Hey you guys!! Sorry about it taking so long, but I was working on my other story. It just reached it's end. I've been working on this one too…it's funny how it happened really. I don't like doing things the old fashioned way with pencil and paper, but last night I was at work in the library, and inspiration hit. I wrote most this chapter one sitting. So, now I'm ready to upload!! Enjoy, because I'm actually fairly happy with the way this chapter came out.

Chapter Twelve:

Sango gave one last hug to her dear friend Kagome, "I'm sure we'll see each other soon. Be careful, you two."

"We'll be alright. It's you I'm worried about. Sango, you and Kirara will be traveling by yourselves for a good week. Are you sure you don't need us to come along?"

"No, we'll be fine. Besides, Kaede expects the two of you back by the end of the week. If you don't get there, she'll be worried."

"Feh! That old hag better not get worried," Inu Yasha declared, "I can take care of me and Kagome just fine!"

Sango and Kagome smiled at Inu Yasha's defensiveness. Heaven forbid someone doubt or worry about the fearless Inu Yasha. Taking a breath, Sango picked up Kirara, "Ready?"

Kirara gave a soft purr in response and nuzzled Sango's cheek as confirmation. "Okay then," Sango smiled, "See you two next time!" Sango waved as she and her friends went their separate paths.

As they shouted their good byes to their departing friend, Kagome and Inu Yasha shared similar thoughts. They couldn't help but feel sad that she didn't have a real companion to travel alongside her. Sure, she had Kirara, but Sango deserved so much more. She deserved the family they both knew she secretly yearned for. Sango deserved a real home and a real purpose. She deserved to regain everything that she had lost. Sango deserved love. I was this final thought that spurred each of them to reach for the other's hand.

Kagome smiled up at Inu Yasha, "Let's go home."

Inu Yasha returned her smile, "Mm hmm," he nodded and squeezed her hand. Together, hand in hand, they began their journey home.

~~~

Sesshoumaru glanced up at the moon from where he stood. He had left Rin and Jakken at a safe location earlier that day. He had to meet with some the more detestable demons that had trespassed on his lands. Naturally, he treated them for what they were: Un-welcomed guests. He wasn't far from the border that lead to the Eastern lands. He could see the large river that divided the land's borders. "Yet," he thought reflectively, "it joins the lands together in the same way it divides them."

The longer he stared at the river, the more he felt the urge to cross it. He didn't know the cause, but he felt as though he needed to be there. Sesshoumaru decided instead, to stare at something else. Turning his full attention to moon, he focused his thoughts elsewhere.

He thought back to earlier that morning when he informed Rin and Jakken that they would have to stay behind with Ah and Un. Rin had looked sad and he knew the reason. Like him, Rin was very good at communicating with her eyes. However, unlike him, she also very good at wearing her emotions on her sleeve and speaking them aloud.

Sesshoumaru never spoke his emotions aloud…never. His pride was part of it, but more importantly because it would reveal his weaknesses. Someone such as himself, who had numerous enemies that would love nothing more than to kill him and take presidency over his land, couldn't afford to show emotion. He couldn't allow himself to be put into a venerable position. He couldn't allow himself to be like his brother…like his father.

Over the many years of his life, Seeshoumaru had learned to mask his emotions well. He found it odd that a mere child could see what and adult human or demon could not. It was so easy for Rin to see straight through him, and words between them were not needed. She kept the secrets he relayed to her through his eyes, and she never used them for personal gain. Perhaps it was this communication they shared that caused him to grow so attached to her. He let out a low growl. Another reason for him leaving them behind this morning was to prove to himself that he still could.

As Sesshoumaru moved his gaze from the moon to the stars, he wondered suddenly, out of nowhere, where she was and what she was doing. Ever since the battle with Sorikata, he was unable to purge the exterminator from his mind. She had intrigued him, and now he was left wondering. He was left with constant thoughts and memories of her skill, strength, and even her strange beauty.

He had never thought of any human as beautiful, but instead, he had always thought of them all as insignificants, inferiors. Sango, however, was not like other humans but what made her different would always be a mystery to him. She herself would forever remain a mystery to him and, for some damned reason, that bother him to no end. Sesshoumaru shook his head, trying to shake her from his thoughts.

She was a human and he had sworn to himself long ago that he would not follow in the footsteps of his father and brother. Sesshoumaru would not allow foolish emotions to cloud his better judgment as his father's had. No, he had sworn off love and mating a long time ago. He reproached himself. If he felt anything for Sango, it was merely respect. Yes, she was different from other humans because she was respectable. She had skill, bravery, and heart. All of those things demanded respect from any and all beings including himself. That's all it was.

After all, he did not find her attractive. And no, he did not have the desire to know more about her or why her eyes always looked so deep, but so sad, and he certainly did not desire he company or companionship. Deciding to block these thoughts from his mind for as long as he could, Sesshoumaru turned his attention back to the river. He always felt at peace when he was surrounded by the forest.

It allowed him to think, but sometimes he found it best not to think at all. This was apparently one of those times. His thoughts just wanted to focus on things that he didn't want to ponder. Upon glancing toward the river, again Sesshoumaru felt the urge to cross into the East; Again, he growled and turned away, walking toward the location he had left Rin and Jakken. Before he could take another step, however, he picked up a familiar scent with the breeze.

