Author's Note
Okay because of the response I am getting for this story, I have decided to update earlier then I had planned to. I usually take two days to update because I like to imagine the story in my head first. Sometimes my mind does not wish to cooperate but this chapter was literally banging on my mind wanting to come out! So here it is I hope you enjoy it and please review and tell me if Sesshomaru is to out of character.
To my reviewers:
Pyro the dark angel- She may be sweet but she will keep tricking Sesshomaru!
Kowzkowzkowzkowzect- Wow! That is a very interesting name! Women of any race are posses a mind that is devious and full of tricks. Kagome is a young human female just learning how to manipulate men using this very special gift. Who better for her to try out her emerging abilities on then the ever cool and stoic Sesshomaru?
Playing with Demons- This chapter was written just a little longer just for you! Enjoy!
Harmony8390- That was my favorite part of the chapter!
Kagamoesiun- I want to portray Kagome a with a little bit more intelligence. I hope she is not to oc.
And now on with the show!
Return to Him
Inuyasha sat where he had been sitting for the last seven days, in a tree outside of Keade's hut in the cold. The others kept trying to reassure the hanyou he was not at fault for Kagome's disappearance this time. He did not believe them. He should never have let go of her hand. He should not have been so mean to her. He should not have called her names. He should be nicer to Shippou. He should not push her so much. He should stop running off to Kikyo every time she turned her back. And he should most defiantly admit, at least to himself, that he, Inuyasha was in love with Kagome. He felt like he had lost the most important piece of his life and without her he could not continue on his journey. He had looked everywhere hoping to find her but to no avail. It was as if she had just disappeared. With each day she was gone the little group sank even deeper into sorrow. She always made them laugh and now they were left alone in the harsh unrelenting reality of their era. Without her they had lost their anchor.
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Kagome's mind was also with her friends. She wondered what they were doing and if they had continued on the quest without her. She really missed them but then there was a strange sense of belonging in Sesshomaru's odd little group. She absently wondered where Jaken and Ah Un were again. They had been gone for sometime. She should have been freighted sitting where she was but how could she be frightened when the powerful Taiyoukai of the Western Lands was somewhere out there protecting her and Rin. He had left early that morning telling her and Rin he expected them to behave themselves this time. Looking from one girl to the other he realized that trouble would always follow these two. Sighing to himself, he decided he would take matters into his own hands. He lifted Rin in his arm and sat her several feet above the ground on a ledge. Next he lifted Kagome and sat her next to Rin.
"Hey!" Kagome watched as Sesshomaru turned and walked away from them. He stopped and turned to the two girls with a slight smirk.
"You will not be disobeying my orders this time, Miko. You will remain where this Sesshomaru put you until I remove you from the ledge." He seemed to be very pleased with himself and walked away leaving two very confined irritated females behind him.
They had been stuck on the ledge for many hours and Kagome was growing tired of the enforced restriction of activity.
"Of all of the arrogant, insufferable, high handed things to do! Who does he think he is? He cannot just go around leaving people on ledges!" Sesshomaru watched as the girl ranted to herself. Rin was sleeping in her lap and would be sure to be full of energy when she awoke. Oh well. Jaken can deal with the extra amount of energy.
"Jaken." His voice was as cool as ever with no trace of emotion even though privately he would enjoy watching the toad's interaction with the child.
"Yes, my lord?" Jaken was prepared to do anything for his lord but he knew what was coming because he had been thinking Rin would have way too much energy.
"You will entertain Rin until she tires." Walking towards the two girls, Sesshomaru's sensitive ears were once again assaulted by the miko's disparaging words against his character.
"Stupid, high handed, annoying dog!" By now her face was flushed and her heart was beating slightly faster.
"Silence miko or this Sesshomaru will not return you to your traveling companions." Sesshomaru saw his words had the desired affect. The miko closed her mouth and forgot all about the planned tongue lashing she had for a certain overbearing taiyoukai.
"You're really going to take me back?" Kagome could not believe her ears. Sesshomaru was offering to do something nice for her? Was he sick?
"I will return you to your companions."
"Do you promise me you won't try to take Inuyasha's sword when we find them?" Kagome did not want to see the taiyoukai fight his brother. Sesshomaru merely looked at her.
"This Sesshomaru does not have to promise anything to you miko. You are after all a mere human." Sesshomaru was not going to promise not to try to take the sword. His brother was undeserving of the power of the Tetsiauga and he would relieve him of a burden he believed to heavy for the hanyou to carry. Fully intending to tell the miko this, Sesshomaru looked into her pleading deep blue eyes.
