Shikuro: A Caribbean Fairy Tale

by Inuma Asahi De

Inuyasha was as bad as pirates came, according to his legend. Kagome was a woman of propriety, destined to marry for her family's honor when all she wanted was to live on the sea. What happens when their eyes meet by chance or perhaps by daring fate?

70. Returning Home

Blanket Disclaimer: The writer does not own any characters created by Rumiko Takahashi but like everyone else wishes she did. All original characters or concepts are the author's Inuma Asahi De's (with the exception of historical figures).

Chapter Seventy

Returning Home

Inuyasha stood on the deck of the Shikuro watching the beauty of the scenery all around him with mellowed golden eyes. The sun hung low on the horizon, an orange yellow ball of heat that barely warmed the air encompassing him. In front of him, his breath hovered in a giant white cloud, dissipating only when he inhaled. Briefly, he glanced out of the corner of his eye to the cold dark blue ocean currents, the sight of a lone iceberg hovering in the water at least a league away from the ship, catching his gaze.

"Hm." He grunted slightly as he watched it bob up and down in the water. "They don't usually come this far." He commented just to himself, the little puffs of air clouding his vision for a second before seeming to disintegrate into nothing.

The shinny ice glistened in the late afternoon sun, gradually melting away as it drifted into slightly warmer waters than where it had been made. Inuyasha kept his eye on it for some time as they moved passed it, the iceberg unable to keep up with the ship's much faster movements. After only moments it faded behind them, the tall shadow in the distance disappearing or perhaps retreating. The young Captain sighed as the iceberg finally vanished underneath the horizon and turned his head back to the front, his gaze running over his ship.

Only a hand full of his human men were standing on the deck at this very moment working on this and that, while the demons hid below. Most of his demon crew were tropical breeds and thus, were not used to the cold of the deeper Atlantic waters. He couldn't really blame them, normally he would never venture out towards Europe during winter simply because he too had grown accustomed to the heat of the equator, however this trip was necessary regardless of the time of year they traveled.

Callously, he gripped the wheel a little tighter, the sound of a seagull yelling over his head rattling his fragile nerves. "God damned birds." He grumbled as he allowed his claws to sink into the wood of the handle.

Normally, he would have been glad for the feathered company: the presence of sailors long since passed protecting them, as nautical legend made him believe. Unfortunately, at the moment, he couldn't bring himself to look at the birds in such a sweet and positive light. All he could see was the future and how much the future worried him.

"The life I've kept secret, well—" He thought to himself as he lifted his head up to look at the cloud speckled sky. "—not completely secret." He corrected himself and lowered his head as he thought of Kagome and Miroku.

Miroku knew a lot about him, when it came down to it. The boy knew some of his greatest secrets, fears, and insecurities. He knew that his mother was a human making him a disgrace to all demanity and humanity. Miroku even knew of a secret he had kept locked away to the point that he no longer spoke his native language even to Myoga and Totosai. Nihon-go, the language of his father, a language Miroku was learning with astonishing speed. During the past month and a half they had been sailing the young man had made great strides in becoming surprisingly fluent in the strange language; something, the Captain had not been able to predict.

"He's almost too fluent." Inuyasha frowned only slightly as he adjusted his grip, releasing his claws from the wheel leaving marks. "Damn kid understands at least half of what Myoga and Totosai say now." The frown slowly slipped from his face as fatherly pride filled him over the fact that his son had caught on so fast. "That's my boy." He found himself whispering before snapping his mouth closed and looking back up and out over the Shikuro.

The quiet, almost eerily empty ship moaned slightly as he watched a wave push the bow up before allowing it to sink back down into the water leisurely. The feel of his body raising and lowering with the ship caused the Captain to sigh with appreciation before his thoughts turned away from his son and to his intended. Just the image of her in his mind made his heart skip a beat and the air catch sharply in his throat forming a lump.

Kagome knew more about him than even Miroku. She knew the name of the land he was from, knew of his mother's race, knew of his father's, she knew his age, she knew his fears without asking and knew his hopes without listening. "Hell," Inuyasha snorted and leaned backwards popping his back. "Sometimes she even fucking knows what I'm thinking." He smiled slightly before rolling his eyes haphazardly. "That's gonna get old pretty fast." He frowned from the thought, albeit softly, as fondness for her built in his heart.

"I thought I might find you up here."

The dog demon's head snapped up at the sound of her voice. "Where the hell did she come from?" He growled internally, mad at himself for neither having heard nor scented her. He frowned as the girl smiled at him, her eyes twinkling with false innocence having realized she had surprised him, much to his own humiliation. Clearing his throat and snorting he turned away from her trying to appear nonchalant. "Where else would I be?"

"Sometimes," Kagome shrugged as she pulled the thick wool coat a little tighter around herself. "You disappear and I have no idea where you are." Her voice shook just slightly as she spoke, even the thick wool not effective against the cold.

Inuyasha couldn't hold back his gentle smile as he watched her teeth chatter. "A French girl who can't take cold," He shook his head at her mockingly as he chuckled. "That's such a shame."

Kagome frowned at his words, sending him a dull look as she crossed her arms over her chest and wrinkled her nose. "You're such a—," She paused and bit her lip holding in her words as the inappropriateness of them nagged at the part of her that was still dignified and proper; however small that part of her may be nowadays.

"Jerk?" Inuyasha finished for her with a loop sided smirk sent in her direction. "Yeah," He agreed as he leaned forward affectively draping himself over the wheel. "Nasty habit."

Kagome instantly laughed, the sound bubbling up from her throat as she looked away from him and down at the minimal crew out on deck. A vast majority of the men were just like her, no longer immune to the cold after years of having predominantly sailed in the Caribbean. "Poor guys." She thought as she watched the few humans outside work: cleaning the deck, organizing this and that, taming riggings here and there. "They must be cold having to stay on deck almost all day long." She frowned ever so slightly. "At least I can go below whenever I want."

Still holding himself up with the wheel, Inuyasha watched the expression of pity cross Kagome's face, and narrowed his eyes. "Oi," He called to her, gaining her undivided attention as she turned and looked towards him. "What are you thinking about?"

"Huh?" Kagome blinked in confusion for just a second before understanding dawned on her face. "Oh," She shrugged and pouted her lips for just a moment. "Nothing really."

"You were frowning."

Kagome grimaced at his words and sent him a slight glare. In the past five weeks, he had become more protective of her and, perhaps more unsettling, more aware of even the slightest alterations in her scent. Anytime she frowned, coughed, sneezed, yawned, or even simply stared off in thought he knew and instantly started bugging her about the change in mood. In a way it was sweet; in others, it was beginning to become annoying. "I was just," She stressed the word as she looked at him, her annoyance showing ever so slightly on her face. "Thinking about the crew."

Looking out over the few humans on deck, Inuyasha pulled himself up right and off the wheel in an attempt to see what Kagome was seeing. "What about?"

"I feel sorry for them." Kagome admitted with a shrug of her shoulders.

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at her words in surprise. "For those lazy bastards?" He thought as he took in the dozen or so men brave enough to work in the cold out of his roughly eighty man crew. On the whole, his crew had it pretty good at the moment. They could eat whenever they wanted, they only had to work an eight hour shift, and he had given them a week shore leave before they left on the long journey so they could buy new clothes and blankets; compared to most crews they were currently working in excellent conditions. "Why?"

"Well," Kagome turned towards him her expression calm but mildly surprised by his response. "It's so cold and they work so hard."

Inuyasha opened his mouth to say something to her but promptly shut it. "Sometimes she is too kind for her own good." He told himself with a shake of his head, dropping the conversation.

Kagome smiled slightly as she watched him before turning away herself. "I wish there was more I could do." She frowned slightly shifting from foot to foot as she lost herself in thought. "I feel so useless when I just sit in the cabin reading." She turned to look at the Captain who was simply staring out at his men, an almost vacant expression on his face making her purse her lips ever so slightly.

