12/19/05

Hello, all.

The reason it took me forever to get this chapter out, is because I had several drafts for it, and I couldn't quite pick out which one I was the happiest with. In the end, I chose this one.

Anyway, enjoy.

'There's gotta be something that'll make him crack.' Thought Kagome, as she anxiously peered into Sesshoumaru's expressionless face. 'There's something for everyone. Right?'

They were settled in a rather exposed area; no mountains in sight, just a generous view of a nearby human village, with plenty of coniferous trees.

Even if they were coniferous, it seemed to Kagome like they had been tampered with. It just seemed highly suspicious. But then again, this was the Warring States Era, and, who knew what kind of unexpected events would occur next? It made her uneasy, and she was afraid of her friends being mistaken for what we would call "circus freaks".

'Well, I can't refer to them as friends,' Kagome sighed, 'After all, I hardly even know them. In fact, they're more like companions. Very curious companions, if you ask me.' She quirked her head to one side and, once again, her eyes fell upon the great Western Lord. She couldn't quite figure him out. One day he was attempting to put an end to Inuyasha's life, and the next thing she knew, he was letting her join him on his journey to…wherever he was heading.

'But seriously, if he doesn't start talking, he's going to go mute!' she thought anxiously.

Then, just as she was about to attempt another conversation, Rin suddenly popped up and asked, "Kagome-oneesan, what is that sticking out of your bag?"

Oh well, at least someone was talking.

She turned her head to see exactly what the young girl was pointing at.

It was a tampon.

'Ahh! Oh, no! How am I supposed to explain that to a eight year old girl? And worse yet, she just happens to live in the Sengoku Jidai!' She just hoped that the surprise didn't show up on her face.

"Um…"

"Yes, Kagome-oneesan?"

'Think, Kagome, think! You can just make up something on the spot!'

But what, exactly? She never had to deal with this sort of problem before, even with Souta.

Then all of a sudden, the words just flew right out of her mouth.

"It's used for absorbing blood! You know, when you're injured, and you might not be able to stop the bleeding? It's really very useful."

"Why is it so shiny, Kagome-oneesan?"

"Huh?" answered Kagome stupidly. That was when she realized that the tampon was still in its wrap.

"Oh, you have to unwrap it!"

'Smooth, Kagome…oh, well. At least it wasn't a lie.'

Thankfully, her school friends weren't here. If one of them was asked the same question Rin had questioned Kagome about, they would just blurt out the truth. Then giggle madly. No common sense whatsoever.

Rin slowly nodded her head, and seemed to be comprehending all of the given information. Her eyes were round and wide, and she was lightly biting her bottom lip. Then suddenly, a small smile appeared on her face.

"Did you hear that, Jaken-sama? Now I can clean up that cut on your arm!" She ran towards Jaken, who was sitting cross-legged on the ground near a particularly odd-looking shrub.

"What are you talking about, you ignorant child? I have no such mark on either-" but before he had a chance to finish his sentence, Rin had jumped onto him. Somehow, with all the commotion, the tampon had managed to find its way into Jaken's mouth.

Kagome burst out laughing at the site of them. Rin was still attentively searching Jaken's green, bumpy, reptile like skin for any signs of a scar.

"But Jaken-sama, I know there was some sort of mark somewhere," Rin started, looking some-what disappointed.

Jaken finally spit the tampon out of his mouth, and bellowed, "Of course I have no mark! This Jaken is not a pathetic-" he was stopped short as Rin searched his arms again.

Kagome calmed down and searched her bag. 'I just hope I have more!' she thought with a slight frown. When she looked up again, she unexpectedly caught Sesshoumaru's eye.

From far away his face would not seem to express much emotion. But up close, you could see his mouth forming into something of a smirk.

Kagome felt herself going red under his fierce stare. 'What is he staring at me for? What's he thinking?' She couldn't seem to move. It was as if his bright, golden depths were taking a hold of her, possessing, even.

Then all a sudden, her body felt loose, and she fell forward on her hands.

It took her a few minutes to calm down, but she finally got a hold of herself. 'That was weird.' She decided, and went back to searching her bag.

Sesshoumaru, somewhat amused, eventually tore his gaze away from Kagome and went back to collecting his thoughts.

'It's been unusually warm for winter this year.' Thought Miroku as he and Sango wandered around Kaede's village.

Shippou and Kirara had fallen asleep in a nearby cottage because of the heat.

"Sango?" asked a worried Miroku.

Silence.

"Sango, you're unusually quite today…is anything wrong?"

"Huh? Oh…it's nothing." She murmured, keeping her face down.