"Please Sesshomaru! Don't fight Inuyasha just this one time." He kept looking into her eyes willing himself to look away. He could not.
"Very well Miko. I will not harm the hanyou this time." Sesshomaru lost another point to Kagome.
"You will need to be prepared for this journey and I wish to have my kimono back, miko." Sesshomaru watched as the blush slid up her neck and fanned across her delicate cheekbones. He really did secretively enjoy making the miko uncomfortable. And her curiosity was defiantly engaged. She had put her own clothes back on except for the incredibly heavy winter jacket because it had not dried. Over her own clothes she still wore Sesshomaru's outer kimono for warmth.
"How could I be better prepared, Sesshomaru?" The loss of the honor title behind his name no longer seemed to bother the lord. Reaching up, he lifted first a now very awake and alert Rin down and then Kagome.
"Rin you may go play with Jaken." He knew the toad did not see the young girl's torture as play but she learned through her bouts with Jaken and they made her stronger.
"Yes, Sesshomaru-sama. JAAAAKEN! Come play with Rin." The toad took off with a screech as the girl came after him with a happy squeal. Sesshomaru watched the two disappear into the snow draped forest, Rin would mostly certainty give Jaken a run for his life.
"How could I be better prepared, Sesshomaru?" A hint of annoyance hung in the miko's repeated question.
"You require the proper clothing. Jaken was sent to attain those for you." Sesshomaru went to Ah Un and retrieved a package wrapped in blood red silk. He laid the slippery package in Kagome's eager hands. She sat down and began to remove the red silk from the bundle. Beneath all of the red silk, Kagome found the most beautiful kimono she had ever seen. The material was a very thick blue silk embroidered onto the draped sleeves and hem of the kimono was a wonderful scene of a great white inu youkai running through the pristine white clouds. The embroidery was continued onto the obi of the kimono. At the bottom of the package was another silk garment. This one was a deeper blue robe lined with white fur. The clothes were the same type Rin wore and would indeed keep Kagome very warm in the cold winter months.
Smiling at Sesshomaru, Kagome could barely contain her exuberance with the new clothes. Inuyasha never makes sure I am comfortable and warm. Where had that thought come from? Kagome shook her head slightly and smiled at Sesshomaru.
"Thank you Sesshomaru! They are exquisite! May I go change now?" She must be happy she never asks permission to do anything. Inclining his head slightly, Sesshomaru gave his permission. Kagome turned and ran into the cave.
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After being literally knocked from his perch in his tree, Inuyasha had agreed to continue on the quest. The only thing that stopped him from beating Miroku into a bloody lump was Sango's voice of reason.
"Inuyasha! It's better to keep moving. We stand a better chance of finding Kagome if we move around." Inuyasha agreed with the exterminator and began the quest without Kagome continuously sniffing the area to catch whiff of her.
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Kagome walked out into the sunlight to be greeted by a panting Rin and a slightly roughed up Jaken sprawled on the snow covered ground.
Rin's eyes lit up the instant she saw Kagome. "Kagome-chan you look beautiful!" The child gave her the most sincere compliment she had ever gotten in the feudal system and a heart stopping shock when she posed an innocent question to Sesshomaru. "Doesn't Kagome-chan look beautiful in her new clothes Sesshomaru-sama?"
Sesshomaru did not even flinch at her innocent question; Kagome however blossomed into a bright red flower at Rin's question. Sesshomaru noticed her embarrassment and could not help tormenting the little miko even more.
"Yes Rin. Kagome looks very beautiful." No emotion crossed the taiyoukai's face at his statement. Kagome on the other hand blushed even more and Sesshomaru could feel her temperature rise.
"We will begin our journey now. Rin, Miko you shall ride on Ah Un. This Sesshomaru does not wish to waste more time nursing sick weak humans." At Sesshomaru's words both Rin and Kagome giggled. The taiyoukai may have seemed cold and distant but his two human companions refused to believe his outward act.
And so Sesshomaru's odd little group started off, the great taiyoukai leading the way, Jaken followed at a respectable distance, and then came Ah Un carrying the most precious burden of all.
During their journey, Kagome kept up a constant chatter not just with Rin but also with Sesshomaru. He never answered but she knew he was listening. They had often had these one sided conversations during the last seven days and Kagome had stopped thinking about them being odd. He listened and sometimes she only needed someone who listened and did not berate her for being unlike Kikyo.
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They had traveled many miles and still had seen no sign of Kagome. The group was beginning to become weary and Inuyasha could sense the need for a rest.