Over the past month and a half, they had virtually been inseparable, the tall Captain taking her everywhere with him. Except, that is, when Sango and herself were together having what he called 'girl time' during which the two usually entertained themselves with various novels, tutoring Shippo, or (if they were in port) shopping for winter clothes/supplies. During those times, the Captain quickly opted to spend time with his son instead. Still, the two spent the majority of their time together. They played the violin, they read to one another, he taught her things about the ship or languages he knew and places he had lived, and sometimes they simply sat in comfortable, classic silence: her with a book and him with a chart.

"It's been a nice month—more than nice." She smiled secretively to herself at the thought, her mind running over everything they had done over the last month, one thought popping up almost playfully in her mind. "Exceptionally nice." The phrase repeated in her head over and over as a light blush formed on her cheeks.

He had not been so bold as to go beyond the occasional caress of her cheek/hand or kiss to her forehead/lips but each encounter had slowly become more daring. Each time it lasted just a little longer, with his hands roaming just a little bolder, and her body reacting just a little hotter.

Quickly, Kagome shook her head violently from side to side knowing that within moments the man just across from her would catch on to her own thoughts. "Calm down Kagome." She commanded herself as she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, he didn't appear to be paying her any attention. "I must be down wind." She deduced thankfully with a sigh, she was not one for public displays of affection but, when in the right mood, he certainly was as he had proven many times before. Redirecting her thoughts back to the men below them Kagome frowned her mind running over all the possible things she could do to contribute to their own effort. "Wait!" She suddenly said out loud as a thought struck her, Inuyasha turning towards her casually.

"What now?"

"I can steer now can't I?" She spoke excitedly as she looked towards Inuyasha with pleading eyes. "Right?"

The blank look finally left the young demon's face and Inuyasha straightened with a slight grin. "Sure." He nodded his head as he pushed himself away from the wheel and motioned towards Kagome. "The sea's pretty calm today."

Kagome smiled brightly as she took the wheel, grabbing it with both hands even as Inuyasha stood behind her, still holding onto the wheel with one hand of his own. She blushed as she felt his hip brush against her own, their bodies standing in surprisingly close proximity as he waited for her to get a good tight grip. The feel of his body against hers made her stomach knot and her face heat up just a little; but comparatively speaking, she reacted far more calmly than she would have just a month or so before.

"You good?" He asked, his breath actually brushing against her ear; an action he did entirely on purpose.

Knowing he had done it simply to frazzle her, Kagome gripped the wheel tightly and forced herself to focus. "Yes." She told him briskly and pulled her lips into a thin line as she imagined the smirk that had formed on his face from the words.

"Alright then," He told her as he pulled his hand off the wheel, watching carefully to make sure her arms were steady before he pulled completely away, coming to stand by her side. "What's your heading?"

Glancing up at the sun she watched it for several seconds and by discerning its tilt as well as the time of day, guessed their current direction easily. "Northeast?"

"Exactly." Inuyasha nodded his head feeling pretty proud of his intended as she spoke. She truly had caught on quick when he began to teach her the navigation and commanding the helm. Of course, Sango had done some of the work but for the most part it had been himself teaching her: he taught her to discern directions by way of sun and sky, how to sail into a wave properly, and how to determine if the sails were filled with enough air or were in need of a change in direction. And soon enough, he would also be teaching her to sail at night: the most challenging and sought after skill any sailor could learn.

Peering at him out of the corner of her eye, Kagome watched as Inuyasha looked out across the sea with curious eyes. They had been heading in this direction since the incident with the Thunder the month before and yet, he had not told them where they were actually headed. That is with the exception of the word Europe. "But Europe's a giant place with so many countries," She licked her lips slightly. "He could be taking us anywhere and we don't even know why—well, other than it has something to do with that girl." She frowned and bit her lip, snapping down on it between frustrated teeth. "Kagura—the girl with the Shikon jewels."

"What are you thinking about so intently?"

Kagome turned automatically from the sound of his voice and involuntarily shrugged her shoulders. "I was just," She wrinkled her nose as she tried to build up the courage to simply ask what needed to be asked. "Well—," She pursed her lips and turned towards him slightly. "Remember Kagome you gather more flies with honey than vinegar." She told herself, hoping the new tactic might yield different results than she had previously. "Here goes nothing." Nodding her head she put the most innocent smile she could onto her face hoping the sight of it would distract him enough to answer truthfully. "We're heading towards Europe, right?"

"Yes." Inuyasha answered slowly even as he guessed where the current conversation was headed within seconds.

"So—," She drew out the word and glanced at him with a playful smile. "Any particular place in mind?"

Inuyasha took a deep breath and closed his eyes, holding the air in as long as he could before blowing it out in one large breath. "I'm not telling you."

Instantly, her smile turned to a pouting frown of utter and complete frustration. "Come on!" She moaned and stomped her foot in irritation. "Why won't you just tell me—just me—no one else," She paused for just a second and tilted her head to the side. "Well maybe Miroku and Sango, that wouldn't be fair, but no one after that."

"Nope." Inuyasha shook his head back and forth, the amused grin on his face actually a little irritating.

"That's just wrong." Kagome grumbled and turned away from him with a dry look crossing her normally vibrant face.

"How 'bout this then." Inuyasha turned just slightly away from her, the charmingly boyish smile she so adored coming to rest on his handsome face. "Kiss me and I'll tell you."

Instantly, Kagome's face turned bright red and her mouth dropped open just a little. "Bu—bu—I—I—," She stuttered as she quickly looked away from him and back to the crew. "There are—the crew's right there!" She finally managed to say, looking back at Inuyasha's face only to find one of his sexiest smiles gracing his lips. The disappearing sun caught the gold of his eyes with its light, making their depths shine with blunt egotistical flirtation.

"And that's what makes it so much fun." He tried desperately to keep a straight face as he spoke. The demon inside of him loved this game, loved looking at her with smoldering passion until her knees turned to jelly from just his eyes. It wasn't like it was a hard game to play but there was something entertaining about the way she blushed, heat rising to her cheeks as he showed off the ends of his two fangs, letting them nip at his lips in a way that made her heart race. "I don't know if I ever really win this game, usually I just end up hot and bothered but," He told himself as he licked his lips slowly on purpose watching as her eyes naturally drifted towards his tongue. "Damn if it's not fun."

Kagome gripped the wheel so tight that her hands felt as if they might leave marks on the wood even with her gloves on. "That's just not fair." She thought to herself as she felt her legs start to shake just a little bit, the memory of that tongue washing over her like lava from a Hades itself. "Stop it right now." She commanded bluntly, knowing first hand that he was half messing with her and half serious.

It was at that moment that Inuyasha lost his battle and finally laughed unable to hold in the sound any longer. "Oh man, Kagome," He smiled at her boyishly, his eyes sparkling with mirth and affection as he spoke. "I love how innocent you are."

Kagome felt a little lump form in her throat at the mention of the sweet word 'love,' even if the context was not what one would call appropriate to the word's significance. Pushing the lump down with a large gulp, she turned her nose up deliberately and closed her eyes. "Well I love how much of an ass you are."

Inuyasha laughed again loudly as he bent forward and buried his nose into the crock of her neck; an action he knew would embarrass her plenty but not enough so she wouldn't enjoy the contact. Inhaling her scent he closed his eyes, allowing the beauty of Irish lily's and heady salt to encompass him in a warm blanket that only Kagome could possibly create. He felt her stiffen only briefly before her body relaxed accepting his bold ways. Then, for just a fleeting second, he felt her lean towards him and affectionately rub her cheek against his soft ears. He inhaled sharply from the contact and resisted the urge to take advantage of such a bold move on her part.

