Kagome held back a giggle as they caught up with the others, her heart much lighter than before. She couldn't remember the last time she had dared to be so, so...flirtatious. Really, the monk brought out a playful side in her like no one else.

"Sango? Inuyasha?" Kagome glanced around the half set-up campsite, looking for the two of them. Shippou was curled up against Kirara by the fire sleeping, but the others were nowhere in sight.

She shrugged her bulging backpack from her shoulders with relief, and began working to finish setting up camp. Miroku did the same, feeding the fire with twigs, and setting up the sleeping rolls around it. They didn't wonder for long where their companions had disappeared to, for they entered the clearing with armfuls of firewood, laughing in conversation. When they spied Miroku and Kagome they jumped apart from each other, blushing.

How odd. Kagome glanced sideways at her friends. Whatever the reason, Inuyasha seemed much more relaxed than before, no longer silent and aloof. I'm not about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

"We didn't expect you would make camp so early. But it is such a perfect campsite, and Shippou and Kirara seem pretty exhausted." Kagome smiled fondly at the little kitsune who mumbled against the fire cat in his sleep.

"Feh, you were off exploring stupid shrines so we didn't know which way to travel towards the next shard, that's all." Inuyasha muttered, although his argument seemed half-hearted.

Sango interjected in a much friendlier manner. "We found a stream near where we were gathering firewood, Kagome-chan. We could all go fish-"

"FISH!"

Shippou leapt to his feet at the mention of dinner, and dived into Kagome's backpack. He rummaged in the bag, looking for the fishing supplies, and before anyone could argue he was running down the path towards the stream.

"Hmph, shoulda known better than to mention food around that kid." Inuyasha searched in the pack for his own gear.

"Ha! I'm going to catch all the fish before you even get here, and then you will have to beg me for your dinner!" Shippou's voice rang out over the path, taunting him.

"Grrrr! Will not!"

"I'm gonna catch the biggest fish, Inu-gotcha."

Inuyasha threw down his gear with a growl and sped down the path towards the kitsune with a murderous look on his face.

Sango and Kagome glanced at each other, and burst into laughter.

They all hurried towards the stream, and Kagome avoided violence between Inuyasha and Shippou by announcing a fishing contest. Whomever caught the most fish would be declared winner. The winner would then be allowed to ask a boon of Kagome, as long as it was within her power. A glazed look went over Shippou and Inuyasha's faces simultaneously as they dreamily said "Pocky..." and "Ramen...", one after the other.

With a festive mood in the air that had been missing lately, Kagome even managed to talk Sango into competing instead of attending to her usual armor and weapon repairs. She shyly mumbled that she had never actually learned how to fish, and Inuyasha surprised them all by volunteering to teach her. They moved upstream together, and Shippou trailed suspiciously behind them screeching that they better not take his fishing spot.

When Kagome turned to coax Miroku into the water, she found that he had already stripped to the lightweight trousers he wore beneath his robes, and was stepping into the river. She gulped at the monk's half-naked state and couldn't help but admire how sleek and dangerous he looked. His robes tended to give him a respectable look, which along with his charm put people at ease immediately. But beneath it all he was a fighter and a survivor who was more than capable of dealing with the dangers that arose in their search for the shards.

And the way the water droplets slide across his skin... Kagome shivered slightly as the thoughts from earlier returned. Miroku turned at that very moment to smile directly at her, as though he could read her thoughts. She blushed, and busily worked at her mending in her lap, trying to concentrate on the tears in Shippou's clothing.

Miroku noticed Kagome blushing on the riverbank, turning adorably shy because of the smile he had thrown her way. He was feeling very light-hearted from their talk, although he wasn't sure why. As soon as she had offered a boon to the winner, his pulse raced in a way he hadn't felt in quite a while. Why am I acting like a schoolboy at the thought of claiming a simple boon?

Despite his inner protests, there he stood in the river's waist-high water fishing for their supper. He usually used the time before dinner to meditate, or gather firewood for the night's fire, not trying to impress a certain lovely miko... Stop thinking of Kagome-sama in such a way, she is not for the likes of you.

You should be thinking of Sango. You know, the girl your are promised to, you dolt? Not a naive young miko with eyes that contain a much an older and wiser soul. Sango is the one who agreed to bear your children, and be at your side when our travels were over. And yet...

Sango had been so distant as of late, disinterested in his company to the point that he was wondered if she regretted her decision to marry him. She was still friendly and affable towards him, but beyond that...the sparks that had flown between them had waned, and any emotional intimacy was nonexistent.

Come to think of it, she seems to prefer talking to Inuyasha about her troubles, lately. No doubt she felt he was a kindred spirit, as they both were fighters and had dealt with a great deal of sorrow in their lives.

