Thanks to: Tifa L Strife, aLLy, premierarchange, and Sesshomarou Minion for reviewing the first chapter.

Note: the word 'lanky' is a descriptive word for Inuyasha's form. 'Lank' is the word that means greasy hair.

Second note: Thanks for pointing out to me that I've often accidentally said about Inuyasha's billowing! I'll try to keep a handle on that part of description in the future.

Chapter 2

"Here you go," Kagome offered Inuyasha the bowl of ramen. He accepted it quickly with a nod and began shovelling it down like a starving animal.

"Don't gobble," Kagome began then gave up as Inuyasha seemed to eat even faster as soon as she'd said that.

Hiding behind the chopsticks, Inuyasha's mouth grinned, then he reformed his scowl as he lowered the chopsticks.

"That is a record," Miroku commented when Inuyasha finished his food. The monk ate more daintily.

"Um hm," Kagome agreed with a sigh. "Just hope he doesn't get indigestion for it later."

"As if," Inuyasha scoffed.

Kagome and Sango exchanged a sardonic look, then Sango stoked the small campfire, feeding it a few small logs, and Kagome began heaping the cooking utensils to take down to the stream to wash. Miroku finished his food and immediately began helping Kagome, then gave Inuyasha a pointed look. "You could help us."

"Ain't it enough I'm your pet fighter?" Inuyasha retorted.

"You sound bitter," Sango noted.

Kagome sighed. "Sango, Miroku…go ahead without me? And Shippo, why not go down to the stream with Kirara and bathe her paw."

Shippo gave her a bright, sweet smile and raced after Miroku and Sango, the little demon cat mewing in his arms.

"Now." Kagome sat down next to Inuyasha, so close that he began going red. "What?"

"What's wrong?" Kagome let the concern into her voice.

"What?" Inuyasha's fists were clenched with nervousness.

"I've known you to be cranky, but not for so long. Usually by this time of night, you'd be sitting in a tree and gazing in a melancholy way out at the sky. Not sitting by the fire with us…"

"Since when have you been so observant?" Inuyasha asked sarcastically. "Or is it just 'cos you're a girl?"

Kagome ignored that. "Will you tell me why you were such a…brat? When I was babysitting Paul?"

"Excuse me?" Inuyasha exclaimed. "You were spoiling that little jerk! He was yelling for ice-cream! If I'd done that at his age, I'd have been thrown in the river!"

"So that's why you tried to drop him in their pond?" Kagome tried to stop a giggle bursting out, but it was so hard to do that it hurt, making her grab her sides in pain. "You…you nitwit! I thought…thought you were trying to d-drown him!"

"It'd have done the world a favour," Inuyasha said darkly.

Kagome slipped her hand into his, and saw the blush at his cheeks, even in the dim light cast by the thick dusting of starlight across the inky skies. She didn't tell him that she thought his jealousy was sometimes so very cute. Though she had to admit it was mostly annoying. But now her curiosity, that she'd damped a long time ago, had risen back to the surface like a kraken is drawn to war.

"What was it like when you were growing up?"

Inuyasha scratched his neck, looking awkward. "None of your business!"

"Oh come on!" Kagome coaxed. "I really want to know!"

No you don't, Inuyasha thought grimly, then turned his back on her. Kagome beseeched him once more, then gave up as Miroku, Sango, Shippo and Kirara came back to their camp. "How's Kirara?" Kagome asked them finally, her eyes sad that she'd not got Inuyasha to tell her what was wrong. I guess I haven't got through to him as much as I thought I had…

"She's almost ready to walk on it," Shippo announced excitedly. "I washed her paw real careful!"

Kirara gave a chirrup-like miaow.

"Thank you very much, Shippo," Sango smiled. "You did a wonderful job."

Kirara mewed in agreement and rubbed her head against Shippo.

"And you know, I know what I want to do next!" Shippo said enthusiastically. "I want to learn some new fighting! Can I get a sword?"

"A sword?" Kagome stared at him, dumbfounded. Inuyasha stared too, then jerked his head up in a snobbish gesture. "You learning to fight, brat? Yeah right!"

"Inuyasha!" Kagome shot him a scandalised look. "How could you be so mean?"

The little fox demon's lower lip was trembling. "You think I can't fight?" he yelled at Inuyasha.

"No you can't!" Inuyasha yelled back. "You're just a kid!"

Shippo fell to the ground with a bump, then forced himself up to his feet. "Inuyasha! You're so mean!" he shouted, then ran and leapt, clambering up the bark of the nearest tree and hiding in the clusters of velvety leaves, now completely hidden from view, except for the way the bunches of leaves shook with each sob.

"Sit!"

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled.

"That was horrible of you!" Kagome yelled back.

