today, and they just want me to sniff around." Inuyasha reassured her in his typical over-confident way.

"Still, you'll be careful and take Tetsusaiga with you just in case something goes wrong?" She sounded worried and he nodded.

"I will, but I don't think I can't use it here. The ruler of this city won't appreciate having parts of it destroyed by a Kaze no Kizu." He made a pause, scratched one of his ears and looked thoughtful for a few moments.  He felt the strange compunction to keep the runt close; it was too strong to be ignored, so he added. "Look, I don't really have to be there today, so if it'll make you feel better, I'll watch Shippou until you come back."  Kagome was surprised; she had not expected him to offer.

Inuyasha usually did not get along that well with the kit, but she guessed that instinct thing he had told them about was kicking in. She thought he had said that by making Shippou drink his blood it marked him for all demons to know as his son, but she really was not sure that was what he meant. To be truthful, she had been too distraught to pay attention. And because of that, she had not understood all the explanation about the blood mark, so she was waiting for a better time to ask what it really was about.

"I'll walk you to school and then come back." Inuyasha offered and she smiled warmly at him, he returned it. His smiles were still rare, but this week he was doing it more. Kagome liked the change, seeing him look… happy and knowing she was the cause of that.

"It's ok Inuyasha, Mom can take me. She has some things to do, and she can also call detective Nomura to explain. He won't say no to her, and I really think it would be good if you stayed with Shippou." She said caressing his cheek again; he nuzzled her hand softly and planted a light kiss on her palm, still a bit shy about showing his feelings.

The young couple was still getting used to being close and more open with their feelings around each other, and they had not really had the time to be together after sharing those tender moments on Thursday morning. They needed to find time for themselves, to talk and get used to their new relationship. But things were just coming one after the other. Kagome mentally sighed; her assault, finding out her assailants were serial killers, Inuyasha staying in the future, discovering there were youkai living among humans in her time, her visions and now Shippou's injuries. All those things took up most of their attention. Still, they had had a few occasions that let her know Inuyasha was doing his best to express himself, and be more demonstrative.

'I really think Inuyasha and Shippou should spend more time together. They need to come to some kind of truce or understanding, and Shippou has to get used to the new situation. And with what little patience they both have it's going to be hard for the both of them to get along peacefully. Although Inuyasha seems to be changing, he was very caring and gentle with Shippou-chan just a few moments ago.' Kagome thought then went on speaking.

"Thank you for staying Inuyasha, I feel better knowing you're with him. There are just too many things here that will be strange to Shippou-chan. He might get scared since he can't use his arms nor move about with that wound, and I think he'll feel better having someone he knows around."

"Hmph," Inuyasha snorted, "like the twerp would prefer having me around instead of you." His voice had his normal gruff tone. She smiled again and reached up his head to scratch an ear.

"Believe it or not I think he does like having you around. Annoying or not, you never fail to protect him," Kagome told him and then asked wanting to make sure he could deal with being practically home alone with the kit, since her grandfather usually spent the mornings out on the shrine grounds. "You know where the food is right? How to use the kitchen appliances? And how to call Mama on her cell phone if you need something?" He just nodded once to each question looking bored.

"Yeah, your Ofukuro explained how to use that 'phone' about a thousand times already; I can probably use it in my sleep. Besides, Kojiro told me that I should have one of those cell 'thingies' in case they want to talk to me, so I have to learn how to use the things anyway. Your mother said she'll get a nice one for me today." He added the last with an exaggerated resigned sigh. If the thing was anything like hers, an odd shade of bright green, he was definitely not going to like it.

"Good, I'll come back as soon as school's over today, and please try to be patient with Shippou." Kagome said and he rolled his eyes, then she gave him a quick kiss good bye.

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        Before he went back to Shippou, Inuyasha changed into a pair of sweats; his fire rat outfit still had some bloodstains and smelled of the kit's sickness. It was too upsetting. He then took the blanket, cradled the kitsune boy in his arms, went to the TV room where he sat on one of the recliners and covered the both of them with the blanket. The morning was chilly, and with the fever he had before, it was not wise to let the kit catch a cold. Shippou awakened while he got comfortable, but the kid had not felt like talking or asking questions. Inuyasha turned the TV on, and searched for the anime channel. Sota had shown it to him, and he found watching those drawings moving and talking was entertaining. He thought Shippou might like them too and distract him from the pain and the fact that he practically could not move.

        Inuyasha was right; the kit was fascinated by TV and the moving drawings. He had even ventured to say he wanted to draw things like that when he was able to. Shippou had always been curious, and of course wanted to know how that was possible. Inuyasha's response was a 'dunno but it's fun to watch'. After some shifting about and pained whimpers, they finally found a nice position for Shippou to rest. He ended comfortably nested on the young hanyou's chest, bundled warmly under the blanket. The arrangement surprised the kid no end. In his opinion Inuyasha was acting weird. Much too kind and concerned, he was even being very careful and occasionally patted his head gently, sniffed or nuzzled him softly. The kit did not know what to make of that. However, he decided not to ponder on it, and accept what the young man offered, since it make him feel cared for and protected when he was feeling really bad.

They watched one complete episode and a few minutes of another anime before Shippou told him he was a bit hungry. To the young hanyou, that was good news. Kaede-baba mentioned the kit had not eaten in two days, and that once he was conscious either Kagome or him should try to get the little one to eat to regain his strength. Inuyasha stood up and took Shippou to the kitchen, who was fascinated at all the strange things he was seeing, and yet did not feel like stating his curiosity, perhaps later when he was not so tired, since just moving his head around was an effort. The young man started searching the cabinets until he came across the Cocoa Crispies he had liked so much and looked no further. Inuyasha fixed the kit a bowl and was about to get one for himself when he realized Shippou would not be able to feed himself and HE had to do it.

'Ack! I guess I have to learn how to take care of small children in a hurry.' Inuyasha thought with a sigh, as long as he was alone with the kid he would have to do everything for him. His nose wrinkled in disgust at the thought of taking Shippou to the bushes*. 'Yuck! No way! He better ask Kagome or her Ofukuro for that,' then he sighed again. 'I'm definitely not going to like taking care of a sick child. Why the hell did I volunteer?' He complained mentally, but he knew he could not stay away even if he wanted to.

"Fucking instincts!" Inuyasha muttered annoyed leaving a very puzzled Shippou. Then he just sighed in defeat giving in. He did not feel like fighting his instincts at the moment. "Well, I guess you get to eat first Shippou," he told the little fox sitting at the table and trying to find a position that would not be too painful for him. He finally settled the kitsune half reclined on his lap, still wrapped in a blanket while the hanyou's left arm supported the little torso. Taking a spoon, he awkwardly started feeding him. Shippou could only stare at him wide eyed and open his mouth whenever he saw the spoon coming his way, he did not want to find out what would happen if he did not.

