Chapter 4: Reunions can be magical

Disclaimer: Inu Yasha would be seriously mad at me should I say that I own him, so for all intents and purposes he is a free hanyou. Unless Kagome decides to be his mate among various other things.

Inu Yasha: Would you shut up already? Sheesh you talk so much it's boring and of course you don't own me. I am my own man.

Danielle: You keep telling yourself that and when you go slamming to the ground after Kagome says 'sit'. Think on your words for a while then.

Inu Yasha: *growl* did I ask for you to bring that up?

Danielle: No but I did anyway so live with it. *smiles brightly*

Inu Yasha laid with Kagome through the night thinking on his choice to bring the two with him into his little group. 'Can I trust them? What if they go and use our thoughts against us? Well if they do decide to do that, I can promise that they won't be living all that long and Kagome won't do whatever it is that they seem so intent on having her do.' He nosed in her hair, wanting to make sure that she was really there and couldn't leave.

He looked down onto her sleeping face. 'She is so beautiful especially when she is asleep.' He thought he saw her eyes flutter under her lashes. Dismissing it for a figment of his imagination he ran his hand over her face wishing that she were able to respond to his touch like she had to his kiss. 'Maybe not like how she responded to my kiss earlier... I want her to like it and be shaken... about like I was.' He sighed, remembering that made him want to taste her again. 'But she's sleeping.' His mind protested. 'Well you want to make her yours so what's the problem?' He paused. 'If she were to be mine she wouldn't mind and she's always talking about those stupid fairy tales where the girl wakes up by loves first kiss... So maybe it wouldn't be her first kiss but it had better be her love.' With that thought firmly locked in his mind he pressed his lips gently to hers. He touched her lips lightly with his tongue to taste her better. Her breathing quickened and he could've sworn she was awake but when he brought his head up she was still just as before. Nuzzling her face, he rested his face in her neck and slept deeply.

Kaori sat at Akiko's feet in his room. "You know he doesn't trust us." She sighed and he stroked her hair comfortingly. "I wish he would. It would make things a lot easier for us." She closed her eyes as she rested her head in his lap. His fingers wound lightly through her hair making intricate patterns.

"I wouldn't imagine that he would. No matter what we did because we forced Kagome to go away from him. But technically he is still with her just not in this time frame. Or at this age..." He lay back on his bed and closed his eyes. He could feel the bed shift as Kaori settled herself beside him, resting her head on his chest, her long brown hair spilling across him. He lightly fingered a lock that landed in his face. "No he won't trust us at all. But we can get the others to love us, it won't be that hard."

She shook her head. "I didn't want to do this to her. I had hoped that it would be the dead miko that could help us. She could've sacrificed something that would be far less valuable than what Kagome has to lose... And the hanyou would be most disappointed should she-" Akiko silenced her with his hand over her mouth.

"Be quiet and sleep. That is what we're going for isn't it? To keep her from giving up her love?" Kaori nodded and went to sleep dreaming of Kagome. She could see the tiny version of Inu Yasha clinging to her leg and trying to appear fearsome to ward off Kaori. 'Even in his childhood he doesn't trust me.' She thought rather disappointed.

Of the morning, Inu Yasha woke up with his nose buried in Kagome's neck. He had apparently moved her during the night as her body was draped over his and she had not woken up once that he knew of. To make sure he called her name quietly... He waited but when she didn't respond by anything but a slight smile he figured she hadn't. He propped himself up on his elbows. Her body lay limply against his fitting against him perfectly. Purposely turning his thoughts from that area he felt the fur blanket beneath his hands and how it rasped against his bare skin. 'Kagome would love a blanket like this.' He sighed and ran his hands over the material. His thoughts took a turn for the gutter as he imagined just what the blanket would be good for...

He had stayed half awake during the entire night out of a hope that maybe she would wake up miraculously and he wouldn't have to drag those humans with him. He sighed and sat up draping her legs over his thighs. He swung his legs over the side of the bed, standing up with his hands firmly under her bottom. He walked out of the room and yelled for the humans to get up. "If you want to come I suggest you be ready in five minutes. I am not waiting on you two, so move it." He growled.

Kaori took off to her room and grabbed the suitcase she had prepared the night before. "Ready." Akiko grabbed his also. Inu Yasha just growled and stormed out of the house upset at being bested. He clutched Kagome to his chest and rubbed her back as she slept, missing her company terribly.

Kaori tried to talk with him but he gave her a warning growl and she dropped back a few paces. He looked at Kagome's slumbering face and wanted desperately to be with her. 'Wait she talks in her sleep.' He smiled to himself. "Hey Kagome are you with me?"

She mumbled a sleepy 'yes' and buried her face against his neck murmuring nothing in particular. He smiled and rubbed his cheek over hers. "Are you already on your journey to destroy that spell?" She nodded again. He grinned. 'She was already off to go get rid of whatever it was that was eating at Kaori and Akiko...'

Kaori and Akiko moved up beside him and laid their hands on her back. He growled menacingly. "Don't." Was their only warning. They drew their hands away and moved behind him once again. He talked to her lightly not asking questions so much as telling her things that had happened. Her breath was warm on his throat and he was assured that she was not totally lost to him with her little problem which he now appreciated.

"She's not supposed to be able to do that Inu Yasha. She shouldn't be able to talk with you." Kaori commented. 'How is she doing that? Her entire conscious is supposed to be in the past.' Her brows furrowed together. 'She is a lot different from what she is supposed to be Akiko.'

'Well you wouldn't expect her to fit the bill perfectly would you? And how am I supposed to know how she's managing that? Maybe she is mated with him...' He looked at the hanyou's back and shook his head. 'Definitely not. Well in any case once she wakes I will fix that little problem.' He smiled charmingly.

'You are too much of a match maker you know that?' Kaori looked forward as Inu Yasha made a harsh remark. "I would like to see you get through me if you intend to make her stop. Would you want her to be completely lost to me- uh us." He corrected quickly growling at his slip up.

"No, we don't want her lost to any one. What she is doing right now will make your bond with her stronger, if anything else, and when you sleep at night you will remember what had happened in the past. And you will be able to know before any one else does and we will not tell the others so that you may keep this to yourself." Kaori said soothingly. "How long do you anticipate it will take for us to meet up with the group?"

"Not too long, as I know where they're heading and I know how to get there faster than they can so we should meet them tonight as I have no intention of stopping. Hope that's okay with you because it's not up for compromising." He grinned to himself as they couldn't see him.

They walked all day long and as Inu Yasha had promised they didn't stop not once. He felt the waves of power ripple through her body as she changed. He looked down as her tail grew out of her pants and curled up around his waist. Her ears made themselves known as they twitched and moved against his cheek.

"I imagine that we should get there in a few hours." He looked at the floor hearing the crunch of leaves under his feet. 'It's so weird not going to look for Shikon no Tama.' He looked at her face again and sighed. 'I wish that this was what we were doing. I wish that everything could go back to the way it used to be, with you following me around. And arguing with me and dropping me to the ground... Well maybe I'm glad that you don't do that anymore but...' He sighed sadly, 'Maybe I wouldn't mind you plowing my face into the dirt if it means that you'll wake up to me again.'

"Inu Yasha it's not like she's never going to wake up again. I can't tell you when but she will." Kaori said scolding him for his thoughts.

