Clearwater-Faerie: thanks for the tip and if you'd noticed, I re-uploaded the chapters with the necessary edits...:) please enjoy this chapter and I'll try to upload faster... soon hopefully...

Meanwhile, here's the third chapter...

"Hmm... what's wrong with him?" Kagome thought huffily after he left.

"Kagome-chan, you're back." Shippou, the little kitsune, called out excitedly from somewhere behind the bush.

Dropping her bag on the floor, she bent over and hugged Shippou to her chest, just like a mother, and released him as soon as she caught sight of Sango emerging from the same clump of bushes.

"Kagome-chan, okairinasai." Sango greeted her cheerfully with Kirara following close behind as she made her name towards Kagome.

"Kagome, I believed you're looking more and more beautiful every time I see you. Please agree to bear my child." Miroku, the handsome but very naughty monk, had gone ahead of Sango and was now clutching Kagome's hands in his.

Irritated, Sango detached her Hiraikotsu behind her back and hit him on the head with it. "Houshi-sama, please unhand Kagome-chan." She said tightly, her eyes closed, her left eyebrow twitching, a sure sign that she's pissed.

Kagome watched resignedat the familiar sight and looked amused, her earlier annoyance forgotten for a moment.

Miroku, with his calm and deceitful manner, turned to face Sango and murmured a sincere apology, all the while his hand straying toward Sango's butt without her knowledge.

Sango flushed and slapped the groping hand away and hit him harder causing him to fall and land hard on the ground. She faced Kagome again and asked as soon as she regained her composure, "Why were you so long in coming? Inuyasha got tired of waiting that he came to pick you up but he returned without you."

"He did?" Kagome asked surprised.

"Yes. He didn't want us to see him do that and sneaked away when we weren't looking. Didn't you see him there?" Miroku asked puzzled, he had sprung up and was now sitting Indian-style on the ground, his robe covering his legs.

Kagome shook her head and wondered why he didn't call her when he got there.

"He got pretty quiet and grumpy when he returned. What were you doing anyway?" Shippou asked his eyes big and looked very interested.

"A friend dropped by and needed some help so I talked to him about his problem for a few minutes and he left thereafter. Nothing special happened." She answered still a bit puzzled.

"Was it a guy or a girl?" Sango asked sitting herself on the ground as well.

"A guy. He's a friend from school. Why that look?" she asked as they all began looking like they figured something out and were not willing to share.

"Inuyasha got jealous again." Shippou said with the other twonodding their agreement.

Kagome looked totally embarrassed and yet hopeful that his jealousy is indeed a sign that indicated he feels strongly for her as well.

Shippou shouted in pain bringing Kagome back to the present and she saw Inuyasha in a nearby tree looking extremely irritated and was carrying a couple of small stones on one of his hands.

"Quit your jabbering and let's get going and for the record, I'm not jealous so get a move on." He shouted, bounding off again.

Shippou stood up and went to Kagome who held her arms out ready to receive him. "What's eating him?" he asked while Kagome rubbed his bruise comfortingly.

"Must have overheard us talking, let's go." Sango said, standing up as well, reattaching her Hiraikotsu at her back.

"He's not good at hiding his feelings as he thinks he is." Miroku used his staff to bring himself up.

And together, they all started to walk towards the direction Inuyasha had taken. Kagome and Shippou in front followed by Kirara and Sango with Miroku bringing up the rear, their silhouette disappearing from view in the forest where the Bone-Eaters' Well rested.

Glossary:

Okairi – Welcome back

-nasai – a suffix that stands for kudasai or please

-chan – an endearment used for girls, at least it usually is...