'Is this the same Inuyasha I know?' The hanyou's behavior was really confusing, and Shippou's mind was not cooperating into analyzing things at the moment. 'The jerk has sure changed! What's wrong with him?' He thought accepting another mouthful. The thing he was eating tasted great, but he had no time to comment on it since Inuyasha barely gave him the chance to finish what was on his mouth before the spoon was already there. The hanyou stole a few spoonfuls for himself but that barely made any difference on his feeding pace.

Shippou's mind was reeling as it began to clear from the dazed state he had been in. The kit had many questions, the most important of which was what exactly happened to him. Kagome had sort of explained but he really did not remember much. Having a scary nightmare and waking up to look for the young Miko, the well… then the eagle youkai and being unable to escape. Then there was pain and his last conscious thought was crying out for Inuyasha to rescue him.  He was not sure if he had dreamed it, but, he could almost swear that at one time the hanyou had spoken gently to him and made him drink his blood.

'Nah! Inuyasha and gentle don't mix! Don't mix at all!' But he had to admit that the hanyou was being rather gentle, careful and considerate with him. 'Why would he give me his blood to drink anyway? I must have been delirious,' Shippou concluded.

 But there was a new yet familiar scent that called his attention. It made him curious and he sniffed discretely trying to find where it was coming from. What he found out made his green eyes widen. The scent was coming from him, he no longer smelled like he used to. It was… like his own and Inuyasha's personal odors had mixed, and that puzzled him to no end. When he could not eat anymore, it had really been very little, and his mind seemed about to explode from thinking, the kid finally decided to risk a bump on the head and ask.

"Why do I smell of you Inuyasha?" Shippou asked in a tremulous voice, and he felt the young man tense, the question startling him.

Inuyasha had not expected to have to explain things to Shippou so soon; he wanted to understand the changes a bit better first, to get used to them. He debated whether to tell him or keep quiet until he felt more comfortable with the new situation. After thinking for a few moments, Inuyasha decided that it would be better to tell Shippou since he had already asked. The hanyou was not sure the kid would like the answer, and he did not know how to word it so the kitsune would not hate him. Inuyasha already knew Shippou did not like him, and assuming his deceased Otou's role, which was clear the boy adored, could probably make things worst. Still, he was alive now because of it. That should count for something, and besides, to him saving Shippou's life had been worth the risk of forever enmity with him.

"Do you mind?" Inuyasha asked trying to seem casual as he finished the cereal that Shippou had left and served himself more. He smelt the old man not far outside, but paid no attention to him.

"Ah… I don't know what you mean." The kit's voice was very low and it still sounded riddled with pain.

"Does it bother you to smell like me?" He asked again rephrasing his question, his voice was completely devoid of his usual gruffness and he sounded a bit unsure even though he had tried to hide it. Inuyasha really wanted to know what to expect from Shippou. The kit had helped take care of him when he was wounded, but he was not sure that meant anything to Shippou.

'I really hope he doesn't mind much.' Inuyasha thought and sighed while he waited for Shippou's answer.

'What's wrong with Inuyasha? He is not only just acting weird. Now he sounds weird too. Why isn't he angry or shouting at me for asking? He never wanted to know what I thought before, why now?'

"No… I… I don't think so," Shippou said slowly, after thinking a bit.

It was true; he did not mind the hanyou's scent on him. It was a pleasant smell, woodsy, comforting and most of all safe. Different from his Otou's, but he liked it and related that scent with protection. And even if he did get hit a lot, the dog demon never seriously harmed him. He knew Inuyasha was much faster and stronger than he was, and could catch him easily if he set his mind to it. But he usually chased him about and bopped him on the head if he caught him, when he could do a lot more damage. In a way he guessed the hanyou did not really want to seriously harm him, even if he was angry or annoyed. Shippou had just never really stopped to think about that and it was an interesting revelation.

Inuyasha had also accepted him as a member of his pack allowing him friends to take care of him, had let Kagome mother him even if the attention made the young inu hanyou jealous. He also gave him the chance to grow up. Shippou knew that if they had not taken him he would not have survived on his own for long, and again the hanyou could have gotten rid of him from the beginning, without Kagome ever knowing it if he wanted, and yet he never even tried.

"No it doesn't bother me," Shippou finally said, puzzled at smelling the slightly nervous scent Inuyasha had. He would have scratched his head if he could, as it was he only whimpered a bit. "You smell safe," these last words were pronounced softly. He was surprised to feel and hear Inuyasha's soft purr. Shippou had never heard him do that. In fact, it had not crossed his mind that he could. The sound and the vibration made him feel accepted and realize that the hanyou was pleased by his answer, maybe actually happy.

"You almost died yesterday Shippou," the dog demon said softly. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you."

'He is apologizing?' The little kitsune thought he was starting to be delirious again. Seeing his surprised expression, the hanyou smirked before he explained.

"I'm pack leader Shippou. I'm responsible for the safety of all the members, especially Kagome's and yours, since you are only a pup."

'He's blaming himself, for not being there for me? I… I wanted him to be there… to save me, and… I remember I called him before everything went dark, but I'm alive and he's here and I'm… in Kagome's time… so he did save me. And… he's taking care of me… he is taking care of me?!!!' The kit thought finally realizing how odd it was to have Inuyasha, not Kagome, Sango, Kaede obaa-chan or even Miroku, but Inuyasha himself; who never did anything nice like that; nursing him.

"You weren't there as far as I remember. You had to be here, so it's not your fault. And, I think… you did come to save me." The little kitsune said and saw Inuyasha smile a little, yet another surprise for the kit. The dog demon was relieved that Shippou did not blame him.

"We thought you had died when the eagle youkai swallowed you, then I heard your heart beating and we took you out of that demon's entrails, but none of us was sure you'd survive." Inuyasha began telling him, trying not to show too much emotion on his voice. But he saw Shippou cringe at his words, he had been unconscious, so he did not know what happened to him.

"You… took me… out? It… ate… me?" He asked shakily not able to comprehend that something had actually eaten him.

"Yes, I went back yesterday only to find that a youkai had you. You were unconscious, and we were trying to free you from the demon, and then he…" Inuyasha faltered for a moment, a big lump had lodged itself in his throat. The day before had caused a lot of turmoil, and now his mind, heart and instincts needed time to adjust to the changes. "He swallowed you whole… I killed it, but we all thought you were gone…" His voice broke surprising the kit at the emotions shown.

'Inuyasha cares? Was he sad because he thought I died?' Shippou's head was in turmoil too.

"But you were not, so between Sango, Miroku and me, we took you out. Kaede-baba… Kaede-baba didn't think you'd make it and… the only way for you to remain alive was if I gave you part of my healing power and my strength through my blood." The lump in his throat refused to leave and did not let the young man go on recounting the events of the day before.

