Disclaimer - It's not mine, it never was.

A/N - Hello everyone. I just wanted to say thanks to the people who reviewed. Ummm, no one's complained yet, so I guess I must be doing something right.

Kagome Leaves, and all Hell Breaks Loose

The next morning, Kagome bid her friends good-bye before jumping back through the well to her own time. Shippou was standing with his family, as was Sango. Unfortunately, by order of Sango's little brother Kohaku, Miroku was about fifteen feet away from her; and Miroku obviously was not liking it one little bit. Every time the monk would glance over anywhere remotely near the female demon exterminator, Kohaku would glare at him and stick his tongue out. Even with his healed hand, Miroku was a force to be reckoned with. Apparently, the little boy stopped Miroku's roaming hand with a good, hard smack to his head when Miroku's hand came within a ten foot area of Sango's rear end.

Shippou, on the other hand, was very happy to have his own family back. His father was deeply impressed by the part the little kitsune had played in the search for the shards. In fact, he had only slept about an hour the night before because he was so happy and excited. The only thing that had put a damper on the little boy's enthusiasm was when Kagome had come back last night from little trip with Inuyasha.

Shippou had been up still, everyone else was asleep. As soon as he heard the hut window in the back creek open, he had left his bed and peeked around the door. He sniffed the air closely and noticed that Kikyou's smell was still present, albeit faint. He huffed in indignation. He may be small, but contrary to what Inuyasha thought, he wasn't stupid. Kagome seemed happier than anything in the world, and had it not been for the lingering smell on Inuyasha, the little kitsune would have believed him to be a very happy hanyou. Shippou watched as Inuyasha kissed Kagome one last time and slipped out the window, saying he was going to sleep outside since there were so many people in Kaede's hut. Kagome had nodded and hugged the hanyou one last time before he slipped silently out of the window. Kagome had pulled back the light blankets and went to sleep, a happy and trusting smile on her lips. Shippou, on the other hand, was fuming. 'What is that baka half-breed doing?' was the only thing he could think of.

He waited for about a minute after he was sure Kagome was asleep before going up to her quietly. He sniffed her carefully and jerked back. 'Inuyasha's smell is all over her!' he thought. He looked at the girl's face and grimaced. She was grinning, even in her sleep. He shook his head and crept out of the same window she had come in twenty minutes before. He looked around carefully for any sign of red or white, nothing. He sniffed the air, searching for a trace of Inuyasha's scent. 'Bingo!' he grinned. Covering up his scent the way Inuyasha had told him to do once before, he followed the scent out a ways from the village. When he got to the edge of the forest, he heard voices coming from up ahead. He dove silently into some nearby bushed and crawled to the source of the sounds. When he pushed the small branches back, he stifled an angry growl that rose up unbidden from his throat.

Inuyasha was standing in the middle of the clearing holding on to a girl in red and white miko clothing. If the little fox demon hadn't know that Kagome was still sleeping in Kaede's hut, he would have swore that it was her. He watched in silent anger as the hanyou slipped an arm around the smiling miko and they walked farther into the forest, but not before he was able to pick up a snippet of their hushed conversation.

"You came back, Inuyasha." the miko said quietly. "I was beginning to wonder." Inuyasha had pulled the girl into a hug and kissed her forehead tenderly.

"Don't doubt me, Kikyou." he had replied headily. "I told you we would be together again. I won't leave you now that I have you once again.."

"Of course not, my love." she had replied. "Of course not." They had walked farther into the forest together, and it was probably a good thing, because Shippou was about to explode from the pent up anger. When he was sure they were far enough a way not to hear him, he stomped out of the bushes and glared in the direction the two timing hanyou and dead miko bitch had walked. 'That no-good, two-timing baka!!!!!' Shippou thought angrily. More anger laced phrases ran through his little head, but he was in no shape to vocalize them. After standing, rooted to one spot for over five minutes, he finally turned around and walked back to the village. Only one thing was on his mind. 'Just wait until Kagome goes home. Don't do anything to hurt Kagome. Wait until she goes home before you say or do anything.'

Well, Kagome was gone now. And Inuyasha was about to get one Hell's worst beatings. Shippou's family was heading back to Kaede's hut, and he told them to go ahead. He needed to talk to Inuyasha alone. When everyone else was out of sight, and Inuyasha was perched up a tree close to the well, Shippou walked up to the hanyou and glared.

"Inuyasha," he said stonily. "Get down here."

"What do you want, brat?" the hanyou replied lazily. "I'm busy." Shippou's temper reached an all time high, and he exploded before he realized what was going on.

