Hello there everyone. I'm back again. Sorry it's taken me so long. I've been extra busy. Some of you may notice that I no longer receive anonymous reviews. I'm sorry for the inconvenience, but I received some rather distasteful reviews for one of my stories. I do not mind constructive criticism, but this person was rude, obnoxious, and insulted me personally. I have a better explanation in my profile if you want to see that. Also, for those of you who don't have ff.net accounts, my email should be displayed in my profile as well. If you want to just email me a review, then that would really make me happy. I'm sorry if this causes you a lot of problems-that's not my intention. I may get a wild hair and accept the anonymous reviews again, but I just want this harassment to stop, and as of right now, this is the only way I can see going about it.

Thank you for reading, and please, by all means, review any way possible. I really do love getting reviews and constructive criticism. So, if you can, please drop me one on your way out.

Thank you,

Pammi

Chapter Seventeen: Sango's first job, Inu Yasha and Kagome, Kirara returns, and fuel to the flames.

Sango looked down at the little girl known as Rin and wondered where she came from. Sango had no idea that they would be meeting any time soon, especially here. She thought that Sesshoumaru kept the little girl somewhere else or may have dropped her off in a human village from time to time. 'Does this little girl actually travel with him? Even on business?' She mulled it over for a moment. It wasn't that unbelievable, she supposed. The little girl was frequently abducted…

Rin, sensing Sango's stare, looked up, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Sango blinked, "Huh?" she looked around, "Oh…I was just wondering what you were doing out here in the middle of nowhere."

Rin smiled and shook her head, "This isn't nowhere, ma'am. This is one of Rin and Jakken's special hiding spots. Lord Sesshoumaru told us to stay here with Ah and Un while he took care of some demon troublemakers."

Sango smiled, "I see." Her eyes scanned the area, "Where is your little green friend?"

Rin pointed her finger toward a bush a few feet away, "Hiding over there." She then redirected her finger to another location, "Ah and Un are on the other side of that little hill. It has the best grass."

At that moment, a very flustered Jakken appeared, "I was not hiding, Rin! I was simply…uh…waiting for milord to return. After all, we don't even know what this human is doing here! She could be hunting Lord Sesshoumaru for all we know!"

Sango rolled her eyes, but before she could speak, Rin defended her, "She fought with Sesshoumaru-sama when we were taken away. She wouldn't hunt him! Not after he saved her with the Tensaiga!"

Sango smiled affectionately at the little girl. She was very insightful and very well-spoken for a child of her age. She then turned her attention to the little green creature, "Why don't you sit down and eat with us, Jakken?" It was against her inner slayer, but she didn't want to cause trouble with her employer's servants.

Jakken sneered at her, "No thank you! I don't eat HUMAN food!"

"You like rabbits, Jakken. We're eating rabbit stew," Rin chirped the words as she ran over and grabbed Jakken by the arm, pulling him back to the pot of stew.

Jakken protested, of course, "I don't like them cooked and you know it!"

At his words, Sango grimaced a bit. 'That's a little too much information,' she thought to herself. "Well, I suppose that does create a bit of a problem. Sesshoumaru will be returning soon, though, so why don't you wait here?"

Jakken was about to let out another protest, but was cut short when his master's voice was heard approaching, "Actually, I have been here for some minutes now. Jakken, you need not worry about the slayer."

Jakken ran to Sesshoumaru's feet and bowed his head, "But master! She is a slayer! She has undoubtedly come to try and cut you down! And she's trespassing!"

Sesshoumaru gave him a familiar cold, hard look. It was the look that always sent chills and fear into the heart of his little green servant. It worked like a charm, and Jakken found himself begging forgiveness for being blunt, once again. Sesshoumaru looked away and addressed his other companion, "Rin, I see you have met the new guard. I trust you behaved properly?"

Rin skipped to his side, "Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru! I made you something too while you were away!" The little girl grinned as she reached into a tiny knapsack. She searched through it for several moments, but couldn't seem to find what she was looking for. Just as she was about to give up hope, and just as Sesshoumaru was about to tell her to knock off this nonsense, she pulled two little fists out of the bag.

