A/N: And here is the next chapter (fast right?). To my anonymous reviewer: you are absolutely right. Inuyasha definitely should stop comparing Kagome and Kikyō, but it's not likely he will ever truly do. It's one of the reasons I never really thought they were a healthy couple (I liked both of them, but not really together). For some unknown, absolutely weird reason I liked Sango and Inuyasha (because I'm slightly weird). This is not one of those fics though. Perhaps, one in the future, who knows.

Anyway, thank you, everyone, for the reviews, the favourites and followers. To old and new readers, welcome. I hope you'll enjoy this chapter!

And on with the story! Enjoy^^

o.O.o

Chapter Thirty-Five, Bonds through time

A cold onshore breeze blew through the city and clouds swirled around in grey masses. It was snowing. Not the kind of snow that remained but the wet kind, turning the whole world into a muddy mess. Water was running down the surface of the car windows in heavy rivulets and the windscreen wipers squeaked over the glass in an effort to control the water. Chiharu followed the rhythmic movements with childish glee and smiled at her father as he stopped the car at a red light.

"So how are those piano lessons coming along?"

"Great, Oto-sama," the young girl excitedly decided. She stuck her hands out in front of her wiggling her fingers as if she was playing an invisible keyboard. "Giba-Sensei told me I have talent."

Her father smiled warmly: "I'm sure he did."

His eyes turned to the road again. The traffic light was still red and his hand hovered above clutch. Christmas carols came from the radio and finally, the light of the traffic light turned green. The small car slowly crossed the intersection and Chiharu hummed along with the Merry Christmas tone. Her father smiled at her and suddenly his face turned serious.

"Oh my God,"

The car screeched harshly against the wet pavement and her father swerved to the side, trying to dodge the car coming from their right side. It hit the trunk of the car and Chiharu screamed as suddenly the car's airbags knocked her back and sideways and the car suddenly toppled, rolling over the asphalt and coming to a halt ditch. Her vision blurred, warm liquid running down her cheek to her forehead and her shoulder and arm stung.

When her eyes opened again, someone was carrying her, carefully placing her on the cold, damp road. The world looked blurry to her and small flocks of snow fell into her face. She blinked carefully, warm tears mingling with the cold water from the snow.

"Oto-sama?"

The man in front of her was still blurry and the loud, shrill sirens had her on edge. Blue and red lights flashed over the road and she noticed people huddled together looking around as if it was all some kind of spectacle.

"Oto-sama?" Her voice had gained a hysteric edge and she tried to sit up, but a throbbing ache held her back. "I—I'm scared."

"I've got you, child. Remain still."

She could barely lift her arms and legs and there were so many voices, yet, the seven-year-old couldn't make out was being said. The man next to her, not her father, held a hand to her shoulder and she realised she must have been in a car crash. Another man had joined them and a mask was placed over her mouth, air flew in through her nose.

She tried to inch away when she noticed a large sharp needle with a fluid bag, but her body did barely even twitch.

"Can you hold her down, gently?"

The man who'd carried her nodded and Chiharu looked away. Her vision sharpened and she noticed two EMT men roll a stretcher away. The face of her father stared unseeingly at her and she screamed.

"Keep looking at me, child," the man voice gravely ordered, his face hovered above hers, keeping her attention away from her father's mangled body. He carefully pushed her long thick dark locks out of her face and she shuddered. The cold dampness from the asphalt was making its way through her winter coat and her body quivered from the pain. She stared up at his chiselled face and her eyes widened slightly. She knew him.

"Sesshōmaru?"

She gasped, violently jerking up. Or trying to. Pain shot through her side and a strong hand kept her pressed to the damp forest floor. Her hair fell loose about her face, tousled, tangled spread in the dirt. She hadn't dreamt about that particular night in years, nor had she ever seen anyone she knew into it either and she inhaled deeply. Her side was prickling and the cold air was attacking her sensitive skin.

The pink light of dawn had just started to creep over the darkened horizon. The air was slightly chilly and her eyes shot open when she became aware of the warm weight on her bare stomach. Lifting her head she glanced down and her eyes widened. Her haori was partially opened, pushed aside and her cheeks dusted a dark pink and Sesshōmaru, silver hair spilt over her chest and thighs, was bent over her still form, clawed fingers slanting over her skin.

