A/N: Okay, people, this fic is now officially PWP (Plot? What Plot?). The only sure thing is that Aari and co. have to get back home, and I'm including Shesshoumaru because he's just so coooool. If anyone has anything - or anyone - they would like to see in this fic, let me know!

Later on that day:

Rachel, Kagome, Sango, and Saria were relaxing together in a nearby hot spring, Kirara and Flicker curled up nearby, a safe distance from the water. Rachel and Saria in particular were thankful for the fresh, warm water. Spending seven days in a boat can do that. They were enjoying themselves, energetically comparing their respective monks and hanyous.

Kagome sighed. "Well, Inuyasha can be pretty grumpy at times," she admitted.

Rachel hummed in sympathy. "Yeah, so can Aari. What's annoying is that he swings back and forth between grouchy and perky so damn fast . . ."

Sango turned to Saria. "What's Martin like? He seemed polite."

Saria scrunched up her face in recollection. "An absolute pervert, and sickly polite on top of that."

"Yeah," Rachel agreed.

"I'm gonna slaughter Miroku," Sango growled dangerously. "One day, he'll grope me one too many times . . ."

Saria, meanwhile, had turned to Kagome. "Actually, Aari can be kinda sweet at times . . . when he's not being an idiot. Stupid Gypsy hanyou."

Kagome and Sango looked up, confused. "Gypsy?" they asked.

"Yeah, Gypsy," Rachel replied. "Traveling people who love to entertain. Colorful clothing, caravans, the whole nine yards. His mother was a Gypsy, so . . ."

"Yeah, I get it," Kagome nodded in understanding.

Suddenly, the girl's peaceful chatter was interrupted by a distant "Yowch! #$! . . .", and the sounds of Shippo and Tala shrieking. "Kagome!" "Rachel!"

The girls, needless to say, were out of the spring and dressed in nanoseconds.

The young kitsune and tanuki burst out of the trees, closely followed by Aari, who was laughing so hard he was threatening to collapse. A few seconds later, Inuyasha appeared, pursuing the guilty-looking trio.

"Inuyasha, SIT!"' Kagome screamed. THUD.

The four girls turned to face the kids and Aari as the two monks came panting through the trees. Aari proclaimed loftily, "I didn't do it. I just laughed. Jeez, that guy gets ticked off so easy . . ."

Inuyasha snarled through the dirt he was spitting out of his mouth. Aari snorted.

Kagome shook her head despairingly. She decided silently that she really did not want to know what Aari had laughed at. "I should've known leaving you guys together alone was a bad idea."

Shippo then chose to pipe up, "I'm hungry. Let's eat!"

Before Martin (or Inuyasha or Miroku, for that matter) could claim cooking rights, Aari and Rachel hastily shouted "We're cooking!"

Inuyasha, Kagome, Shippo, Sango, and Miroku exchanged bemused and apprehensive looks, all remembering Inuyasha's pathetic and rather disastrous attempts at cooking.

Later, Rachel was busy chopping up vegetables for a stew by the fire. Nearby, leaning against the trunk of a large tree, Aari was peeling apples and potatoes with his claws while attempting to prompt Inuyasha into speaking.

"So . . . you're an inu-hanyou, right?"

Silence.

"I, uhh . . . you trapped for fifty years, too?"

Silence.

"I was pinned to a rock," Aari continued, seemingly oblivious to the seething inu-hanyou's annoyance.

"Tree," Inuyasha finally grunted.

"Aha!" Aari cried, beaming with sudden happiness. "He does talk!"

Inuyasha growled. Aari flattened his cat-like ears and growled right back, long black tail lashing.

Rachel, much to Kagome's surprise, stopped the impending fight before it began. "Aari. Quietness. Two minutes. Now."

Aari immediately shut up and shoved half an apple into his mouth. When the two minutes were up, Kagome walked over and asked, "Why did you listen to her?"

The panther hanyou rolled his eyes. "Last time I didn't listen to 'Quietness', she sat me so much I couldn't sit up for two days straight. Not fun. I guess she needs peace and quiet once in a while, or she'll explode. Which is rather scary for someone who's bound to her for, like, forever."

Kagome looked rather thoughtful as she sat down beside the neko hanyou on an old rotten log. "I wish Inuyasha would listen to me sometimes," she said wistfully.

Aari glanced over at her. She noticed with curiosity that his eyes were a deep shade of purple. "Do what Rachel does," he advised her.

"What's that?" Kagome asked, curious.

"When you reach the end of your rope, become frightfully intimidating and 'sit' him to next year."

"Rachel does that?" Kagome exclaimed, shocked. She didn't know if she had the nerve to do that . . .

"Yeah," he affirmed nonchalantly. "But I'm a very slow learner, or so I'm told."

Kagome surveyed the panther hanyou for a moment. "You're nothing like Inuyasha," she finally decreed.

