Disclaimer: Ok yeah, I don't own Inuyasha and I never will so let's get on with the story.

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CHAPTER FIVE: Meet the Parents

Shippo went to meet Mayu the next day. He had told her that he'd come back whether InuYasha let him or not. But it seemed that persuading the old dog demon ((A/N: well he's at LEAST over 50)) wasn't that difficult. Now he found himself walking to the village. Come to think of it… Shippo thought. InuYasha didn't even put up a fight when I told him I was going to visit Mayu again today… That's so unlike him! I expected at least a little resistance!

Shippo sighed and looked up into the sky as he thought of the night before at dinner.

Flashback

Everyone ate in silence. Even Kotaro, who usually knocks over his food, was very quiet. Even he could sense the tension in the air between his father and Shippo.

Kagome sighed and thought about the girl that Shippo had said he met in the village. It was obvious that he liked her. If he didn't, then he wouldn't have snuck out to see her.

Shippo placed his nearly empty bowl on the floor and cleared his throat. Everyone looked towards him except InuYasha, who only perked up his ears but continued eating.

Kagome sighed. Of course InuYasha won't act like he cares… He's such a baby sometimes… "Yes, Shippo? What is it?"

"I'm going to keep seeing Mayu." He looked at InuYasha. "Whether I'm allowed to or not. She means too much to me for me to not be allowed to see her. So I'm going."

Shirrow scoffed and turned back to his meal.

InuYasha set his bowl down and stood up. "Do what you want. You're inviting her over, so you'll have to see her tomorrow anyway."

He walked over and kissed Kagome to thank her for cooking yet another delicious meal, and then walked outside to sit on the porch. Kagome sighed and walked after him.

Noriko watched her parents leave the room, and then turned to Shippo. "Shippo, do you like this Mayu girl?"

Shippo blushed slightly. "Yeah, I do…" he turned to his 'sister'. "Why?"

"I was just wondering…" She looked down at her food and after a moment, looked back at him. "Is she pretty?"

Shippo smiled. "Yeah…"

"Prettier than Mommy?"

"Uhh… well, they're both equally pretty…" Actually, Mayu's prettier…

"Wow…" Noriko smiled. "I can't wait to meet her! I bet she's really nice too!"

"Nice! Nice!" Kotaro chimed in happily.

Shirrow scowled and left the room unnoticed. As he passed the door to the outside, he could hear his mother and father talking quietly about Shippo and this mysterious girl he had met. He continued to his room where he laid on his bed and began to read some manga his mother had brought for him from her time. ((A/N: ok, this part Shippo didn't see, but I put it in anyway.))

End of Flashback

Shippo sighed. I still don't know what's going to happen if Mayu DOES come to dinner, though… I hope everything goes well… Maybe she'll tell us about her family… I doubt it though… I mean, she won't even talk about it with me…

He let his thoughts wander as he continued to the village. After a couple more minutes he arrived at the entrance and made his way towards their meeting place. He smiled when he saw her waiting for him by the water.

She turned and smiled when she saw him. He came back… She ran up to him and hugged him.

"Welcome back, Shippo. I missed you…"

"I missed you too, Mayu… So, umm… I have a question…"

"Yes? What is it?" she asked him curiously.

"Would you… umm…" C'mon, Shippo! He thought. Go for it! "W-wouldyouliketocomeoverfordinner?" Shippo said the last part as quickly as possible.

"Would I what?"

Shippo blushed. "C-come over for dinner… would you like to?"

Mayu smiled. "Of course I would!"

Shippo blushed more deeply. "G-great! Umm… how does tonight sound?"

Mayu laughed. Shippo's being so silly! "It sounds great. When should I…?"

"Oh! Well, I'll walk you there since you don't know the way… I'll uhh… come get you a couple of hours before sundown, ok?"

She smiled again and said, "Alright, but why don't you just stay here so you don't have to come back later?"

"Y-yeah… ok…"

And so they spent the afternoon together. They talked about many things, but once again, Mayu danced around the subject of her family and where she lived. Shippo just decided to let it go.

If she doesn't want to talk about it, then I won't make her…

Later on, it was time for them to get going so they could make it back on time. So they left.

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"Mommy, when's Shippo going to get here with Mayu? I want to meet her!" Noriko continued to look out the window. She had been waiting for hours for Shippo to come back home.

Kagome sighed and continued preparing dinner. "Be patient, Noriko… They'll be here soon. Don't worry."