Sesshoumaru regarded her strangely, as Jakken shook his head. Sango sat by the fire, her brows creased in growing interest. She was almost taken aback by Rin's easy demeanor around Sesshoumaru. She was obviously unafraid.

Rin's voice broke in on her thoughts, "I found it while you were gone." She opened her little hands to reveal what looked to be a large dragon's claw. It had a medium length of twine pulled through a whole in the largest part of the claw. The sharpest end hung down from the small hand of the child. She offered it up to Sesshoumaru, "I got Jakken to help me pound a whole in it and find a good piece of twine. It took three whole days, but it's finally finished. It's to tie around your hilt."

Sesshoumaru said nothing. It wasn't that he was angry or embarrassed, but that he was simply speechless. Rin had made him something-something for his sword. He noticed her face beginning to fall. She was having a hard time reading him, he could see. He knelt down to look at her closer, never mind that Sango was there to see it-and seeing it she was. Sango was watching every expression and every motion.

Rin studied his eyes for a moment, then stepped forward. Her tiny hands worked quickly as she tied the gift around the hilt of Tensaiga. When she was finished, the claw hung neatly down the outer edge of the sword's sheath. It looked as though it had always been there-an integral part of the sword.

Immediately liking Rin's gift to him, Sesshoumaru stood and nodded his thanks. Rin smiled happily before turning around skipping up the hill, "I'll get Ah and Un. I bet they missed you too!"

Sesshoumaru fought to keep from showing the smile that had been trying to push it's way outward ever since he saw Rin sitting with Sango eating that stew. Jakken's dropped jaw, snapped shut as soon as he realized Sesshoumaru was now giving him a look that solidly stated, 'control your mouth.'

Jakken let out a little, "heh heh. Well, I…uh…I should see that Rin doesn't get lost," and with that, he was following her trail.

Sango's gaze followed Jakken's retreat up the hill until she felt Sesshoumaru's gaze upon her. She turned to face him, "I had no idea I'd be seeing them today."

"It is routine for them to join me while I travel," his expression was placid.

"Even through dangerous lands?" She questioned.

"It is their choice to travel with me. I do not protect them," he glared.

"I see. Is that why you constantly come to their rescue?" She challenged without thinking about what she was doing.

Sesshoumaru approached with a stern look, "I retrieve what is mine. I believe I've made it clear before-No one steals from me."

Sango let out a sigh of temporary defeat as she picked up the now empty pot and dipped it in the stream, "When are we leaving? It's still early. Kirara will be meeting with us when we arrive at the location today. I don't want to worry her."

Sesshoumaru glared at her awkwardly for a moment, "You talk as though you actually care for that creature. Is it possible that a demon slayer has a soft spot for a demon? Isn't that a violation of some code? Not to care about the demons you use as tools for your cause?"

"Kirara is not nor has she ever been a tool! Yes, she is a demon, but she is a loyal companion and a friend as well. She fights with me, not for me!" Sango frowned at him harshly.

"It was just a simple question. It's nothing for you to get defensive about," His eyes were cool and his voice low. He portrayed nothing more than what he usually did. "We had better get moving. Ah and Un will take us the rest of the way. We will be in the northern part of my land sometime this evening." With that, he started up the hill in the same direction as Rin and Jakken.

Sango wrapped up her miniature pot and canteen in one of her blue sashes and flung it over her shoulder. Hiraikotsu followed next and in a few short seconds, Sango fell in line behind Sesshoumaru and followed him toward the double headed demon that awaited them at the foot of the hill.

"Inu Yasha!!" Kagome yelled, "SIT!!"

Inu Yasha came crashing to the ground from the tree he had been perched in. "What's the big idea?!?!"

Kagome began to tap her foot on the ground, annoyed with his innocent pretense, "Don't play dumb with me, Inu Yasha!"

"I'm not playing dumb! What the Hell are you talking about?" Inu Yasha approached Kagome with a death glare.

Kagome only flinched slightly at his intimidation tactic, "I'm talking about this!" She pulled an empty picnic basket out from behind her back.

