Shippo's plans were at a standstill.

Kagome returned from the well with a bag full of clinking mysteries that he was expressly forbidden from investigating.

Which only made him want it more. So when Rin and Jaken came running into the village, plagued by boredom, he knew he'd found his crime squad.

"So, Miss. Kagome told you not to touch the bag," Rin said slowly, trying to ensure she'd gotten it all right, "but we're going to do it anyways?"

Shippo heaved a heavy sigh of disbelief, "haven't you ever heard of disobedience? It keeps the relationship fresh."

Although, he could kind of understand why neither of them seemed keen on terrorizing Sesshomaru. He was far more likely to go the murder route instead of the 'chase them like he was a wild animal and hit them' route.

"It's mostly safe," he reassured them, "Kagome won't let InuYasha kill us."

Jaken sighed heavily, "I wish there was a woman that could keep Milord from killing me."

Shippo didn't think there was any such woman, "Sesshomaru seems the type to ignore his mate the same way he ignores everyone else."

But Rin rejected that idea outright, "I bet he's secretly a passionate and loving partner that hangs on his mate's every word." She clasped her hands and pulled a love struck expression, "after all, he was talking about Miss. Sango all night!"

"Yeah, about how annoying she is!"

Shippo threw a stick at Jaken, "Sango isn't annoying! She just doesn't let Sesshomaru bully her!"

Rin came to his side, dropping her voice well past its natural level, "she doesn't listen. She talks too much. She smells like cinnamon."

"Does she?" Shippo could hear her talking with Kaede, walking towards the forest with Kirara in tow, "I only ever thought she smelled like Sango."

Jaken piped in that, "she smells like herbs, not cinnamon," and Shippo was beginning to think it was about perception more than fact. They abandoned their plans of mischief -for a moment- and began to stalk Sango.

Their footfalls were soft and their giggling kept to a minimum, but -by the time they popped up

behind her- her shock was artificial, "what good hunters you all are! Next time try and keep the giggles to a minimum?"

"We want to know what you smell like!" Rin told her with a smile, "Jaken thinks you smell like herbs and Shippo thinks you smell like Sango. May I smell you?"

Sango knelt, with her arms open, "go ahead. Why the sudden obsession with smell?"

"Because Lord Se-," Jaken covered her mouth, squawking at her to be silent before they were murdered on the spot.

"Don't worry," Sango told her easily, "I don't fear your Lord or his moods. Tell me."

And Rin fell for it, she shoved Jaken off and buried her face in Sango's chest, "I think you smell like sunshine, but Lord Sesshomaru thinks you smell like cinnamon."

Sango tapped her cheek, "then maybe you should ask InuYasha what he thinks? He's got an excellent sense of smell and he's always more than willing to sniff something out. His smell is much better than Sesshomaru's anyways."

A rock crashed into Jaken's skull and he fell -face first- into the dirt, "milord, why!"

"So you are there? How many times do I have to tell you? I was raised to hunt you, you can't hide from me." She shifted her boomerang on her back, "why don't you come down and settle the argument? Sango, cinnamon, herbs, or sunshine?"

To Shippo's great surprise, Sesshomaru landed nearby and took a long sniff of her hair, "the smell of sunshine is your clothes. You washed them recently and let the sun dry them." Rin snapped her fingers and muttered, 'drat', "the herbs are in your pocket as they were yesterday."

Jaken covered his head, scared of being smacked for being wrong, "Tanuki Onna smells like cinnamon and," Shippo watched with widened eyes as Sesshomaru dusted Sango's hair with his pert nose, "warmth."

Sango turned to them, ignoring the way Sesshomaru made a show of huffing- like he was trying to unburn the smell of her from his nostrils, "there you have it. Would you guys like to come pick herbs with us?"

"We've got some disobedience to do," Rin giggled, "but you will have fun with our Lord Sesshomaru?"

Sango looped her arm around his, relishing his scowl, "we're going to make him carry the water." She began dragging him away, ignoring the muttered promises of carnage and destruction.

oOo

Rin was in position when she screamed in three, even bursts.