'I almost died? And he wanted me to be alive? Then it wasn't a dream?'

"I wasn't dreaming? I remember drinking blood… your blood," Shippou asked a bit perplexed. He was feeling really tired and yet there were so many questions he needed to ask.

"No you weren't dreaming Shippou. I made you drink my blood several times during the night too. I wasn't sure it was doing any good, but you seem much better today, so I guess it did in the end."

"I smell like you because of that?"

"Yes, but I have to tell you there is more…" Inuyasha sounded a bit nervous and that puzzled the kit.

"More?" Shippou interrupted curious.

"Yes… you see… with my blood in you I… marked you…"

"You marked me?" The kit exclaimed, he was confused; he had a very vague idea of what a mark was. Something to do with family, and he felt it was really important but was not sure why.

'I should have known. He doesn't like the idea. We didn't really get along that well.' Inuyasha thought sighing sadly not realizing the boy's confusion and ignorance. 'At least he can claim blood bond to the Inu youkai clan. Sesshomaru would have to honor and respect that, even if he hates me. Shippou is a full youkai. Well… once he is full grown I'm not sure he'd still be accepted.'

"I… I'm not sure what you marking me means Inuyasha." Shippou asked seeing the oddly sad expression on the hanyou's face.

"You… don't know?" Inuyasha stared at the kid who shook his head slowly in denial. He was not sure how to explain that to the kid, he was not a tactful person so he just blurted it out. "I adopted you runt, from now on every demon will recognize you as my pup."

"You what?"

"By giving you my blood to drink I adopted you Shippou, from now on you're my pup," Inuyasha repeated again and could see that Shippou was shocked speechless, that was not something he got to see often.

Shippou's little mind could not believe what he was hearing. On careful examination, the kit realized he did not mind. It actually made him very happy; he did care a lot for the gruff and rude hanyou, although he did not show it often, just as Inuyasha had never shown him that he cared. But he must, and a lot, one did not adopt kids you hated, yet Shippou was having trouble accepting that.

'But… but I thought… I thought he didn't like me! I thought he hated me!' Shippou's mind cried out in disbelief. A small tear ran down his cheek, soon followed by others. 'Why would he mark me if he hates me?' What the young hanyou had done really meant a lot to him. He was not going to be abandoned if the pack ever dissolved; he was not just the orphan pup he had to take care off. Inuyasha had willingly marked him for everyone to smell as his son.

"So you do mind… I am sorry Shippou," he apologized yet again, as he saw the tears on the kid's eyes. He had not expected him to cry and hated seeing him shedding tears almost as much as he hated seeing Kagome cry, and it was his fault. Inuyasha patted the kit's head awkwardly, and then explained. "If it had been Sango or Miroku, I would not have been able to save them. I can't mark any of them. But you are young enough so I could at least try."

'Well what is done can't be undone. I just hope he doesn't hate me for this,' the young inu hanyou thought yet again. It was really important to him that Shippou did not hate him.

'What does he mean he would not have been able to save Sango or Miroku? What do me being young have to do with anything? I don't understand! And what the hell did this time do to him? He is apologizing again! And to me of all people! Why is he not acting like a jerk anymore?' The little kit screamed in his mind utterly confused and yet for some reason he could not ask any of those questions out loud yet.

"Baka! Baka! Baka! You took it all wrong!" The small outburst tired him immensely. "I… I don't mind… it's just… I thought… I thought… you didn't like me." The last was said in a low voice. "I thought you didn't care… that… you… that you… hated me."

"Now who's the baka?" Inuyasha asked him. "Of course I don't hate you runt! Don't I let you stay with us and protect you? Do you think I would have adopted you if I did?" Shippou just stared at him wide eyed at his small outburst and shook his head. The hanyou scratched his head with his free hand. "Ok I admit I haven't been a good example so far or taught you anything yet…"

"I can swear as well as you do," Shippou said weakly.

"Well that's true, although you still need to work on it," Inuyasha admitted.

"Kagome is not going to like that," Shippou told him grinning and got a grin in response. "And I can be as stubborn as you are…" the kit went on.

"That… remains to be seen runt." There was a pause and he awkwardly caressed the kid's head again, making Shippou's eyes open wide in surprise.

'I can't believe he did just that! He really cares! He cares about me!' Shippou thought astonished as he felt Inuyasha sniff him and then say very softly at the time he hugged him closer.

"Damn it Shippou! You scared me, you really did. I thought you were dead runt!" His voice was very low and filled with emotion. The young boy felt the hanyou hug him tighter, and he could only stare at him mouth gaping at that admission. "So little twerp, you better not do that again. Or I'll kill you myself."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

        After Inuyasha finished with his breakfast, he and Shippou returned to the TV room and watched more anime in a comfortable silence. The young kit seemed to be feeling a bit better for some time as he snuggled on the hanyou's chest. He was happy that he was not being pushed away and that he was getting the young dog demon's undivided attention, without getting bopped, so it was really nice for a change. Inuyasha was warm and his heart beat in a steady rhythm that lulled him to sleep. Shippou tried to purr his contentment and that was when the problems started, as an almost unbearable pain in his little chest made him cry out.

"Shippou what's wrong?" The hanyou asked worried.

"Hurts… it hurts…" Shippou managed to say before passing out.

        For a moment, Inuyasha nearly panicked not knowing what to do, instincts screaming at him, and then he remembered the old man. He might help. He searched with his nose and yelled for him to go back to the house. But Kagome's grandfather was not anywhere near, in fact, he was not on the shrine's grounds. He cursed under his breath, just when he was needed him, the jiji had to disappear from the shrine. Inuyasha then went to the phone as Kagome's mother had left her 'cell's' number. He cursed again when he tried to read it without his glasses. The young man went to get them and placed the call carefully, as he had been shown.

"The number you have reached is out of range or has been turned off, please call later." A woman's voice answered then disconnected the call.

"Damn it! I need to talk to Higurashi-sama!" He roared at the phone, his ears telling him that Shippou's was having some trouble breathing.

His eyes scanned the numbers and names written on a pad beside the contraption, none were familiar. Until he reached the bottom of the page, there were Detective Seijuro Nomura and Lieutenant Kojiro Watanabe's respective cell and office numbers. After another quick look at Shippou, he decided to call the neko. He did not relish relying on him for help yet, but he might know what to do. After all, he too had demonic blood and he was not that bad a person. So he dialed the numbers.

"Hello?" Watanabe's voice answered after a couple of rings.

"Kojiro?" he asked sounding worried and nervous.

"Pup? Is something wrong?" Kojiro asked noticing the younger hanyou's tone of voice. He was not expecting him to call as his foster mother had informed them he had to take care of a sick child.

"Something's wrong with Shippou, he just cried out in pain, and is unconscious. The Ojii-san is not here, Kagome is at school, and I tried to call Higurashi-sama, but this woman said to try later. He doesn't sound good, but he was…" He said in a rush.