Or maybe I am just not the sort of man any sane woman would want for a lifetime.

The thought was sobering, and he glanced sideways at Kagome again. She had fallen asleep against the tree where she did her mending, the soft breeze blowing tendrils of her long hair about her face. Was a playful quip and a pat on the bottom all that he had to offer? Do I live up to other's expectations rather than my own?

She had been so touched when he had listened to her heartaches earlier, as though she didn't expect him to care. Of course he cared! He was not a self-centered hanyou who thought the world revolved around him. He wasn't the one who expected her to love him blindly without question, not daring to live her own life and dreams. He wasn't the one she had given her heart to at all, he thought bitterly.

Miroku ran a hand raggedly through his wet hair, uncomfortable with the direction his thoughts were turning. He was not jealous of Inuyasha. He was simply unhappy with how poorly he treated Kagome.

Yeah. Just keep telling yourself that, Houshi.

Kagome stirred from her nap as a cold sense of danger whipped against her mind. Instantly alert, she felt a dark presence approaching her friends in the water, and without thinking raised her hand as a stream of light shot from her fingertips. A large water demon became visible in the waters, glowing a pale white from the aura she had cast around it. Since when can I do that!

The demon resembled a massive squid with too many quivering jelly-like tentacles to count. It quickly shook off the stun of her blast to speed through the water for its closest victim, which happened to be Miroku.

"Miroku! Watch out!"

It was too late however, for the creature had struck the monk across the head as though swatting a fly. Miroku quickly sank beneath the water's surface and the creature wrapped its tentacles around his body, holding him under. Despite the confusion, Kagome felt a second, and then a third presence upstream, and was sure that the rest of the group was being attacked by the creatures also.

Its up to me, then. Kagome gritted her teeth in determination and dove into the river, thankful for all the swimming classes she had taken. She had left her bow and arrows at the campsite, and was at a loss for what she would do. But Miroku was thrashing weakly under the water, bubbles of air escaping as he struggled. He needs me.

She cut across the current in strong, sure strokes and gathered the power that always seemed to tickle at the back of her mind since Kikyo had died. Somehow she knew that it shielded her from the creature's notice, so she took a deep breath and dived. The water began to clear as Miroku's struggles became weaker and weaker, and by the time she reached him the last bubbles of air escaped his chest and he slipped into unconsciousness.

Fear and despair filled her senses as she tugged with all her strength at his body. The fear was soon replaced with anger; anger at feeling so helpless, anger at the creature stealing her friend from her, anger at the unfairness of it all. A fiery ache of energy burned in her chest, white-hot and wanting to be released. Without thinking, she threw her hands forward and threw the energy with all of her force at the creature.

The water around her bubbled at the heat released from the energy blast, and the water creature wailed as it was thrown from the water to the shore with a sickening thud. Outside of its element, it wheezed and flopped pathetically before dying on the sand. Kagome didn't waste any time, and yanked Miroku's body from the muddy quagmire to tow him to shore.

Miroku looked pale and lifeless upon the coarse sand of the shore, and Kagome leaned over to feel for a pulse at his neck. A faint flutter pulsed against her fingers, and her heart leapt with hope. Despite his heartbeat, he still was not breathing so she tipped his head back and forced a breath into his lungs from her lips. One, then two, then three.

He was still motionless, so she breathed three more breaths against his lips. Lips that were growing warmer beneath hers as the circulation returned to his body. Finally with a great hacking cough, he rolled to his side and choked up the water from his lungs.

Miroku fell back to the ground weakly, and saw a worried Kagome gazing down at him. She was sopping wet, and looked frantic as she leaned over to examine him. If she hadn't intervened he would have drowned in the creature's clutches, of that he had no doubt. All signs of timidness has disappeared when she jumped in after him without a thought to her own safety.

Miroku smiled reassuringly, and rubbed her hand gently before croaking in a battered voice. "I think I hooked the largest one, all things considered."

Kagome groaned at the terrible joke, but was relieved that he was well enough to be playful. "I know you wanted to win, Miroku-sama, but using yourself as the bait is just desperate."

Miroku's laughter filled the clearing as Kagome grinned slyly at him. "Don't change the subject, Kagome-sama. I definitely won, and I demand my boon." He pouted and gazed at her with his deep violet eyes, looking terribly pathetic and hurt.

"Hmph! I've already saved your life, I think we are even, monk." Despite her hard words, a smile played on her lips.

"The terms were the winner would be allowed one boon, as long as it was in your power." Miroku propped his head against his hands, his tone stubborn.

"Oh, all right, if you really insis-...mmmmmm!" But her words were cut off abruptly as he gently pulled her lips toward his.