"Well," Her voice sounded in his ears as she pulled away from him and focused back on the wheel. "If you won't tell me where we're going, will you at least," She stressed the word as he lifted his head away from her and looked up into her eyes expectantly. "Tell me how far away we are from wherever it is?"

"About three or four days." Inuyasha straightened as he spoke, putting his arms above his head and stretching, his back popping from the action. "We made excellent time once we hit the gulf stream."

"Really?" Kagome blinked in surprise, not having realized they were in fact so close to Europe.

"Yeah," Inuyasha yawned slightly and finally allowed himself to sink down to the deck, crossing his feet and placing his hands behind himself for support. "I was expecting it to take at least eight weeks to cross at this time of year but we'll make it in just under six." He nodded to himself as he looked up at her from his new position.

Gazing downwards towards him Kagome pursed her lips and nodded briskly. "I guess that's good."

"It is." Inuyasha gave her a slightly strained smile before looking away from her towards the wooden deck. "We're almost there." He told himself as he studied the old boards, counting the nails absently. "I've had almost two months to prepare for this, to tell them everything and I'm—," Inuyasha leaned his head back and looked up at the sails, watching as the material ruffled and waved. "I don't feel prepared at all."

Kagome bit her lip as she watched the man look up at the sails, his posture and the distinctive curve of his lower lip telling her that something was bothering him extensively. Luckily, it was not too hard to guess what that was. "Why don't you want to tell us?" She questioned him silently as she watched the pain begin to form in his eyes. "What could Kagura have told you that you can't tell us?" Kagome held in the urge to sigh as she thought of the unnervingly short conversation from two months before.

Kagome held the now much larger Shikon jewel in her hand, the gem's Kagura had given the Captain now proven to be truly authentic.

"So this woman—."

She heard Miroku's voice just beside her, turning her head in his direction as he looked towards his father.

"She just gave you the jewels?" Miroku waved his hand towards Kagome, motioning to the glittering object sitting in the palm of her hand.

Inuyasha didn't reply verbally to the question, merely nodding his head instead. Presently, he was looking out the window of the Shikuro, golden eyes staring outside at a still rapidly passing world.

Sango, sitting on the bed beside Kagome, frowned sending her husband a worried look before turning back towards Kagome. Carefully, she elbowed the younger girl in the shoulder, motioning with her chin towards the Captain as if asking if Kagome knew anything about his current situation.

Just as perplexed as Sango, Kagome shrugged her shoulders in response before returning her gaze towards the oddly quiet Captain. For a moment, she simply watched him, studying his every feature from the far off look in his eyes to the strained tilt of his shoulders. All and all, he looked tensed and focused, as if every possible problem in the world had been presented to him against his will. The urge to reach for him, to relieve some of the tension from his shoulders and the stress from his mind, overwhelmed her. In the end however, she was neither brave enough nor comfortable enough with him and her to truly act upon the thought.

Off to her right, where Sango sat, she felt the bed shift as the older woman leaned forward towards the Captain deliberately. "Did she say anything else?" The words left her mouth quicker than Kagome could have thought to silence them.

Instantly, the Captain seemed to come back to animated life, turning towards her with wide eyes. He looked, for all doubts and pretenses, like a deer caught on a trail late at night. He looked stunned and tense and anxious and, surprisingly, unsure. Just as suddenly as those emotions crossed his face however, they vanished, replaced by red, hot and probably misdirected anger. "She didn't say anything." He snapped, pushing himself to his feet instantly before hastily leaving the room.

Kagome blinked slightly as the memory faded. Neither she nor Sango and Miroku understood the angry reaction the Captain had to their questions. They had even discussed it at different times but each time they came up with the same unsatisfying answer: something was missing; the Captain hadn't told them something, which was very important.

Turning back towards Inuyasha, Kagome began to chew on her inner cheek thoughtfully. "What are we missing?" She wondered just to herself as she chewed and chewed, the action both painful and thought provoking. "What did Kagura tell you that you won't share." Sighing, she turned away from him and looked towards the ocean, watching the ten foot waves as they rolled towards them mellow despite the current time of year. "Every time I ask him, he just shuts down but now, we're so close to Europe—maybe?" Kagome gulped and closed her eyes for several seconds before pushing them back opened with confidence. "Come on Kagome, it won't hurt to just try." Feeling only slightly braver than she should have, Kagome turned towards the Captain and inhaled deeply. "So—," She drew out the word slowly as she turned the wheel, the action now second nature. "I guess you won't tell us where we're going," She watched as he turned his gaze towards her his eyes appearing tired. "Until we get there?"

Inuyasha sighed heavily as she finished, bringing one of his hands up to rub at his face. "Well, like I said," He spoke slowly as he continued to massage his temple tiredly. "We're not too far away."

"Inuyasha?" Kagome spoke slowly, surprised that he was actually speaking at all. This short admission in the course of a five minute conversation, was more than he had told her in the past month and a half. "Maybe—we are so close that he, he's finally gonna give in?" The girl gulped from the realization and gingerly took one hand off the wheel to touch his arm in what she hoped was an encouraging pat.

The dog demon pulled his hand off his face in surprise. Kagome was not one to show him affection in public, the girl was far too shy for that, and yet here she was, her warm (albeit) gloved hand gently touching his arm with delicate fingers.

"You do know, you can tell me anything." Her words were soft in Inuyasha's ears, soft and sweet. "Me, Miroku, Sango," She looked straight at him, no embarrassment on her face whatsoever. "We want to know all about you because—," She licked her lips and turned away just slightly, her cheeks reddening. "Well, we kind of like you." She laughed nervously at her own words. "So, you know, nothing you tell us could ever bother us." She turned back to him, giving him a pointed look. "But you already knew that."

Inuyasha took her words in silently, his heart warming from them just as much as it raced from their impact. "I know." He told her softly as he brought the hand back to his face, rubbing at it slightly as if he was tired. "Believe me I do." He licked his lips and finally released a low and loud sigh. "Secrets are habit forming things," He spoke quietly the words catching Kagome off guard. "And I've been keeping them all my life."

The young girl blinked but didn't say a word as she watched him drop his long standing barriers, just for her.

"Secrets keep us alive." He mumbled as he thought back on the past month and a half. He hadn't been able to talk to them, Miroku or Kagome, and after some time he had finally figured out why: his secrets kept him alive. Over the course of his life, every secret he had kept had been for a reason, some more obvious than others. And he had kept each one with that reason in mind, knowing that if he deviated from such a standard it was likely he would lose his life. "But now—," He closed his eyes and thought back on the past eleven years, thought of the first person who ever learned of his deep dark secrets. "It's different, isn't it?" The dog demon opened his eyes and tilted his head to the side, looking straight at Kagome. "Things change, don't they?"

Kagome furrowed her brow as she tried to figure out what the Captain was talking about.

Inuyasha smiled softly at the look and lifted one of his hands to cup her cheek. Carefully, he ran his calloused thumb over the slight red trail the action had produced. "It's time isn't it?" His voice was more rhetorical than questioning as he focused on the flecks of white in Kagome's mainly grey eyes.

"Time?" She questioned softly as the heat of his hand warmed her face both from the contact and her own shyness.

"Yes." He sighed as he let his hand fall away from her towards his side. "The truth is long overdue."

-break-

Naraku rowed the shore vessel with steady hands as he neared the dock of Port Royal, alone in the pre-dawn mist. The old boat creaked loudly in the silent night, the oars seeming to moan as they scraped against their oarlocks. The weasel demon ignored the sound however, even as the oarlocks practically screeched loud enough to wake the dead. His mind was much too focused elsewhere to pay attention to the earsplitting sounds of the little boat underneath him. All he could see, was her face. The face of a woman who had been haunting him for the past month and a half. Any time he closed his eyes, or lost himself in thought, he saw her, an image creeping into the back of his mind. He could see her dimples, her lips, and her black eyes so clearly that he could have sworn she was real and right in front of him.