"If you don't stay out of my head I swear I will tear off yours. Got it?" He bared his fangs for emphasis. "If I wanted you to know what I was thinking I would've said something." He sniffed the air. 'The well is nearby. Should I go warn her mother so that she doesn't worry?' He looked back to the two humans trailing him. "Stay here I'm going to come back. I need to take her to her family's home for a while and it won't take too long." Before they could say anything he had run off and left them alone.

'You know he could learn some patience. It's like he decides stuff and then just acts on impulse.' Kaori complained. 'And I don't peek that often, its just when he blares out his thoughts like that...' Her tiny arms crossed her chest in irritation.

'Don't worry over it. As I told you earlier he's just worried about her and only her for now. And obviously he isn't used to having to show his feelings in front of others. I would imagine that their companions don't even know of what he is going to do to change their status.' He smiled ruefully. 'No I don't think they do.'

Inu Yasha leapt through the well feeling the familiar weightlessness that assaulted him on every trip through the time portal. He hugged Kagome tightly to his chest. "I'm going to go talk with your mother Kagome tell her not to worry."

Her face buried itself in his neck and she said something but all he could feel was her lips moving against his neck. Assuming that it was a positive response, he smiled as he leapt out of the well and adjusted her so that she seemed more comfortable. He walked into her house. He sniffed the air. Her grandpa was home and so was her brother but no mother. "Hey Sota and Kagome's grandpa come here." He walked down the hall following their scents into the living room.

Grandpa looked up from the TV Guide in his lap. "What in the world is Kagome doing there, demon?" He leapt up from his chair surprising the hanyou as he was such an old man. The geezer put his withered hands on her back and tried to pull her from him. Inu Yasha growled loudly.

"I came to warn you that she is okay and that she just can't come to visit you for a while because she is busy doing other things." He glared and jerked away from the old man making him stumble a bit before he returned Inu Yasha's glare.

"But she is here now, demon. Leave her here with her family... If there's something wrong with her it should be dealt with by the family not by you." Inu Yasha glared some more but he felt a small tug on his pants leg. Looking down he saw Kagome's little brother and his expression softened somewhat.

"I don't worry Inu Yasha-sama. You're so great I'm certain that you can help Kagome with whatever it is that hurts her ne? I won't let mom worry okay?" Sota said smiling up at him. The little boy's big brown eyes looked up into his all watery and glossy with held in tears for his sister. Inu Yasha pondered on how Sota so resembled the girl in his arms. His black hair was mussed as if he had just crawled out of bed almost like Kagome's when they were traveling although hers was way longer.

"Do not worry Sota. Kagome will be fine once she finishes sleeping okay? But that will be in a while, so don't worry ne? I will take care of her." He was startled when the little boy's arms crushed his legs. He smiled down at the boy and moved back to the well. Sota followed him and tugged his pants once again before he was to leave. Inu Yasha seated himself on the lip of the well and looked back at the boy. Inu Yasha could hear Kagome's grandfather yelling about demons taking innocents and what ever else he decided that Inu Yasha had done to his precious granddaughter.

Sota pulled himself up onto the back of Inu Yasha. Leaning forward he pressed a kiss to Kagome's forehead and then dropped down. He handed Inu Yasha his regular garments that he had left last time they had been there. Sota smiled, his eyes still watering as he ran out of the shrine. Inu Yasha looked to where the boy had put his lips and nuzzled it briefly before he dropped down into the void again clutching his clothes to his chest. He felt the weightless feeling dissipate as he reached the bottom of the well and their time. He adjusted Kagome once more before he leapt out of the well.

He set Kagome down and changed clothing quickly. With his proper attire in place, he ran back to were he had left those 'stupid humans' only to find they had passed out. "Get up you idiots. Now is not the time to be sleeping!" He yelled at them and kicked their luggage out from under their heads. He glared at them until they grumblingly got up and shouldered their bags continuing on following the impatient hanyou.

'You know if Kagome didn't love him as she does I would believe there were no redeeming qualities to that idiot.' Akiko fumed. 'I absolutely just can't stand that boy! And if it weren't for the fact that she would kill us if we seriously harmed him, he would be far from alright by now.'

'Well he is probably doing this because of something done over in Kagome's time and he does love her it shows and that is the only reason we are going along with him ne? We don't want her to have a sad ending as she is doing something to change our own. And she obviously wants a future with this idiot so lets humor him because she wishes it so.' She rubbed the back of her head where it still smarted from Inu Yasha kicking her headrest out from under her. Akiko's hands over came hers and rubbed soothing circles around the offended area. She sighed in content and relaxed slightly. "Where are we Inu Yasha and how much longer is it going to be?" She asked as she stilled Akiko's hand on her head and the warm sensations he caused by healing her of her problems. 'The last thing we need is you getting violently ill around that stubborn hanyou. He would make sure that you didn't come along and I need you if we're going to do that favor for Kagome- chan.'

"Feh can't you be quiet for one blessed moment?" He growled then thinking better of it, he said as nicely as he could manage. "It won't take too long. I only think it will take an hour at most. I don't feel to happy with the situation as is so." He trailed off. 'Rather go to hell before I apologize to them. After all they are the ones who put her in this position.' He looked down at her sleeping face and his expression, unknown to him, had changed considerably.

'He can't be all that bad. Look he even almost apologized to us and from what I read in Kagome that is a rare occurrence indeed.' She smiled at Akiko. He frowned down at her but said nothing. His hand found hers and squeezed it lightly before he released it. Rain started to come down. 'Just our luck you know it?' Her face soured again.

Miroku and Sango looked up at the sky as rain continued to come down in waves. "Sango we're going to need to find some place to stay." He pulled the kitsune out from the small bag he had been carrying. "Shippo." The little kit opened his eyes and yawned hugely. The rain spattered down onto his face startling him. He looked around him owlishly. "Yes it's raining. Now wake up as I am not carrying you anymore. We need to find shelter." Miroku ordered.

Sango shielded her eyes and saw a glowing light in the distance. "Miroku do you see that? Maybe someone's living out here?"

"Well we'll never know until we try. Let's go." Miroku took her hand and Shippo landed on Sango's shoulder. They ran towards the light splashing mud against their legs and clothes. By the time they reached the "light" they were soaked through and shivering.

"You idiots what are you doing out in the rain? I knew I would find you out here, doing God knows what in the rain. Let's go." Inu Yasha ordered them. They stood there, mouths agape. "What? You guys are wasting time, lets go. Kagome and those humans are over here just follow me." With that he left not looking back to see if they followed him.

"Did you see that? Inu Yasha was wearing Kagome's jewel shards. Since when did she trust him enough with those?" Sango whispered as they struggled to keep up with the fast paced hanyou. "Inu Yasha wait up!" She called quickly as he almost disappeared in the torrents of rain. He stopped and waited, openly glaring at them for not listening the first time.

They followed him into a cave as he led them to where dry moss grew like a blanket upon the ground. Shippo squealed at seeing Kagome and made to leap at her only to be stopped dangling in mid-air above his destination. "No. Kagome does not need to be bothered. She is busy and I expect you to leave her alone for once in your life." He glared at the kit.