"YEAH, YOU'RE BUSY ALRIGHT!" he shouted angrily. "BUSY WAITING FOR KIKYOU TO COME RUNNING TO YOU AGAIN NOW THAT SHE'S ALIVE!!!" Shippou saw the shocked face of the hanyou before he realized what he had said. Inuyasha glared at the kitsune and put his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"What did you say, you little brat fox?" he asked, his voice dangerously low. He jumped down from the tree and walked over to the little seven year old kitsune. Shippou stood his ground as well as he could. Inuyasha had deceived the woman he had considered his mother for over two years now. This thought made the fox demon's once questionable courage flair up.

"You heard what I said, you two timing baka!" Shippou growled. "You've been running to that miko bitch since you made that wish!"

"You had better watch those accusations, brat." he threatened. "They're going to get you in trouble one of these days."

"They're not unfounded accusations. They're the truth!" he said. "I was up when you and Kagome came in last night. When you left, you didn't go get in a tree. You met Kikyou right outside of the village, near the clearing." Inuyasha's face turned red in embarrassment. He'd been caught red handed by that little boy.

"I done nothing of the sort." he barked out, clutching his hand around the sword.

"Then I guess I was imagining things, huh?" Shippou asked quickly, eyeing the hanyou with disgust.

"Knowing you, probably so." Inuyasha answered. Shippou shook his head and frowned.

"Why did you make that wish, Inuyasha." Shippou asked suddenly. The hanyou only looked down coldly at the kitsune. "I'll tell you why. Because you knew it would bring Kikyou back. You used the excuse to bring mine and Sango's families back as a cover. You never really cared, did you. You just wanted your damned dead miko back." Inuyasha growled and grabbed the little kitsune by the throat.

"You're sticking your nose where it don't belong!!" he growled, tightening the grip on Shippou's throat.

"If it has to do with Kagome, then it is my business!" he said, struggling against the iron grip.

"No it doesn't!" Inuyasha yelled.

"What about Kagome?" Shippou said. "What are you going to do with her? Keep her hanging here, then every time she goes home, run to Kikyou.?" Inuyasha only growled at the boy and closed tighter on his throat.

"Kagome won't know." he said icily. Shippou hit at the hangout's clawed hands.

"If …… I ……dead…….questions……Ka….gome….." he gasped. Inuyasha's grip can constricted his airflow completely. If the hanyou didn't let go soon, he would kill Shippou. At the mention of Kagome asking questions, Inuyasha let go of the kitsune and let him drop to the ground. Shippou rubbed his neck and took some deep breaths, getting rid of the dizziness that had begun minutes before due to lack of oxygen.

"Like I said, Kagome won't find out." Inuyasha said coldly. "She'll be gone for two weeks. And you can't get through the well to get to her. The minute she steps foot out of there, she's going to be with me. I won't leave her alone long enough for anyone to tell her the difference." He picked up the kitsune by his neck and pushed him roughly up against a tree. "And if I find out you've told anyone else about this ridiculous tale, let's just say your family is going to be one member shorter than it is now."

"You would kill me to keep Kagome from finding out about Kikyou?"

"Yes." he answered, letting the kitsune drop. "I've killed for less than that before, so be lucky." Shippou looked up from the ground and growled.

"She already realizes that your wish brought Kikyou back." Shippou stated. "Watch your step hanyou, or she's going to find out without me having to tell her anything."

"Kagome's too caught up in her own little world right now. She won't notice anything." Inuyasha said, walking away from the downed boy.

"That doesn't mean won't others won't notice, you bastard hanyou!" he growled when Inuyasha was out of ear shot.

Later on that day, Shippou was told that he and the rest of the family were going back home. Shippou quickly asked why and he was told that it was time for them to go back home and continue with their lives they had left. Shippou nodded, knowing it was no good to argue with his father. Come to find out, Sango's family was leaving to go back home too. And much to Kohaku's dislike, they were taking Miroku with them. The monk had managed to weasel his way into the hearts of Sango's parents, but little Kohaku still had an obvious distrust for him. Shippou chalked it up to him trying to protect his sister, even though the monk had been traveling close to Sango for over two years now. Shippou breathed deeply as he helped his family load the blankets Kaede had given them for the trip into a little cart his father had made.