Inuyasha slumped down, his nose crinkled up angrily with the looming aspect of being told off. Stupid kid, he thought bitterly, then realised again that he was jealous of how the kid could act so stupid. When I was his age, I'd be jumping off cliffs to run away from everyone...

"Now." Kagome had her hands braced on her hips. "Tell me what's going on before you ruin everyone else's lives!"

"Going on?" he echoed, then Kagome sneezed and covered her nose as the rain slapped the road around them.

"You'd better get under cover," Inuyasha murmured, his eyes widening. He really didn't like it when the girl had a cold.

"No!" And Kagome sneezed again. Inuyasha grabbed her by the shoulders and marched her under the cover of the nearest bunch of trees, where Miroku was already shivering. Sango was standing under the tree, trying to coax Shippo down. Inuyasha went to her, his arms crossed defensively over his chest. "Go to sleep, Sango. I'll get Shippo."

Sango gave him an uncertain look, then shrugged. "Have it your way…but be nice this time? He is just a kid."

"Just a kid," Inuyasha echoed. From here, out of the corner of his eye, he watched as Kagome sighed and sat down at the base of the tree, next to Miroku. Within seconds her head was drooping against her breast, then she was asleep.

"Poor thing," Sango murmured, taking a blanket and tucking it around Kagome, then turned back to Inuyasha, "Inuy--"

But he'd already, having ascertained that Kagome was okay, jumped up into the branches of the tree and curled up against the trunk, just below Shippo. Swallowing his impatience, he quietly watched Shippo, who looked half-asleep but was still wearing an angry frown, his arms tightly folded across his chest, curled up tight in the crook of the branch.

"You know, I didn't mean it the way I said it," Inuyasha said idly, not looking directly at Shippo, who'd stirred at the sound of Inuyasha's voice. "Then what'd you mean?" the young fox demon growled.

Inuyasha was silent for a moment. How to say this without having the brat getting at me for the next few winters?

"When you're a kid, you should be able to act like a kid. Not a warrior. Leave the fighting to me."

"And Kagome, and Miroku and Sango, and Kirara," Shippo said sadly.

"C'mon, Shippo." Inuyasha reached up and grabbed the little fox demon by the scruff of his neck, then jumped down to the ground. Shippo thrashed angrily against the half-demon's grip. "Lemme go, Inuyasha!" he yelled.

Miroku mumbled something, and Inuyasha dropped the kid by Kagome, who was curled up asleep.

Shippo watched angrily as Inuyasha leapt back into the tree's branches and settled in the crook of the trunk's thickest branches. Something felt strange about tonight...was something near? Did he recognise this place?

"That's stupid," Shippo muttered to himself. "I haven't ever been here before..."

But he couldn't sleep.

"Inuyasha?" he whispered finally, shoving back his impulsive anger.

"Hmm?" the half demon mumbled from above, and eventually opened one eye to sleepily regard the young fox demon. "What is it, Shippo?"

Shippo was silent for a moment.

Inuyasha covered a yawn. "C'mon," he said irritably.

"I need to talk to you," Shippo whispered. "About being a demon."

"About being a...what about it?" Inuyasha jumped from the branch, landing on his bare feet silently, careful not to disturb the sleeping humans, flicking a glance at Kagome, admiring how peaceful she was. Her nose wrinkled as she watched him and he held his breath, suddenly nervous...

"Sit," Kagome mumbled in her sleep.

"Argh!" Inuyasha slammed into the ground, then lay there twitching.

"Wow!" Shippo whispered, horrified.

Growling, Inuyasha got to his feet and stared at Kagome angrily, so tempted to shake her awake and yell at her to stop speaking in her sleep.

"Inuyasha!" Shippo whispered urgently.

With a sigh, Inuyasha limped over and sat down beside him. "So what is it?"

"How come you're a whole lot stronger than me?"

Inuyasha stared at him. "Huh? Why am I stronger than you?"

Shippo nodded.

"Well...I'm more than sixty years older than you...and I've got a sword."

"I don't wanna wait sixty years," Shippo said sulkily.

"What's this about, Shippo?"

The kid shrugged. "I dunno...I guess I hate being so...weak."

"You're not weak," Inuyasha said with a shrug, looking away. "You've just gotta grow up. Right now you're a kid and one day you'll be really strong like me and every one else."

"Yeah, but everyone's stronger than me!" Shippo flared. "Kagome's really good with her bow and arrow, and senses the sacred jewel...Sango's really good at demon fighting...Miroku has the wind tunnel and you..."

"Shh," Inuyasha said impatiently, then his ears pricked up.

"What'd I have been like if Father hadn't..." Shippo looked at the ground.

Inuyasha shrugged. "It doesn't matter any more to us, Shippo. My dad died when I was barely born. They make us what we are, whether they're around or not."

Shippo curled up, not looking happy. Inuyasha watched him for a second, then got up. "I'm just gonna check something out." The fox demon didn't reply: he was fast asleep.