Shippo looked to the hanyou then to Kagome then back again. "She doesn't look like she's busy to me." He glared back at him. "You're just jealous! She's going to let me lay with her as soon as I get there but you just won't let me because you want to yourself." He accused hotly. "KAGOME!" He squealed. When her facial expression didn't change and she slept on, he got confused. "What's wrong with Kagome? What did you do to her you jerk?" He started in as he always did assuming that whatever it was that bothered Kagome was the hanyou's fault.

At that time Kaori and Akiko moved out of the shadows. "He did nothing to put Kagome in this position but do believe him when he says she is busy." Miroku was taken aback by the sheer beauty of either of the people in front of him. Sango quietly glared at the houshi but was stealing glances at them also in between her hand flexing for her weapon. 'Come on Miroku get it over with I can see that you're dying to ask her.' Her face bore all the anger and frustration she could muster but looking at the people in front of her. "Are you the two humans that Inu Yasha said he had to bring along?" The blonde man nodded.

Miroku walked up to Kaori, gesturing for her to sit. She took his offer and he followed suit. "May I ask you a question?"

She laughed. Her merriment spilling over in her eyes. "I know what you want to ask but I'm afraid I can't whether I wanted to or not." She smiled at him and patted his cheek.

"Are you married to the handsome man there?" He asked confused. 'How could a woman not be able to whether she wanted to or not?'

"I am barren so it would be pointless for you to ask as I cannot physically do what you wanted to ask." She smiled again and took his hand. 'Besides I know of someone else who might.' His mouth worked. Her lips hadn't moved but he had clearly heard her beautiful voice tinkle in his head like a chime.

"How. How did you do that?" He asked his eyes wide. "And how did you know what I was going to ask?" He took his hands out of hers and leaned back by this time Sango was seething above him. 'Can he not. Why does he always have to ask every girl he sees? It's almost like he ignores me. He's never asked me yet he deems it right to ask everyone else?' She was unaware of the calculating looks she was receiving from the boy.

She felt warm hands on her shoulders and turned quickly to see deep forest green eyes peering into hers. He gave a light squeeze and she felt utter peace and calm steal over her body. All of the tension and stress she had been feeling, evaporated into nothingness. "Wow if you use that move on any other girl I'm certain they would fall at your feet in an instant." She said sleepily then her eyes shot open realizing what she had said. She blushed profusely.

He grinned at her. 'I have done it before it's a gift I have. And don't worry about the houshi. I know what's going on in his head and you have no need to worry. Kaori isn't barren either she's just saying that so that he won't take offense to her turning him down, after all he gets rejected so often its bound to eventually take some toll on his ego.'

She wasn't looking at him so she assumed he had spoken aloud. Her mouth gaped, why wasn't Miroku saying something? After a comment like that he would certainly be saying SOMETHING about it. She glanced back to the man. His blonde curls fell into her eyes as he leaned closer. 'He likes you just don't say anything to him as I'm giving you an unfair advantage as he won't know if you like him or not but I can promise you that he won't go and ask any other girls to "bear his child" while I'm here I can guarantee it.' He smirked.

Miroku turned around to ask Sango what she thought of their guests, only to see the beautiful boy looking for all the world as if he were going to kiss Sango AND SHE WASN'T FIGHTING HIM! He wanted to scream at the man to get his hands off of her. Instead being the gentleman that he was he took his staff and 'gently' tapped the man in the back of the legs causing him to collapse on the floor laughing heartily. He coughed lightly and turned quickly around before Sango could see that it was him who had done it. 'That wasn't very nice of you Miroku. But the reason you can hear me and I knew what you were going to ask is because I am telepathic and I can share my powers. That is what my cousin Akiko was doing. He is a healer so he had to touch her and relax her before it would work.'

"Well it was a little too 'touchy' for my tastes." He said aloud. He quickly glanced back to make sure that Sango hadn't heard him. She was busy helping Akiko up off the floor and laughing herself as he made a crack about his clumsiness and the scrapes he had gotten himself into thanks to it.

He glared. 'My name is Kaori and I don't think you should talk aloud anymore if you have any thing you want to say just think it and I will hear it. Even if it is in the back of your mind.' She smiled at him. He stiffened. 'Yes I know that you love that girl that is with Akiko, as of now and I am here to help you get her.'

'But. I shouldn't have her. What if we don't defeat Naraku in time and then I.. I die and leave her with child by herself?' Miroku's face was drawn in worry at the thought.

He felt a cool hand rest on his. He looked up into Kaori's extremely dark eyes and felt himself drown in their depths. 'Do not worry of such things right now. Right now that is not the issue. And not everything in love revolves around sex and I think that may be WHY you're having trouble getting her to respond the way you want her to.' Kaori suggested lightly.

'But to get an heir that requires the use of sex.' He pointed out bluntly. Kaori shook her head and ruffled his hair lightly. 'What? I love her and I just. I want her to love me and I didn't want to lie to her about what I wanted but I didn't want her to. I just can't explain it.' He sighed and bent his head.

'That's enough self revelation tonight, my friend. Get some sleep and we will talk more on our journey of the morning.' She smiled and brought him to where she and Akiko had set up camp while Inu Yasha had been out getting them. Kagome was laid out on one of the mats with Inu Yasha 's mat pulled close to hers. He had ignored his mat, creeping onto Kagome's and sharing both blankets with her. His arms were wrapped around her neck pillowing her head on one of them and curling her face into his chest. His face was serene and peaceful as he slept with his love in his embrace.

Miroku looked at the tail protruding from her back side and his hand flexed to feel that silky texture again just to marvel at it. Kaori snickered at him. 'I'm certain that if you should try to touch her tail you would pull back a stump for an arm. Inu Yasha would more than likely chew your hand off.'

She spared a glance at Sango, Miroku and Shippo. 'Do not say anything he is already as angry as he can manage right now and bothering him while he's like this will only fuel it and hinder our progress.' She made sure all of them could hear her but it was intended for Shippo mainly as the kit was looking so longingly, 'Little Fox make sure you do not go near Kagome while she is in this state it is not for you to interfere like that, do you understand? I know you're used to sleeping with her and you miss her severely but if you listen to me I will be able to bring her back sooner and safer than if you were to mess this up for me okay?' He nodded staring at his adopted mother who was so much more inexperienced than he was which he found amazingly funny.

Kaori directed Shippo to his mat which was just above Inu Yasha and Kagome's making him happy that he could sleep so closely to them. He curled up and promptly dropped off. Sango and Miroku were placed at opposite ends of the cave. Sango was closer to the mouth of the cave with Akiko and Miroku was positioned closer to Kaori in the back of the cave. He looked back and found that there was seemingly no end to the cave. 'You are back here with me to help protect this end should any youkai be slumbering back there and Sango and Akiko are out towards the front a ways to protect from that end.' At his sour face she caught him grumbling about not trusting that queer pretty boy with Sango in his head. When he caught her staring at him he knew she had heard and blushed a million shades of red. 'Don't worry he doesn't think like that Miroku. If he were to fall in love with her it would still be her choice to make herself his. He would never force a woman to his bed and with a lovely woman such as Sango that goes twice as strict.'

He let out a derisive snort. 'Yeah I can see that. A woman saying "no" to a face like that.' His face scowled as he relaxed on his mat. 'I would lose to any man like that. I have nothing to offer her-' His thoughts were abruptly cut off when Kaori put a mental bond on his mind.