"Woa! Calm down pup. Now let's go slowly, I take it this Shippou is the kid you are taking care off?"

"I don't have time to answer fucking questions! He needs help now!" Inuyasha yelled at him very worried, Shippou might get worst if they delayed.

"Calm down pup!" Kojiro told him firmly. "I can't help if I don't know what's wrong, so answer my questions."

"Yes, he is the kid I'm taking care off."

"And he just cried out in pain…"

"We were watching TV and he tried to purr…" Inuyasha explained.

"So he's another hanyou?"

"He's full, a kitsune. If it wasn't for that damn youkai that ate and injured him, he'd only have a fever…"

"A youkai… ate… him?" Kojiro thanked the gods that he was alone at the moment, he had exclaimed that loud enough in shock. Explaining it to his partner would have been rather difficult.

"Yes an eagle youkai did, I got him out though." He was stunned; that a youkai would try to eat another was just not heard of anymore. Watanabe did not want to know what the pup had done to get the kid out. "He was so mauled and he has this big gash across his belly that we didn't think he'd make it. But… he was better this morning, talking and even ate a little, but now…"

Inuyasha had moved toward the couch where he left the kit, and was gently trying to wake him up. He sounded very distressed and Kojiro realized that he would not be getting that call if Inuyasha could do something about it. As the Demon Lord of the Western Lands said, the younger hanyou would not ask for help unless he really needed it for someone else.

        Kojiro told Inuyasha to wait for him, and he left the office without telling anyone where he was going. Even though Sesshomaru-sama had explained some things, he still found it hard to believe the younger hanyou used magic to travel to the past, and that he was indeed a pack leader. Nevertheless, he could see the pup's concern for the kid could be taken as that of a leader worried for a member of his group, or the kind people would have for someone very dear to them, like a friend or a brother.

        Watanabe reached the shrine faster than he himself had thought possible and after parking the car and taking the first aid kit, the kind used by paramedics, he bounded up the stairs with typical feline agility. Then he went to the house where Inuyasha was already waiting at the door. The pup tried to appear calm, but it was obvious that he was not, he held the door open for him and that was when Kojiro noticed the bandaged wrist. At the moment he paid it no mind, making a mental note to look at it after he had checked the kitsune.

"Where's the kit?" He asked, and then followed Inuyasha to the TV room. The sight that awaited him there was not something he was prepared for.

        On the couch, there was a small bundle of fur and bandages; the kid could not have been older than four years. He indeed looked bad and was having a lot of trouble breathing. Something about the boy's scent bothered him. But letting his training override his curiosity he set to work, checking the young one. He was badly bruised, both little arms were broken. He had a few broken ribs, one of which was probably pressing his lungs. A horrible gash ran deep from one side to the other of his abdomen and he had several burns that must have been done by some acid or something. The boy was a sorry mess and he wondered how it was that he still remained alive and had even started to heal.

        With utmost care, he bandaged the rib cage so the kid could breathe easier; the change was noticeable after he managed that. He then searched in his kit for some suture, but he did not have any. That gash still bled so he improvised and taped it close with micro-pore, it would only be a temporary remedy since it needed more than a few stitches, just as the arms needed to be put in casts. They had to take him to get better medical attention, but it was going to be hell to explain his condition. All was done in silence while Inuyasha hovered nervously around. To his credit, he did not get in the way nor did he ask any questions, just let him do what he had to, unlike the day before with Kaede-baba. Only after he bandaged and gave the boy shots of antibiotics and a painkiller did Watanabe speak.

"By all the demons in the seven hells! Who was the fucking bastard that did something like this to a mere child?" He exploded indignantly.

"I told you already, an eagle youkai ate him." Inuyasha responded gruffly at the time he gently covered the unconscious Shippou with a blanket and cradled him on his arms.

"You should press charges…" he began saying only to be interrupted by Inuyasha's sarcastic words. 

"What for? It was in the past, where there are no laws for youkai, and now the bastard is dead." His voice still denoted his anger, and the feeling that death had been too good for that beast.

"You killed him?" Inuyasha did not look at the older hanyou; instead, he fixed his eyes on the kitsune.

"If I hadn't Shippou would have been dead. That is the only way over there, what I do. As it was, I had to pull him out of the youkai's entrails. And even after that he wouldn't have survived anyway." It was then that 'the' something on the little kitsune's scent clicked. And he looked at the pup astonished.

"You marked him," it was not a question. What Inuyasha had done was practically unheard off outside close family; adoptions were not frequent even in that time and rarely mentioned. The implications were heavy on the donor; too much responsibility for a pup like him.

"He would not have made it any other way." He looked at Watanabe, defiance in his eyes. "Before you come with a sermon, I knew what I was doing. I know he wasn't mine but Kagome and I have been taking care of him almost since his father was killed."

"What about his mother? Or the rest of his kin?" He sat on the couch beside the young hanyou.

"His mother died too. He doesn't say how or when and he doesn't have any kin that we know of, or he would not have been hanging out with us."

"Damn it Inuyasha! You've gotten the responsibility of raising a pup, when you're one too." He was not angry; he just wanted to understand better.

"As pack leader I already had that responsibility, even if I wasn't aware of it until recently. When we met him, even if we didn't get along, there was no way I could have left him to fend for himself. He is too young and would not have survived. He doesn't know how to hunt, so he can't live on his own yet. His father was murdered and skinned, and his killers wanted to skin him too." He made a pause. He had been telling the neko some of his reasons, and it was strange that he felt like he had to. Maybe it was also for himself so he could see his choice clearer. "I am aware there will be changes by marking him, and I don't mind. Truth be told even if the twerp is annoying at times, I already… he was important and everyone would miss him."

'Even if I bickered and argued about taking him in, I really didn't mean it. I wouldn't have left the little twerp to die then... much less now after all we have gone through as a group.' Inuyasha thought, he might not have relished having to go around with one more person but he would not kill a child. 'I care too much for the runt.'

Watanabe looked at the dog hanyou beside him, the young one had a mate, was leader of a pack and now had adopted a pup at the age when most demons where just playing around and having fun. What he had learned of him during his conversation with Lord Sesshomaru, what Higurashi-san and what he had just seen, was that it was obvious this kid had not learned how to have a care-free life.

        Inuyasha thought about the neko's words, it was true that he had many responsibilities weighted on his shoulders than most demons in the present and the past would not have, but so far he did not regret any of them. A lot was now at stake because of the Shikon no Tama. As he had read the scroll; he had come to realize it was not just about him getting the jewel anymore. So much depended on the outcome of his fight against Naraku, that he had not realized before.

