Chapter 2

In the early morning hours Kagome woke up around 5:30 when daylight was creeping up. She got dressed quickly and got out of the tent without waking up Sango. She took down her food bag and noticed it wasn't tied the way she always did it. She opened it and noticed a couple of cups were missing.

"I knew something was not right last night and I knew someone was there last night, but who…..another backpacker running low on food? Well that's rude they could've asked geez!"

Kagome decided she wanted to find out who took some of her food so she grabbed her camera with the zoom lens and took off. Knowing that Sango and Miroku wouldn't be up for about an hour or two so she walked quite a ways before she took out her camera and started looking through the lens for any signs of life. She caught a glimpse of something big and red in a tree. She focused in with the lens and….

"Oh, my God! What the hell, it's a guy in a tree with long slivery hair with what's that! DOG EARS! What is going on?"

She was speechless and just kept staring at the young man in the tree. His ears looked like they were twitching towards her direction.

InuYasha thought 'It's that smell of the girl, and someone is talking over there.' He looked towards her and only seen a really shiny light. (The reflection of the camera lens) Kagome was still looking at the boy.

"He has golden eyes that's not normal! Oh, he's looking over here I hope he can't see me!"

InuYasha stood up and leapt off the tree branch

"Ahh, where did he go? It's like he flew off the branch, what the heck?"

She looks all over for a couple minutes and finally turns around to retreat. She bumps into something behind her and falls down

"What the….?" She looks up at the guy she was just looking at through the lens, -deer in headlights-

"What the hell where you looking at? Why are you over here?"

"Uhhhhh…….."

"What's the matter bitch? Can't you speak?"

She gives him a sour expression, "Excuse me? Who do you think you are calling me that!"

"Well quit starring at me then, stupid."

"You jerk! Hey what the hell are you? Are you even human? What's you name?"

"Keh, you talk too much….. and no I'm not a weakling human, and it's InuYasha.

'What is he if he's not human? InuYasha huh, if I remember correctly that means dog demon in Japanese, what does that mean, is he a demon? I thought demons where only a legend.'

Kagome stands up and walks up to him, suddenly getting the urge to touch his ears. She slowly and lightly touches one of his ears and rubs it very smoothly. InuYasha is in shock starring at the girl who's touching his sensitive ears.

'Hey that kinda feels good.'–purr-

Kagome looks shocked -Giggles- 'He...is purring? I thought his name meant dog demon not cat demon.'

InuYasha notices his soft purr and pulls away "Hey what was that for?"

"Sorry um…..-blushes- I had to see if they were real or not. I've never seen anyone like you before."

"They're around (I mean demons) even where you live, they're everywhere."

Shippou who had been watching this since he seen InuYasha jump out of his tree finally pops out.

"Well actually he's only a half-demon, but I'm a full demon."

Kagome looks down to Shippou and immediately picks him up

"Kawaii! What's your name and what kind of demon are you?"

"My names Shippou and I'm a fox! Who are you?"

"Oh, I'm Kagome."

InuYasha looks a little angry "Hey, Shippou that's enough."

Kagome looks at InuYasha with curiosity "Well if your only half-demon and you look more human that he does (points to Shippou) then is the other half of you human?"

"……..feh, so what if I am?"

"Nothing, geez it was only a question!" Shippou looks at the two and sigh's as if he's bored

"Hey, Kagome why are you out here anyways? Where are your friends?"

InuYasha looks at Shippou with a death glare, and Shippou gasps and curls further into Kagomes chest

"Ah ha, I knew someone was there last night! It was you." –points- at InuYasha

"Yeah so what, I smelt you from way out here I had to go check it out."

"Wow" 'I guess he would have good smelling he is a half dog-demon.' "Do you both live here? In the mountains?"

"Yeah, when my parents died, two years ago InuYasha took me in."

"Aw, sorry about your parents. That was nice of InuYasha." She smiles brightly at him, causing him to blush

'Gods she is so beautiful…..aw stop thinking like that, what's wrong with me?'

"Yeah, me and dog boy get along sometimes I guess he can be nice."

"What brat? Do you want to go off on your own cause it's not a problem if ya do!"

"No, no I was just kiddin'!" 'Geez he is mean to me though!'