"Helen." He whispered the name, the sound of it familiar to him for reasons he couldn't differentiate anymore. Part of him thought the name had been implanted in him, a subconscious thought that held no true meaning, but other part's believed the name was a recollection that had been buried deep inside his heart along with her face. "There's only one way to find out." He told himself as he continued to row away from the Thunder and towards the unassuming dock.

The possibility of learning the truth, forced his arms to move faster, the oars dipping into the water with demonic speed as he grew ever closer to the dock. Glancing over his shoulder, he watched as the dock seemed to sneak up on him, growing larger and more awe inspiring the closer he became. With only a few more seconds of diligent work, Naraku stood up balancing expertly in the vessel. Grabbing for a line of rope so as to secure the boat, Naraku waited patiently for the vessel to creep closer and closer to the wood of the dock. Once close enough, he simply flicked his hand, tossing the rope onto the deck before jumping across himself.

Once he had safely secured the boat to the dock, he stood to his full height of a striking five foot five. Holding his chin up high, the young demon looked out across the sleeping village (or at least what he could easily see) with tired eyes. He could just make out the manor house on the hill, tall and unassuming in its simplicity. The white washed walls shone dimly in the vague moonlight and he felt his heart skip a beat for just a second.

Carefully, he glanced behind himself towards the Thunder hanging out in the harbor silently floating on tiny waves. They had arrived in the harbor only a few hours before in the dead of night. Tired from the long journey and his own thoughts, Naraku had decided to sleep for just a few hours before heading out. In the end, that had amounted to only an hour and a half before Naraku, restless and annoyed, had decided to simply leave. After all, the sooner this was done and the sooner he was gone, the better.

"I don't want to spend more than a hour on this god forsaken island." He bit out the words as he turned away from his ship and started down the silent and sleepy street. The sound of his boots scraping against the pavement echoed in his head loudly as he shuffled along, head down and unassuming to the barely waking world.

Behind him the Thunder continued to bob up and down in the water, the inanimate ship seeming to keep watch over the troubled man as he disappeared out of its sight and into a back alleyway. With any luck, Naraku hoped the vessel would stay there without suspect until he returned.

-break-

The Captain's cabin on the Shikuro was conspicuously quiet as only Miroku, Sango, and Kagome stared at a stark still Inuyasha; Shippo having long since been put to bed. The dog demon himself, sat in his desk chair hunched over with his eyes focused solely on the ground, his truths ringing loudly in his own ears. He tensed his shoulders at the very thought of them, at the admittance of something so secret he had always somewhat believed he would never tell it. They were secrets he had kept so well concealed in his heart that they sounded almost unreal to hear. It was as if releasing them had made him a hypocrite, if only with himself.

In front of him, Miroku shifted his weight from one foot to the other his mind trying desperately to wrap around what he had just heard. "Home?" He released the word, the sound of it seeming to awaken the whole of the cabin, drawing four sets of eyes to him. "Kagura told you to go home?"

Inuyasha shrugged slightly before shoving his body up straight in the chair. "Yes." He replied slowly as he crossed his arms over his chest and looked away from his son out the window. "That's—um well," Inuyasha licked his lips as he spoke knowing that Miroku's question was innocent enough but opened up a whole debate upon itself. "Yeah, that's where we're going—home."

"Wait," Sango brought her hands up to either side of her head, rubbing at each side of her temple as she tried to comprehend the conversation. "You don't," She ripped her hands from her face frazzled. "You—not even," She looked straight at the dog demon, her mouth simply hanging opened and wide as she glared. "You said you don't have a home." She finally managed to say, her voice coming across as almost a growl.

Kagome glanced at Sango out of the corner of her eye as the girl's frustration collected on her face; it was frustration Kagome could truly understand. "We're headed towards Europe," She thought as she turned back towards the Captain who now sat with his ears pushed all the way against his skull. "I don't understand," She bit her lip watching as the dog demon force himself to push his ears back up. "He said—his home was in Asia—an island there."

"That was a lie," Inuyasha admitted bluntly, his words echoing in both Sango and Kagome's heads with two very different meanings building from them. "I haven't been there in over eleven years," He smiled ever so slightly as he spoke, the look seeming more apologetic than happy. Carefully, he uncrossed his arms leaning forward so as to rest them on his knees. Hunched, he inhaled deeply, his large breath actually appearing white even in the much warmer cabin. "The last time was right before," He glanced up at Miroku, sending the boy that same tired smile. "I found you."

As if lightening had suddenly struck Miroku, his whole body seemed to jilt wide awake. "England?" The boy took a step forward towards his father mouth opened wide with that possible answer.

"No," Inuyasha said softly with a shake of his head. "That's your home pup." He brought a hand up to burrow into his hair, holding onto each strand as if the subtle yanking made their current conversation less painful. "Mine is just across the pond, as they say."

Kagome narrowed her eyes, the expression was one she had only heard associated with two particular nations, that is, in retrospect to England at least. The first one was France, but she knew for a fact the Captain couldn't possibly be French. After all, he had told her once that he had merely lived in France for a few years, not that he had been born there. If that was the truth, there was only one solution as to where the Captain was actually from that made logical sense. "Ireland." She said the word, even as an odd sense of betrayal or, better yet, hurt settled in her stomach. "Did he lie?" She wondered as she watched him react to her words, soft gold eyes looking at her as if he knew what she was thinking.

"Yes," He nodded slowly, looking straight at her as he did so, trying to convey what he meant with his eyes and his eyes alone. "That is the place I was raised." He spoke deliberately, the emphasis making Kagome narrow her eyes, curious.

Before she could think to say anything about the matter however, Miroku spoke up from his position to her left.

"But the Irish speak English," The young man pressed, his eyes narrowing as he too tried to discern what was lie and truth. "The language you taught me is not—it's not even close."

Inuyasha cleared his throat loudly and leaned back in his chair. A deep growl like groan escaped his throat then as if the action had caused him tremendous pain. "It's—com," He stopped himself from saying the dreaded word. It was the truth, it was a complicated story but these people deserved to hear it. "Don't they?" He turned his eyes towards them, dark circles catching in the light as his mental exhaustion began to truly show. For several seconds, he said nothing, his eyes hovering over each of them as if he was seeing them for the first time. Finally, he sighed heavily, leaning forward in his chair and with one great heave of his chest released another truth. "I was born in Asia, an island there."

The room went silent as Sango and Miroku both stared at the Captain with new found disbelief. "Asia?" Sango finally whispered the word as she tried to comprehend its significance. "But you—."

"My mother," He almost chocked on the word but kept his voice astonishingly monotone but nothing more than will alone. "Was born in Ireland but was traveling when I was born." He cleared his throat slightly and reached a hand up to rub against his face. "She returned to Ireland when I was about—," He snorted in thought, leaning back and looking at the ceiling as if searching for the truth. "Seven or eight, I can't remember."

Kagome bit her lip as she watched the pain cross his face as the truth slipped out. "He wasn't lying." She realized even as her heart ached in her chest from the amount of barely disguised pain crossing the bridge of his nose and eyes. Feeling the need to distract him and lessen that overwhelming burden, she shifted her weight and quickly tried to change the subject. "So we're going to Ireland then?"

As if just now filling in a particular blank, Sango turned and looked at the Captain with large brown eyes. "Wait," The sound of her voice was somewhat ominous in the small cabin, making the Captain's neck hair stand on end. "Isn't Ireland, a human colony?"

Shifting in his chair uncomfortably, Inuyasha reached up and scratched at the back of his head. "Yes." He answered honestly before glancing at Kagome and Miroku both, watching as they also put secrets they knew together.