Aari snorted, handing her an apple as he started on a new one. "I should hope not! He's a bit of a grouch, isn't he? Me, I live to entertain."

"Mm-hmm."

He shrugged, concentrating on making his apple peel as long as possible. "Ah, well – he's probably got his reasons and is just dealin' with 'em by being an asshole. Dog demons can be like that."

"Like what?" Inuyasha asked dangerously as he approached the two.

"Like thick-headed idiots," Aari replied without missing a beat. "Scuze me, I need to go bug Rachel and give her these apples." He got up gracefully and walked over to the dishwater-blond, and immediately started juggling the peeled fruits as she reached for them.

Inuyasha glared at them as their semi-playful banter wafted over. "I don't like that cat," he growled.

Kagome sniffed. "I think it's just because he's being civil to me," she informed him, "and I happened to be enjoying it."

"Feh!" Inuyasha snorted, rolling his amber eyes. "Why would I ever get jealous over you?"

Hurt, Kagome was about to reply when a shout drew both their attentions. Their heads whipped around to find Saria and a large, snarling Flicker chasing Miroku about the clearing, waving a great javelin. "Hentai! Pervert! At least Martin has some manners! Get back here, you creep! You - !"

Everyone in the camp, including Sango, laughed at the comical sight. Miroku, on the other hand, was looking downright panicky.

"Now, really, lady Saria, can't we talk this over?" he called over his shoulder. Saria's response was to toss the javelin at him, flooring the unfortunate monk.

Miroku sat up, rubbing his head. "Oww . . ." he moaned. Sango snorted, obviously feeling no sympathy for the convicted pervert. Saria retrieved her javelin, fairly smoldering. Martin, noticing something was up, got to his feet. Saria, noting the movement, whirled around and pointed the javelin threateningly in his direction, as large Flicker hissed menacingly. "Don't move," she growled. "I am so not in the mood for you. If you know what's good for you, back off."

Martin, displaying more common sense than Miroku ever seemed to possess, raised his hands in a placating gesture and slowly backed away. Kagome laughed at the amusing sight.

Rachel, ignoring the seemingly common-place scenario, ambled over towards Kagome with two bowls of soup. Sitting down beside the dark-haired girl, Rachel handed Kagome a bowl of the steaming stew. "Here you go – my specialty," she said, grinning. Kagome took a cautious sip. "Hey – this is pretty good!" she exclaimed, surprised.

Rachel laughed. "Can't you cook?" she asked.

Kagome shrugged. "Mostly Ramen. Inuyasha can't cook at all."

Rachel looked mildly surprised. "Huh. We really are all different from each other, aren't we?" she said thoughtfully, blinking her green eyes.

Kagome shrugged. "We probably grew up under different circumstances," she said musingly. "Aari is like Inuyasha's polar opposite . . . and Saria is notably more violent, and Martin has more manners, and . . . oh, my head hurts," she moaned, giving up.

Suddenly, from behind them, Aari leaped down from his hiding spot and attacked Rachel, tickling her sides mercilessly.

"Ahh!" the light-haired girl shrieked in surprise before doubling over in helpless laughter. Stunned, Kagome nearly missed catching Rachel's flying soup. She had known Aari was drastically different from the hanyou she knew, but the way the two seemed to get along so well . . .

Laughing, the neko hanyou relented. Rachel collapsed on her side, gasping for breath. "Aari, you idiot!" she gasped. Aari snickered, striding over to stand above her.

She scowled up at him. "You are so dead."

Aari gasped in mock surprise, placing a hand over his heart. "Rachel! I don't think I've ever been so complimented! Oh, be still, my beating heart!"

She rolled her eyes as she slowly hoisted herself up into a sitting position. "Don't get any ideas, Romeo," she warned.

Aari grinned, and Kagome noticed a not-entirely-playful twinkle in his eye – something that looked almost like . . . affection. The look lasted all of a second, however, as he then launched into a spiel of Shakespearian poetry.

"What light on yonder tree-stump breaks?" he proclaimed dramatically, acting for all the world like a love-struck young man. "It is the east, and Rachel is the sun! Oh, fair sun, how great is thou's annoyance! And yet, I shall persevere, for none is fairer than the wise and not-so-benevolent Rachel!"

Rachel blushed furiously as she kicked out at the wildly playacting half-demon. "Shut up!" she snapped.

He smiled down at her. "Love ya too, Rach," he said teasingly.

She grumbled and seized hold of one of his baggy shirtsleeves, using it as a lever to pull herself back upright again. He stood there until she was standing, then grinned. "Do I get a thank-you kiss?" he asked, the picture of innocence.

Rachel glared daggers at him. He mock-pouted. "Ah, well," he shrugged as if merely disappointed. Then, he did something no one – not even Rachel – expected: he leaned down quickly and pecked her on the cheek.

