Disclaimer: You know the drill. Inuyasha and co. are not mine. Nekoyasha and her grandchildren are mine along with randomly mentioned people.

I am happy for I received reviews! Yea! More on that at the end.

"Spoken" *Thoughts*

Chapter 9: Visitors in the Night

Somehow the boys had convinced Nekoyasha that dinner should be outside tonight. So there were several blankets laid out on the grass. Dinner was sitting off to the side. Needless to say dinner was a much more enjoyable event than breakfast had been that morning. This time the conversation was more about the group's travels for the Shikon Jewel. They warned Nekoyasha to stay out of the way of Naraku. After dinner, Shinta and Shippo talked Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango, and Lotus in to playing ball with them. Kagome and Nekoyasha sat on the side lines. Kagome used this chance to do some more studying and Nekoyasha started drawing another picture. When the sun had set the activities paused only long enough to get some torches lit, and then they began again. When they had been out there for several hours, it was time to go in. Somehow between Nekoyasha and Kagome they got everyone herded in to the house laughing. After drinking some water and getting the bandages changed and medicine given, it was time to go to bed.

Inuyasha laid awake listening to the sounds of his friends going to sleep. He could hear the girls giggling about something, Miroku yawning, and Shippo tossing and turning to get in the most comfortable position. Inuyasha thought about how relaxing the day had been. It was almost like he was part of a family. But then hadn't Neko told him that he had found himself an interesting family? In a way they were, he just hadn't realized it. At first he thought that they would come in handy in defeating Naraku and getting the jewel shards. But he realized that he would give his life to save them, any of them. He thought about how much fun Shippo seemed to be having. *Perhaps it would be in Shippo's best interest if he stayed here. Nekoyasha could look after him. He would have another kid to hang around with. I bet Shinta would like that, too. He'd be safe.* Inuyasha looked over at Miroku who was sleeping with a smile on his face. Inuyasha grinned. *Probably dreaming of Sango. I'm surprised at you monk. Didn't know you had it in you to be that sweet and not grope her. If only I could do that with Kagome. Just sit with her silently and then lean over to kiss her.* He sighed. He knew that he had pledge his life to Kikyo, but ...

Suddenly he heard Shinta call for his grandmother. He heard Nekoyasha's footsteps and the sound of her voice. He couldn't make out what she was saying because her voice was so low. But she was mad about something. He heard what sounded like a dull thud and ... was that a yell? Inuyasha sniffed the air. The scent he caught was unmistakable.

*****

Shinta had gone to get himself a drink of water. As he turned back, he saw a figure in the door way. The man he saw was not unfamiliar to him although they had never actually met. Shinta gulped. The man was taller and fiercer looking than he imagined.

"Grandmother!"

Nekoyasha padded into the room. She gasped at whom she saw in the doorway. She turned back to the boy.

"Shinta, go on back to bed." She looked at the figure in the door way. "I'll take care of this." Shinta nodded. She waited until he was out of the room. The she whirled on the figure. "What the hell do you think you are doing here?" she hissed.

The figure showed no expression at her outburst. However a smaller figure came around and glared at her. "You should show more respect to Lord Sesshomaru, you stupid little kitten."

Nekoyasha was not happy. She hissed at the little toad demon. "And you shall address me as Lady Nekoyasha!" With that she pulled the Staff of Souls from his hands, flipped it over, bashed Jaken in the head with it and then used the staff as a golf club and sent Jaken flying. She set the staff down by the door. "I'm sure that he'll want this whenever he makes his way back. Now then, what do you want?"

Sesshomaru looked at the staff. "Did you have to do that to my servant, Nekoyasha?" She didn't answer him. She just kept staring at him waiting for his answer. So he did the same. They stood there for a minute when the silence was broken by a small little voice.

"Sesshomaru-sama, it's cold." Nekoyasha watched as Sesshomaru shifted the bundle in his arms trying to get the little girl more under the fur that hung over his is shoulder. Nekoyasha couldn't believe that she hadn't seen or smell the little girl. It must have been her anger.

"She's sick. Nothing I have done for her has helped," Sesshomaru stated.

"So you left your lands to bring her to me?" He nodded. *Of course. He couldn't go to a demon healer for fear of that healer killing her. However a human healer would probably have tried to keep her from him. So in the end, he brings her to me... a hanyou.*

Nekoyasha stepped closer and held out her arms. He reluctantly handed the girl over. Nekoyasha held the girl to her chest and covered her with a robe. She noticed that though the girl was complaining of the cold, she was burning up. "What are her symptoms and what have you given her?" She listened as the Demon Lord rattled off that the girl had been throwing up, and complained of being cold, and wanted to be held more than was normal for her. He also rattled off the herbs he had tried to give her only to see it come back up. Nekoyasha poured a glass of water for the girl.

"Here ... um ...?"

"Rin," he supplied.

Nekoyasha shook the girl slightly. "Rin, Rin, wake up, sweetie." The little girl opened her eyes. Nekoyasha smiled at her. "You need to drink this. Don't worry it is just water." She held the cup to Rin's mouth and watched as the little girl took a few gulps of water.

Lotus walked into the room to check to make sure that everything was alright or if she needed to help. She gasped when she saw the Demon Lord. Nekoyasha turned to her granddaughter.

"It is alright, Lotus. Lord Sesshomaru here has brought me a sick child. They will be spending the night here. Please get some blankets and changes of clothes for our guests and put them in the small room on the left. I'll also need a bowl with water."

Lotus blinked a few times. "You don't want me to put them with our other guests?"

"No," was all that was said. Lotus ran off to get the things that she needed. Nekoyasha went around gathering up some herbs and bandages. "If you will follow me, please."

When they got in the room, Lotus was pouring some water into a bowl. "Do you need me here for anything?"

"No. Just go and make sure that everyone else is resting peacefully and that they don't need anything."

"Of course, grandmother." Lotus bowed out of the room and slid the door shut.

"So you wish us to stay here for the night?"

"Yes. The girl is in no condition to travel," she spun around to face Sesshomaru, "and neither are you." She wiped down the girls forehead with a soft cloth. Then she undressed the girl to see if there were any injuries and redressed her in a kimono that Lotus brought in. Then she had Rin drink some tea with herbs in it.

When she was done she turned her attentions back to Sesshomaru. "Hmmm..."

"Nani?" Sesshomaru replied.

"Well, you need you wounds to be treated, but I think that she will not be happy if she is not held. But you shouldn't be holding her while I'm ..." She stopped and sniffed the air. "Aha! Come in, Inuyasha."

*****

A/N: Can't you hear the "Dum dum dum, dummmm?"

Next question: You mean begging for reviews actually works with you people? ::sigh:: Actually I am convincing myself that it is because I updated and new people read it. Anyway...

Morlana: Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed the history. I was afraid that part was going to be boring.

Inuyagura: Thank you also. Well, it wasn't just having a child of her own that made her say no. (After all she is raising two grandchildren right now.) There were other factors involved. It was more about the fact that her husband had just recently died, so she was readjusting to the fact that she was living by herself with a child. Plus like Miroku, his father was looking for Naraku, so he wouldn't be staying around. I agree that the reactions would have been hilarious as well, but it also might have ended up in a dead monk or a dead cat, and we can't have that.

::Glances around to make sure no one is looking over her shoulder:: Just making sure that Inuyasha and Miroku are not around to read the reviewer notes. Wouldn't want to have a beat-up Catleana now would we? See everyone next chapter!