"Wait—," Sango continued thoughtfully tilting her head to the side. "You once told me you hate the British." Her blunt statement gave both Miroku and Kagome pause and quirk an eyebrow, both having expected Sango to bring up something else entirely. "Is that why?"

The dog demon blinked as he looked at Sango his mind racing to even grasp what she had said. "Um—I—," Inuyasha stuttered and gripped at his pants legs as he tried to recall the conversation in question. Just vaguely, he registered having told Sango once of his particular hate for the British but he had never thought that she would focus on something so menial. "Yeah, I suppose that's pretty much it." He actually laughed awkwardly as he shrugged his shoulders.

Sitting beside Sango, Kagome frowned as she took in the exchange not understanding how being Irish would cause hate for the British. "I don't understand." She spoke up suddenly as she looked back and forth between Sango and the Captain.

"The Irish humans and the English demons don't have a very good history." Inuyasha latched onto Kagome's words hoping to divert the conversation enough so that he wouldn't have to talk about more of his secrets today. "For the past five hundred years the damn demon's in the British royal family and Parliament have basically used the Irish human's as their personal slaves." He growled slightly in the back of his throat as he spoke, his own anger encompassing him now and making him forget the earlier conversation. "They've tortured them, killed them, taxed them, starved them, pretty much treated them no better than common fucking mutts." Inuyasha snorted as he finished his rant, only barely realizing the irony of his own words.

"That's terrible." Kagome whispered as she brought a hand up to cover her gasping mouth more out of habit than true propriety.

"I know." Inuyasha mumbled as he lowered his hands back towards his lap and grabbed a hold of the fabric of his clothes tightly.

Sitting silently, Sango narrowed her eyes as she listened to Inuyasha rant, her mind starting to put together things she had once forgotten. She could almost hear the sound of Kagome's voice screaming as cannons fired all around them, hear the words as if she had just heard them yesterday: "You were there, you know I can do it, you saw it with your own two eyes, even if they were human!" The young woman tried to say something but instead snapped her mouth closed as she put two and two together.

Human eyes, the Captain's eyes were human Kagome had said, that could only mean a few things. She had long heard that demon children born with a human parent had times when they changed; morphing into their human counterpart when their body could no longer take the strain of demon blood. Searching her memory, the young woman tried to recall a time when the dog demon had hidden from her, disguising himself from view. Surprisingly, the pattern she was looking for emerged as if she had always been aware of its existence.

"Every new moon, like clockwork." She blinked slowly as she drew her eyes towards him, studying his demon features with careful scrutiny.

For the most part he looked like any other demon she had ever seen, except that is, for the lack of facial markings. He had none, his face was clear and his skin was unassumingly smooth in a way that was not really untypical of demons but now, to her, seemed almost a warning sign. A warning sign which, when properly used in conjunction with what she had just learned, pointed to only one conclusion.

"His mother—if she was Irish, then she—," She felt her lower lip tremble ever so slightly as she finally realized a secret so well hidden that she was only one of three humans to ever have learned of it. "She had to be a human." Sango felt her heart clinch tightly in her chest as she looked towards Miroku, watching as her husband immediately looked away from her. "He knows." She concluded with no effort before turning back towards an oddly innocent looking Kagome. For a brief moment, the two girls made eye contact, the younger of the two actually wincing as she looked at the older. "So does she." She resisted the urge to growl as she turned back towards the Captain narrowing her eyes as feeling's of hurt welled in her chest. "Why didn't he tell me?" She wondered just as the Captain lifted his head and looked directly back at her.

Inuyasha watched the expression of hurt and disbelief form on Sango's face and tore his eyes away from the woman. "Maybe—she's just mad about the Irish thing," He told himself hopefully even though he knew there had to her pain than simply his Irish heritage. "She couldn't have put the other part together—she can't have figured it out." He tried to convince himself even as he heard Sango inhale sharply as she prepared to speak.

"Why," She whispered, her voice blunt and monotone as she stared at Inuyasha, watching his every move as intently as she could. "Your mother, why would she hate the British and side with the humans if she was—," The girl hesitated for a second watching as the Captain shifted awkwardly in his chair. "A demon?"

Inuyasha felt everything slow down around him as Sango's words hit him hard in the gut. "She figured it out—she knows." He admitted honestly, feelings of old dread welling up inside of him as his mind raced with every implication Sango's knowledge might have. "She—Sango, she wouldn't, would she?" An uneasy feeling built in his stomach as he turned to look at her, watching as she stared him down with eyes full of understanding and pain, hurt even. "Sango—," He started to say but felt the words build in his throat like a piece of meat not chewed well enough to swallow. "My mother—." He tried again but the lump had grown and the secret was stuck.

Gulping as she watched the pain form on his face, Sango held her head up firmly, looking the man straight in the eye. She had known him for some time now and she knew (just as everyone sitting in this room knew) that he was a man who didn't release secrets easily; even to those he trusted. "Doesn't make it hurt any less." A small voice inside her head reminded but Sango valiantly ignored it. Taking a deep breath she chose to continue prodding Inuyasha, until he admitted the truth himself. "I guess I can ask her when I see her then." She spoke bluntly, even as she realized the potential of her words and how insensitive they really were. "That's who we're going to se—?" Sango's voice died in her throat as she watched all the color leave the Captain's face in a way she had never seen before: unmasked pain, for only a very temporary second, flashing across his face.

"That's impossible," He answered his whole body tensing as he turned away from them, visibly shaking for a second before he inhaled sharply. "Unless you wanna ask her grave."

No one said anything, not wanting to jinx the possibility of Inuyasha actually continuing on. The Captain shifted in his chair, his pale face not looking at any of them as he gazed out the window. The gold of his eyes actually muted, the color fading as memories washed over him. Memories of a beautiful woman, no more than twenty-five as she cradled him against her chest, humming gentle words that he couldn't ever forget.

"Flower's of spring, of winter and fall." Her voice seemed to echo all around the cabin, ringing in his ears. "Fit in my hands: gentle and small." He could almost feel her touch and the love that she had for him. "A field of daisy, tiny askew." He felt his heart sink just a little in his chest, pain encompassing all of him as her face seemed to form on the back of his eyes. "Will take me back to you."

"Inuyasha?" Kagome's voice brought him back into reality and he whipped his head around to look at her wide eyed and scarred.

"She died a long time ago." His voice came across as husky, as he tried to cover up his own emotions, not wanting any of the three people he cared about most to see him weak and hurting. "From the plague." Without prompt he heard the word 'Shikuro' echo loudly in his head immediately after he spoke. Closing his eyes in a desperate attempt to block out the chilling sound, he inhaled sharply hoping the silent sound would stop but it only continued to echo. "Shikuro."

The answer ringing in her ears, Sango took one last deep breath, looking the man straight in the eye before she spoke. "The plague killed a demon?" She pressed, ignoring the tactless nature of her words in favor of confirming from his mouth the answer she was seeking.

"No," Inuyasha whispered one more time as he grabbed hold of his pants legs so tightly that the fabric tore with a loud ripping sound. "It killed a human."

Silence seemed to rip through the room, no one knowing what to say as Inuyasha looked down at the puncture holes in his clothes. His eyes were far older and more tired than any of the current occupants could ever recall seeing. He looked for all pretenses as if someone had just stabbed him in the gut and was now twisting the knife slowly around and around in circles.

Biting her lip till she drew blood, Sango watched the Captain with a sickening feeling building in her gut. "I shouldn't have pressed—," She chastised herself as she stared at the unsettling sight of such a strong man looking so pale and small. He did, he looked small, a child in a grown up body. She opened her mouth, the urge to say she was sorry filling her to the brim but before she could speak, she felt the bed shift beside her. Turning, she watched as Kagome rose the expression on her face one that Sango could honestly say she had never seen as well.