Rachel gasped and turned even redder before scowling and taking off after the fleeing, wildly grinning hanyou. "Get back here, you idiot!" she shouted, apparently set on 'kill' mode.

Kagome blinked as Inuyasha came over to stand by her and stare after the retreating pair. Inuyasha shook his head.

"Somehow," he commented, "I don't think we'll ever understand those two."

Kagome nodded her agreement. "Same here." The two companions leaned comfortably back to watch the ensuing chase with amusement and borderline annoyance on Inuyasha's part. Kagome was slightly concerned for Aari's well-being, however.

"Sit!" Rachel yelled after a while. The turquoise and ivory beads around the neko-hanyou's neck glowed brightly and dragged him to the earth with a "THUD." Aari sprang right back up again, however, and at the end, the neko merely ran Rachel out until she flopped down onto the forest floor, panting, as he took refuge up a tall tree.

Saria, going over to Rachel, called over her shoulder to the hanyou, "You know, you probably shouldn't have done that."

He shrugged from his relaxed perch. "I know. But I did anyway." He grinned. Saria shook her head, helping Rachel up. Sangosnorted incredulouslyfrom her seat near the fire. "Do you ever regret anything?" the warrior woman asked curiously.

Aari suddenly looked thoughtful – almost serious. "Lots of things," he replied quietly. Then, the sudden gloom was gone from his face as he made a show of searching his pockets. "I know I've got a list of 'em somewhere . . ."

Kagome giggled. Aari was such a goof. Next to her, Inuyasha cracked a sardonic grin. Kagome blinked in surprise.

"I thought you hated him," she commented. Inuyasha looked over to her, startled.

"Well," he began, frowning, "I don't hate him . . . I just don't like him. He's . . . amusing, though. I suppose."

Kagome laughed. "He's the light to your dark," she teased. Inuyasha blinked, confused. "I'm not dark," he protested.

"No, I mean . . ." Kagome paused, unsure of what to say. "You're the warrior, I suppose – you live to fight, and he lives to entertain."

"But I like fighting!" the flustered dog hanyou protested.

"I know!" Kagome said quickly. "And that's a good thing, considering how much we've had to fight lately."

Inuyasha cocked his head, pinning Kagome with his penetrating gaze. All of a sudden, he said, "I'm glad you're not like Rachel."

"What?" Kagome asked, startled.

"I'm glad you're not like Rachel," he repeated. "She's so commandeering and forceful and – and nerve-wracking, she and I would be at each others throats the moment we met if you had been her. As it is, I'm having enough trouble with her with Aari taking the brunt of her . . . domineering tendencies."

Kagome blinked. "Well, I'm glad you're not like Aari."

He looked startled. "Really? Why?"

She shrugged. "He's fun and all, just . . . after a while, I know he's going to start wearing on my nerves and my patience. I'd never be able to put up with him. I don't see how Rachel does it, honestly."

Rachel, catching her last comment, looked up from her contemplation of the surrounding woods and said seriously, "Practice. Lots and lots of practice." Glancing up, the blond added, "You can come down now, Aari. I promise I'll leave your internal organs alone."

Aari hopped out of the tree and sat down next to the girl who had been chasing him around with death threats just minutes ago. "I know you would never really hurt me," he commented as he ladled out his share of stew. "You love me too much."

Rachel rolled her eyes, but Kagome couldn't help but notice that the girl did not refute the comment.

Inuyasha leaned forwards, resting his elbows on his knees, and wondered aloud, "I wonder if everything that cat says is truly jesting, or whether he really means some of it."

Kagome, startled by her companion's sudden thoughtfulness, shrugged. "I guess we'll never really know," she sighed. "Unless he decides to tell us, that is."

Inuyasha snorted. "Highly doubtful." With that, the two got up to join the rest of the group around the fire. The odd company stayed up long after nightfall.

A/N: Sooo? Better? Worse? Died of laughter? Died of boredom?(certainly hope not ...) I really tried to make Rachel and Aari different from their counterparts - I haven't read much of the manga, so all I know about Miroku and Sango is what I've read here. Which is extensive, but still ... I tried politeness with Martin and violence with Saria, but if they're like clones of their alternates, I'm sorry!

Review! You shall get flowers from either:

(A) Aari: ((grins spunkily and holds out a pretty bouquet of flowers, fidgeting cutely and tiptoe-ing across the review button))

(B) Rachel: ((rolls eyes but holds out a handful of daisies, muttering "I better not be giving this to some perverted guy ...", yanking Aari off review button))

(C) Martin: ((bows low, humbly extending a single white rose))

or (D)Saria: ((growls and mutters that warriors and demonslayers do not give posies and daffodils to anyone, let alone a reveiwer she does not know))

So please review! Before these guys kill me for making them hold flowers!