'Stop I refuse to listen to this.' He fell into a trance staring into her eyes. 'Sleep and think no more of this subject until I bring it up.' The words barely registered in his mind as darkness claimed him and he dreamed pleasant dreams of Sango and a future with him in it.

Sango slid out of Akiko's hands. "Where do I sleep?" He smiled and took her arm again and led her to the front of the group and a little away. There were two mats. "I suppose you're sleeping with me?"

His grin grew. "Not unless you want me to." Her face flushed red and he held up his hands laughing. "I was joking only kidding. I would never seriously mean something like that although I was sorely tempted with Kagome.." He grinned and she realized he was joking as before. "In any case, you and I are out here to make sure that no demons come in through this end. Is that fine with you?"

She nodded and pulled off her armor and crawling under her blankets. "So how did you and Kaori end up talking Inu Yasha into taking you on with him? I just can't see him dong that at all especially on his own." She sighed. "Then again I could never see him wanting to be with Kagome and ALONE for so long and her actually wanting to go. Well her wanting to go is not that much of a stretch but him enforcing that? He has just been acting so strangely lately." She lay on her back but turned her face to him. She could see his main features thanks to the small light that reached them at their current position.

"Well I don't know how much you know but it's obviously less than what I do so I'll tell you what I know okay?" She nodded burned that her friend had trusted these people over her. "And don't worry whatever I found out was because Kaori picked her brain before she could say anything."

This soothed Sango's hurt feelings and he continued on. "Well she has the ability to travel even farther into the past than she is now. She is apparently in the time when Inu Yasha was a lot younger than he is now." He smirked at the mental image of him that Kaori had sent to him. "I can show you what he looked like then but I'd have to touch you does that bother you?" She shook her head that it didn't bother her.

His hands touched her forehead and he concentrated on the picture of the tiny Inu Yasha nosing in Kagome's lap and then of him being tossed high in the air and of him and Kagome playing in the water bathing together. Sango's eyes widened as she saw them play in action but no sound. Their lips were moving and their faces were flushed with pleasure as they played. She saw as he ran off after giving her the flower. Kagome's face had radiated the love she felt for him that was so rarely shown now. Sango sighed happy for her friend. He pulled his hands away.

He eyes were glassy when they opened and she thought of what she had just seen. "Beautiful wasn't it?" Akiko asked as he smoothed her hair away from her face. "Well any way you wouldn't believe that he is seventeen in that time huh?"

Her mouth dropped, "Only seventeen? I thought he was much younger than that. His features made him look like he was around ten." She mused lightly. "Does Kagome know?"

He nodded. "How do you think I know? Or rather how do you think Kaori knew? She took it from her mind... But he loves her then and he loves her now so that is what's important." He smiled at her. "But she is back there to help him in his time of need and I do believe that she will always be able to go back but he is upset with himself for not remembering her now. So he wants to be with her to make sure that he doesn't screw up that badly again. But in her thinking he didn't screw up at all because she loves him and she came up with marvelous excuses for him not to remember her, all of them logical by the way. But he did remember once he saw proof of them having been together but he felt it before that." He shrugged. "I just think it's sweet but then I am a hopeless romantic and I revel in being able to get people together." He sighed.

Sango smiled at him. "Well that is a very good thing, as opposed to you being cynical which is so often in these days with the demons and destruction and everything." She reached out and patted his arm smiling.

"Well do you want to know what she has done so far with him?" At Sango's nod he smiled to himself and told her of all the things she had done in the past. She gasped when she heard of Kagome taking out those neko youkai. "I know, it just doesn't sound like your Kagome ne?"

"Yes that just doesn't sound like something that she would do. but then she is in love with him and now that she can do it.. I do believe that she just might enjoy being able to protect him." She laid on her back and watched as droplets of water dribbled off of a stalactite.

"Well that isn't as unbelievable as some of the things she did just last week." He grinned.

"You like to gossip don't you?" She smiled. "Well I would love to listen as long as you're willing to spill." She checked behind her to make sure that her boomerang was secured behind her and in easy reach should demons really come.

"Yes I live to gossip." He grinned, then continued on. "Well she helped Inu Yasha back from him LOSING a battle with four youkai all by his lonesome. That was while his child-like self had given her the flower. And then after that they sat out and talked. When it was his time of the month she took him to her time to visit the sea and enjoy himself. They got to watch the dolphins and the seals. He kissed her while he was human and she was a hanyou. She got nervous and brought him back to shore. He didn't let her get dressed not remembering that she had taken off her clothes before she dipped into the sea. And then her grandpa saw her which absolutely mortified her-"

"He saw her? And naked? Wait Kagome was in that state of undress with Inu Yasha? What did he say?" she got up on her elbows and faced him. 'Man this is just like a girls night with Kagome. No matter that they come so few and far in between. Is he gay?'

"Well her grandfather didn't say much of anything just asked in his own way if they had been 'intimate' and she immediately denied him which of course she hasn't. But when they got back to their 'home' (as they like to term it), they stayed out and played then they shared a deep kiss. But what do you think that he would say having seen his lady love naked? He being the poor eloquent creature that you know him to be said nothing. But back to the kiss, poor Inu Yasha was so drugged up from that kiss that he didn't notice that the youkai that had beaten him up earlier were there again, come to finish him off so Kagome had to tell him." He giggled a bit and continued on. "He was rather upset that she didn't seem to be outwardly affected by his kiss so he decided to take out his anger on the demons while Kagome had to fight the smaller ones he took on the burly ones. Kagome used her miko powers in one of her swipes and killed one of them the other she tried to avoid hitting as she didn't want to kill him. Well as luck would have it, she ran into one of the burly demons who weren't fighting Inu Yasha and he held her still while the smaller demon landed a punch through her stomach. She fell down in her blood and Inu Yasha killed the demon that had a hold of her and knocked the smaller one down. He tried to revive her but he was knocked unconscious before he could by the younger demon." He took a deep breath and flopped onto his back. "Now that was something I just didn't want to see. It was so Romeo-Juliet like. I had to go heal them. I was careful to just bring Inu Yasha out of his pain and everything but leave him slightly unconscious. But with Kagome I took her completely out of her misery and took her to our house as we need her." He sighed and was quiet.

Sango waited but he said nothing. She sat up but before she could say anything he turned over. "You need to sleep we will be getting up early of the morning Inu Yasha isn't in the forgiving mood." Sango glared but she lay back down and slept.

Kagome woke up to see Little Inu Yasha hovering over her. Once her eyes opened his face split into a big grin. "You're back and so soon. I wasn't expecting you for a while yet." She smiled back at him and sat up. He put his little arms around her waist and looked up into her eyes happily. "I am so glad you're back."

She smiled down at him. "So it seems like you found your way back alright." She stood up and brought him with her as he hadn't let go of her. She tapped his nose as she laughed at him. "I came back for a reason dear. Do you wish to come with me?" She waked to the front of the cave. She could hear him following her. "So you are coming?"

"Yes I want to go. I don't want you to go alone. I want to be with you when you leave... just where are we going anyway?" He smiled and took her hand. "Do you want to take any of the crystals to look at?" She shook her head and gestured for him to remove the rock. He complied and she walked through holding onto his hand.