"We can stop here for awhile." The hanyou's compassion for their weaker human bodies had surprised Miroku and Sango but it was his new treatment of the fox kit that had them wondering at his sanity. Shippou was being treated much nicer by the hanyou he had not been smacked or yelled at in the whole seven days Kagome had been missing. To tell the truth the kit was on edge and wished the hanyou would smack him or yell at him. He was really wearing himself out trying to out guess the changed hanyou.
Inuyasha's ears laid flat on his head and he snarled viciously. He was staring at a point in front of the group. Miroku and Sango prepared for battle the hanyou reserved that particular snarl for only his enemies. The two humans watched as a tall regal figure walked towards them. A gust of wind raised the figure's long silver hair into a banner flowing behind him and rustled the pelt resting on his shoulder.
"Sesshomaru, you uptight bastard! What have you done to her?" Inuyasha was not known for his even temperament and was prepared to attack his much older and much more experienced brother.
Sesshomaru bristled at his brother's attitude and prepared to attack and kill the worthless hanyou. Already he could feel his youkai rising up, begging for the chance to end the hanyou's miserable life. Inuyasha's companions looked on, fearing the friend would be killed this time by his brother.
Everyone, including Sesshomaru, was shocked when a small delicate hand on his arm calmed his youkai and reminded him of his promise to the miko. All eyes turned to this new being, whose face was hidden from the inu tachi's view by her heavy fur lined hood. She was looking into Sesshomaru's eyes and silently pleading with him to keep his promise to her. He inclined his head to her slightly telling her in his own way he would keep his promise. Inuyasha's life would be spared for today; however, Inuyasha did not seem to realize his life had just been saved and he charged his brother, sword drawn.
One word stopped the hanyou's approach to an unmoving Sesshomaru.
"SIT!" The surprised hanyou did a belly flop onto the frozen ground. When he raised his face it was to look into the angry blue eyes of his brother's companion.
"Kagome? What the hell was that for? And why are you hanging all over Sesshomaru? Get over here where I can protect you idiot." The hanyou's emotions were raging.
"Inuyasha! Sesshomaru-sama saved me and then took care of me when I was sick. And he promised me he wouldn't fight with you today. He only came here to make sure I made it back safely. I will not let you attack him when he is being honorable." Sesshomaru took note of the honor title at the end of his name and noticed the miko only started using it when she was around other humans.
"I don't give a damn if he brought you back from the dead. Get the hell over here."
"Inuyasha. Sit boy." Kagome sang the hated words to the hanyou and walked back towards the taiyoukai. "Now behave so I can say goodbye."
Rin was standing clutching Sesshomaru's leg like a life line. She succeeded in making the glaring youkai look less intimidating. As Kagome approached her, Rin stepped out and threw herself into Kagome's outstretched arms.
"Rin will miss Kagome-chan." The little girl's voice was full of tears.
"Don't worry Rin. I'll see you again. I promise." Kagome was having a hard time saying goodbye to the little girl.
At Kagome's promise, Rin pulled back and smiled. Whenever someone told her they promised they always did whatever it was they promised. Rin was full of innocence and did not realize that many of the beings who made her promises were forced to carry them out by a cool taiyoukai and a fear of death. Rin merely accepted she and Kagome would see each other again.
Kagome stood and walked to the two headed dragon. She scratched their noses and thanked them for allowing her to ride them. She even bowed to Jaken and gave him her thanks for retrieving her new clothes. The little toad was so overwhelmed he did not know how to respond to the miko and so merely bowed his own thanks.
Everyone watched as Kagome made her back to stand in front of Sesshomaru. "Thank you for taking care of me Sesshomaru." Everyone flinched when she did not put the honor title on his name but Sesshomaru seemed to expect this from her and even accepted it. But everyone was surprised at the miko's next act it was so daring and bold.
Kagome threw herself at Sesshomaru and wrapped her thin arms around his waist and squeezed with all of her strength. The inu tachi waited with baited breath for Sesshomaru to kill Kagome for her daring but watched in awe as their friend was allowed to hug the youkai. They got the shock of their life when a clawed hand was placed upon her head in much the same manner he comforted Rin when she had a nightmare. Kagome leaned back and smiled at the youkai lord and then turned and joined her friends.
"Come on Inuyasha. There is no battle here today." She seemed calm and accepted the fact that she had just hugged Sesshomaru like she did it everyday. The little miko was definitely perplexing.
"Yeah well you're going to have to change out of those clothes because they reek of Sesshomaru and I cannot stand it." The hanyou did not like smelling his brother's scent all over the woman he just recently learned he loved.
"No Inuyasha. These clothes are warm and I refuse to be cold again." As Sesshomaru watched the little group walk off down the road, Kagome sat Inuyasha three more times for his bad manners and foul language. It was indeed an amusing sight.