"W-what are you doing?" She squeaked, one hand going towards her chest, trying to pull her haori over the simple white fabric of her bra. She was even missing her red hakama, the elastic band of her underwear slightly torn, but at least shielding her most private part from prying eyes.

"Could you please stop that?"

"Your wounds still bleed."

Chiharu's face was warm and she tried to push his hands away to no avail. "I— I can do it myself."

Amber eyes met hers and he slowly lowered his lips down to her stomach, his tongue swirling over the still freshly bleeding gash. Chiharu hissed, his tongue prickled against the wound. Hissing again, she tried to wriggle away from his tall form.

"Wait, stop!"

His eyes met hers again and he drew back. "There is a coagulant in my saliva."

Which was, of course, a very logical explanation as to why he was licking her. He lowered his mouth to her stomach again. Prickles were running up and down her arms and legs and she shuddered. His youki washed over her and she turned her head away from his face. They were in a small clearing. The bushes and shrubs between the trees reached from the ground up in a dense circle. Her breath was stuck in her throat and her fingers curled into the dirt of the forest ground below her.

The unwanted thoughts that raced through her mind were very unwelcome and bit her lip. The muscles in her lower stomach jerked when his finger-pads traced over her skin and she pressed her thighs together trying to save as much dignity as she could. His face hovered above her unharmed belly-button and she tensed below him. She wasn't sure what she was expecting, but the next moment he disappeared from her, getting to his feet.

She sat up as fast as she could, straightening her dishevelled clothes the best she could. "Where is my hakama?"

"It was destroyed."

"D-destroyed? What did you do with it?"

He gave her a dry look and she pressed her lips tightly together. So she would admit if only to herself, that that had been a stupid question. He'd probably grown impatient with her silly human clothes and had shredded them. It was probably a small miracle that he'd left her haori mostly alone. She decided to ignore the issue and got up to her knees carefully, pushing her hair out of her face.

She experimentally rolled her shoulders, wincing as many muscles felt sore and started to massage an aching tendon.

"Your shoulder was dislocated during the flight," Sesshōmaru told her matter-of-factly and she nodded. Considering the way he looked right now, she suspected he had personally seen to setting it.

"Does the Ofuda affect my healing?" She asked slowly, curling her legs up to her chest and wrapping her arms around her knees.

He cocked his head to the side, bright amber eyes staring her down: "No, you're healing abilities and your youki should have returned to you by now."

Her frown deepened: "I see,"

Sesshōmaru didn't seem to think she understood at all but didn't say anything. He just looked at her inadequate way of dressing. Of the dried blood on her upper leg and the scarlet stains on her white haori. Chiharu felt her cheeks redden even more and she stared around the clearing again. The remains of her hakama lay scattered at the other end on the damp grass.

"Follow me,"

She looked up sharply again" "What?"

"There is a river not far from here,"

She nodded and followed him without a word. She nodded again. Till now she'd never felt like liability, but now she did. She'd thought she would have been able to hold herself in a battle. Thought she would have been all right in a hand-to-hand combat, even if it wasn't her speciality, but when the youki she'd grown so accustomed of had disappeared, she had been rendered useless. Of course, she'd relied on her super-human speed and strength, but without it—

"I will return,"

Her head shot up again. They'd already arrived at the shores of a small stream, surrounded by high maple trees. Green leaves fading already in brown and the water surface was already covered in orange-brown leaves.

She watched him trace his step back in the forest, leaving her alone to her thoughts and Chiharu dropped her ruined clothes to the dirt. The water was chilly, yet, not uncomfortably so. She quickly paddled to the middle where the water was the deepest and dipped beneath the water's surface, rinsing her hair and rubbing her face.

She scrubbed part of her sleeve over her bloodied skin and winced when she accidentally rubbed it over the gash at her side. She wasn't exactly sure why the wound wasn't healing well, but the magic in the Ofuda had turned her metabolism upside down. Groaning softly, she ran her finger pads over the simple bruises on her lower stomach, her shins and her upper arm — where she suspected Sesshōmaru had grabbed her last night. They still looked fresh and she pursed her lips. Why were they not healing properly?

Resting her elbows on her knees, she leaned back against the rough side of a rock.

At least her friends were all right. She knew with for sure that Hakudōshi and the bird-princess had disappeared after Sesshōmaru had arrived. She wondered idly what they'd thought when they realised Sesshōmaru had dragged her with him. She knew without a doubt he'd taken her without consulting with her friends first.

