SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha...he owns me. And I own Maiyami and Hitomi.

Chapter Four

            "Oh...Kami..." Miroku gasped in mid prayer. Kagome ran down the hill towards her long time friend who sat in front of a small offering, praying and meditating.

            "Miroku!!!" Kagome called waving frantically and smiling.

            "Kagome-sama, is everything alright?!" He suddenly stood at attention, his wrinkled brow cocked. "Why are you here?"

            "Well...(gasp)...I'm here with Inuyasha...(gasp)...and Maiyami....(gasp)" Kagome struggled to catch her breath, leaning a hand on Mirokus shoulder for support. "A demon came over to our world last night, but we can talk about that later." She shook her head and smiled. "Its so good to see you again!" Miroku grabbed her hand and pulled her into a tight embrace.

            "I have missed you Kagome-sama. I know Sango has too. She is in the house with Hitomi." They pulled away from each other and Miroku looked at the mountain. "I will be in after I meet this daughter of yours. I assume she is with your husband?"

            "Yep!" Kagome ran off towards the small temple. She had forgotten just how beautiful it really was. Small gardens lined the inside almost forming a maze as she entered. Off to the side a small guest house stood empty. All around her were beautiful yellow and white flowers, blooming in the summer morning sun. Kagome walked into the main room to Sango sitting with her daughter, Hitomi. They were painting and laughing.

            "Wow! Hitomi, your so big! And beautiful...she looks just like you Sango." Kagome said as she entered and took off her shoes.  Sango squealed and the two ran into an embrace.

            "Aunt Kagome!" Hitomi rose from her seat and smiled widely. She joined the embrace.  "Its been too long. Can I get you some tea?"

            Kagome smiled. "Oh that sounds great! While your at it, make some extra because Inuyasha and Maiyami are on their way." She turned to Sango. "Oh I've missed you! We have so much to talk about!"

~0~0~0~0~0

            Outside Inuyasha and Maiyami walked over the mountain. Maiyami's breath caught in her throat as she took in all the beautiful grounds that lay before them. It was like nothing she had ever seen...clean crisp land that seemed to stretch on forever.

            "Inuyasha!" Miroku called from the bottom of the mountain, hurrying towards them. "So good to see you again my old friend!"

            Inuyasha smirked and reached out his hand to shake Miroku's. Suddenly his face dropped as he glanced at his daughter."If you touch her rear I will kill you monk."

            "Inuyasha please!" Miroku grinned shakily. "Really I have grown out of that!" He leaned in closer and whispered, "Thought she is beautiful. She is the perfect mix of you two. Way to produce!"

            Maiyami smiled politely. "Hi, I'm Maiyami." she stuck out her hand to shake, still slightly enraptured by her surroundings.

            "Oh I've been so rude!" Miroku kissed the outstretched hand. "I am your...Uncle Miroku. Wow that's a first."

            "Pleased to meet you!" she smiled. Once again a familiar feeling swept over her. She had never felt so at ease with someone she had just met. He almost smelled like a friend...whatever that was. Her newfound rather primal instincts told her she could trust him, and she relaxed. Inuyasha placed a hand on Maiyami and smiled.

            "Isnt it beautiful here?" he took a deep breath. "Your mothers world... your world...its always so...so..." His brow bent as he searched for words.

            "Smelly, I think is how Kagome always described it." The aging monk laughed and gestured towards the shrine. "Shall we meet up with your wife?"

            The three began walking, Maiyamis attention span getting longer as she adjusted more to her surroundings.               

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0

            Tea was energetic but Maiyami was in a trance. Only her mother seemed to notice her uncanny lack of attention to any questions from anyone besides Shippo. Even Kagome had to admit he really had grown handsome and charming. "I wonder if Inuyasha notices this change in Maiyami?" In ernest she looked to her husband, only to find him face first in a bowl of ramen.

            "Inuyasha I brought that for everyone else! We have plenty at home!" The dog demon looked sheepishly up from his bowl only to give his wife a pleading look.

            "I was hungry...." he said with a mouthful of ramen. Sango and Miroku laughed heartedly.

            "Some things never change, eh Kagome-sama?" Miroku chimed.

            Kagome cleared her throat and took a hearty breath. "No Miroku, some things don't...we ought to talk about this demon that came to visit us last night."

            Inuyasha finished his ramen. "I agree. I think I should stay here and try to-"

            "Spend time with your daughter and I." Kagome finished for him.

            "What are you talking about!? That's not what I was going to say Kagome..."

            "But its what you should have said. I thought about it this morning." Kagome took another sip of her tea. "Mayiami is part youkai. We cant help that, nor can we deny it. I think she should spend her summer here...or rather I think WE should spend the summer here. She needs to understand who she is, and you could train her. I have the summer off from teaching and I know you have at least 6 months off of work, so you can take a leave."

            "But what about the shrine?" Inuyasha nervously scratched at his ears. He developed this nervous twitch soon after their marriage, and it only seems to happen whenever it was inevitable he was going to lose an argument.

            "Souta owes me a few favors....remember that time that he 'traveled' to America?"

            Inuyasha nodded and then shook his head.

            Kagome held up two fingers on each hand and emphasized. "Traveled? America?"

            "Oh....right...." Inuyasha smiled.

            "What's this about Uncle Souta?" Maiyami inquired, temporarily out of her trance.

            "Nothing honey. But your father knows he owes me."

            "Yeah you could say that..." Inuyasha smirked, further peaking Maiyami's curiosity.

            "Anyway, so Souta can take care of the shrine for a few months, and we can stay in the Feudal Era! Doesn't that sound like fun?"

            "Don't avoid the subject mom, what did-"

            "Sounds great to me!" Shippo interjected, and flashed a smile at Maiyami. "We get to play together again Yami!" Somehow, with a burst of courage, Maiyami managed to shyly smile back.

            "And of corse you can stay with us here at the shrine." Sango chimed to Kagome. "We have sort of a spare 'house' on the other side of the garden that is just waiting for you guys to move in for the summer.

            "Thank you Sango." Kagome leaned over and hugged her shoulders. "I have missed you SO much!"

            "I've missed you too Kagome-chan. This summer will be great."

            "Yeah it will..." Maiyami mumbled as she took a sip of tea and looked up into Shippo's deep blue eyes.

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0

            "How quickly everyone forgets about the problem at hand..." a voice whispered in the trees. Shape-shifting and twirling, a figure jumped from a tree overlooking the shrine to the soft grass below. Landing with a light "thud", she dashed to the nearest bushes as to not be seen.

"Oh well...." green eyes flashed under a mop of black hair. "They will worry soon enough....hmp..." She began to run away from the shrine at abnormal speeds. "Enjoy your perfect meaningless life while you can Inuyasha..."

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Review please! I hope you all are enjoying my story as much as I enjoy writing it. I wanted to make a story with a female like Inuyasha, plus I wanted to bring in an older and hotter Shippo. Warning: from here the story gets a bit more serious.