Because of that accursed demon he had a pack, he really did have to thank the bastard for that, he probably was not aware that he had done a good thing. His pack was a good one, all strong, determined and loyal fighters that had joined to destroy the evil youkai. Thanks to Kagome's nature they had become friends. And she had also brought him back to life, taught him to care, helped him make friends and was still teaching him to live and to love. He had a family now. No, there was nothing he regretted about his responsibilities as pack leader.

"I have a lot of responsibilities, Kojiro. None of them should belong to some one as young as I am. My pack formed on its own. I certainly didn't intend to make one, and it took me a while to realize what I had." He made a pause for emphasis, and then scratched Shippou's head. "Our hunt will most likely get all of us killed, but I know now that we don't have much of a choice. Even Shippou does what he can when we battle, what we do has to be done. On top of that, I have to return a dead Miko to her grave so that she may rest in peace."

"A Miko to her grave?" Kojiro interrupted him very surprised.

"Yeah, long story. But she is my responsibility too, and I have to make sure her soul is at peace again."

"I won't ask now for that story," he began saying although he had a vague idea of who the Miko was. But being a neko his curiosity sometimes took the better of him. "But you will have to tell it sometime."

"I might one day," Inuyasha told him, and then went back to the mark theme. "Shippou is a good pup, if a bit too… active at times," he said with a rueful smile. "So I really don't mind taking care of the runt or having him along. He is the least of my worries most of the time."

Shippou in a way reminded him of himself, when he had been alone and desperately needed someone to care for him. There had been no one then who wanted to take care of an orphaned inu-hanyou. Now, there had been no one to care for the orphaned kitsune until Kagome took him in. While he tended him during the night, he had time to think and realized that in a way he was trying to keep Shippou from going through the hard life he had. However, he had not been doing a good job of it, but that mistake would be corrected from that day on.

"I still think this is too much of a responsibility on top of all others." Kojiro commented a bit surprised at the way Inuyasha accepted his role. He sounded more mature than he originally thought him to be.

"It's done, and this way, Shippou won't grow up alone." Inuyasha said softly surprising Kojiro. "I need a cup of coffee, want some?" He said changing the subject and standing up with the kit still in his arm.

"Ah… yes, I wouldn't mind a cup. I'll like to have some x-rays from Shippou's arms and his torso to see if the fractures are set properly. Perhaps change those splints for casts, and even if he's a full youkai, someone has to stitch up that wound." He followed Inuyasha to the kitchen and saw him get busy setting the coffee maker single-handed. "I would have done it, but I don't have suture." Inuyasha nodded at the last words, he did not know what 'suture' was, but Kagome had commented on the stitches.

"Kagome said something about the cast and stitches, but, what's an x-ray?"

"An x-ray is a type of machine that we use to take pictures of the bones in a person's body without harming them in any way. It is very useful in a case like this," Kojiro explained.

"Ah… sounds like an interesting thing…" he looked thoughtful then as an after thought to himself added softly. "Kaede-baba would probably like something like that." Kojiro was curious but guessed she was probably a member of his pack.

"I want to use it to make sure the bones are set correctly so they don't heal improperly and give him trouble," he took a chair and sat as he watched Inuyasha move about the kitchen with the kit still in one of his arms, he then went on, "also, I want to check your wrist."

"My wrist? Don't bother; it will be gone by this afternoon," Inuyasha told the neko with an indifferent shrug.

"What? If you cut it like I think you did," from what he knew of Inuyasha, it was a good guess that he probably tore it with his fangs. "It shouldn't be gone for another day or so; I think you are over estimating your abilities."

"No, I'm not. I know how I heal, here let me show you." Inuyasha handed him the still unconscious Kitsune and ran a couple claws down his forearm, cutting through a few layers of skin, just enough to bleed.

"Watch," as Watanabe watched, the cuts disappeared without a trace. It had not even been two minutes and they were gone.

"Do you always heal that fast?" Kojiro only gaped at him, healing was a power that got better with use, it was clear the younger hanyou had used it a lot. Inuyasha took the kit in his arms again and arranged him carefully on the crook of his arm, in what he hoped was a comfortable position.

"More or less, yes. I was shot on Friday night when the gang war got going in the park. I was back to normal by Monday. If there is any blood there you can't identify, it is probably mine." Inuyasha figured this would give the neko a better understanding of his abilities.

"We didn't notice any unidentified blood anywhere, but how is it possible for you to heal a bullet wound? Not even the fulls do it so fast, the best I know took about 8 days! Where were you hit?" The neko was shocked, but understood that the ability to do it was probably an advantage on his Hunt.

"I was hit in the upper thigh and it got through. Kagome took care of it and it was stiff as hell for a couple of days… It was also the first time I had ever seen a gun," he shrugged. "Anyway, I am not sure I could even go and see your healers without questions being asked that I can't answer."

The coffee was done and Inuyasha served them both, he prepared his like he wanted and let Kojiro fix his. Then went to sit at the table, Shippou still in his arms, for some strange reason he had the need to keep him close and hear the slow heartbeat of the kit. It reassured him that the little twerp was still alive. He again cursed his instincts; it was like he was getting soft, worried as he was that Shippou might die or get worse, and showing it.

'I guess getting soft is at least better than having the runt dead. So I probably have to get used to it,' he thought with a mental sigh. 'Not that I like the idea of getting soft.'

"The Demon Lord told me not to take you to the hospital for anything less than a head or a heart wound." Kojiro said, causing Inuyasha to snort.

"That bastard would know. He watched my eye grow back after he gouged it out. I guess that means Kagome will be taking care of me as usual if anything happens."

"Do you anticipate that you will need medical care while you are here?" That was something he was not looking forward to, but had the feeling that his EMT training might come in handy with Inuyasha and his pack, if he ever got to meet more than little Shippou.

"Most likely, trouble follows us," he said with an indifferent shrug. "They want what Kagome protects. Kagome watches it and the pack guards her. She isn't defenseless, but she is her own last line of defense. The fact that two simple human thugs could get to her has her very shaken, although she doesn't say it. Usually, anything that wants to kill her has to go through me and the pack which means I get torn up a lot."

"Sounds painful," Kojiro commented wincing in sympathy, no wonder the pup was so good at healing. "And like Kagome-chan needs something to restore her confidence in her ability to fight."

"Yeah, she wants me to teach her how to fight and I need to teach Shippou as well, but I haven't ever taught anyone anything."

"I see the problem then. Why not teach Shippou how to observe a fight first so that he can pick out an opponent's strengths and weaknesses. That way you don't have to wait for him to heal fully. Hmm… he could also watch while we practice katas and techniques." He suggested thoughtfully.

"That would work with Shippou, but not Kagome." He said thinking hard, and then an idea popped in his mind.

There were other members in his pack that could fight, and were good. Sango, why had he not thought about her before? It was time that he started thinking as a pack leader and relied on the other members' strengths.

"Thinking about it maybe Sango could teach her. She is actually quite good, and I think she has trained people before," his voice was thoughtful.

