I do not own InuYasha or the characters created by Rumiko Takahashi.

A/N: I'm sorry it took so long to update. I have the next few chapters written out already so hopefully I can ignore my allergies long enough to edit and post. I apologize ahead of time if you read something that doesn't make sense due to my foggy brain. FYI: This episode is pretty long and IF it was a show they'd probably split it in two. I'm throwing in a few twists, so be prepared.

The Mysterious Thief - Part Two

As the day wound down, they decided not to travel any further and set up camp a fair distance from the path. Airi felt out of place amongst them for it had been some time since she felt welcome anywhere. Sango especially seemed to like her. Maybe it was because she was another trained female fighter or maybe it was the smaller age gap. They asked her where she was from and where she learned to fight, but she was reluctant to answer. She was quiet, too quiet which made Inuyasha uneasy.

Airi observed them as they went about their established routine. Miroku and Shippo gathered firewood while checking their surroundings. Inuyasha fished down at the river for dinner and the two women searched for edible berries. Inuyasha was the first one to be done and periodically glanced at her to make sure she wasn't doing anything sneaky. Everyone had something to do and sitting alone made her feel exposed.

She got up and went over to Sango, who seemed to be the most welcoming, "I can get water, although I didn't see a bucket or anything," Airi offered.

"Oh… okay, sure," the demon slayer agreed, standing up from berry picking. "Kagome do you have the water bottles?" she called over to her.

Kagome stood up from a cluster of bushes and dusted her skirt off before answering, "Yeah, they're in my backpack."

Simultaneously, the half demon's eyes darted to the unguarded backpack and Airi's heart quickened. Would they really be so trusting of her, she wondered. She considered quickly and decided it wasn't the right time to take the jewel shards. She was without a way to defend herself since the monk had insisted he keep her axes, which she figured was a ploy to be lecherous.

"Come on," Kagome motioned.

Airi could feel Inuyasha's eyes latch onto her and she turned to walk calmly behind Kagome as if that conversation with herself never happened. The young miko unzipped the backpack and handed her three clear water bottles.

"Thanks," she said with an unsure smile.

"Yeah, thanks for helping. You have to turn the top to open it," Kagome demonstrated for her. Airi nodded and then headed down to the river.

Inuyasha followed her, leaping quietly from branch to branch and dodging behind trees. He perched on a branch a few trees away, studying her every move. She stood still by the river's edge for a moment with her eyes closed, before filling the first water bottle. He noticed that she was indeed taller than him, and thin like she didn't get enough meals. The scent her body gave off was like the forest: essences of native trees, grass, and dirt mingling together. That didn't seem right, why would she smell like the forest, he mused. His thoughts were interrupted by a delicate voice.

"You can stop worrying, I'm not going to do anything," Airi announced.

He was so careful and quiet there's no way she heard him following, he thought. He jumped down from the tree and walked a few feet towards her.

"Keh, I'd catch you anyway, now that I know your scent," he baited her.

"Hmmph, so you think, but do you really know? Most people, and demons for that matter, just can't figure it out," her smooth voice mocked, like she was reading his mind.

Inuyasha tried to cover up his surprise at her intuitiveness with his suspicions of her, "You're too quiet and I don't trust you."

Airi quietly remembered another time someone spoke these words to her, but pushed it out of her mind.

"I could help you memorize my scent better, if you like," she suggested, "Proving that I won't try anything." She sauntered up to him and Inuyasha flicked his left ear as she circled around him. "You can only get a true sense of my smell if I'm close to you." She continued to walk around him until she was directly in front of him. "Close your eyes," she commanded and for some reason he obeyed. She leaned her head to one side and presented her neck to him. "Now, breathe deeply," she coaxed.

He listened and focused on breathing her in, but the scent that overpowered him was that of Kagome. Her luscious smell mixed with arousal filled him and then alarmed him. The half demon leapt backwards, and stared at her in bewildered. Airi didn't wait for him to ask, his eyes communicated how he felt.

"My true scent is essences of a forest, more specifically pine trees and grass, but when a man is close to me he will smell the woman he desires most. His eyes widened at her words. "Whom, did you smell Inuyasha?" she grinned while returning to her task of filling water bottles.

His mind was racing, he loved Kikyo, but it was Kagome he lusted for. It was Kagome he'd grown close to, who he trusted. "None of your business, except that it wasn't trees," he barked at her. "What are you anyway, you can't be human," he accused her. His hands went to tetsusaiga and she took a step back.

Her eyes narrowed at him, "I am human, but because of this curse I have been cast out from my family, my home, everything," she confessed with tears trickling down her cheeks. "I've lost everything," she whispered.

Inuyasha's expression softened until he remembered something else, "That doesn't explain how you knew I was in that tree."

She didn't look at him, "You've been following me all day. Why would this be any different? If you weren't there, then I would have only been talking to myself."

Inuyasha remained quiet, but removed his hand from his sword. He tried to say something, but she cut him off, "You don't have to say anything, but now you know." She wiped her face, picked up the water bottles and walked back up the hill.

Inuyasha stayed down by the river's edge a while longer to think. He couldn't figure out if she was lying or playing with him. Although her tears were real he couldn't make up his mind about her.

"Lord Inuyasha," a tiny voice called, followed by a pinching feeling on his neck. Inuyasha slapped his neck and Myoga the flea fell towards the ground. "Eh, smooshed again," the flea croaked.

"Where've you been Myoga?" the half demon interrogated him.

"Lord Inuyasha, I was just making sure that Totosai didn't leave anything out about tetsusaiga after your battle with Ryuukotsusei," he lied.

"Is that so? Well, did he?" Inuyasha asked, suddenly curious.

"Well, no not really," Myoga replied.

"You're worthless," the half demon mumbled and walked back to join the others.