~~~

Sango heard the flow of water nearby. It was nightfall, and the moon was casting it's dull, but radiant light upon the earth. The wind blew lightly, sending a chill throughout her body, but she continued walking until they reached the bank of a river, and without skipping a beat, Kirara ran toward the awaiting water and began to drink. It was a river that Sango had never come to before. She had chosen to take a different route home in order to give her time to think. She was still unsure as to what or where her life was going.

Sango patted Kirara on the head as the small animal drank, "I know you must have been dying of thirst, Kirara. I'm sorry I forgot to refill the canteens before we left camp this morning. I just wasn't thinking."

At her apology, Kirara looked up and purred in a tone of forgiveness. Sango smiled at her sweet friend, and knelt beside her, dipping her canteen in and filling it up. She then stretched her legs out onto the grass then laid back, placing her hands behind her head.

Kirara found a cozy spot in the crooks of a an old tree's roots and curled up, letting out a tired yawn. "I know, Kirara. I was just thinking the same thing. I guess we could bed down here for the night," Sango yawned. When she didn't hear any sounds of complaint form Kirara, she smiled and looked back at the moon.

"Hmph…" she sighed. The silver tint of the moon reminded her of Sesshoumaru. Sango mentally groaned. How many times had she thought of him today? Hell, how many times had she thought about him since they parted ways? They hadn't even said goodbye to one another. He hadn't even glanced her direction after bringing her back to life-he just turned around and walked away…as usual.

Sango shook her head and closed her eyes, 'What are you thinking?' she lectured herself. 'He did revive you, that should be enough-it is enough.' She mentally kicked herself for being so ungrateful. He could have just let her die. It was not as thought he owed her anything. The simple fact that they fought a good fight together was irrelevant. They were not friends and therefore a formal or friendly goodbye wasn't necessary.

'Still, I wonder where he is?' she thought to herself. An image filled her mind as she pictured him. His long, silver hair swayed, accentuating his features. He stood tall in his kimono with he pelt over his shoulder. She imagined him without his armor and his weapons. His golden eyes, instead of cold and empty, were full of warmth and life. Sango sighed, 'Just dreams…' She needed to cease these thoughts. Why was she thinking about him this way?

She opened her eyes, expecting the vision to be replaced by the moon. Instead, it was replaced by, "Sesshoumaru!?!" Sango shot up, "What are you doing here?"

He didn't really have an answer to that. He had picked up her scent and finally gave in to the desire to cross into the East. That fact didn't stop him from making up a reason. He was, after all, very clever, "I was headed West when I came upon you. I was curious as to why you were so close to my borders." It was partially true at least.

Sango quickly regained her composure. She may have been wondering where he was, but she hadn't expecting to find out, and even so, she hadn't expected it to be within such very close proximity. "I-err-we were just on our way home," she motioned toward Kirara, "We found this river and decided to rest here for the night," she explained, coming to her feet. "Which reminds me. You can't set up camp without a fire."

Sesshoumaru watched as she began to gather fire wood, "Where are you headed?" he asked with well-rehearsed indifference.

"East. East is where our home is…" she trailed off. She was unsure as to whether or not she really wanted to return to the village, but she went on anyway, "We should get there in six or seven days if we keep up our current pace."

"Will you be taking up the life of demon exterminator again?" he inquired out of curiosity. He was a demon after all, such things should concern him. What if someone called upon Sango to exterminate him. Would she attempt it?

Sango let out a contemplative sigh as she lit the fire, "I don't know. For a while, I believed that my soul purpose in life was to exterminate demons. I thought that it was the only way of life for me, but…" she trailed off, "but I'm not the same person I once was."

"So, you have no purpose?" Sesshoumaru tested her.

She looked up to see that his eyes were still cold, but that he was listening for her reply, "While we hunted for Sorikata, I did a lot of thinking. It was the first job I had done in a while. I found myself questioning my reasons for exterminating demons. I didn't know if I continued because I felt is was right to protect the defenseless, or if I just didn't have any other purpose. It was brought to my attention recently, that the people don't need protecting. They've been doing fine without me. I don't really know what my purpose is anymore…"

"Hmm…" Sesshoumaru mused to himself. Hadn't he realized the same thing about himself? That he had been going through numerous changes recently, especially during the hunt of Sorikata?