Her mouth was drawn in a firm line and her eyes were sympathetic and loving. Carefully, the young girl stepped forward the sound of her movement making the Captain turn to look at her. His dim gold eyes watched her absently as she looked down at him, her grey eyes appearing wise and gentle. A small smile formed on her face and she dipped down, bending her knees as she sat in front of him. "You made me a promise." She spoke gently, closing her eyes, the kind smile on her lips seeming to shine.

"What?" Inuyasha blinked confused as he looked at her, his face drawn into a tight line of confusion.

"You promised to give me a navigation lesson tonight." Kagome looked down at her knees, her expression an odd combination between confidence and shyness. "It's almost dark," She shuffled her feet back and forth as best someone crouching on the ground was able. "So maybe we should do that." She looked up at him then, grey eyes apologetic and bright as her lips turned upwards sweetly. "Unless there's something else to talk about that can't wait till later?"

"No," He shook his head quickly watching her smile with barely masked thankfulness and relief. "I think we're done here." He stood abruptly, reaching a hand down and pulling Kagome up almost before she had a good grip. Stumbling to her feet, Inuyasha placed an apologetic hand around her waist briefly to steady her before pushing her lightly in the direction of the door. "Let's go." He encouraged as he guided her with one hand on the small of her back, following closely behind.

"Have a good night." Miroku called after his father as he watched the two start for the door without preamble.

The sound of Miroku's voice gave Inuyasha pause and the older man turned towards his young son. For a brief moment, the two men made eye contact, a silent exchange of understanding happening between their eyes. "You too." He nodded his head, giving his son a pained grin before allowing his eyes to turn towards Sango. "Sango." He said her name softly, waiting for her to raise her head to look at him.

Within moments, the young woman turned contrite eyes upwards to look at him, her thick lashes doing little to cover her regret. "I'm—." She started to say but Inuyasha shook his head slightly stopping her before she could continue.

"You didn't know," He told her honestly as he allowed his hand to drop from Kagome's back. "And, that's—," He cleared his throat loudly as he brought a hand up to rub at the back of his head. "I should have told you but—."

"I understand." Sango interrupted him this time as she stood from the bed sending him a pained smile. "That's not the kind of thing," She hesitated trying to think of the appropriate word but coming up with nothing. "Men like—um—you talk about."

Inuyasha involuntarily winced at her words but the feel of Kagome's hand suddenly squeezing his arm stopped him from overanalyzing what Sango meant.

"I just want you to know that," She glanced at Miroku for encouragement, which she received in the form of a slight nod. "It doesn't matter who your parents were," She turned back towards the half dog demon Captain, catching one of his golden eyes with her own. "Because you're you and we—," She looked back at Miroku one more time watching as the man nodded his head up and down brightly in agreement. "We love you," She smiled confidently as she turned back around and attempted to convey the deepest possible meaning of her words with her eyes alone. "Otou-san."

Inuyasha felt the hand on his arm tighten as if in agreement as well, his breath hitching in his throat as absorbed the true beauty behind Sango's words. In true Inuyasha fashion however, he couldn't think of any means of reply and instead sent her an almost awkward loop sided smile.

Behind Sango, Miroku shook his head and stepped towards his wife, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Suki desu," He offered the Japanese equivalent to his father's words Sango and Kagome both furrowing their eyebrows as they tried to comprehend the words. "Otou-san."

Inuyasha snorted slightly as if amused before sending his son an openly affectionate smile. "Suki desu," He replied to both Miroku and Sango's earlier words. "Musuko," He looked at Miroku as he spoke the word for 'my son' before turning towards Sango. "To Giri no musume." The words for 'daughter-in-law' slipped from his lips, words that Miroku understood clearly even if Sango did not.

"I'll tell her." Miroku offered as he motioned towards the door with his one free hand. "Konbanwa."

Without replying, Inuyasha turned placing his hand on Kagome's hip in order to turn her as well. Escorting her the short distance to the door, the dog demon grabbed for the handle hastily before practically shoving Kagome outside. Closing the door behind them, the dog demon paused taking a deep breath as he collected his thoughts. He was not one for words, at least not when he felt he had an audience, and he didn't particularly enjoy such open displays of affection. However, despite that he couldn't help but feel insanely happy and, perhaps to an even greater extent, relieved at that very moment.

"She doesn't hate me." He found himself saying out loud even if he didn't realize it.

Beside him Kagome narrowed her gaze for just a second trying to process the Captain's words. "Why would she hate you?" She wanted to say but held back as the answer jumped into her head. "The world sees with eyes clouded by hate." Instantly, Kagome felt her heart clench in her chest as the horrible reality filled her. Unable to resist the urge, she reached for him allowing one of her hands to touch his own.

The Captain didn't even jump from the contact, only turned towards her quickly while tightening his grip around her hand. Instantaneously, he was met with the sight of her bright grey eyes shining despite the dim light of the twilight world, their gentle color making his heart constrict in his chest. "Kagome." He whispered her name not expecting a reply as he looked at the first girl who had ever accepted what he was. "If it wasn't for you, would I—," He questioned silently as he gazed down at her, his hand holding on just a little tighter as if he was afraid she might disappear. "Would Sango have known, would I have known," He stressed the pronoun, the sound of it echoing loudly throughout his mind. "That there are people who—who—don't hate us?" Inuyasha knew the answer was properly 'no,' so much so, that he couldn't stop the words that fell from his lips then. "Thank you." He told her with true gratitude hovering in his eyes.

"For what?" Kagome responded with a shrug and a bright innocent smile.

Inuyasha snorted and shook his head before bringing a hand behind her neck to pull her forward. She gasped in surprise as she nearly lost her balance, her whole body coming uprooted until she found herself against a solid and warm chest. Breathing deeply she waited, the feel of his breath against the top of her head tantalizing. Suddenly, she felt his weight shift and the hot wetness of his lips against her skin as he leaned forward and gently kissed her forehead. Closing her eyes, she relished in the feel of that sweet sensation until he finally pulled away and looked down at her once more.

"Just," He hesitated for only a moment, looking away from her, appearing almost shy; a part of him Kagome realized she was the only one privy to know. "Thank you."

-break-

Standing in the old manor house Naraku felt, for the first time since he had officially left Port Royal over eight months before, small or better phrased young. The house was just as he remembered it: suffocatingly large, with windows that reached all the way to the ceiling and curtains covering them just as long. The hard wood floors were polished to the point of shine and the imported silk carpets that lined the halls sparingly were so well maintained that not a single run ran threw them. The paintings all were imports or family heirlooms, which hung upon the walls dusted and bright even in the darkness; thousands of dollars hanging from single nails.

"The whole house is just—," He took a step forward as his voice echoed in the dark. "Too perfect." The young weasel demon frowned darkly as his boot clad feet shuffled against the old wood, scrapping at hand polished wax. Passing a corner table, the boy turned, studying the fine imported Chinese vase with narrowed eyes as memories flooded back to him of an unsatisfying childhood.

"Who the hell broke my vase!?" His father yelled at the top of his lungs as he rushed into the nursery where Naraku and his two older brother's sat playing quietly. Storming across the floor, the man arrived in front of his youngest son without preamble, his bright blue eyes flashing with fury. "Naraku?" He questioned but the sound came across as more accusing than inguiring.

The tiny boy looked up at his father with big black eyes as he lowered the book he had been reading. "It weren't me." He said honestly, even as his tiny heart picked up in his chest from fear.

"Wasn't." His father barely bothered to correct as he narrowed his eyes darkly at the boy. "And don't lie to me."

"But I'm not lying!" The boy protested as one of his brother's snickered from behind him.

"Come on Naraku," Steffan laughed as he watched Naraku squirm. "We all know you are the king of lies."

"Don't lie Steffan!" Naraku fired back as he stood to his feet turning to give his brother a dirty look that was instantly squashed by the feel of a strong grip yanking on his arm.

