Disclaimer: Why do you bother to read this? Well, so you'll be satisfied, I don't own InuYasha…sadly, I don't.

Special thanks to:

Kagamoesiun

Dark Angel Of Fire Ice

amyrose300

I wanna see more names listed here!

Naraku's scent filled the air in the early morning hours before the sun. But with the scent of evil came a scent so forgotten to InuYasha, but yet so…familiar. InuYasha stopped pacing and sniffed the air to try to process who, or what, was giving off that scent.

The door opened in its usually manner, a loud creak, but only Naraku stepped inside. But held in his hand was an emaciated rope, leading out the door. "I brought you a little friend," Naraku said and yanked on the rope, to reveal Shippo attached at the other end.

InuYasha's eyes widened at the form of the young fox-demon, thought to be dead.

"Shippo!" he cried. "I…I thought you were dead!" InuYasha's eyes locked onto Shippo.

"Oh, no. He was never dead. He just…was injured quite badly…" Naraku answered for Shippo, who was released from the rope and ran to InuYasha and latched onto his leg. "I will return later, but for know, catch up on things." Naraku smirked and walked out the door.

"InuYasha! I thought you were dead!" Shippo cried and hung onto the hanyou's leg for dear life.

"How did you survive?" InuYasha asked, remembering how the fox-demon was punctured by a demon's fang as he peeled him off his leg.

"I…don't…know…all I can remember is getting bitten and then having Naraku put this stuff on me…" he stated. "And he kept me in this cage and told me how one of my friends was still alive and that I would get to see him if I behaved and didn't try to escape my cage," Shippo said all in one breath. "And I was in there for so long…for weeks! What has he done to you?"

InuYasha cringed, knowing everything that Naraku did to him, and not wanting to say. "Oh…he did some…things," InuYasha sighed.

"What kind of things?" Shippo asked, so unknowing of the horrors and degrading InuYasha was put through before their reuniting.

InuYasha swallowed hard at the question. "Things you don't need to know about," InuYasha whispered and looked out the window, with Shippo staring up at him in confusion.

Shippo decided it best not to ask again, knowing that whatever it was really upset InuYasha. He never actually saw InuYasha that sad before…he had seen him sad before, but this was a different sad. It was the kind of sadness one can only comprehend if they had been put through something despicably awful and couldn't do anything about it.

InuYasha walked over to the bed and sat down to gain as much energy as he could before Naraku came. Shippo hopped upon the bed next to him and cocked his head. "What's wrong, InuYasha? Are you feeling okay?" he innocently asked.

"Um, yeah…just waiting, that's all," InuYasha replied, knowing how Shippo always tried to be optimistic and wanted everything to be okay.

"What are you waiting for?" Shippo asked and flicked his tail in curiosity. He was feeling more comfortable being with InuYasha, which shed light on the whole situation for him.

InuYasha didn't want to answer the question, so he just gave Shippo his usual grunt of annoyance and turned away. Shippo frowned and hopped in front of him. "You don't need to know…ever," InuYasha said coldly before Shippo asked again. Shippo only blinked wondering what it was that was so bad.

"Let me guess…does he call you names?" he innocently asked. InuYasha only growled. "No? Okay, let me guess again!" Shippo smiled and began making a game out of this ordeal. "Does he…take things from you?" Shippo asked, only to get InuYasha turning his back to him. He hoped back in front of him. "Well, gimme a hint!" Shippo pouted.

"I don't wanna talk about it," InuYasha muttered. "And besides, you're too young to understand," he snapped. Shippo frowned and went into deep thought for a minute.

"I know!" Shippo cried, and InuYasha raised an eyebrow. "He does really bad things you don't want him to do but he likes it and you don't!" Shippo exclaimed. InuYasha sighed and lowered his head. Shippo noticed this and gave a worried expression. A long silence fell on the two before a word was spoken. "If you don't like it, why don't you tell him to stop?" he innocently asked, putting his little hand on InuYasha's knee.

"I wish it were that simple…" InuYasha sighed at a child's innocence, something he longed to have again…