He did not want to go home and leave Kagome with Inuyasha. He knew the girl would only get hurt in the end, but there was nothing he could do to stop it. Only he and Kouga had picked up the scent of Kikyou on Inuyasha. Everyone else was completely oblivious to the smells emanating off of the hanyou, even Kagome. He suddenly dropped everything he was holding as an idea hit him full force. 'Kouga. Of course!' he thought. 'His pack runs right near this village. Maybe if I can catch him on our way out, I can tell him to keep an eye on Inuyasha for me. Perfect. And if he sees Kikyou with Inuyasha, he'll pop a vein.' He continued on helping his family and they left the village that night. Unfortunately, as they left the village, Kouga was no where in sight. Shippou gave up hope of finding a way to watch over Kagome. But, little did he know, that the very person he was seeking, was already putting two and two together to figure out what was going on himself.

***** Kouga's Cave ******

Kouga was sitting on a boulder right on the outside of the entrance to his cave. His pack was scattered around him. Some had went hunting for food, others had stayed in the cave to sleep, while others were outside in the sunshine.

The Prince of wolves was in a rut. He had been running through the woods right outside of Kaede's village last night, trying to clear his mind of the thoughts of Kagome becoming Inuyasha's mate that had plagued him since he had found out, when he picked up a familiar scent on the wind. He stopped abruptly and sniffed again. It almost seemed like his mind was playing a cruel trick on him. It was Kagome's scent, but it was tinged with the smell of herbs. He stopped immediately and landed in a tree, crouching low so as not to be scene by whomever it was. He pulled himself lower onto another branch and looked in surprise at the creature giving off the scent. It was a girl. In fact, it was the girl that resembled Kagome so much. Kikyou.

He had watched in silence for a few moments before the smell of another demon came upon him. He quickly masked his scent and waited for the person to arrive. He soon found out that it was Inuyasha. Kouga, knowing full well about the 'relationship' between the two, (and knowing how much it affected Kagome) had watched as Inuyasha held the girl closely. He shook his head and tamped his temper down when he noticed the fresh, twin bumps near the left shoulder of the girl's neck.

"That bastard marked her and Kagome!" He whispered fiercely.

His blood began to boil and he almost jumped out of the tree and started to pound on the insensitive, honor breaking hanyou. But, what caught his attention the most was when he picked up on a lighter smell. He looked out carefully, using the moon to search around. He picked out the smell and grinned in spite of himself. The little kitsune that Kagome had always kept near her was hidden in a bush not too far off from where the hanyou were standing. He watched as Inuyasha held the miko Kikyou to himself and whispered loving words to her. Kouga's only thought was 'Kagome. What about Kagome?' He managed to keep quiet and still until the obvious lovers left. When the little kitsune came out of hiding, he watched as the child's fury mounted higher and higher. When the little kitsune had walked away, Kouga left the tree and went to stand in the middle of the little clearing. Yep, it was Kikyou's scent he had picked up on the evening he had went to thank Kagome for bringing his pack back. He shook his head and left the clearing, wondering if Kagome had figured out that her hanyou lover was two timing her with the now-alive form of the miko she was the reincarnate of.

One of Kouga's pack members, a fellow wolf-demoness named Keiko sat down to the right of him. She had been a loyal follower of his father, and now she saw it as her responsibility to help the young prince.

"Is something the matter, my lord? You've been awful quiet lately." she asked respectively. Kouga looked up at the brown and white wolf demon with a blank expression before anger replaced it.

"I'm fine, Keiko." he said shortly. "I'd just like to kill someone right now." Keiko furrowed her brows and nodded, placing a motherly hand on Kouga's shoulders.

"It is about that girl, Kagome. Is it not?" she asked softly. Kouga only gave a gruff nod and continued to stare off into space. "Do you wish to talk about it?"

"No, I just want to kill that bastard hanyou, Inuyasha!" he said. Keiko nodded and motioned for the prince to rise and follow her. Kouga, not knowing what was going on, followed the older demon away from the cave. When they got to the spring that ran nearby, she stopped.

"Lord Kouga." she said. "I must impress upon you the waste of chasing after this girl. As you have told me, she is already mated to the hanyou. You couldn't take her now even if she agreed to it. You know the honor code of our kind. She is his now."

"No, she's not." he said flatly. Keiko waited, knowing that Kouga was greatly bothered by this. 'Something has changed in this situation.' she thought. 'But what? If the girl is marked, there is nothing he can do now.'

"My lord, I do not understand." she said simply. Kouga looked over at the woman and frowned.

"There is another that bares his marking." he said flatly. Keiko shook her head in confusion.

"Another." she said in awe. "That cannot be, Lord Kouga. The woman would have to be dead. It is against a demon's code of honor to mark more than one mate."

"She was dead at one time. The same wish that brought the pack back, also brought the girl that bares the mark back." Kouga said in disgust.