"Don't yell at your brother." His father ordered angrily, right before his free hand came down against Naraku's cheek.

The sound of the slap echoing in his head brought him back to the present, where Naraku found himself standing in the middle of the parlor which lead to the room his older brother would be staying in whilst his father was away. Unconsciously, he found he had brought one hand to his face and was cradling a long since healed bruise with angry fingers. "They always blamed me." He thought as he ripped his hand away from his cheek and gritted his teeth with resentment. "It was always my fault." He raised his head and stared at the closed bedroom door with fire burning in his eyes. "And I never knew why—."

He let the sentence dissipate in his mind as he stared at that dark burgundy door. Lying on the other side of that door was the truth, a truth he had always hoped to learn. Lying on the other side of that door were answers: answers to his father's beatings, to his brother's hate, and to his very mother's name. Everything laid on the other side of that door and yet—

Naraku gritted his teeth, "I don't want to go through that door." His words hung in the air like a disease, slowly eating at him violently until a voice in the very back of his mind spoke. "No fear." It said the sound of it chiming all around his brain in almost a mocking sort of way. "Kill." Naraku tightened his fingers into large balled fist, the word sweeping over him, touching and tainting his heart. "Kill." He repeated the phrase as he licked his lips. "If all else fails—kill." He agreed as he stepped forward moonlight from an opened curtain skirting across his face as he reached for the door.

The handle turned with a silent click, the door conveniently unlocked and ready for entry. The weasel demon smirked, relieved, and pushed the door completely opened. He was met with darkness, the curtains drawn leaving the room comfortably dark but not so dark that demon eyes were incapable of sight. Adjusting quickly to the lack of light, Naraku blinked before taking a causal step forward his black eyes just able to make out the shaky outlines of the room.

The wardrobe to his left was the first thing he made out and then the vanity which sat beside it. He could even see the outline of a chair, resting underneath the vanity's dark wood like a silent guard. Naraku watched it for several seconds, his mind processing the sight of that simple chair in a very none simplistic way.

A ten year old Naraku stuck his head around the tall burgundy door, looking into his father's bedroom wearily. At first, he saw nothing and encouraged opened the door a little farther causing it to hiss and squeak. He jumped hastily at the noise and winced when he heard shifting from inside. "Run!" His instincts screamed in his head but before he could turn and flee, the sound of his father's voice hit his ears.

"Who's there?" The man said gruffly but not gruff with anger, more like sore from pain, raspy. "Steffan?" His father called softly towards the room but Naraku was frozen in place, unable to even whisper. "Gaven?" His father tried again although his voice was beginning to sound aggravated. "Naraku," He sighed heavily as he spoke, the sound of shifting catching the young demon off guard once more. "What do you want, child?"

Knowing he had no hopes of running away now that he had been successfully identified, Naraku pushed the door opened completely. There, sitting to his left just out of view of the door, was his father. The relatively young demon looked old from Naraku's angle as he hunched, leaning on the vanity with his head cradled in one hand. "Papa?" The little Naraku asked as he watched his father reach for a small glass of murky colored water.

"What?" His father bit out as he turned and looked Naraku dead in the eye.

The sight made Naraku gasp, not because he was scared of his father but because he had never seen his father look this way before. His eyes were red and puffy, his skin pasty and pale white, his cheeks normally rounded and rosy when he drank were hollow, and his bright eyes normally contrasting with his dark skin were lost, dead, hidden by lackluster irises. "Are you okay, Papa?"

"You look like her—," His father heaved a heavy sigh as he took a drink from the small glass hissing as the liquid burned his throat. "Get your fucking face out of my sight." He snarled the words loudly, allowing them to fill the entirety of the room before (much to Naraku's surprise) chose that moment to throw the crystal glass right at the boy's head.

Naraku involuntarily dodged the imaginary approaching glass, his eyes widening as the memory became once more just a memory. "What the fuck is wrong with me?" He asked himself resisting the urge to snarl and beat his own head with his hands. "I can't take this shit much longer—I need—I need." He tore his eyes away from the small chair and towards the large canopy bed. He could see a lump in the bed, a small bundle of demon warmth.

He took a step forward, his eyes never leaving the unmoving bulge as he felt his heart race in his chest. It only took one brief moment before he found himself beside the bed, his eyes now able to discern blondish brown tuffs of hair distinctly. Naraku hovered over the bed watching as his brother slept soundly, his eyes closed and his hands holding the covers tightly around himself for warmth. Briefly it crossed his mind that it would only take the subtlest of movements to simply end the life of Steffan right then and there. The image of Helen, constantly playing in his head however, stopped him from acting on any of the possibilities.

Suddenly, the lump in the bed moved, the body turning and the eyes opening. Bright blue eyes looked straight at Naraku, a sleep filled haze causing them to close in disbelief. It was only a matter of seconds however, before bright blue eyes flew opened once more and terror filled dilating pupils. "What the fuck?" The man threw himself upright in a panic, the bed sheets falling across his waist as he looked straight at Naraku. "What are you doing here?" He growled as he looked at Naraku with fire practically burning in his eyes.

"I came to visit." Naraku answered sarcastically as he watched his brother's initial panic turn to hate. "That's the way he always reacts though, isn't it?"

Now fully awake and sitting up in the bed, Steffan looked throughout the room confused, eyes darting this way and that hastily. "Where's father?" He asked bluntly as he turned back towards Naraku impatiently awaiting an answer.

The younger demon shrugged his shoulders in response, trying for all pretenses to look as if he was struggling with the words he was about to say. "Father's dead." He informed, his act not very convincing but luckily his words just enough to make Steffan ignore the poor performance.

Steffan allowed his mouth to open wide as he fell back on the pillows his hands falling limply in his lap. "Dead?" He whispered the word, his voice coming across as fitfully pained as Naraku's should have. "How?"

Naraku bit his lip knowing that if he told Steffan the truth now, he would not be privy to the answers which he sought. "Hurricane." He innocently replied as he watched the sadness encompass his brother's face with limited understanding.

"You're sure?" The man asked even as his both quaked with strain and heartache.

"I saw it with my own two eyes." Naraku whispered, the irony of his own words shocking even himself. "You could say."

"I can't" His brother attempted to speak as he processed everything, surprisingly believing his brother without question. After all, Naraku was his brother in the end or, at least, when it was convenient. "I can't believe he's gone."

Naraku rolled his eyes at the show of emotions for such a man as his father and shook his head. "That's all well and dandy brother," Naraku interrupted his brother's grief easily, little or no remorse reverberating through him as he spoke. His impatience had caught the better of him now, making him no longer care about the charade but only about who won the game. "But I've come here for different reasons."

Lifting his head quickly, Steffan opened his mouth to protest but stopped when he saw the strange black vacancy which was his brother's eyes. They were cold, colder than he could ever remember seeing them, as if the much younger man had somehow changed in the short (by demon terms) time he had been away. "What happened to you?"

"The truth dear brother." Naraku resisted the urge to send his brother a pretentious smirk. "I've begun to learn the truth."

"The truth?" Steffan felt his throat go dry and his heart stop beating in his chest. "About what?"

"Well, you see," Naraku took that moment to lower himself to the edge of the bed, the soft mattress sinking to accommodate him. "That's what I'd like to ask you about."

Steffan said not a word as he watched his brother make himself comfortable on the bed's edge. Instead, he merely stared at the man silently watching as an unnerving blankness seemed to encompass his younger brother for just a moment. It was a blankness he recognized easily. It was one he had been seeing for years, the look his brother got right before he lost control.

"I want to know the truth," Naraku told his brother blatantly as he looked straight into his brother's shaking, paranoid eyes. "About my mother."

Steffan's breath hitched in his throat, a lump forming right in the middle of his trachea. "Your mother was my mother." He said as if the answer was the most obvious one in the world.