He looked up at the barren trees. 'Winter will be on soon. I wonder where it is that Kagome wishes to take us.' He looked up to her. Her face was set in determination for whatever task it was that was ahead of her. He tugged on her hand and rubbed his face against her arm trying to comfort her. He was satisfied with his actions when she smiled down at him and the worry in her eyes left. He strung her arm across his shoulder but he didn't let go of her hand. 'Her hands are still so soft.' He watched her through hooded eyes as she transformed into her hanyou state. 'What is it like for her not to be one way all the time. it must be so frustrating. I know I wouldn't like it, it is just so hard to be a human and I know that I don't like it being one once a month... I can't imagine what it would be like to be that way every day.' "Hey Kagome." She looked down at him again. "I was just thinking. What is it like for you to become a human everyday? Have you always been this way?"

She shook her head. "No, I was originally human and then I was cursed.. well blessed I should say because I get to see you and I've always wondered what it would be like to have this.. body and I guess I know now ne?" She smiled again and hugged him into her side.

"But how did it happen to you?" He tightened his grip on her hand. 'Who would curse his Kagome? She was too nice for anyone to curse... wasn't she?' His little claws pricked into her skin but did nothing as she was hanyou now. He got mad at his thoughts and reprimanded himself. 'Of course she's nice you baka she does everything she can for you and that was so mean of you to think that of her. I bet she has friends everywhere and that it was some evil jerk who did it to her... Yeah that'd it.'

"Well that is something that I am just not too sure of but. it happened when I was struck with a poisoned fang... I turned full demon for just one day one whole day and then of the next morning I was human again." She smiled wistfully. "You were there to help me through that and that night I changed into a hanyou. And that has been the way that it happens for the longest time. I know that it has only been around a month but... It seems like so much longer. And the long and short of it is that I am now as you see me and on the new moon when you turn human nothing happens to me as I am human during the day I don't know what might happen any other day for all I know I could turn full demon on the first night of the full moon.. Now I would consider that appropriate payment for what I go through everyday." She smiled at him. "But the reason I was sent here specifically was so that I could destroy a spell that was created in this time. All I have to do is kill the creator and then I will... well I don't really know." She picked him up and cradled him in her arms. 'I just want to be near you for the time being. I don't know why this feeling of melancholy has been set upon me but it is there. And it is wearing me thin already I need some form of comfort.' She nuzzled her head on top of his small one. He took the hint and tucked himself more firmly beneath her chin and against her neck.

She laughed as his nose tickled her neck when he sniffed at her. "So where are we going? Do you know?" She hugged him tightly to her. "So this whole time that you've been coming here you were supposed to be finding a spell to destroy?"

"No I came here before this whole spell deal but I am not sure where I am going." She walked on until her vision wavered. She could see a darkened room. Inu Yasha was hovering above her and looking down at her sadly. She wanted to lift her arm and touch his face to erase the worry in his eyes when his face got closer to hers and he nudged aside the hair in her eyes with his nose and mouth. She felt his breath on her face as he moved. He pressed a small kiss to her lips and tasted them quickly before he tucked her tightly to his side as he slept.

Her vision wavered again and she noticed that she was now on her back and the little Inu Yasha was hovering over her now. He brushed her hair out of her face. "Are you okay?" His eyes were wide with worry for her. "You just fell down suddenly and you paled and...." He rested his head upon her chest and breathed in her scent. "I had thought you had died or that you were going to.. you were just so pale..." He rubbed his head against her again roughly to make sure that she was really there and not going to leave.

"I.. I just had a vision nothing major. I'm okay don't worry." She ran her hand through his hair and smiled to herself. He crawled up her body and lay down upon her. His legs barely reached her knees and His head was beneath her chin. He propped himself up on his elbows on her shoulders. He looked into her eyes and frowned at her. "Don't worry. I'll be okay its nothing major." She ran her hand over his face and he leaned into her touch.

"But you fell down so suddenly. It was quite the shock." He took her hand away from his face and peered into her eyes. "What did you envision?" He pulled himself up and lay his forehead on her cheek. He nuzzled her slightly to keep reassuring himself that she was okay.

"It was of you in the future." She leaned into his face and sighed. She lifted one of her hands and cupped his cheek. "Would you like to stay for the night or do you want to move on?" He placed his hand on her shoulders and pushed himself up. "You know you're barely bigger than Shippo." She smiled. "He is a little bit shorter than you are but he is a fox demon so that is understandable. Plus he seems to be really young but since I found out you were so old I wonder about him." She ran her hand through his long locks.

"He is probably younger than you are. I would figure. Well in any case I can go farther in the night so we can go and sleep by day if you like." He sat up on her stomach taking his claws he scratched her tummy making her laugh and roll over knocking him off. He sat up and looked at her oddly. "What's wrong with you?" He shook the leaves out of his hair.

"It tickled." She smiled at him and pulled some of the leaves out of his hair. "Sorry I didn't mean to knock you off like that." He looked at her from under his bangs. "What? I'm not exactly stern and tough you know." She smiled at him and kissed his cheek. Standing up she dusted off her clothes which were mainly covered by wet leaves and mud. "Maybe taking that vision wasn't the best of ideas."

He laughed at her and pushed her playfully. "Lets go you're taking forever." He straightened up his clothes which had gotten rumpled from his fall and from messing around with Kagome. She fell back down laughing so hard. "What's so funny Kagome?" He peered into her face wondering if she was possessed.

"Nothing-" She gasped in air. "You just sounded a lot like yourself and I know that sounds utterly ridiculous but..." She started laughing again as she stood up and proceeded to dust herself off again. "Sorry... I'll try to contain myself next time." She smiled at him. He just raised an eyebrow and took her hand again.

"So which way are we headed?" He asked as he dismissed her earlier behavior. His amber eyes scanned the trees around them. It was really quiet for some reason.. 'Shouldn't bats or other nocturnal creatures be scattering about around now? Maybe an owl?' Something was off and it worried him but Kagome seemed oblivious to it and he didn't want to worry her so he kept quiet.

"I'm not entirely sure where we're headed but I know what we have to do and that is enough for now. I'm certain that we can figure it out before long.. It shouldn't be too hard.." She squeezed his hand but didn't pick him up afraid that she might zone out like that again.

Inu Yasha saw a purple haze at the edge of his vision and pulled frantically at Kagome's arm. "What is going on Kagome? Do you see it too?"

She nodded absently and ran her thumb over the back of his hand to soothe him. He let go of her hand and held onto her waist just in case she should fall again. A beautiful lady appeared before them her brown hair hung loosely down her back and her brown eyes changed colors in the moonlight from green to brown and back again. The eyes were framed by a heart shaped face and from her bright red lips came a sweet alto voice making him want to sleep. He definitely did not like this lady. If she had this affect on him.. then just imagine what she was doing to Kagome. "Kagome you need to go toward the rising sun that is the way to get to the village and I will come again when you will need to move." The lady moved closer to Kagome her arms out stretched.

Inu Yasha bared his fangs at her and growled menacingly. Tightening his grip on Kagome he edged back away from what he perceived as a threat. The lady smiled at him and shook her head. "Even this young you don't trust me." Her hand reached out for him slowly. When he bared his fangs again she thought better of it and retracted her hand.

