Been a while, but now I'm back!

No own inu!

Chap: Sesshomaru belongs to.......

Inuyasha just glared at her. "That is not even funny."

"I'm sorry, it's just—HEY! I just woke up here, buddy, and then you tell me that I'm now the leader, and you're looking at me like I'm a freak, and I have had a very, very crummy night, mister! I think I have a right to be a little---"

"I am not looking at you like you're a"--

A soft, shaking voice interrupted their tirade. "Mommy? Mommy, where are you?"

Kagome immediately regretted yelling while the little boy was right beside her. "Hey, now, honey, its okay. I'm right here beside you, and we're in a bed in a different part of the house." The boy started to curl up in fright at being in an unfamiliar place. She slowly reached out and brought him into her arms. "But you're safe now, I won't let anything happen to you, or let anyone bad near you. See?" She motioned towards Inuyasha. "He's Inuyasha, a werewolf, and a friend of mine. My name's Kagome Higurashi." She stroked his hair out of his face, soothing him. "What's your name, honey?"

"Sh-Shippo Edigawa," he answered quietly. "Where did the bad lady go? Is she still here?!"

"No, no, sweetheart, she's gone now."

"Yeah, kid, Kagome killed her," Inuyasha said with a hint of pride in his voice.

The boy's eyes went huge in surprise. "You did?! How?!"

"She used the Amokoi halberd," a new voice spoke up. Inuyasha whirled. "Dammit, monk, I told you to stay downstairs!"

"I did. But when I introduced myself to a Miss—Mayu, was it? She seemed most upset with me and sent me up here to stick with you."

Inuyasha got a very interesting tic in his eyebrow. "You groped her, didn't you?"

"Well"—

"Kagome, I cannot believe you actually wanted me to save this sorry ass's life! He stopped and groped damn near every girl we saw on the way here!"

Kagome tried to repress a smile. "Hello, Miroku. What brings you here?"

"Well, I did want my halberd back for one." He nodded to where the staff leaned against the wall in the bedroom. "Not to mention when Inuyasha picked me up, while we were on our way here, there seemed to be some sort of explosion of light. I was curious, so I followed after him. He seemed rather worried about you"—

Bang! An unconscious monk hit the floor.

"Wha—Inuyasha! You shouldn't hit people like that!"

The werewolf growled to himself. "When they go on about nonsense like that, you ought to."

Shippou glanced around from his perch in the girl's arms. "Um, Miss Higurashi?"

"Oh, Shippou, you can just call me Kagome, if you want."

"Um, Kagome." His voice never once lost that hesitant tone as he asked, "May I have something to eat?"

"Of course! Hey, Inuyasha, what time is it?"

"Beyond time for you to get a watch, apparently." He looked at his wrist. "It's around noon."

"Really? Is there any lunch ready?"

He frowned at her. "Can't you smell it yourself?"

"Over this room's god-awful smell?"

"Nose is clogged, huh?

"Like an old air freshener," she replied.

He sniffed the air and nodded. "Mayu must already be making it. I'll bring you some."

"Oh I can get it"—

"Freeze!"

She froze before getting indignant. "Hey now"—

"You and the kid have been out of it for two days. You need to rest. I'll go get the damn food. Miroku, get up. You're coming too."

He stirred from his spot on the floor. "But I thought I might keep the lady company"—

"She's got the brat, and I ain't letting you near her while her defenses are down. Now move it or lose it, monk." They both left the room.

While they were gone, Kagome explored the room a little. She took one sniff of the closet and decided that the contents should just be burned. The girl had to admit, she was unsteady on her feet, so maybe she should have listened to him. Shippou kept sending her nervous glances, finally saying, "Maybe he's right, you shouldn't be up yet."

"But I need to get some clean clothes on, and maybe find some for you too."

He winced. "All my stuff's at the station."

"The station?"

"My family, they're all shamans. Gypsies, I guess is the right word, that's what people call us. We mostly stick to the country, but we had to come into town to buy some supplies for the spell Daddy wanted to cast. He put the wagon at the train station so people would leave it alone while he worked."

"What did he want to do?"

"He wanted to make a spell to purify something. I don't know what it was, but the bad lady came after us for it. She told the vampires to bring us to her, and then"—(hic)—"she"---the boy began to cry softly.

Kagome picked him back up in her arms, rocking him slowly. She deftly wiped away his tears with the edge of her shirt, "Its going to be okay. I'll take care of you. Is there anyone else in your family we can take you to that you want to go?"

"My—my uncle lives with another band of shamen. They live in Musashi, out by"—

"Musashi?! That's where I live!"

"You do?"

"Yeah, I was in town with my aunt when the vampires caught me---holy cow! Aunt Kisa's going to kill me when she finds out what I've been doing! I better call her so she won't worry anymore."

"Do you think, you could call my uncle?"

She raised surprised eyebrows. "Shamans have telephones?"

"It's the millennium for crying out loud," the boy said with exasperation. "The whole tribe's got a cell phone plan."

"Who's got a cell phone?" Inuyasha asked as he brought in a tray. "Shamans, apparently," she paraphrased back to him. He 'humphed' at her as he brought the tray over. It was covered with plates of pancakes, bacon, sausages, and all the light fluffy scrambled eggs a girl could eat. Kagome almost drooled as he set it down on the nightstand. "Breakfast for lunch! Oh Inuyasha, I think I love you."

He froze, nearly panicking, "What?!"

"You brought the maple syrup too!" She crowed happily. She reached out for a plate, and then paused. "Shippou, which one's your favorite?"

"Me?"

"Well sure, this is yours too, you know."

"Pancakes!" He squealed. "With lots of syrup."

She smiled as she handed the cakes over to the boy. Kagome glanced over at Inuyasha. "Thanks for breakfast in bed."

He breathed a slight sigh of relief and mild disappointment. "Feh. "

"Hey, where's Miroku?"

"Right here, my lady," he said from the doorway. He too carried a tray, also loaded with foods. Setting it down, he moved to sit beside her on the bed. A warning growl from Inuyasha changed his mind and he switched to a chair on the other side of the room. "So, Kagome"—

Inu growled again as Kagome looked up from her eggs.

"Er-Miss Higurashi," he amended. "If you don't mind my asking, what are you going to do now?"

She paused. "I really don't know. I mean, I have to let my family know what's going on so

that they don't' worry about me. And I want to find a way to get Shippou back to his family," she said, smiling at the little one. The shaman boy looked up from his pancakes and smiled at her. "Thanks, Kagome!"

"Chew first, talk later," she said, wagging a finger at him. She started at a low growl that came in the room. Everyone glanced around, till they caught a look at a blushing werewolf.

"Inuyasha, haven't you eaten yet?"

"Nah, too busy."

"Well, here, have some," she gestured to the plates of food. "Eat as much as you want." He stared at her, then sat on the edge of the bed, grabbing a plate of food as he went.

"And, about my first question"—

The werewolf rolled his eyes. "Yes, dammit, technically, Sesshomaru is your pet now." He almost glared at her, "You want him?"

"N-no," she said, startled by his intensity. "I just want you."

Miroku nearly snorted at the phrase, opened his mouth to say something, and was knocked out by Inuyasha's shoe being thrown at him.

&())&

Filler now, more to come. Thanks for coming, please review!