"Sango? Who is she?" Watanabe asked curious, he suspected she was probably a member of his pack. Inuyasha was starting to mention them, which meant his trust in him might have increased.

"Sango is a member of my pack," he explained. "She is a tajiiya, the last of her village and very good, she joined us when Na… a demon destroyed her people. I think she could be a better teacher than I."

"A tajiiya?" The younger hanyou nodded. "I have not heard of those in a long time, although I think there are still some around that work for Lord Sessho." Inuyasha snorted at the mention of his brother. "Also, Kagome-chan's mother is seeing to it that she starts her training as an EMT soon." Inuyasha looked puzzled, but Kagome had mentioned something about learning better ways of healing, so that might be it. "It won't help her in a fight, but it should give her some confidence back." He paused a moment and continued with, "how good is her archery?" 

"She can hit a moving target. She is no master of the bow yet, but she usually hits what she aims for now."

"Hmm… I might be able to strong arm Nomura into giving her marksmanship lessons. He is a crack shot with pistols and rifles. I think he was a sniper when he first joined the force. Once she knows the basics of how to aim, I'm sure she could translate it over to the bow."

"I'm sure she would love it. She wouldn't feel so helpless and a burden to us, which she isn't, since her arrows have gotten all of us out of trouble. Besides those gun things are effective… hmmm... I wonder if she and Sango would like to use them," the young hanyou mused, "but I don't know if she can put much power into a bullet, if any at all."

"Power?" Watanabe asked a bit confused.

"Kagome sort of melts things by putting some of her purifying power into the arrow." Was Inuyasha's explanation, it got him a wide-eyed stare from Kojiro. It was not common to hear of that kind of strength in a Miko or Priest anymore, and from what he knew Kagome was untrained.

"Don't know if she could do that with a bullet, but Nomura could teach her a fair bit regardless. When I left the office they were arguing over whether or not to give you firearms training."

"I miss a lot with projectiles, the glasses may help, but I'm not eager to find out. And those things smell awful and are too fucking noisy, how can you stand it?"

"You get used to it pup. There is no other way around it in this world, humans are far too noisy." Kojiro explained with a resigned sigh. In his 63 years of existence he had witnessed how the noise and the smells increased.

"Anyway," he said with an indifferent shrug, since he did not think he could get used to it. "I can throw my sword pretty far and hit my target, but that's not usually a good idea."

"The glasses should help, but I'll make sure you have your sword for the bust even if I have to pull some strings to do it. Lord Sessho doesn't want you going anywhere without it, especially not into a potential combat situation."

"He's right. For your own sake, you want me to have it on me even if I don't use it. I don't think I can actually use any of its special attacks in the city anyway." At the neko's curious expression he added, "Too much destruction."

"He told me as much, and he explained about the transformation. It numbered among his reasons for not wanting anyone to try to take it from you and why he stopped himself."

"Just be glad you have never done it. It's scary," he shivered, transforming and hurting or killing his friends when he was not himself was one of the few things that really scared him. Inuyasha also did not like to kill mindlessly.

"I am. Just how badly shaken up is Kagome-chan? They were surprised when I told them she was scared of me." He inquired not wanting to dwell on the transformation and what Lord Sessho's orders had been if that ever happened.

"Pretty bad, she made a connection with one of the killers and it is giving her some really nasty nightmares, though she's been referring to them as visions. Kagome is seeing the memories of some of the previous murders in her dreams. I think they may have killed again on Wednesday. She woke up the entire house screaming." Inuyasha informed the neko looking worried.

"Has she told you any of the things from the "memory" parts?"

"Yeah, they matched up with what was in the files 'things' for three of the previous attacks right down to the little details. That's why I believe the connection is real. I'm still slow at reading, so there might be more that I haven't read yet."

"Shit! So we have a nineteenth victim, at least."

"It was only one woman that's for sure. They tortured her to death after raping her a few times. She died of some kind of belly wound. Her corpse should be reeking by now. It's frustrating," Inuyasha let his frustration show by growling, it was not just that they had no lead to follow. It was also the fact that even if they were not there, those thugs were still scaring and hurting his mate, and he could not do a thing to stop them.

"That's not good news. Was she able to get anything that might identify who the woman was or where she was left?" Kojiro hoped that there might be some information they could use from her visions, although the problem would be how to use it.

Nomura would not go for the Miko stuff, even if Captain Fukasawa would. After all, the Captain could 'see' sometimes and that had helped him solve a lot of cases. Watanabe suspected his partner could 'see' too, his hunches were correct 90% of the time, and his aura was strong enough. But since he was a self-proclaimed skeptic there was not much to be done there. Still he would need to inform the chief about the new development and hope he had an idea how to use the girl's connection to their advantage.

"She thought the woman was a prostitute. The woman entered a red car and was repeatedly beaten before they started. She had no idea where they went after that. I was trying to get her to calm down rather than pressing for details."

"Odd… they are changing their hunting habits… none of the other victims were prostitutes, and they had only killed women before the last time." Kojiro commented thoughtfully, the pattern of the killings was varying when it had remained the same for almost two years. He did not like that development. "Although we think the boys were just to tell us they are still in control."

"It seems they are adapting… most successful predators would." Inuyasha offered, and then went on thinking aloud. "You told me the park has gotten too much attention… it's not easy to hunt with so many distractions, and prey have been getting scarce or difficult to get, since the girls from the gang there are being protected and there are guns involved." He said putting together some of the information he had learned from Dayu. "I think the girls from that group were their main prey until the guys started escorting them."

"How do you know about that? It's not in the files and we had no knowledge there were gangs there until the war on Friday."

"Then your people are blind Kojiro, I looked and listened were your policemen didn't."

"You know more about that don't you? And you're not telling us." The neko accused him.

"I need to check some things before I'm sure. When I am you will know." He said with a shrug, he needed to confirm what Dayu told him and talk with the rest of the guys from his gang. "Anyway… back then when prey is not easily available in the forest, both demon and animal predators seek it at the human settlements… be it domestic animals like chickens or a few defenseless humans."

Kojiro looked at Inuyasha surprised, that was some interesting insight, the pup was seeing things from a hunter's perspective that oddly enough neither him nor Nomura had thought about, as the killers had been too methodical. The park killer profile did not indicate that there was any chance he would be adaptable. But then the damn thing was all wrong in the first place since it was done on the assumption that it was one man and not two, even though he always maintained it was two, there had been no way to prove it. So now with that information they probably needed to ask the FBI for another profile. Or maybe Seijuro would be willing to make it. He had been furious in the beginning of the investigation when the information was asked of the Americans; in the long run it had proven to be less effective than Nomura's hunches or his sense of smell. They had grown too lax by expecting the killers to keep up with the profile, although those things were usually right on target, it was never the case with the park killers.