Inu Yasha looked up into Kagome's face. She smiled down at him. "This is Kaori. She doesn't mean any harm. She's the one who wants me to go on this venture so don't worry about it ne?" Her hand rubbed one of hid ears affectionately. Still not trusting the woman in front of him he glared until she disappeared then he gave into the comforting feel of Kagome's cool hands on his ears.

"Well I suppose we should do as she asks.. What do you think Inu Yasha?" She sat upon the ground bringing her face level with his.

"If it's what you want Kagome, I'll go with you." His hands pushed down on her shoulders and she lay back like he wanted. He curled up on her chest. "Get some sleep first though. As we have to go towards the rising sun and it's not even up yet." His eyes closed and he felt her heartbeat under his cheek. He smiled absently when his weariness caught up with him, dully noting that the eerie feeling had only increased since the odd lady's visit.

Just as Akiko had said, Inu Yasha wasn't in a forgiving mood and they were woken up before the sun could even ponder getting up. Sango grumbled and grouched as she rolled up her mat and jammed it into the pack that Akiko had brought. He folded up his and gently laid his in as well. "Did you sleep well Sango?" He asked politely.

"Did my best to sleep but.. Didn't exactly work out as I planned." She sighed and rubbed her tailbone. "I think I slept on a rock or something." Akiko grimaced as he heard the unmistakable sounds of a back popping.

"You slept on the floor and it is a rock. Here let me help you." He pulled up the back of her shirt. She glared at him over her shoulder. "Its nothing perverted I'm going to help you. You have bruises all over your back and I figure it must be damned uncomfortable." He lightly rubbed circles in her back and concentrated.

Sango had never felt anything so good in her entire life. A warm wave rolled through her body starting from his fingers and moving fast through the rest of her. It relaxed all her muscles and her joints. She sighed in ecstasy. Miroku ran over at that instant to 'wake' Sango up. He stopped dead when he saw that Akiko had his hands on Sango's bare back. He took his staff and hit the guy in the head... Hard. He watched in pure satisfaction as the queer pretty boy went down like a rock.

Sango came out of her daze when she felt his hands leave her back rather abruptly. "What? Miroku?" She asked dumbfounded when she was face-to-face with an extremely angry houshi. "What did you do?" She asked when she saw that Akiko was on the floor. He had his head in his hands. "You jerk Miroku! Why did you hit him? He wasn't doing anything."

"Like Hell he wasn't! Sango he had his hands on your bare skin and you call that nothing?" He fumed then she turned and he saw her bare back making his jaw drop open in surprise. The guy on the floor forgotten he tapped her on her shoulder. "Sango? Where did your scar go? The one that Kohaku gave you." He lightly touched her back where it had been.

His cold fingers were a shock from Akiko's warm ones and she jerked upright. "What do you mean where did it go?" She fingered her back but didn't feel the marred flesh that had resided there for the longest of times it seemed. She looked to Akiko. "Did you do that?"

He nodded and ran outside to be violently ill. 'It happens every fricking time I try to help... I end up spilling my lunch all over the floor.' He felt a hand on the back of his neck. "I'm sorry Sango." He said quietly as he wiped his mouth off. He coughed lightly and then he felt better.

"What have you to be sorry for? What you did for me.. Thank you. I really appreciate it." She smiled at him. He looked down at her quietly. Hit by a spontaneous idea, she threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly.

Miroku's hand clenched into a fist as he watched her throw her arms around Akiko. 'Jealousy does not suit you, dear.' Kaori's voice rang in his head. He sighed and let the sadness that was creeping just under his anger and jealousies overcome him. 'Now we'll have none of that. Cheer up he will not take her from you.'

'Its not that he won't its that he can.' He grumbled. 'And I've been keeping myself in check too lately. I haven't groped her in days almost weeks and now she is going to want to go off with this. pretty boy.. He-' Miroku squashed his thoughts and went back into the cave. He took up his matt and put it into Kaori's bag. Inu Yasha had already taken care of his and Kagome's mats and was cradling her in his lap. He poured some water down her throat so that her body didn't give out on this end of her world.

Miroku wanted to yell at the injustice of it all. 'Inu Yasha never showed Kagome that he loved her, never told her not once...' Then he remembered and soured. 'But he saved her life more times than you could count among other things. And yet its obvious that Kagome loves him no matter what he should choose to do.. What did I do wrong? I do believe that I complimented her enough and I have 'admired' her body don't girls usually like that kind of stuff?'

'Yes they do but you know as well as I do that Sango is not every girl and just so you know Sango does love you. She would never tell you as she doesn't want to face it herself but she does. You probably don't find this very reassuring coming from me as you know that Sango doesn't seem to like me and she hasn't known me for very long so of course you might not want to believe me but just remember that, even if you don't believe it, that doesn't mean it's not true.' Kaori said. He was oddly comforted by her words and thanked her as he shouldered one of her packs.

Shippo watched dully as Kagome was picked up by Inu Yasha once he had gotten done with the mats that they had slept on. 'Oh Kagome I want you back! You promised that you would let me come with you in a few days.. and then.. and then I don't get to talk with her or touch her as she is doing something "important".' He wanted her back. He crawled onto Inu Yasha's shoulder and got as close as he could to his adopted mother.

They traveled on through the day as the land got progressively thicker and untamed Inu Yasha quickened their pace. "How much longer do we have Inu Yasha?" Kaori asked tired of looking into Miroku's head. There were just some things that could be done with the body that she just did not want to know or to have seen but it was too late and she didn't want to risk any more of 'those' types of thoughts. She shuddered slightly and tried to will away the mental image but failed horribly.

He groaned. 'Would the woman never shut up? Damn not even Kagome talked this much it was blasted irritating...' He glared over his shoulder as she asked in his head this time. "I fucking told you to stay out of my head did I not? Besides we've been in his territory for about an hour and its getting dark outside although you can't tell it through the denseness of the leaves..." He looked down at Kagome. "If you want to know when it is definitely night just look at her and you'll know okay?" He nodded toward Kagome. "We still have a little ways to go and I don't expect it to be an easy find as its about like that 'Atlantis' place that Kagome talked about once..." He adjusted the girl in his arms as he continued on and quickened his pace to keep Kaori from being able to talk. He shielded his thoughts just in case, so that she wouldn't be allowed in and his wouldn't be allowed out. Keeping his eyes straight ahead, so that he could pretend that everyone wasn't staring at him, he began to relax a little as he still had to keep his guard up for any threats or attacks that Sesshomaru might have laid out for them or any other trespasser.

Sure enough there were traps but nothing that they couldn't handle. It started out with arrows flying out from dense patches in the trees, aimed at the legs to disable humans from moving. Inu Yasha had thankfully tested before they had gone into that little patch of the road certain that something was in front of them. He had thrown a rock in front of him and if he'd have taken another step further an arrow would've been lodged in his thigh. He sighed they were going to have to find another way through....

Kagome awoke to the rising sun, she tried to take in a deep breath but something was constricting her chest.. She looked down and saw amber eyes peering at her through a veil of silvery-white hair. "You know you take forever to wake up." He commented lightly as he sat up and scratched his belly, stretching. She sat up as well dumping him into her lap as she scratched her head. "Well do you want breakfast or do you want to go on with the journey?" He asked as he stood up and worked the kinks out of his small legs. She smiled at him.