InuYasha came through the door carrying a bag of groceries. "Hey, Kagome! I got the stuff you asked your mom to buy for tonight."

Kagome smiled. "Thanks InuYasha. Just put it over there…" She casually waved her hand off to the side and continued cooking.

He walked over and set down the bag by the wall she had motioned to. Then he went over to her and gave her a kiss. ((A/N: aww…))

She smiled and then looked over at the window and sighed. "Noriko, Shippo will be back soon. Now come away from the window."

"But, Mommy!" she whined. "I want to be the first one to see Mayu! Can't I wait just a little longer?"

InuYasha half smiled and walked over to his daughter and picked her up and held her under his arm so she was facing away from the window. "Listen to Mommy, Nori-Chan… They'll be back soon and then we'll all get to meet… oh hey, here they come now… Guess Shippo wasn't lyin' when he said she was pretty…"

Noriko squirmed in her father's grasp. "Daddy! I wanted to see her first! Why'd you take me away from the window? Now I didn't get to see her!"

He loosened his grip and she freed herself and looked out the window at them. "It's not like you missed anything… It's not like she's prettier than your mom or nothin'…"

Kagome smiled. "Well, I'd hope she's not. I don't want you running off with her, InuYasha."

"Yeah, like I'd run off with a teenaged fox-demon…" he scoffed.

Kagome giggled. She loved teasing him.

Noriko turned from the window. "Mommy, can I go outside to greet them? I want to be the first one to say hi to her… Please?"

Her mother smiled and nodded, and she jumped happily, rushed to the door, slid it open, and rushed out to greet Shippo and Mayu.

"Hi!" She greeted happily, "My name is Noriko."

Mayu smiled. "It's very nice to meet you, Noriko… My name is Mayu."

"Oh, I already know your name. Shippo told me!" Noriko said happily. "He also told me that you were pretty… and he was right!"

Mayu blushed and glanced at Shippo. "Oh… well thank you…"

Noriko simply smiled and grabbed Mayu's hand and started pulling her towards the house. "Well, let's go inside now." She grabbed Shippo's hand as well. "Mommy and Daddy and Kotaro want to meet you, too!"

"Alright."

So they walked into the house. Noriko wanted to give their guest a tour, but Shippo insisted that she meet InuYasha and Kagome first. They walked into the main room where Kagome was still busily preparing dinner and Kotaro was nearby with a toy. Kagome looked up and saw Mayu and Shippo and smiled politely.

"Hi. I'm Kagome. It's nice to meet you."

"Oh, yes… It's nice to meet you as well…" Mayu replied with a bow.

Kagome laughed and stood up. "You don't have to act so formal. You can relax."

Mayu's smile faltered for a brief moment. "Y… you're a human…"

Kagome frowned slightly.

"Yeah, so what's wrong with her being human?" InuYasha asked gruffly from the doorway.

"N-nothing… I just… I was expecting her to be a demon… like how I wasn't expecting you to be a half demon…"

InuYasha growled softly.

"I-I don't mean that in a bad way… I just… Shippo never told me that the friends he stayed with were a half demon and a human… I just wasn't expecting it. That's all…"

"Feh." InuYasha came into the room and sat by Kagome, who had sat back down, and helped her finish dinner. "Well, if you're that bothered by it, then go home."

"InuYasha!" Kagome scolded. Then she turned to Mayu. "You'll have to excuse him. He's like this sometimes… But he's really a big softy. He just puts on a tough guy act." She smiled.

"Wha? I do not!"

"Sit, boy." InuYasha collided face-first with the floor. Kagome turned to Mayu and Shippo. "Well, take a seat. Dinner will be ready in a little bit."

So they all sat and talked… and talked and sat… and sat and talked some more. Kotaro had decided that he liked Mayu right off the bat and sat near her. Shirrow had come home from being with Mushin later on. He said hello grumpily and then went to his room to read manga.

After eating, they continued to sit. InuYasha hadn't really said much the entire night. He just sat and listened. But now he broke the silence.

"So what about your family? You keep avoiding that whenever it's brought up."

"InuYasha…" Kagome warned. "If she doesn't want to talk about it, then she doesn't have to."

"We let her into our home and gave her dinner! It's the least she could do to tell us that!" InuYasha stated impatiently.

Kagome frowned. "InuYasha…"

"No…" Mayu said as she watched them. "It's okay… He's right… It's the least I could do…"