"She was dead?" Keiko asked.

"Yes, Kikyou was brought back by Inuyasha's wish on the Shikon jewel." Kouga said flatly. Keiko looked astounded.

"Did this, Kikyou, bare the marking when she died?" the woman asked quickly.

"No, she didn't. Kagome told me one time that Kikyou would not allow herself to love Inuyasha because of his demon blood. Though they loved each other, Kikyou was never marked."

"So she has just recently been marked?" Keiko asked. Kouga nodded, and Keiko continued on. "And Kagome? How long has she been marked?"

"I just say it yesterday, when I went to thank her for bringing back the members of our pack. It was still red, so she hasn't had it for long. Not even over twenty four hours." Keiko stared in astonishment at what the young man said. If what he was saying was true, then the hanyou Inuyasha had broken one of the strictest codes all demons were raised by.

Once a mate is chosen, they are marked. Only one may bare the mark of their husband or wife. It is a sign of life-long commitment, and not something that is easily broken. If Inuyasha had indeed marked two women with his bite, then Kagome was still pursuable. Inuyasha had broken the code of honor that binds two people together in the demon world. Therefore, the mark on Kagome's neck would heal in a short time, as would the one on Kikyou's neck. Only when the partners were faithful to one another did the marks stay permanent. Keiko shook her head and looked over at the leader of her pack.

"If what you tell me is the truth, Lord Kouga," she said gently. "Kagome's mark will fade, and she will not bare the hanyou's mark anymore unless he replaces it."

"I know that, Keiko." he said dejectedly. "But Kagome doesn't know that Kikyou was marked by Inuyasha."

"The girl doesn't know?" she asked. Kouga nodded and shook his head.

"The hanyou is no better than his father." Kouga said. Keiko nodded, knowing the story of the hanyou Inuyasha and his full demon brother.

"Does anyone else know of his infidelity?"

"Only one other. A little kitsune named Shippou that traveled with Kagome in search of the shards."

"I see." she said, nodding. Kouga looked up at the woman and shook his head.

"Keiko, what can I do?" he begged. "I don't want to see her get hurt by that dog-turd. But I don't want to see her upset when she finds out what he's been doing."

"Where is the girl now?"

"She went back to her own home." Kouga answered. Keiko nodded.

"Is there anyone else who can get through that well to her?"

"Only Inuyasha." he said. "Why?"

"I have an idea our little kitsune friend will be of help to us." she said.

"I don't understand." Kouga said with a frown. Keiko nodded and looked at the prince.

"Go find this kitsune and bring him back." she said. "If you really love this girl, and are willing to stand by the consequences of what I am about to suggest, I will help you." Kouga nodded, not knowing what the old demon was referring to. He took off in the direction of Kaede's village without a look back at the she-wolf.

Later on that night, Kouga crept down to the Bone Eater's well and dropped a letter into it. Around the letter was a piece of Kagome's clothing she had left at Kaede's house for emergencies. Kouga watched as the letter floated downward, only to be surrounded by a bright blue light. 'It went through. Wonderful.' Kouga turned around and nodded to the little kitsune that stood next to him. Shippou nodded and crawled up onto Kouga's shoulders.

"Time to get you back to your parents, little one." he said. Shippou took one last look at the well and nodded.

"Let's go." he said. "Kagome will get the letter." Kouga nodded and sped away from the well. As he sped through the forest, he picked up the combined scents of Inuyasha and the miko Kikyou. They had been through the place they were at earlier that night. Kouga shook his head and sped up, determined to get the kitsune back to his parents before morning. All he could think of was Kagome, and the tears that she would cry on behalf of that wretched hanyou.

"I'm so sorry Kagome." he muttered. "I'm sorry."

Okay, you guys figured out how the letter got through the well? No? Well, here's how. In my world, Inuyasha and Kagome can travel between eras because the well will only allow their aura's through. Now, the reason there was a piece of Kagome's clothing on the note was because when they dropped it into the well, the well would only sense Kagome's aura, therefore allowing it through to the other side.

Now, you might be asking why didn't Shippou just put on Kagome's clothes and jump through the well. It's because the well would have sensed a foreign aura and not allowed it through.

Okay, after all of my incessant rambling and explanations. Tell me if you liked it, or if I am getting completely off track.

It might be a while before I get to update again because I'm starting college classes on Monday, and I have orientation this weekend. So, bare with me, please. I'll get back just as soon as I possibly can.

Remember, reviews are like chocolate. A girl can never have enough!!! ^u^

Bye for now.