The half-demon immediately recognized the basket as the one he had pillaged this morning, "I've never seen that thing before in my life!"

"Oh really?" Kagome smirked, but her scowl grew darker.

Inu Yasha stood challenging, "That's right."

She waltzed toward him with a mock-sweet expression, "Well, if that's true," she paused as she picked a large crumb out of his hair, "Then explain to me where this came from."

Inu Yasha swallowed hard, "I…uh…I-"

Kagome interjected before he could dig his grave any deeper, "I'd think really carefully, Inu Yasha, about your explanation. The food in this basket came from my world. You couldn't have gotten this crumb from any food in this era!"

He let out a grunt before snatching the hand that held the crumb. When he spoke his voice was level and deep; serious, "Alright, so I ate the stuff in the basket. I didn't think it was a big deal. You always bring food with you. Why is this stuff any different?"

Kagome got a quivery feeling in her stomach. She always felt this way when he looked at her like that. 'Is this his puppy dog face?' she almost laughed, but she caught herself, "Inu Yasha," her voice was a soft whisper, "That food was for a picnic."

"A picnic?" Inu Yasha's eyebrows drew closer together as he eyed the crumb she still held in that hand, "Why didn't you say so?"

"I didn't think you were going to-" Kagome came up short when she felt something warm and wet surrounding her fingers. Her head shot up to see said fingers in his mouth. She gasped, "INU YASHA!"

"Hmn?" He looked up, her fingers still in his mouth. Her eyes met his, and she instantly felt her blood surging though her veins. Suddenly, her fingers were being nipped lightly as Inu Yasha nibbled them with his fangs.

Kagome swallowed hard, "Inu Yasha…"

Sensing her uneasiness, he released her fingers but still kept her hand, using it to pull her closer, "We can still have a picnic."

Kagome nodded, leaning in closer, "I'll just go and get some more food."

Inu Yasha shook his head, "Don't go anywhere, Kagome." With that, he pulled her into a kiss. Kissing Kagome was the most natural and wonderful thing. It was second to none, not even to Kikyou. His arm wrapped around her tightly while he used his other arm to stroke her hair. He loved her hair. It was thick and smooth. It was almost always in place, too, he had noticed. It took a real fight to get it messed up. The thought made him chuckle into Kagome's mouth.

She spoke against his lips, "What's so funny?"

He kissed her lightly on the mouth, "Nothing. You're a great kisser, Kagome." He smiled when he saw her blush from the corner of his eye. He didn't allow her to speak again as he deepened the kiss. He had waited so long to be able to be with her like this. Now that Naraku was gone, and life was easier, being with Kagome was easier as well. He had thought that once Naraku was defeated, Kagome wouldn't be able to return again…or wouldn't want to. She had come back, though. She had come back to him. When he had saw her come back from the well that first day after Naraku's defeat , he had pulled her into his arms and kissed her.

Never mind that everyone had been there to see it. Inu Yasha hadn't cared if everyone knew how much she meant to him. He was in love with her, and seeing her again had been all that mattered. In fact, each time she went back into that well, Inu Yasha treated it like it was the last time he would ever see her. He was always afraid that she wouldn't be able to return to him. So, now when she said she would go back for food, Inu Yasha was hard pressed to let her leave.

They were both brought out of their kiss when they heard Kaede clearing her throat behind them, "There is someone here to see ye, Kagome and Inu Yasha." She was obviously fighting to keep from laughing at having caught them in the throes…

Kaede turned and left the two to regain their composure and let the color drain from their cheeks. She had been happy to discover that the two had finally settled whatever it was that had kept them from coming together in the beginning. There was bad news, afoot, however. Kirara was waiting in the village, and she was there with a purpose. Kaede couldn't understand her, but she knew that Inu Yasha could.

Sango sat behind Sesshoumaru on Ah and Jakken sat behind Rin on Un. Sango had been leery of sitting this close to him, but she hadn't shown it. In fact, she had treated it with nonchalance and appeared to be normal when she first took a seat behind him. However, on the inside, she was a quivering disaster.