Kagome looks at her watch "Oh, um I gotta go, my friends will wake up soon and wonder what happened to me. Do you guys want to meet them? We're going to be camping at different sites every night, maybe you two can come with us and camp with us?"

Shippou gets big huge eyes "Oh, please InuYasha? It would be so much fun!"

"I don't think so Shippou."

Kagome gets a twinkle in her eye "I'll share my ramen cups with you InuYasha, I already know you like them." Remembering back to earlier when she discovered the missing ramen cups

"Shit, oh fine whatever!"

Shippou leaps up on Kagomes shoulder "YES!"

All three walk back to Kagomes camp. InuYasha looks at Kagome "How long will you be out here for?"

"About two weeks."

Shippou looks amazed "Wow, that's a long time don't you have a family?"

Kagome tells them both about her family and where she lives, and how she's planning on moving out when she gets back to attend college. While Kagome tells them both InuYasha looks like he's bored when actually he's listening with great interest. 'That must be nice getting to go to school, and meet lots of people, she seems really friendly. I can't believe she didn't freak out about me and Shippou being demons, she doesn't even seemed bothered that I'm half human, most demons despise me. I wonder if she lives in a huge city somewhere near here?'

"Hey, Kagome do you live in a city around here?" Kagome wonders how he knows about cities, but answers "Well there is a big city about a half an hour from where I live, but no I don't live in one, and I live half way across the country kinda by the east coast a little bit."

" Whoa that's pretty far, do you have forests like this out here?"

"Um, there's a few forests by my parents house, but it's not hilly or not as much space as out here. But where I'm moving to when I go back home is an hour north of my parents and up there is really thick forests, everyone always says it's best place to hunt and the whole state is surrounded by huge lakes of water. InuYasha gets a smirk on his face "That's good, it wouldn't happen to be Michigan would it?" She has the most shocked look on her face, "How in the world did you know that? In fact how do you even know about states and stuff?"

"Keh, I know I live up in the mountains and everything but come on I at least know some basic stuff about my terr………er, uh, the place I live in." 'Jeez that was close, Shippou doesn't even know that this was once all my father's territory, he ruled for centuries until his death. Now Sesshoumaru rules the whole demon race here in the States, feh better him than me.'

"Oh, ok I was just kinda curious is all." InuYasha smirks to himself, 'Maybe I'll tell you everything one day Kagome but for now I'll just keep in short and simple for you.'

When Kagome realizes they've arrived at her camp she wonders what to tell Sango and Miroku. 'I can see them both now freaking out. Don't worry guys there only demons, they're pretty friendly. Oh, ya that sounds really good.' While debating how to tell her friends she tells Shippou and InuYasha to stay outside of the camp for now and that she'll come and get them after she tells Sango and Miroku.

As Kagome walks into camp she sees Miroku getting chased by Sango, who does not look to happy

"Miroku you pervert! How dare you walk in on me in my tent, while I'm changing no less."

"Honestly Sango I had no idea."-grins devilishly-

Kagome watches and fears for Miroku's life "Hey um you guys……..GUYS, cut it out I have something important to tell you."

Sango looks up and stops chasing Miroku "What is it Kagome? Hey, where were you this morning?"

"Um that's what I need to talk to you about. Remember last night when I thought I felt a presence around me."

Miroku looks at her seriously, "Yes, what is it Kagome? Did you happen to find the person you thought you sensed last night?"

"Yeah, you might say that." –crash- Shippou flies through a tree and lands on his butt in front of Sango

Shippou looks up with big cute eyes "Uh, hi."

Kagome looks at Shippou then to Sango and Miroku "This is what I wanted to talk to you guys about. See, um… the one that was watching me wasn't him, it was his friend." (Kagome looks in the woods) "You can come out now InuYasha."

He jumps out of a tree, and walks towards Kagome "InuYasha why did you kick Shippou?" InuYasha looks murderously at Shippou "Don't worry about it he deserved it anyways. Just go ahead and tell your two friends about us." Kagome nods

"Well you both know how demons are suppost to be legends? Well there not, Shippou here is a full fox demon, and InuYasha is a half dog demon. They both live here in the forest and I asked them..… uh, they could stay with us while were out here. Is that ok with you two?"