"Well let's see... I think my stomach is calling out louder than anything so lets go find something to munch on ne?" She dusted off her pants and wiped her backside. The parts of her body that had been in contact with the ground all night had mud caked all over whereas the parts that had only recently met the ground thanks to her tail were slightly damp but not really muddy. She looked at Inu Yasha, his clothes were completely clean from him laying on her for the night.

They hunted up some breakfast and when their hunger was sated they moved off just as Kaori had said. Towards the rising of the sun. Inu Yasha chatted merrily about his life with his family before they had been mercilessly and horribly killed.

"Sesshomaru would never play with me but he always seemed to like to teach me new words. I found out later that he had done this just so that I would use them in my tutor's presence and get reprimanded." He paused and looked at her thoughtfully. "But after a while I figured this out so I stopped talking with him. It fixed the problem but I find that I use them still because I was so used to learning them." He stopped for a while contemplating his life and how far it had gone. "Any way. My mom was always with me and my dad loved me but I wasn't old enough to really learn anything of value. Or at least that was his reasoning." His face drew together in sorrow. "Just another year and I would've been able to go on those special hunts that he had taken Sesshomaru on so many times." He mused aloud.

"Well what did you and your mother do?" Kagome asked taking his hand and squeezing it lightly. He looked up to her and smiled at her but she could see the sadness in his eyes hiding just behind the smile.

"We played a lot. She would hide things for me to find. I would sniff them and then she would run off and hide them somewhere good so that it would be hard for me to find it." He smiled at the fond memories for a moment then continued on. "She was smart and passed off whatever it happened to be off to other people to hide, then she would come back and sit down. Then she would tell me to wait until she was ready for me to go. Once she did, I was off as fast as I could go and I always found it. Some times took longer than others but it was always fun." He looked off into the trees surrounding them. "We would always take baths together because no one really wanted to take care of me but her so we were alone in the castle together at least until father came home to us at night." He sighed wistfully remembering times passed.

When he was quiet for a long time, Kagome offered information on her family thinking that he didn't want to talk anymore of his family. That it might've gotten too stressful. "My dad died when I was really young. I think I was around nine or ten at the time. He was going to work and he got into a big wreck with a drunk driver. He was in the hospital in critical condition for a few months before he died. Mom didn't let us go to him because he was in such bad shape."

Inu Yasha stayed silent for a while longer then his voice came out low and soft. "What is a hospital? I've never heard of one Kagome." He looked up at her his eyes slightly red from holding in the tears that had wanted to spill.

"It is a place in my time where we take sick people and use science and technology to make people better so that they can get back to their lives sooner." She looked ahead of them, when Inu Yasha stumbled she caught him and carried him for quite a ways. He napped in her arms off and on until the evening came on then his nose wiggled tickling her throat and she laughed despite herself.

"Its almost night.. You're going to change soon. Your scent changes just before the sun sets so that's how I knew." He said absently as he clambered down from her arms. He sighed. "My father for the most part loved my mother otherwise they would've never gotten mated as they did. When he would come home at night he would talk with me of the games that my mother played with me and tell me what a good job I did or if I didn't cuss the tutor during the day. He would then give me some menial little gift and send me on my way so that he could have 'alone' time with mother." He sighed again.

"Inu Yasha." She said simply and picked him up again to hug him. He allowed her to for a while then had her put him down. "I am so sorry that I couldn't stop that from happening to you... If I could have... I would." She sighed herself and kept walking. She felt her body change as she felt Inu Yasha slip his hand into hers just before it happened.

"That night my father was supposed to come. He told me he had a marvelous surprise for me and so mother and I stayed in the room... We heard the screams.. It was awful and then the next thing I know demons are running into our room and trying to take my mother away from me... And then she shoved me out the window and you know from there..." He sighed again.

Kagome felt her heart go out to him. 'No child should have to go through what he did.' She stopped and pulled him close to herself. "I don't need you to pity me." He said.

She started to cry silently as she held him tighter. "I don't pity you Inu Yasha... I would never do that." She said quietly. His arms crept around her neck and held her to him. He nodded sorry that he would have said something so mean to her. Her hands stroked through his hair and she let him go. "Well let's go. We still have quite a ways to go."

Akiko and Kaori sat down in the little glade that was a seemingly safe zone from attacks. Inu Yasha looked at them as they were distanced so much from the group. He got up leaving Kagome laying down in front of the monk, the demon-exterminator and the kit. He marched over to them as if he were preparing for battle.

Kaori shot Akiko a dry look out of the corner of her eye. 'And he means to do what by looking like that?' She asked him. Her hair blew around in the night air as she waited on the hanyou to get all the way over to her.

"Alright you." He said looking at Kaori. "You like to talk so much I want you to tell me why you put Kagome in that comatose state that she's in now." He glared at them. When they looked at him like he was stupid he took his fist and slammed it into the ground leaving an impressive hole. "I mean NOW!" He roared.

"Would you get a little louder please? I don't think your brother heard you quite clearly." Akiko said glaring at him for the threat that Inu Yasha had just given them.

"If I knew what this was all about then I wouldn't have to now would I?" He said still peeved.

"Okay we sent Kagome back into your past to destroy a spell-" Kaori was cut off by the impatient hanyou.

"I know that much already. What I want to know is why? Why in the Hell are you using Kagome like this? Is it because you knew you could?" His hands clenched and unclenched themselves unconsciously in his pants leg.

Akiko put his hand over Kaori's mouth before she could spit out the lie that he knew was lurking just beneath the surface. "Kaori and I haven't always been brother sister. At one time we were lovers and the spell manipulated that to where we lost what was the most important to us... so we cannot be together like we used to because of this. We have been wandering around this world for years upon years... Trying to find someone who could go back and fix the horrendous mistake that we made but we refuse to let them make the same mistake we did so... That is why we insist upon traveling with you so that this doesn't screw up your love life or the rest of it for that matter." He looked at the rest of the group then back to Inu Yasha. "All of our family was killed until it was only us left. So our time if we were to have been normal would have ended long, long ago."

He got up and looked down at Inu Yasha. "What does the spell do? What is it that you want it destroyed so badly."

"That is something that you will not find out from me." He gave a pointed look to Kaori. "Nor will she tell you. All you needed to know was 'why' you said. Now you have the why so leave well enough alone." He went to sit by Sango and the rest of the group. Taking Kagome's hand he stroked the back of it with his thumb. He sighed and talked with her in her mind. 'Kagome?'

'You and Kaori were lovers?' She asked.

'Yes. And that is what we needed you to do for us is to fix it.' Akiko said. He ran his free hand through his hair messing it slightly.

'I will I promise... I want my Inu Yasha near where is he?' She asked. Her voice had gotten quiet in his head. He looked over to the hanyou. "Hey Inu Yasha! Kagome wants you. She said so herself."

Inu Yasha turned around and ran over to her. He peered into her face. "When did she wake up? How come I didn't hear her?" He asked as he ran a hand over her face.

"She didn't wake up." Inu Yasha looked at Akiko like he was the biggest moron he had ever seen. "She told me in her head. As she still has some conscious part of her here she was able to converse a bit and she asked for you." Akiko explained.