She could feel the warmth radiating from him. Sango had never imagined that someone so cruel or cold could be so warm and inviting at the same time. The furs from his pelt would sometimes tickle her nose when they moved in the wind. She looked down to see the world beneath her pass in a blur. It didn't feel like they were moving that fast. Actually, it felt just the opposite. Everything was so calm and peaceful in the sky as they flew.

Sango now understood how Sesshoumaru was able to appear from seemingly nowhere when he was riding this thing. It moved that fast and that smoothly. Sango inhaled deeply, not only the air, but Sesshoumaru as well. A fur tickled her nose again and she sneezed violently. She grabbed on to the body in front of her instinctively to keep from falling off. She stiffened when she realized he was glancing back at her with cold eyes.

She laughed nervously as she released her grips on his shoulder and his pelt. She turned to see Rin smiling sweetly, but all too knowingly at her. She felt the color rising to her cheeks, and it only got worse when Jakken rolled his eyes and shook his head. 'Humans,' he thought with annoyance.

Their attention was captured when Sesshoumaru's voice was heard, "We're here." With that, Ah and Un descended right outside a small, destroyed village. When they landed, Sesshoumaru instructed Rin and Jakken to stay put and looked at Sango in a way that clearly said, 'Follow me.'

She did so, but cautiously. She was suddenly questioning whether or not she was wise to accept Sesshoumaru's offer as a guard. How was she to know that he wasn't trying to pull something? The village was deserted and empty. The homes were masses of broken walls and caved in ceilings. It was barely more than a collection of broken homes-broken memories. Sango found herself wondering about the people that once lived here. She thought of the terrible way they must have been killed, and about the foul demon that must have done this.

Sango looked over at Sesshoumaru and caught his golden eyes, "What happened here? What did this?" Just then, there was a rumbling and the ground began to shake. Sango could sense something coming closer-something very, very big.

Rin and Jakken felt it too, and jumped off and behind Ah and Un. Rin covered her ears when they heard a shrill screech, "Jakken, what is that? It hurts my ears!"

Jakken explained, "It's the demon that destroyed that village. He's the last of the Toukai. His name is Akogi, and he is very strong, very large, and very scary!" He paused for dramatic effect, "It is said that he is the reason his clan is now extinct. The Toukai would feed for one year, then sleep for twenty. Akogi didn't want to sleep. He wanted to feed, and he turned on them eventually. Killing them all while they slept. His greed got in the way, and now he wanders alone, but holding true to his name. He eats all in his path, letting his greed consume him."

Rin leaned closer, her hands still over her ears, "What!?!"

Jakken dropped his jaw and balled his fist at his sides, "MAYBE IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE YOUR EARS COVERED YOU WOULD HAVE HEARD ME!!" He was floored immediately when another trimmer shook the ground, sending him flat on his backside. He was stricken with fright after that, and feared that the demon, or worse, Sesshoumaru may have heard him.

Rin pulled him up and close to her as she huddled underneath Ah and Un, "Don't worry Jakken. If we be really quiet and stay here, it won't find us. Lord Sesshoumaru and the nice lady will kill it.

Sango and Sesshoumaru could both hear what the two were saying. Sesshoumaru made a note to find a big stone to throw at Jakken later. He turned to Sango, "He is under the ground. Feel the vibrations?"

"Yes. I understand now. What exactly are we about to face here?"

"This is your first mission as a guard. You're about to take on a larger, more solid form of a centipede demon," Sesshoumaru growled over the noise.

"You talk as if I'm to face it alone!" She shouted back.

He turned to her with a hard expression, "You are."

Her eyes widened, "WHAT! YOU BAST-" She was cut off when an obscenely large demon crashed through the ground and hovered above Sango. The demon extended it's neck to intimidate her. It's mouth dripped saliva from it's short, but sharply pointed teeth. It's eyes were red on yellow diamonds. Hundreds of long arms were attached to hundreds of strong hands which carried three clawed fingers on each. In order for it to crash through the ground with such ease, it's body would have to be rock solid. It looked down at Sango with such evil, that for a moment she might have felt some twinge of fear.

