I do not own Inuyasha. Please read and review. Well, once again my plans were foiled. A two paragraph footnote turned into a whole chapter. Ring Around The Rosie will be the next update.

Sesshomaru stood outside of Keade's house and stared up at the starry sky. He never slept in town. Usually if he planned to stay for a few days he would go to the forest once Rin was asleep. He'd decided to forego sleep for tonight, but had sent Jaken to go camp in the woods. He was restless tonight.

He was not the only one. He heard Melissa emerge from Inuyasha and Kagome's house nearby. It had been decided that she should spend the night with them as Kagome could understand her. But she had trouble sleeping around stangers apparently. Or perhaps she was nervous about the next day.

Kagome had had the idea that though the well was closed to her and Inuyasha perhaps it would allow Melissa to return to her own time. Or it might send her to Kagome's time instead or simply not open for her at all. If she went through she was to go to the house, Kagome was certain her mother would help the young woman. If not, well, they'd figure things out.

Sesshomaru had insisted she not try until morning. It had been getting late and if she was to leave his protection she'd do so when she had plenty of daylight to find her way to Kagome's mother's house. Kagome assured him Melissa would be perfectly safe, but he'd insisted.

She walked with her arms around herself. It was to cold for her to be outside, she should be inside by the fire. She rubbed her arms as she went by with her head down. He stepped from the shadows into the path behind her.

She paused. "Hello Sesshomarusama." Then she turned to smile at him. When had she learned hello? She'd heard it several times. At this rate she'd learn Japanese in no time. Except that Kagome said she could get back to America in less than a day from her own time so she wouldn't need to. How was that even possible?

She was shivering. "You should go back inside." He told her, pointing at his brother's house.

"Inside?" she asked, pointing at the house. He nodded. "No." His eyes narrowed, no one ever defied him.

"Do as you wish." He turned away, if the woman wanted to freeze to death who was he to stop her?

"Sesshomaru." He turned back around to look at her and once again found himself being hugged by the strange woman. He didn't understand the words she spoke.

"Melissa, it is inappropriate for you to embrace this Sesshomaru." His eyes moved and he looked down at her face, it was shining with gratitude. She was doing her best to thank him, and she'd chosen to do it when no one else would see. She was perceptive enough to know he would not want to be seen accepting her thanks.

She released him and made her way back to Inuyasha's house. She paused at the door and raised her hand, palm out and waved her fingers at him. She smiled expectantly and for some reason her returned the gesture.

"You're going to let her live after she hugged you?"

Sesshomaru closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath through his nose. Why couldn't his brother have been inside asleep? He opened his eyes as he released the breath and turned to face his brother who had been patrolling his village. Inuyasha was grinning.

"You're seriously going to let her live."

"She does not know her behavior is inappropriate." Sesshomaru replied.

Inuyasha approached his brother with his arms crossed in his sleeves. He turned to look at Keade's house where Rin was asleep. Then he looked at his own house where their guest was hopfully settling down to rest. "A couple of years ago you'd have killed her for daring to say no to you. Rin's been a good influence on you."

He continued to grin a he walked away from his brother and to his home. "I never knew the old man, but Myoga has told me a lot about him, about the kind of man he was. I think he'd be proud of you."

Sesshomaru frowned at his brother. Part of him was enraged that Inuyasha would even talk about their father. Another was angry that Inuyasha believed he cared about their father's approval. And yet, another part aknowledged that his brother was probably right. And as much as he hated it, his father's approval did matter, even now. Then his brother was gone. He turned and stormed away into the night.

It was a beautiful day as the group made their way to the dry well. Kagome and Inuyasha led the way with Shippo in Kagome's arms. Melissa followed close behind them. Sesshomaru walked gracefully by her side seeming a thousand miles away as his thoughts wandered. Jaken brought up the rear.

"So, just jump then go to the house you said?" Melissa asked, leaning over to peer into the well. "It wasn't to deep, but if it didn't work her landing might be a bit painful. But it wouldn't kill her

"Yes. Then ask for Mrs. Higurashi."

Melissa turned and looked at the group around her. If this worked she'd never see any of these people again. Kagome and inuyasha smiled at her. Sesshomaru was unreadable. Jaken looked sad.

She decided to use this one last opportunity to taunt Jaken. She swooped down on him and picked him up, hugging him so that his arms were pinned. He began yelling at her and kicking his stubby legs. She giggled and kissed him on the cheek.

"I'll miss you too, Jaken." She told the protesting kappa as she placed him back on the ground. Then she hugged Kagome, ruffled Shippo's hair, and extended her hand to Inuyasha for a handshake. Kagome spoke to him and he extended his hand in return.

She turned to Sesshomaru, looking into his eyes, trying to see any emotion. She started to extend her hand, and that's when she saw the barest flash of sadness flicker in his golden eyes. So instead she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips briefly to his cheek. She thanked him one last time.

She then sat on the edge of the well and swung her legs over while everyone but Sesshomaru stared in shock. She took a deep breath. She glanced back over her shoulder and waved at Sesshomaru, then she jumped. There was no flash of blue light, no sensation of floating, just the floor of the well rising to meet her.

She landed on her hands and knees and the stinging told her the rough dirt effectively removed a layer or two of epidermis. By the time she climbed to her feet Inuyasha had landed on the well floor and crouched down. He spoke and Kagome translated. "He say get on his back, he bring you."

"Thanks Inuyasha, but I've got this." She grabbed some vines and tugged to make sure they were secure. She wanted to salvage some of her dignity. She was almost out when the vines snapped. Inuyasha moved to catch her but Sesshomaru grabbed her hand and pulled her out.

"We think of something..." Kagome started but Melissa shook her head.

"No. Thank you Kagome, but we could waste our whole lives looking and never find a way for me to get home. Even if we do find a way how can we be sure it'll work? I might end up in ancient Rome or on Mars for all we know. At least here I've managed to make a couple of friends."

"But you life... Family, home..."

"To be honest I have nothing to go back to Kagome. My business was about to fold and my house was in foreclosure. I needed to pay the light bill by Friday to keep the the power on, so the lights have been shut off." She sat down on the well wall as she spoke. "I can't waste your time on nothing. Especially as I'll be homeless either way."

"Family?" Kagome asked.

Melissa slowly shook her head and looked down. "I lost my grandparents last year. Just after I divorced my husband."