Both Sango and Miroku don't look all that surprised, "Kagome don't worry its fine with us, me and Miroku already know demons are living with us in the world. Actually Kagome you know my cat Kilala at home?"

"Yeah what about her?"

"Well, she is a fire neko demon. I put a spell on her so she looks like a normal cat."

"I had no idea, but how does Miroku know about demons?"

Miroku has a big grin "Well when I was watching Sango through a window at her house, I seen her cat had two tails with odd looking black strips on its body then Sango saw me and told me everything, she begged me not to tell anyone. That's when I made her give me a kiss, ha ha!"

Sango slaps him "You pervert! You weren't suppost to tell everyone" He smiles holds his check "It was worth the pain."

Kagome looks away "Well that's a shock but anyways… she looks at InuYasha 'Oh, he's cute, those dog ears make him so adorable, and that long silvery hair, and those amber eyes I could just melt in them. Ok, whoa pull yourself together girl, he acts like he doesn't even like me.' She sees InuYasha looking at her and blushes.

'Why is she looking at me like that, and now she's BLUSHING! What is she thinking? She's kind of cute actually and the way she smells is driving me crazy.'

"So then Sango and Miroku you guys already knew demons existed so, why didn't you tell me?"

Sango looks at her friend sadly "Well Kagome I didn't think you would ever find out and I didn't want you to worry or anything."

"Don't worry Sango I'm not worried or anything, she looks at InuYasha "I think demons are kinda cool." She gives him a beautiful smile, and he turns away this time being his turn to blush.

It's already getting to be around lunch time, and none of them have packed up any of their stuff yet. So they decide not to start hiking until tomorrow. They told InuYasha and Shippou where the sites are they want to go visit, and InuYasha tells Kagome and her friends that they would be better off not even hiking at all because all the sites are relatively close by each other.

Kagome sigh's in relief "Well the only reason we are hiking is to go visit all the different sites. I'm actually kinda happy that we don't have to hike the whole time, I don't like hiking that much."

Miroku nods in agreement "Yes it's actually a blessing, I don't think anyone really enjoys hiking all the time, I mostly enjoy the sites and being with friends!" He winks at Sango

She turns and blushes so Miroku cannot see her reaction 'Damn him I don't want him to know that I like him.'

Kagome looks at InuYasha "Hey, is there any hot springs or anything near by, I know were not at Colorado Springs or anything but? I really hope there is since we have no shower!"

"Ya, there's one it's a little walk though."

Kagome squeals in delight "Oh, this place rocks!"

Kagome looks to Sango "Hey, let's go check out this hot spring and see how good it is!"

"Sounds like a plan to me Kagome. All you guys stay here or we'll kill you, got it!"

They all nod in agreement, slightly sweat dropping at Sango's seriousness. The girls leave after having InuYasha tell them where it's at.

Miroku talks with InuYasha and Shippou and tells them both about where he lives and how he and the girls met in high school.

"Hey Miroku can Kagome sense people?"

"Yes, she's very good at sensing people, she's always been like that. I know she noticed your presence when you were watching her last night."

InuYasha reddens a little bit "Um, yeah."

"InuYasha do you like her?" His face matches his red outfit "No, I don't like some stupid human!" Miroku raises his eyebrow

"You can say what you want but the body cannot lie. She's really very cute and guys are always attracted to her, I can tell you are to InuYasha."

"What do you mean guys are always attracted to her?" –frowns-

"Well at school she's around guys all day and a lot of them think she's very attractive. I wouldn't be surprised if college guys are trying to pick her up as soon as she starts their in two months."

InuYasha looks like he's going to murder someone "Oh, well it's not like Kagome likes any of them, right?"

Miroku thinks "No surprisingly, she told me once that none of them are interesting enough, they're just self-absorbed she said."

InuYasha has a wash of relief over his face "Well Miroku you like Sango don't you?" "Yes, I do but she doesn't feel the same way…yet. She will after being with me for two weeks, I'll get her to like me before we go back home."

Shippou buts in "What makes you so sure she'll like you? Don't you know that women don't like to be groped, if you keep doing that to her she won't ever like you."