Sango gave one last look at Sesshoumaru. A smirk was planted firmly on her lips. "Let me guess. The body is rock hard, but the spot where the neck extends is weak? I'll have to behead it?"

Sesshoumaru was impressed by her keen ability of observation, and his eyes showed it. He turned his head away, "Duck."

Sango looked back toward the demon in time for it to take a sweep at her. She jumped in the nick of time to avoid the first blow, but the demon's other hands began to swing at her. She must have dodged at least forty swings before being swatted into one of the piles of wreckage. Sango could feel hundreds of tiny splinters piercing her uniform and her skin.

This only served to fuel her frustration and to further piss her off. Sango growled determinedly as she stood. The demon was waiting for her, and she quickly threw Hiraikotsu into flight. She knew it could do no damage, but it might distract the demon long enough for her to make it into a tree. 'Kirara, where are you when I need you?'

Sesshoumaru watched all of this with great intrigue. Sango was holding up very well. Probably much longer than any of the villagers that lived here before. He watched as the demon fell for her bait and turned it's attention to the approaching boomerang. Sesshoumaru kept his eyes on Sango as she sprinted across the clearing and jumped up into a tree. She pulled herself up onto the branch with ease and grace. Perching herself onto another branch, she managed to catch Hiraikotsu when the demon thwarted it.

The demon, Akogi, turned his attention back to where Sango had once been. He growled when he no longer saw her there. He looked around in frustration, his anger growing with every passing minute. His voice came as roar, "WHERE ARE YOU!! You cannot hide from me, human! I am Akogi, and you will die at my hands!!"

Sango smirked from her position behind him. She silently pitched her weapon into the air, and jumped onto Akogi's back as it sliced through his neck, "Oh really? I don't think so!" She rode his falling body to the ground as it fell toward Sesshoumaru's feet. She hopped off and looked straight into his eyes, "Is that all?" She questioned as the head and Hiraikotsu landed to the left of where they stood.

"Very impressive. However, I'm afraid Akogi is only one of the many types of demons you will be facing here. He is not nearly as powerful as some of the foes you will face on this land," Sesshoumaru informed as Rin and Jakken watched wide eyed and with mouths agape from beside Ah and Un.

"Very well. Is this area clean now? Or are there more demons that attacked this village?" Sango inquired. If it was clean, she would build her own hut here.

"It is deserted, for now. Akogi was very territorial. It should stay clear for a while. No part of this land is completely safe though-not yet," Sesshoumaru regarded her with serious eyes.

Sango met his gaze, "Then I will build my hut and weaponry here if that is alright with you."

"Very well. We will camp here for the night. Tomorrow I will take Rin and Jakken with me and we will leave you here to your devices."

Sango nodded her head. She hadn't thought about that. She would be alone out here. Just Kirara and herself until Sesshoumaru called her on a hunt. She sighed as she headed back to Ah and Un to get her things and build a fire. Kirara should be here soon.

Kagome and Inu Yasha sat in silence for the fiftieth time since Kirara took off. After hearing the news that Sango was going to work for Sesshoumaru as a guard, both of them had been left speechless. "Inu Yasha, why would Sango work for your brother? I know he helped against Naraku and Sorikata, but I just don't get it. I mean, he had his own agenda BOTH times. That doesn't make him any nicer or better. Why would she even consider it?"

Inu Yasha shrugged his shoulders, "What're you asking me for? I don't know. Sango's always been a little strange, but I don't know why she'd want to be a guard for him! She could have come with us or something!"

"Why don't we go and ask her ourselves? After all, Kirara must have been concerned to have come this far out of her way just to tell us about it."

"I guess, but if Sesshoumaru isn't being hostile and Sango accepted his offer all of her own will, then why should we care? It's her business. I think we should wait until we hear different from her," Inu Yasha reasoned.

"Hmm…" Kagome thought about it, "I guess, but why can't we just go there to 'visit' her?"

Inu Yasha rolled his eyes, "We will, but only when she calls for us. I don't think Sango would like it if she thought we were spying on her, Kagome."