"Sounds like Sesshomaru's brat fell in the river." InuYasha chuckled.

However, it was Kagome who ran out of the hut, "come on, old man! We've got to save her!" Honestly, it was too easy. They were both gone before Shippo could lose his composure and then he was climbing up Jaken's back so he could pull the bounty from Kagome's bag.

It tipped with a deafening crash and hard, plastic toys came spilling out of the wide mouth of the yellow bag. Some made noise, others didn't, all he knew was that Jaken was not the man to disobey with. He went for the door, denying all involvement despite his obvious intrigue.

The fear of Sesshomaru's abuse was too great for the weak.

"You're made of poison, but mamushi are a problem?" Sango was laughing at someone, "why didn't you say anything before your hand turned purple?"

"I'm a demon. Mamushi cannot kill me."

"Your hand is purple. Deadly or not, that has got to hurt."

He said nothing in response and Shippo would bet anything that his pain was unimaginable, but he couldn't be the one caught at the scene of the crime. Scared, he dove into the bag and went as still as he could.

"This is Kagome and InuYasha's hut, so try not to be rude if they return while we're here."

"I don't concern myself with the half breed."

Shippo wondered how much his hand must hurt for him to not hear his pounding heart. It was all fun and games until Sesshomaru found him and added his tail

to that weird fur pelt of his.

From the bay he could see that Sesshomaru was not one to sit still as Sango put her lips to his hand.

"I can suck the venom out on my own." He'd protested, but Sango paid him no attention. She filled her cheeks, spit blood and venom into a jar and rinsed her mouth with water.

"Your pride is immeasurable." She said between mouthfuls, "but you only got bit because I wasn't paying attention. You warned me and I didn't listen, so let me fix it."

Shippo was expected to believe that Sesshomaru had bothered to warn her and then went out of his way to take the abuse in her stead? He was going to have to bring this to his Crime Squad and see what they had to say about it.

"You may stop. The venom has become negligible."

And that was the response she paid attention to. She disinfected the wound and bandaged the puncture points.

"I trust that you will keep this quiet," Sango asked, "Kagome may never bring you another lollipop again if she found out that you disobeyed her and dug out your gifts."

"You knew I was here !"

Shippo popped out of the bag, his tail twitching in disbelief. They were standing near the entrance, Sango's indulgent smile a direct foil to Sesshomaru's constant disinterest.

"If I can track Sesshomaru, surely I can track you, Shippo."

"Your heart beat is offensively loud."

Shippo listened, quiet as a mouse, "I can't hear your heart!"

Sesshomaru scowled at Sango as she motioned for him to do something, "it's because you're common." Then he swept the toys back into the bag, running his tongue along his palm, "do we have the promise of your silence?"

Shippo nodded and Sesshomaru spread his scent along the bag, throwing Shippo backwards as if he were nothing more than another fuzzy toy.

"Oi, jackass! What the hell are you doing!" InuYasha appeared just in time to see Sesshomaru inspecting one of the dolls.

"I require this for Rin. What is your price?"

Shippo watched Sango wipe imaginary tears from her eyes, mouthing 'he's growing up'.

"It's not for sale, it's Kagome's so put it back!"

Kagome ran her fingers along her temples, "if you think she'd like it then just take it. It's a bag of gifts from Santa anyways."

"Santa?" Sesshomaru seemed to sniff the toy, as if he would find some clue as to who that may be through smell alone. Shippo would never admit it out loud, but Sesshomaru seemed to be just as stupid as InuYasha.

"Oh! I know, tomorrow you can come back and we'll explain everything." She took the doll back and handed him the jar of venom and blood, "I'll keep Rin here for tonight. She fell in the river and she needs to be inside and by the fire- so she doesn't get a cold."

He shrugged, "very well," and then he was gone. Maybe Shippo's heist had been unsuccessful, but his investigation was surely leading him somewhere interesting.

oOo

A.N./ liked it ? Maybe. Maybe not?