"They have to roam the places were it will be easier to get prey. Hmmm… they might go for prostitutes now, if they are easier to lure into their traps," Inuyasha concluded.

"Now that, is an interesting comment, you probably should tell Seijuro. Do you have any idea how to keep the memories away from your mate?"

"I might tell him. But I have no idea how to stop them yet, that was part of why I was heading back yesterday. Kaede-baba is an experienced Miko, and Miroku is a monk, lecherous as hell, but still a houshi. And to top it he is actually very powerful; don't know how he manages that," Inuyasha said shaking his head puzzled. "They'll probably know how to deal with it… but… I didn't think about it with what happened to Shippou."

The neko regarded him with an odd look; his pack had two Mikos, one houshi and a tajiiya? The pack was not just mixed by human-demon standards. In that time demons and religious people just did not get along, they were usually trying to kill each other. And a demon exterminator hung around a hanyou and a full demon and did not kill them? No wonder the first mixed pack was such a strange occurrence, that kind of alliance was unheard off before that odd group of individuals got together.

"For as long as she has them, do you think one of you could write them down?"

"I could ask her to, my writing is awful," he gave the neko a rueful smile. He still could not figure out what he wrote the day before. "I was starting to learn to write with a brush and have not done it in a long time. Pencils and pens aren't the same, they feel sort of odd," he paused then added after thinking a bit, "I'd rather not have Kagome go through it though. I think the dreams may be worse than the actual attack," Watanabe nodded in understanding.

"I'll see if we can't free you up to make a few passes around the park looking for the body. Say… If you were back home, how would you handle these people?" Kojiro was curious as to what justice code Inuyasha would stick to; his own from feudal Japan or the modern one?

"I was planning on doing that in the afternoons, but so far things have come up. Still when I get the time either of you might want to come along. About dealing with them… I'd hunt them down like the sick animals they are. No one should do that sort of thing to a woman. Here those women are barely even considered to be more than children, it is just sickening. If I could catch their scent trail in the park, I would stalk them and take them to the peacekeeping forces here. I wouldn't mind killing them myself just to make sure they never did it again. Back there, that is the only way to handle this kind of thing but I understand that isn't how you do things here."

"I'm glad to hear it. The only circumstances you are allowed to kill a person in here are self defense or in defense of some one else's life during an attempted murder." He felt he had one less worry regarding the Inu hanyou; it would have been bad and very difficult to cover and explain, even for Lord Sessho, if he dealt justice to the killers by his own hands.

Shippou had woken and had been listening sleepily as the two hanyous talked. He was not in pain and felt very comfy nested as he was on Inuyasha's arm. In his sleep fogged mind he wondered if the hanyou would hold him like that more often now that he had marked him. It sure made him feel good, and it reminded him a bit of his Otou, besides who would have believed the dog demon was just plain comfortable.

"Dog boy only kills things under those circumstances," the word was not familiar to Shippou, but he was able to guess its meaning. "Anyways, neko," he said as he craned his neck to peer at Watanabe. The position was a bit uncomfortable and brought pain, he whimpered softly. "Who are you? Are you one of those police men, dog boy mentioned?" the little one speaking startled both men.

Inuyasha rearranged the kit's position so he could see without craning his neck, as he began to purr at the boy and petting his head. Shippou was not afraid at seeing the neko hanyou, knowing that Inuyasha would protect him. Besides the inu hanyou seemed to be getting along with the other one quite well, which was odd for dog boy. He did not get along with many people and definitely not youkai.

"Yes, I'm Lieutenant Watanabe Kojiro." Watanabe replied as he looked at the kitsune boy. The little one had a curious expression on his face, but he could also tell the kid was measuring him up. After a moments observation he then snuggled closer to the young man as if wanting to reassure himself that he was safe. "Pleased to meet you Shirosenshi Shippou," the family name added to his made the kit puzzled.

"Shirosenshi?" He asked and this time he craned his neck to look at Inuyasha.

"Aa," the hanyou replied. "That is my family name Shippou, and before you start asking I just found out this week I had one Ok?"

"And now it's mine too?" Shippou asked still feeling tired, but since the pain was gone, he was back to being his inquisitive normal self. Not many people had family names back home, only those powerful human lords and Kagome. It thrilled the boy to know that Inuyasha was giving him one.

"Yes now it is yours too," Inuyasha told him and saw the boy's happy smile, then went on explaining to Kojiro. "I hadn't gone back to tell them anything of what's going on since Sunday. And… yesterday was not the right time, we'll probably go back tomorrow, or the next day to tell the rest of the pack that Shippou is better among other things."

"I see. Are you feeling a little better now that your ribs have been bandaged? I also gave you some painkillers." He asked wanting to know if he had used the right dosage or he might need some more. He was not used to dealing with kids that small, at least it seemed he had not overdosed him.

"Yeah, it almost doesn't hurt unless I move. Why are you here?" Shippou replied, looking pitiful and cute at the same time.

"Inuyasha called me when you would not wake up…" Shippou interrupted him wide eyed.

"You were worried?" The kid asked looking at Inuyasha with an expression that could only be called bemused. The younger hanyou did not answer and Shippou asked again in a querulous tone. "You were worried about me?"

A barely perceptible nod and some awkward scratching of his head were the only answer Shippou got, but to the little kit, they said more than words. To say he felt elated was an understatement; still, it was difficult for him to accept that dog boy cared enough for him to ask for help. Inuyasha just did not do that kind of thing. As Kojiro watched the interaction between the two, he realized the bond was still too new and the pup was trying to adjust to the change his instincts were going through. And he was not the expressive, open kind, so it was probably going to be hard.

"He couldn't get a hold of anyone else so I came over to help. How did you get all those injuries little one?" Watanabe asked pleasantly. Shippou just pouted and answered him.

"I was sick and felt afraid and alone. So I went looking for either Kagome, she is like my second Okaa, or dog boy, although he usually bops me on the head, he still protects me." Shippou explained to Watanabe and his words surprised Inuyasha, he finally understood what the little twerp meant by saying he smelled safe. "I think I was delirious again. Anyways a big eagle youkai came down and tried to catch me. I ran, but it caught me and I don't remember almost anything else besides waking in Kaede obaa-chan's hut." He felt Inuyasha tense behind him, a clawed hand apologetically scratched his head again, and the kid had to contain his desire to purr, it had proved too painful before.

"An eagle youkai? Those are rare and not usually seen away from the mountains."

"Yes, they are rare even in my time," Inuyasha agreed, "there must not have been much to eat there, because the well is not in their territory. I didn't get there in time before he hurt Shippou."

"It wasn't you fault Inuyasha, you weren't there. Anyway, I think Inuyasha came up, and must have pulled out Tetsusaiga; and used the Kaze no Kizu…"

"No Shippou I didn't use it. If I had I would have killed you with the youkai."