Perhaps she should be annoyed with that. Just as she should have been annoyed he'd practically undressed and licked her wounds without her consent, but it would be somewhat hypocritical. She could see she was to some extent hypocritical.

When he'd come for her she had been pleased. Getting all hysterical right after he'd saved her was not only hypocritical but ungrateful as well.

Shaking her head, she dipped beneath the water's surface again, this time holding herself there and squeezed her eyes shut. Just like their group, Sesshōmaru and his companions were following after Naraku. Didn't it make sense for their groups to start working together?

"Miko,"

The strangled scream that escaped her lips was half drowned by the water when she dipped under, only her eyes peering out above the surface. He was standing at the shore, silver hair softly billowing in the wind and face unreadable. She glared at him, the air escaping her mouth creating bubbles. She hadn't even noticed his pale form stepping back into the small clearing.

"Pervert,"

He gave her a dry look. His eyes conveying that her stomach and her hipbones were hardly of any interest to him. She felt her face flush a beat-red and dug her nails into the palms of her hands. "What happened to Naraku's offspring?"

"Left as soon as I arrived." He told her matter-of-factly. "Yet, another Miko interfered as well."

"Another Miko?"

"Hn. The child yōkai seemed spooked by her. My brother decided to follow her. Thought it best if you remained by this Sesshōmaru's side."

Igorning the irritated expression — obviously wasn't best pleased by being told what to do — she ventured to the shore and pressed her front against the bank, leaning on her lower arms. "A Miko— Could it be Kikyō?"

Sesshōmaru gave her a look that seemed to say: 'what's a Kikyō', before dropping a bundle of clothes on the forest floor. "As you seem to refuse to wear the traditional clothes for women—"

"My Miko garb is perfectly traditional, thank you very much."

He ignored her, nothing in his expression giving away as if he'd heard her. She wasn't sure why he let her get away with disrespecting him. Usually, he always retaliated to her brazen outbursts with fury or at least cold contempt, but now he was simply ignoring it. Very much like a parent would brush over his child's tone and simply ignore it. She certainly wouldn't complain about it, but after all their altercations, it just seemed weird.

"Just wear it, Miko."

She frowned before reaching for the clothes. He'd gotten her a simple blue haori with a pattern of yellow butterflies and flowers, a lighter blue shade of hakama and small ankle boots (somewhat similar to Sesshōmaru's). It was surprisingly nice and she sighed in relief when the Daiyōkai turned around, presenting her his back.

She carefully lifted herself out of the water and sat down on the grass at the bank. Drying herself to the best of her ability with her shredded haori, she dressed slowly. Being careful to not put too much pressure on the diagonal gash down her side. Every muscle and joint in her back felt stiff and sighed annoyed. She liked it much better when her fast metabolism protected her from such unpleasantness.

As she adjusted the straps on her hakama, her thoughts involuntarily returned to Inuyasha's first love. They'd thought she hadn't survived — how very unlikely it was if she had — but perhaps the clay body she now used had protected her against the heavy Miasma that was Naraku's favourite defence.

"Sesshōmaru?"

"Hn,"

"Thank you," she whispered softly meeting his amber eyes with her own, "I know we don't see eye-to-eye about— well, barely anything, but thank you for coming for me."

The silence stretched out between them and Chiharu traded her fingers through her damp locks and started to tie her hair back with a ribbon.

"How did you find me?"

It was a question that had been on the forefront of her mind quite often. He was there when she was in trouble. Of course, he could follow her scent, but the idea that he was always close enough to pick up on it was strange. The Daiyōkai inclined his head, seemingly giving the answer some serious thought before lifting his hand to her neck. Clawed fingers almost gently pushed her dark hair away and lightly settled on the hollow of her throat. The pad of his thumbs drawing circles over the puckered flesh of the Mark.

"I know when you are in danger,"

"Wow, that was cryptic, even for your standards."

He peered at her with a heavy sort of interest and she tried not to fidget.

"You're not very adequate at cloaking your emotions," he told her matter of factly, "it's very easy to pick up on them."

She frowned, pursing her lips and crossed her arms over her chest. "Right."

"Let's return to camp."

And just like that, the conversation was over. He turned on his heel and ventured back into the forest, silver hair billowing in the soft breeze. For a few moments, she just stared after him before following him down the maze of trees.

To be continued...

A/N: Next update upcoming Thursday^^.

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