"Sesshoumaru?" Sango wondered, "Why are you asking me these questions?"

Her directness had caught him off guard, and it was apparent as his eyes momentarily widened before they went back to normal. Not many people had ever possessed the nerve to question him, but oddly enough, it didn't bother him. He couldn't find a reason, so he spoke the truth, "I…don't know"

Sango hadn't expected that to be his reply. It was quiet except for the crackling of the fire now. After a few moments of the silence, Sango spoke again, "Do you want to sit down?" She gestured to the fire where there were two logs seated across from one another, separated by the fire.

Sesshoumaru looked toward the fire. Without a word, he walked toward it, and sat on one of the logs. Sango's eyes widened and she blinked her initial shock away before going over and seating herself on the log opposite him. Saying the first thing that she could think to say, "I didn't realize that the borders to the West were so close. Where does your land begin?"

He looked past her to the opposite bank of the river, "Across the river."

"Oh…that's pretty close…" Sango stated the obvious as she turned to look at the river behind her.

There was another silence. Neither of them knew what to say. They had spent days thinking and wondering about the other, but now that they were face to face, they didn't know what to say.

"Where are your friends?" Sesshoumaru finally broke the silence with is deep, rumbling voice. It never failed to send shivers down her back.

Sango hoped he couldn't hear her heart beating so fast, "We parted ways earlier today. They're going back to Kaede's village. Kagome will probably return to her world for a day or two."

The way he looked at her, his cold eyes and strong presence made her heart beat faster. Her hopes of him not noticing were shot down when he called her on it, "Are you afraid?"

"Afraid?" Sango asked, "Of what?"

"Of me," his eyes locked on to hers, "I can hear your heart pounding. Do I frighten you?" his tone was more taunting than he meant for it to sound, but at the same time he was grateful that is was.

Sango thought it over for a moment. Was she afraid? Did he frighten her? No…she was…nervous. Not nervous because she feared for her life, although she knew he could kill her in an instant if he wished, but because he was here…with her…alone and just talking. Yes, she was nervous for many reasons, but fear was not one of them.

Slowly she shook her head, "No. I do not fear you," she admitted as she looked him straight in the eyes.

Sesshoumaru regarded her with confusion for a moment, removing the cold expression from his face for a brief minute, "Then why are you nervous?"

"I don't know…I guess I just wasn't expecting to see you so soon after defeating Sorikata…much less talk to you…" Sango swallowed, that had come out wrong, "What I mean is…"

"I've always been the enemy," Sesshoumaru spoke matter of factly.

"Well…yes, but now-" Sango swallowed, "it's different-you seem different."

His eyebrows furrowed, disdain for her words apparent on his face, "I am no different from the way I have always been," he growled low and deeply, but still calmly, trying to deny the fact that she was speaking the truth.

There was another silence. It was a determined silence, one that marked the end of a discussion. It was clear that Sesshoumaru was not willing to talk about himself. Sango had expected that. "So, you are without a decided path to travel?" Sesshoumaru broke the silence.

"I suppose that would be one way of looking at it, yes," Sango shrugged.

"Do you have any plans to choose a new one? Or will you just mindlessly wander through the forests?" His voice was low and challenging.

"What are you asking me, Sesshoumaru?" Sango's eyes looked at him hard.

"There are many intruders in my land-unwanted demons. I have need for a guard," Sesshoumaru stated.

"You're offering me the job?" she was confused.

"Don't act so surprised. We both know you're more than capable," Sesshoumaru had not intended to hire a guard. He had always taken care of things himself, but for some reason, it just felt right. It just fit somehow.

Sango mulled it over for a few minutes. To him, he was offering her a simple job, something to do instead of wasting her time, and she knew that. To her however, it meant so much more. He was offering her all of those things, yes, but he was also offering her purpose. He was offering her a new path, a fresh start. Sango met his eyes and smiled determinedly, "I'll do it."

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

Well, well, well, what do you know? It looks like Sango is going to be a guardian of the Western Lands!! So, now that that's out of they way:

What does being a guard mean? Has Sango finally found her calling? What will Kirara think? And what the Hell is Sesshoumaru thinking? What will Rin and Jakken say?? Find out next time, but in the meantime, REVIEW!!!

I WANT LOTS OF REVIEWS!!! HAND THEM OVER DAMN IT!! THEY'RE MINE, GIVE THEM TO ME!! NOW!!!

Pammi