"Oh!" he exclaimed. "Well, the next thing I knew I was here and Inuyasha had marked me." Shippou snuggled deeper into the inu hanyou's arms at the last. He did not like the memory of how the eagle youkai had wanted him for dinner. Inuyasha just held him close and purred at him to calm him down, feeling the kit was upset, upset him too and he wondered if that was also part of the changes. "I'm still hurt and I can't move, but I'm also happy, I'm not an orphan anymore." He let out one of his cutest bright smiles; he did not see the young hanyou smile softly at him.

"I think we should go see about getting him those casts and stitches you want now, if you don't mind," Inuyasha told Kojiro.

"Inuyasha?" Shippou interrupted, finally taking a good look at the hanyou and realizing there was some strange thing on his face, at first, he had not noticed it as for a moment it looked transparent but he could see it clearly now.

"What?"

"What is that thing on your face?"

"Thing on my face?"

"Yes that thing over your eyes! What is it? Can I see it? What does it do?" He blurted in a rush, worried that the hanyou would refuse to answer all his questions if he spaced them out. He would have reached for it himself if he could move. For a moment he saw Inuyasha look puzzled, and the kitsune wondered if he could not see he had that thingy in front of his eyes.

"Ah… the glasses, they are…"

"Those things are made of glass?"

"Well… sort of. These things help me read and see better," he tried to explain.

"Miroku was going to teach me to read and write before I fell ill. Will I have to wear one of those? He doesn't use one of those and neither does Kagome. They are rather odd. You're the strongest hanyou I know, the best fighter of the entire Musashi domain, why would you need to see better?"

'Guess the blood mark is changing him too. I never thought he considered me strong or a good fighter, at least he never said so before.'

"Uh… Ah… hmmm…" He fought for something to say unused to hearing praise from the kit, Shippou was the one usually putting him down. "You… think I'm strong?"

"Yeah, I do." Shippou finally answered, he had not really meant to tell him what he really thought of him, but it was out. Knowing Inuyasha his ego might get inflated, although it probably did not hurt letting him know. The hanyou after all had just demonstrated that he cared a lot for him.

"So why did you keep calling me names and annoying me runt?" Inuyasha asked his eyebrow twitching the way it did when he was annoyed, and about to bop him on the head.

"Because you acted like a jerk," Shippou stated firmly, it was the truth after all. Inuyasha tended to act like that most of the times.

"I didn't act like a jerk!" The twitching sped up a bit, and he was making a big effort not to hit the kit. He would have to rely in all of his patience to avoid that.

"Yes you did and still do!"

"I do not Shippou!" Inuyasha retorted indignant.

"Yes you did!"

"Inuyasha…" Kojiro called him but the hanyou just ignored him.

"I didn't"

"You were a jerk!"

"I was not!"

"Shippou…" Kojiro tried again.

"You were!"

"Was not"

"You were! Jerk"

"Was not! Runt"

"Jerk"

"Runt"

"Jerk!"

"Runt!

"Pups!"  Kojiro bellowed to get their attention, and both looked at him startled. "Let's just stop this for a moment, there's still the matter of Shippou's need of medical attention." The kit took this time to turn and stuck his tongue out at the hanyou.

"You're just taking advantage that I can't bop you when you're hurt, but wait until you get better." The young man muttered under his breath, and the kit stuck his tongue out again.

Inuyasha had forgotten that a pat on the nose and a growl would have silenced the kit. For a moment, he was back to his normal self itching to bop Shippou at least a couple of times, yet he restrained himself knowing that in his condition a bop could really cause some serious pain to the fox. The neko sighed, one moment Inuyasha acted mature and the next he was a stubborn child.

'Oh shit! This is not good,' Inuyasha thought realizing what just happened. He had let Shippou goad him again. 'How the hell am I going to get the respect of a pack leader and parent when I let him do that? Heck this is disgusting… but what I did last Sunday seemed to work just fine to chastise him.' He told himself a bit angry at himself for falling into the kit's game. Then he growled showing his displeasure and tapped Shippou's nose with a finger. It worked the kit stopped sticking his tongue out and whimpered a bit asking for reassurance and forgiveness. He guessed it was going to take a lot of time and control on his part to educate the kitsune. Inuyasha then sighed and addressed Kojiro in his normal gruff tone.

"I would prefer to go wherever you're going to take us to get those casts, or whatever, while he is awake. That way he can ask his own questions, and drive you nuts with them instead of me. Besides, I have no idea when Higurashi-sama will return, and I'm…" He told the other hanyou instead, as he stood up, picked the cups to put them in the sink, and turned off the coffee maker as Kagome's mother had instructed him.

"Higurashi-sama? Who's he?"

"She," Kojiro absently corrected him.

"Don't you remember runt? I told you all the last time I was there that she is Kagome's Ofukuro."

"I was probably asleep, and besides you NEVER use honorifics, except to call Kaede obaa-chan baba, which it's NOT an honorific at all." Shippou said feeling like teasing the dog demon and test his luck a bit. Inuyasha decided to partly ignore him, so he just tapped the kit's nose and did not let him cuddle for reassurance when he tried.

"I can see what you mean Inuyasha; he should by all means be asleep recovering his strength." Kojiro commented knowing what the kid was trying to do.

"But I'm not tired! I don't want to sleep! This place is so strange and dog boy is acting so strange too," He then set into a tirade of questions about everything he could lay his eyes on in the kitchen. He was tired and he did feel like sleeping but since he was not in pain Shippou decided there would be time for resting later.

"You're a handful Shippou-chan," Kojiro told the kit. He had answered some of his questions but not all, and the kid could drive anyone crazy as curious as he was. The neko hanyou thought it was really good luck that he had several little nephews, had baby-sat them more than a few times and knew how to deal with over active imaginative kittens.

"Hey! You haven't answered all my questions! And I have lots and lots of 'em" The kit complained as Kojiro wrote a note for Higurashi-san. Then he picked all his stuff while Inuyasha made a bundle of a protesting Shippou to hide most of his features, but especially his tail and the fact the kit was naked under the blanket. He had not bothered to bring his torn and bloodstained clothes; they could not be mended as they were.

"Don't worry about that," Kojiro told him. "I'll put a concealing spell on him. Same looks, same size, just no tail, fangs, ears, or fox feet. Look closely pup so you can do it too later, he is too young to be able to sustain his own spell for long, so someone has to do it for him while he is this side of the well."

        With that, Watanabe used the spell and changed Shippou's appearance, the kit squeaked when he felt the magic covering him, then saw Inuyasha and the neko do the same. So he started asking more questions, all the way to the coroner's offices. Kojiro realized he could not take the kit to a hospital for the x-rays and the casts because they would ask too many questions about his injuries; much like the little one was doing; instead he decided to ask a favor from his sister Tsuki.