Kagome let out a sigh of defeat, "You're right." With another sigh she laid down beside him in the grass. His arm pulled her closer and together they each dozed off into sleep.

Kirara flew through the sky, looking below for her companion. When she spotted a fire and the double-headed dragon, she descended quietly to the ground. She spotted Sango immediately sitting opposite Sesshoumaru with a fire separating them. She heard them speaking as she parted through the brush and into their sight.

Sango jumped up happily and ran toward her friend. Kirara did the same and in the process transformed into her smaller self. All of Sango's supplies slid off of her small, feline body like a large glove, "Kirara! I missed you so much."

The little, yellow ball of fur hopped into Sango arms and purred as she nuzzled her partner's cheek with her nose. It was Kirara's way of saying she felt the same way. Sango patted her head and spoke again, "This is where we'll be staying. Tomorrow we'll start building a hut out of all this wreckage. Then some weaponry and a tool house. I've even collected some material we can make some new weapons from," she smiled as she gestured to the fallen Akogi.

Kirara purred and leaped out of Sango's arms. She wandered toward Rin and the little girl knelt down to pat her head. Rin picked up the little demon, "Can I play with her, Lady Sango?"

Kirara looked back at Sango, giving the okay, and Sango agreed. "I think she'd enjoy that."

Rin called for her other friend, "Come on, Jakken! Let's go pick some apples!" Jakken snorted, but he followed anyway as he rubbed a recently acquired bump on his head.

Sango was just now noticing it, and wondered how he got it. Sesshoumaru smirked slightly, and then she remembered seeing him pick up a stone while she and Rin ate dinner. He and Jakken had wondered off, presumably in search of their own dinner, and Jakken had returned with a knot on his skull.

Sango held in a little chuckle at the realization. So, that was Sesshoumaru's punishment plan for Jakken. 'I bet he gets a new knot every time he annoys or disobeys Sesshoumaru.' She noticed then that he was looking at her, and the fact that they were now completely alone dawned on her fully.

Sesshoumaru's gaze was cool and empty as usual, and Sango was finding that she was becoming annoyed with that same, monotone gaze. She had to say something, "Sesshoumaru?"

He looked at her in response, waiting for her to continue. She did exactly that, "There is something I must know." Again he did not say a word, only allowed his eyes to urge her on. Sango inhaled as she approached him. She held his gaze as she knelt before him and reached out to touch the claw that dangled from the hilt of his Tensaiga.

He looked down at her with forced disgust and threatening eyes. They told her to back away before he struck her. She did not heed his silent warning and instead met his eyes with fiery eyes of her own, "Are you really just an empty shell, Sesshoumaru? Are you without or incapable of emotions other than anger or violence; cruelty or cold?"

His eyes widened slightly under angry, furrowed brows. He wasn't sure if he was angry, disgusted, surprised, or incredulous at her blunt question. He chose all four, but when he spoke, his voice conveyed nothing but a question, "An empty shell? What makes you think that question even merits an answer?" He had to find out more. What did she mean by this question? Why does she believe she, a human, has the right to question him in the first place.

Sango's look became even harder as she pressed on, "You accepted this gift from that little girl. Is she not your servant? A mere piece of your property? You didn't request her to make this for you, so why did you accept it? Any other demon lord would have cast it away, along with the one who gave it to them. Why did you not?"

He was silent. Instead of answering her he simply pushed her away and onto the ground, landing her flat on her back. He growled his reproach as he stood, "You will do well to learn your place, human." He turned to walk away, but Sango refused to leave it at that. She was tired of him and his arrogant demeanor. The way he thought he held supremacy over every other being infuriated her. Without thinking of any repercussions, Sango jumped up and ran toward him, grabbing his arm as she forcibly turned him to face her.

The glare he gave her was nothing short of hateful disgust. He grabbed her shirt by the collar, pulling him to her he raised his clawed hand to her face, threatening to unleash it's poison, "Give me a reason." His voice was a low growl that made Sango's legs shake, but if she were being threatened, then she might as well answer the challenge and give him what he wanted: a reason.