Sango looked at him incredulous. "How many other surprises do you have up your sleeves?" she asked. "How is it that you can do that?" Her natural curiosity was piqued and she had to have answers.

"Well it has something to do with me being able to heal people but not too much. It stems from something I picked up off of Kaori really and it goes with my healing abilities until I created something new." Akiko touched Inu Yasha's shoulder and he could hear Kagome in his head.

'Don't think too badly of them Inu Yasha. You wanted your dead miko too so don't say anything mean to them.' Kagome said her voice was weak and tired in his head.

'Kagome you know that I don't want her any more. I was looking for you and mistook her for you. I've apologized what more do you want me to do?' He asked rubbing a hand over his eyes to calm down. 'What more can I do for you? Tell me.'

'Give me a bath. I feel dirty.' He could hear the humor in her voice.

'Seriously Kagome you know what I mean.' He sighed. 'If it makes you feel better I'll get you a bath tomorrow okay?'

'Yes, that's fine but I just don't want you to be mad at them... I will return to you. I promise. I will always return.' Her voice faded out of his head until he knew she was gone for the time being.

"How did you do that? How did you get her to talk with me." Inu Yasha asked his face slack in shock that she had actually been able to talk with him. He took her into his arms. 'She thinks I still want Kikyou... How could she think that?'

"Well I am sorry for being privy to your internal conflict there but you blared it out again." Kaori said. "She thinks that you still want the corpse as you never corrected her assumptions although she doesn't mention it to you, she still doesn't think that you see her as she is. The only part of you that she thinks does that is with her now in the past before he met Kikyou." She turned her head to the side to regard him from her hooded eyes. She was still sore that Akiko decided to tell them the truth. 'Well it wasn't everyone it was only Inu Yasha but he may tell Miroku or Sango and then we won't be able to help them get together... Oh the things I do to help people along.'

Akiko looked at her having caught her thoughts. "Listen, it won't work that way. I have a plan and it was best that we have done that and you know it too." He went over to her and put his arms around her shoulders. "We can have a semblance of hope as long as Kagome is there and can do this for us. That was the deal remember?" He stroked her hair and hugged her. "Now calm down and be happy again." He smiled at her and moved back over to the others. She followed reluctantly and sat down next to him.

Miroku looked at the beautiful pair as they talked with Inu Yasha. He observed the change in his attitude after their little chat. He watched as strange emotions chased themselves across the hanyou's face. Relief to confusion and stress and worry as he finished whatever he had said to Kagome. He looked over at Sango. She hadn't said much as she was just petting her cat and playing with her tail. Thinking of tails his eyes roamed to Kagome's backside where her tail resided.

He watched as her tail lay lifeless in the dirt. Just as her body would be should her chest not be rising and falling as it were. He watched as her chest expanded and contracted with each intake and release of breath. Next thing he knew the ground was saying 'hi' to his face and there was a severe throbbing in the back of his head. Pulling himself up to a sitting position, he looked pointedly at Sango. "What in all that's Holy was that for? I didn't do anything that time!"

"You were staring at Kagome in a lewd way and it was rather disheartening to watch." She glared at him. "Besides would you rather Inu Yasha catch you looking at her like that? Or me?" She pointed out. He thought of all the things the hanyou had promised to do to him should he ever touch Kagome and then saw them actually being carried out and he much preferred Sango to the raging beast any day.

"I was merely watching her breathe nothing more nothing less. There was not a perverted thought in my head." He declared which was met with a dry snort. "I can to look upon a beautiful woman and not think about her bearing my children."

"You have yet to prove that." She said irately.

"I said I could not that I would or will." He was cross. "And when have I asked you? That proves that I can think of other things." He pointed out.

For a second he thought he saw hurt on her face before it was empty and devoid of all emotion. "Yes... I suppose you can think of other things." With that she rose up to her feet and went to her mat to go to sleep.

"Oh that was a bad move there monk." Akiko said touching his leg so that he could talk inside Miroku's head. 'That was just what you shouldn't have said. She loved you but was afraid that you didn't find her any more appealing than a two dollar hoe.' Miroku looked into the man's deep green eyes. 'You should go apologize and maybe say that you weren't thinking when you said those things you did. It would make a lot of things better.'

Miroku glared at him. He knew it was good advice to go and apologize but he just really disliked the man next to him. "I don't feel like it. If I needed or wanted your advice I would have asked for it."

'You're being stubborn Miroku and you know it.' Kaori sounded in his head. 'But I know that you dislike taking advice from Akiko so you may do it later I suppose... The saying is better late than never ne?' She stood up and shook out her skirts. 'Make friends with him please Miroku... He isn't a very bad person once you get to know him.'

'You're family, its your duty to say things like that. I prefer to form my own opinion of people and he rubs me the wrong way.' Miroku declared to her.

'I didn't know he got so physical with the men but I guess I have to take your word for it eh Miroku?' He heard her laugh inside his head. He looked over to her only to see that her face was completely straight and she was talking heatedly with Inu Yasha over something. He watched as she stormed away and disappeared into the trees.

Inu Yasha stood up and walked towards Kagome. "Runt you're coming with me." He said to Shippo. The poor fox looked at the hanyou and frowned. "What?"

"Can you not hear? You're coming with me. I won't be gone too long Akiko. Kagome asked me to give her a bath." He explained quickly then hauling up the girl he made for the forest where Kaori had gone off to. Shippo hesitantly followed after Inu Yasha not too certain of why he wanted him there.

Inu Yasha found Kaori in the stream that she had said was near-by. He stripped Kagome down to the bare essentials and waded into the water. Shippo sat on the bank. "Um Inu Yasha... What am I supposed to do?" He shifted from one foot to the other.

"Just watch out for that monk... or any other type of threat got it?" He held Kagome's head above water while Kaori scrubbed it to get rid of the dirt. To his credit he didn't stare at her while her body was being scrubbed clean.

Kaori looked at him. "She's done... I would suggest that when she comes back that you do your best to show her that you love her." Kaori held her while he quickly picked up a towel off of the bank. He exchanged cargo with Kaori and she wrapped the towel around her friend's soaking body while Inu Yasha held her above the water. Once she was done he said a gruff thanks and waited on her to get dressed.

Once Kaori was dressed he answered her. "I won't lie to her so I don't see the point" He marched forward but noticed the subtle shift in Kagome... 'Had she heard him?' He thought about it... 'Oh man people do hear better when they're asleep... Well its just as good now so that I can be prepared for her rejection... or whatever...' He wasn't even sure of what he was thinking.

Authors Note: Well I only have 9 reviews so far and as a forewarning that maybe this next chapter or the chapter after this one is going to be boosting the rating. I like to read and write lemons they're fun, but I will warn you before you read them so that you can avoid them if you don't like that kind of thing. When I get there that is if you want to still read my fic once you get there, as you may change your mind on if you like it or not as I may get boring. Well if you like my fic review if you don't like my fic review it's a win-win situation either way. But if you didn't like my fic I want a why to go along with that please. Oh and I really like the reviews I got from everyone who reviewed I read them and you special people know who you are and I love you all! *sends out hugs to everyone who read and reviewed* But no one reviewed the chapters separately like I suggested... *sigh*