"Come now. The sooner you let it out, the better you will feel." Coaxed Miroku.

Then, without warning, Sango burst into tears and hid her face in her cold, shaking hands.

Automatically, Miroku wrapped his strong arms around her and rubbed her back.

"I-I'm sorry to b-burden you, Miroku-sama." Sango gulped; a few tears slid down her cheeks.

"Not at all. Now, what is it that is troubling you?" he questioned.

"…My life in general." She spoke into his robe, her eyes rimmed with fresh tears.

"Oh?"

"I don't really want to talk about it right now…is that ok?" she looked up and asked, her voice steadying.

"Of course, I understand." He replied. And assuming that she wanted to be alone, he started to pull away.

"Ah…" Sango started.

"Hmmm?" he quirked his head at her questioningly.

"Could you- could we stay like this for a little while?" Sango asked quietly, reddining.

Miroku smiled down at her gently. "Anything for you, Sango, anything for you."

Sango rested her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes.

'Arigatou, Miroku-sama.'

Kagome pulled out her diary from her backpack and began to flip through it. 'Wow, I haven't written in this for awhile.'

It was originally her father's, and was given to her as when he passed away. She had never really bothered to fill it in until recently. As there was not much to do now, she decided to read some of her previous entries.

September 10th, 2005

I look calm on the outside, but on the inside, I'm tearing apart. I feel like crying and screaming. I'm hurting so much. I don't want to burden anyone, so I can't let it out. There's too much pain, I can't bear it any longer.

Breathing heavily, Kagome closed her eyes. The painful memories were starting to come back to her, and she was trying to block them out. She opened her eyes and forced herself to keep reading.

November 2nd, 2005

What's wrong with me? I never, ever get so worked up. And this is all over Inuyasha, for heaven's sake! Just because he doesn't feel the same way about me…because he still loves Kikyo. And the fact that she loves him back.

They seem to be a perfect fit.

Sango and Miroku have tried their best to cheer me up, and tell Inuyasha off when they have a chance, but I don't feel that it's really helping.

I'm always the unlucky one. Sure, there are guys who have crushes on me at school. Hell, Koga eve says he loves me! But that doesn't faze me. Not one bit.

My attention is focused solely on him, and has been for quite sometime.

Well, I should really stop writing now. Everyone else is asleep in their futons…Miroku managed to find yet another lord who's daughter needs "protecting".

Kagome couldn't help but crack a smile at the last sentence. She really missed her friends, but she felt that she needed to be away from them right now.

She still didn't know how long she was going to stick around Sesshoumaru for, but she wasn't planning on leaving just yet, either. She didn't have anywhere else to go, really.

Would she ever be able to approach Inuyasha again after all that? Did he have any feelings for she, Kagome, at all? Maybe he was completely devoted to Kikyo. It worried her.

Angered, more like.

She had done so much for him. Caring for him, standing up for him, and staying by his side no matter what. Hell, she practically cleaned up after him, like she was his mother!

'And what I get in return is a stab in the chest!' she thought resentfully, and punched the ground. Hard. Except, it didn't feel like grass and mud. She looked at where she had punched.

There was a black shoe. Sesshoumaru's shoe. Kagome looked up in surprise. And there he was, the lord of the western lands, in all of his glory.

Ignoring Jaken's loud reprimands, Kagome kept looking up in awe.

She came to her senses and said, "I-I'm sorry." That was all she seemed to be able to managa.

"…"

"I really didn't mean to…I was just frustrated, is all." she finally managed to squeak out.

'Oh god. Why me, why me?'

"That much is obvious." Came the rather delayed response.

'It's not like it hurts or anything, so why is he still standing here, glaring at me?'

Then she realized that he was looking at her diary. She coloured and immediately slammed the book shut and glared up at him.

"If you wish to keep such things private, you should attend to these matters somewhere else." And with that said, he sauntered away.

Meanwhile, steam was blowing out of Kagome's ears. 'How dare he! He had no right to do that! Why did he come over here anyway? He better not have read anything!' she thought indignantly.

Her bad mood persisted for most of that afternoon, but eventually lifted when Rin went over to her and managed to calm her down.

She introduced Rin to cup ramen and they soon had finished their dinner.

'There's just no way he read any of my entries,' she reassured herself, 'I mean, why would he?' With that last thought in mind, she soon fell asleep in her sleeping bag next to Rin.

Whoa, I didn't think I would ever finish! I hope it turned out ok…I didn't get to spend as much time on it as I would have liked, as I had tests to study for. I don't think I'm as impressed with this chapter as I am with the first. But whatever. It's done!

Thanks to everyone who reviewed!

-augustsunset