"I can't help myself my hands are cursed, but don't worry I have a plan."

Just then the girls come back from their soak in the hot spring.

"Thanks InuYasha for telling us about that, it's the best hot spring I've ever been too!"

"Feh, yeah you're welcome. Anyways it's starting to get late so why don't we start a fire, I know it's June but out here it gets pretty cold at night." Miroku goes and pulls out some ramen cups for everyone. Sango pulls out her camp stove and starts to boil some water for their meals. After a couple minutes of peaceful silence around the camp fire Kagome pours the hot water into the cups and passes them out to everyone. While eating their meals everyone makes small talk towards InuYasha and Shippou, asking questions about their demon heritage, and if they can do special techniques. Shippou starts off proud, "Well fox demons are mostly master illusioners, and tricksters, we do have one special fighting skill which is foxfire." He demonstrates by holding out his tiny paw and creates a blue/greenish fire in the middle of his hand he holds it there so everyone can see, then it dissipates. "It's not to powerful, but it's enough to distract enemies so I can run away."

"Wow Shippou that's so cool, I wish I had some powers like you, then I wouldn't feel so vulnerable when I was out alone." Kagome looks at Shippou proudly. He smiles brightly at her.

Kagome looks to InuYasha "Do you have any powers like that?" He looks off to the side from where Kagome is looking eagerly at him "Well I have a couple special moves with my claws, since dog demons usually just use their strength in battle, I have Sankontesso (iron reamer soul stealer), and Hijinketsou (blades of blood) maybe you'll get a little preview from me sometime." He comments while looking straight at Kagome while everyone else sits there looking back between the two. Sango then starts thinking 'Is it just me or does it seem like InuYasha wants to show off in front of Kagome? I think he actually really likes Kagome, but then again they just met.' She continues to think to herself as InuYasha continues on, I can't do anything like Shippou, that's only full demons that have those kind of techniques."

"That sounds really cool, I wish I could see them sometime, maybe you'll show me before we have to leave?" InuYasha looks at her almost regretfully 'that's right I forgot they're going to be leaving in two weeks, I don't know if I like the idea of never seeing them again, hmm I'll think about this later.' "Maybe, but shouldn't you be getting to bed it's got to be pretty late, and you humans need your rest for tomorrow."

Kagome looks at her watch, 'midnight already' "Hey you guys InuYasha's right if we're going to go see some sights tomorrow we better get going to sleep, it's midnight. Hey where are you and Shippou staying tonight InuYasha?"

"Don't worry about us, we sleep in the trees."

"Shippou if you want to you can stay with me and Sango, we have enough room in our tent."

Shippou looks really happy and sticks his tongue out at InuYasha "Yah, I get to sleep somewhere warm and cozy tonight!"

"Don't stick your tongue out at me you fox!" He chases Shippou, who curls around Kagome "InuYasha be nice to Shippou! He's only a child."

"Keh, that's what you think!" "That kids been alive as long as you, he just ages really slow!"

"So, what? He still has the mind of a child, so be nice InuYasha! Now good night!" She stomps over to her tent with Shippou in her arms, while InuYasha just sulks by the fire. Sango, not wanting to be alone with just the guys makes up an excuse "Yeah, well I'm going to bed too it is getting really late, goodnight boys." She rushes to her tent following Kagome and Shippou.

Miroku looks at InuYasha "Well anyways, how long have you been alive then?"

"About seventy years, but I guess in human years I'm your age."

"Well, how old are demons when they settle down and find a wife?"

InuYasha looks confused "Wife…oh you mean a mate?"

Miroku looks also confused "Yeah you know someone you stay with forever."

"Yeah that's a mate, but um whenever, it doesn't really matter how old you are for demons."

"Well you don't have a…mate do you?"

"No, I don't want one, there too much trouble, plus I don't really get along with demons they typically don't like humans and…..well since I'm half they don't like me either. Plus female demons are just crazy bitches, they're all crazy."

"Your mother she was a human wasn't she?"

"Yeah, what of it?" He tries not to get so defensive about it, but it never really works.

"Well demons obviously outlive humans from what you've said, so wasn't that heartbreaking to your father to know he would outlive his wife by a century or two?"