"You won't answer the question, because you can't! You're disgusted with the answer, aren't you? You're disgusted because you love that little girl and you protect her and that little demon! You don't want to admit it, because it displays a weakness! It proves you have a heart!" Sango's voice was full of conviction and her words hit like a monsoon. "You think you're better than the rest of us because you can be cold and callous. You pride yourself in your ability to remain aloof and detached from any and all emotion."

Sesshoumaru's face shone nothing but disdain and he still held her by the collar of her kimono, his poisonous claws ready to do their damage. The power to end her human life, literally at his fingertips. He could kill her and it wouldn't matter that he didn't have a guard. He could handle his lands fine on his own-had been doing so for years. However, even though she had just given him good enough reason, the will to end her life was not there.

She spoke again, "You forget, Sesshoumaru. I have seen you suffer. I have seen you fall to your knees when literally gripped by the heart! I've seen you cry tears of not only pain, but of fear and love for you companions! Those flashbacks you had at the hands of Sorikata caused you pain, didn't they? You may act superior to humans, but you can feel pain just as we can! You have a heart just as we do! And you can love just the same! You're pride is based on nothing but falsities and lies that you've had to tell yourself! You can find other things to have pride in besides your ability to kill and shed blood! There is more to life than pain and death!"

He looked into her eyes. They were strong, challenging, and passionate. He looked into her brown, sierra eyes, and his anger and disgust dissipated. He knew that Sango saw it leave, and when it did, she was reaching up and moving his hand away from her face. She held it at their sides as she brought her other hand up to touch his cheek, "You needn't hate me, Sesshoumaru. I am not your enemy."

Still holding her gaze, he answered her question as if to defend himself, "Rin is different." He admitted it before pulling Sango closer to him, "Jakken is loyal." He wrapped his arm around her waist, "And you…" he wasn't sure about her.

Sango raised her head to meet his golden orbs. They were open to her, and she became lost in them. Before either of them knew what was happening, they were ensnared in a heated kiss. It was a display of their confused feelings toward one another. It was a display of all secrets, needs, and desires. It shook them both to the core. They felt their bodies lowering to the ground as they began to drown in the emotion of it.

Sango explored him with liberty as he did the same. She felt his mouth on her neck and his fangs nipping her gently. She ran her hands through his hair before gently tracing the outline of his ears, something he must of enjoyed, for he growled lightly as she did so. Her hands stroked his hair; his shoulders; his face; his neck. Sango worked around his armor and pressed her hands to his back as he continued to nuzzle her neck with his mouth.

Sesshoumaru realized how much he had yearned to taste her again. Her skin was soft and moist. She smelled of the wind and something feminine. Her human scent did nothing to turn him off, instead it only fueled his need to inhale her; to touch her; to taste her. He could hear her heart thrashing against her bosom, and he placed his ear against it. It was an action that caused the beating to intensify. He then kissed her there, between her breasts. Sango inhaled sharply and he felt her reaching for him.

She pulled him up to kiss his lips once more, but this time it was less needy and more passionate. Less angry and more gentle. Less confused and more intent.

The intensity of it, caused both of them to snap their eyes open. It was this kiss and the emotions portrayed in their eyes at that moment that caused them to put as much distance between them as possible.

Sesshoumaru lifted himself off of her and she quickly came to her feet as well. They eyed each other for many minutes before either of them spoke. Sesshoumaru broke the silence, "Kirara brought all of your provisions?"

Sango blinked, "Yes. We'll be starting tomorrow."

With a nod, Sesshoumaru turned and, casually as ever, retreated into the brush. Sango let out a breath and tried to shake the cold that now consumed her. She suddenly felt pained that he would be leaving her, but she knew it was for the best. This couldn't be allowed to happen. It was something both of them knew very well.

Ya'll had better be happy with this chapter. It's fourteen freaking pages long. I mean, whoa! That's a new record. I think after typing all of this, I deserve some reviews, so please take the time to sign in or email me a review. Please, it would really mean a lot to me.

Throes-throes of passion, lol. (Thanks for the correction-my bad). Heh heh.

Akogi-greed

Toukai-destruction

-Pammi