"Actually if a demon decides to take a human mate and they both agree, the human can choose to become part demon like a forth, and be bound to their mate and end up living as long as their demon mate."

"Well didn't your mother do that?"

"Yeah, but when a bunch of demons found out she was a demon lords mate, a group formed and attacked my parents, killing them both."

"I'm sorry to hear about that."

"Don't worry I was too young to remember them that good anyways." After a little silent awkwardness, Miroku decides to leave it at that. "Well InuYasha I'm going to bed, see ya in the morning."

InuYasha looks up towards a big tree "Ya, night." He jumps up to the highest branch, starring at the stars.

……………………………..

The next morning Kagome wakes up early and notices everyone's still asleep. 'This is a good time to practice my archery.' She grabs her bow and arrows and walks a ways till she's out of the camp site. Little does she know that demons sleep very lightly and that she is being followed by InuYasha.

Curious to know what she could be up to so early in the morning. He glides from tree to tree until he settles on top of one behind Kagome.

She sets up a little plastic target in a tree about 50 ft from her and strings an arrow, she hits bulls eye. 'I'm so glad mama let me in the archery club at school, all that hard work I put in really paid off.' She nails the rest of her arrows to the target accept her last one and turns it up towards InuYasha in the tree. "Whoever is up there better come down now or I'll shoot and I won't miss either." She waits for an answer, her senses let her know someone was up there after shooting just one arrow.

InuYasha is not as shocked, because know he knows about her being able to sense people. "Chill out woman gees, it's only me." He jumps out of the tree and lands right in front of her

"Why were you following me?"

"To see what you could be up to this early in the morning, what else?"

"Well don't try and sneak up on me, cause I can sense when your there."

"Hey, how did you learn to shoot so good?"

-Blush- "Thanks InuYasha, I joined a team at school and practiced almost everyday. Do you really think I'm good?" As she retrieves her arrows from the tree.

He stalls for a minute "Feh, well your ok I guess. –cough- Come on your friends will be waking up soon lets go back."

"Yeah, ok." She still has a cute blush staining her cheeks 'Josh, he's so cute, he's so exotic looking, and I can't get over those puppy ears.'

InuYasha starts walking and notices she's far behind "Hey slow poke why are you walking so slowly?"

She keeps the blush on her checks, noticing she had been staring at him, she looks away from him. "Well, it's still pretty early and I'm still tired, give me a break, we stayed up late too."

She yelps noticing she's been picked up and placed on InuYasha's back. "Hey wait! What are you doing?" She screams as he fly's off the ground and perches in a tree, looking back at her.

"You're too slow and I'm hungry!" He picks up the pace and fly's through the tree's. She keeps a tight grip on him the whole time, InuYasha just smiles slightly to himself, liking the feel of Kagome gripping onto him.

A minute later they arrive back at camp and he let's her off his back and then he dives for her food bag pulling out ramen noodles.

"Hey make this I'm hungry!"

"Ok, I will, I didn't know you could jump that high and almost fly, that's so cool! And you even had me on your back, you must be really strong InuYasha!"

He has an arrogant smirk on his face "Of course I'm strong I'm half demon. Now are you going to make me that food or what woman?"

"Oh, shut up I'll make it for you. Don't call me woman either, it's Kagome!"

"Keh!"

'Wow that was really fast we're already back to camp and it to me like 20 minutes to walk all the way out there, it only took him about four minutes.'

She starts boiling water for his ramen and some for her oatmeal

Shippou comes out of the tent with Sango and they walk over towards where they smell food. Sango hears Miroku snoring in his tent she walks up and takes out the stakes out and lets the tent fall down on him while he's sleeping.

"Hey, who the hell did that, it's uncalled for!"

"Oh, quit winning you little baby." Sango grins devilishly

After a couple of minutes Miroku finally crawls out of his fallen down tent. Sango and Kagome are laughing their heads off at him, when all of a sudden Kagome turns around and feels a presence lurking behind them.

………………………

-Well that's all, it's kind of a cliffy, so who do you think it might be? Tell me what you think, and do you guys like the story so far, does it need more, of anything? Well I'll be waiting! Please let me know what you all think, I would appreciate it a lot! Look for an update soon!

Ja -Fran