Naraku snorted and tore his eyes away from the older man as he fiddled with his pants leg for just a second. Inside his head, a tiny voice poked at his conscious angrily, the sound becoming louder and louder with each passing moment. "No more lies!" It screamed, the sound pushing against his skull nearly making him physically sick. "No more lies." Naraku repeated the voices words as he turned towards his brother fully his hands actually shaking as he resisted the urge to act on his impulses.

"But," His brother attempted to send him a patronizing smile. "That isn't a lie—your mother is my—."

Unable to resist any further, Naraku threw himself across the bed without warming. Large clawed hands encircled his brother's neck before he could stop himself. "You're lying." He snarled as memory after memory of his brother's lies flooded into his head, wrapping him up in a blanket of resentment and anger.

Steffan tried to open his mouth to speak but the pressure on his wind pipe prevented the necessary air from entering his lungs. "Na—ra-a-a—," He panted even as he felt his brother's claws dig into the side of his neck.

"You've always lied!" Naraku roared as he continued to chock his brother, shaking the man, slamming his head into the luckily soft pillows in his fury. "From the moment of my birth you lied and probably even before it," He gripped the poor man even tighter, the demon below him gasping and wheezing as he attempted to breath. "I won't let you fucking lie to me anymore!" He roared as his black eyes shone with all the hatred of an abused childhood.

"O—k—Okay!" Steffan managed to say the words even as his wind pipe started to clasp. Desperately, he grabbed for Naraku's arms pushing at them, clawing at them, attempting to do anything that would force the man to at the very least loosen his grip.

"Enough!" The voice in Naraku's head suddenly screamed and the weasel demon found himself unable to resist the order. Instantly, his hands abandoned their earlier post and his brother inhaled sharply, wheezing and rasping as he attempted to fill his lungs with oxygen once more. Pushing himself away from his brother Naraku looked down at his shaking hands, watching as they vibrated with a combination of adrenaline and hate.

"I'll tell you." Steffan forced the words to leave his lungs, his voice horse and terrified. "I'll tell you everything."

"Everything?" Naraku repeated as he looked at his older brother, watching as the man stared at him with an odd mixture of knowledge and understanding.

"Yes," Steffan nodded as he held his throat with one hand, his eyes watering as he spoke from pain. "Everything about your mother," He started to cough, little specks of blood actually staining the sheets as they were flung from the wounds on his neck. "About," He tried once more, the coughing fit nearly consuming him before he was able to raise his watering eyes to look directly at his baby brother. "Helen."

-break-

Walking up the stairs of the Shikuro, Kagome looked for the wheel automatically, her eyes landing on the gentle Myoga. Smiling the girl waved her hand as she mounted the last of the stairs, the sound of Inuyasha's feet close behind her, ringing in her ears. "Konbanwa." She said with a slight giggle.

"Konbanwa." Myoga replied, his eyes wrinkling with mirth as he watched the sweet girl approach. "What-to izu Kagome-sama doing on deck-u?"

"I'm giving her a lesson." Inuyasha supplied the answer before Kagome could speak his expression only slightly calmer than it had been down below. "You know, she wants to learn to navigate."

"Um." Myoga nodded sharply as he watched the boy he had known since childhood carefully. He could tell without having to ask that something was wrong with the youth; what it was however, he couldn't discern. Glancing at Kagome for just a second, the old man licked his lips before turning his attention back to Inuyasha. "Daijobu desu ka?" He asked deliberately in Nihon-go just in case the Captain didn't want Kagome to think he wasn't okay.

"Genki desu." Inuyasha responded quickly, watching carefully as Myoga gave him a look of disbelief.

Luckily for the tired dog demon, Myoga didn't appear to be in the mood to press the younger man for information but instead merely nodded his head and respected the blunt 'I'm fine' the young man had offered him. "Hai."

Offering the old flea an additional appreciative smile, Inuyasha turned towards Kagome watching her carefully as she raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Later." He mouthed before turning back to Myoga with serious eyes. "You can go ahead and go to bed Myoga," He nodded his head towards the staircase as he presented the suggestion, which sounded just slightly more like an order than proposition. "We'll take it from here."

"Hai, Inuyasha-sama." Myoga quickly agreed, his voice coming across as somewhat awkward. "Oyasuminasai," He said with a slight bow first towards Inuyasha and then towards Kagome who returned the bow and the expression with some awkwardness as well.

"Oyasum—e—sai." She tried her best, blushing just slightly as she stumbled over the word heavily.

Myoga sent her a tender smile in return and nodded his head firmly. "Beruy good, Kagome-sama." He told her proudly before turning towards the stairs almost abruptly and making his way across the deck.

Kagome watched the small man for a second as his shoulders disappeared down below before turning back towards Inuyasha expectantly. The dog demon was already looking at her as she turned, his gold eyes studying her figure openly. Blushing from the scrutiny, Kagome turned away and cleared her throat. "Um—." She started to say but was interrupted by Inuyasha's own hasty voice.

"So," He stopped her, not wanting Kagome to ask a question he was not yet ready to deal with. "Do you know what you look for first?" He asked, deciding to keep up the earlier pretense Kagome had used so they could retreat to the safety of the helm.

The young girl furrowed her brows from his words before opening her mouth in understanding. "I guess, we are gonna make a lesson out of this." She determined and pursed her lips in slight disappointment that soon passed. "Well," She paused for just a second in thought as she tried to remember the answer to his question. Looking upwards towards the sky, she stared at the waning moon, her grey eyes watching as little stars seemed to flare into existence while the sun disappeared beneath the horizon. "Polaris?"

Inuyasha smirked from her answer and shook his head as he held onto the wheel, turning it ever so slight to larboard. "Think bigger."

Kagome narrowed her eyes and drew her lips into a tight and sarcastic line. "The moon."

Inuyasha snorted, allowing himself to be openly amused with her response. "Okay, smaller."

"Really?" Kagome practically growled as she turned her eyes upwards once more, watching all of the stars as they awakened in the sky.

"Think about it," Inuyasha coached slightly as he pointed up into the sky with one clawed hand. "How do you find Polaris?"

Realization dawned on Kagome and the girl opened her mouth in silent irritation. "Of course, how'd I forget that?" She grumbled internally as she turned her focus towards the constellations up above. "First find the big bear," She self guided as she pointed a hand into the air, tracing the big bear in the sky with her finger. "Then follow it to the little bear," She continued, her eyes tracking her own finger as she followed the big bears head to the baby bears position. "And Polaris will be the end of his tail."

"Exactly." Inuyasha nodded, as he reached for the rope that would hold down the helm. "Now what does Polaris tell us?" He asked as he put the rope into position, tying their heading in place as night consumed them.

"Which direction is north." Kagome easily supplied as she continued to look up at the stars above their head, studying each constellation with new found navigational understanding.

"Very good." The dog demon told her as he stretched, the wheel now secured completely by the rope. Sighing loudly, he dropped to the ground, upturning his knees as to support his elbows on them while he looked out across the horizon. So far, he had only really taught her about finding Polaris as far as nighttime navigating was concerned. There were many things left to teach her of course, but at the moment he couldn't really think of anything in particular to teach. His mind was far too weighed down with other things.

Beside him, Kagome watched as the dog demon looked up at the sky, his expression almost vacant as if he was no longer inside his own body. Frowning, she bit her lip, empathy for the man's pain washing over her like a cold blanket. She knew firsthand how painful it was to lose a parent, even if she hadn't actually been there when her father had died. "Still, the pain in my heart," She told herself as she too sank down to the deck, crossing her feet. "It's unbearable, even now." Gulping down a forming lump, the young girl looked towards her intended sadly. "I'm sorry." She spoke into the gathering darkness, even as the stars and moon offered enough light to see him by.

Looking up quickly, Inuyasha tilted his head to one side and quirked an eyebrow. "About what?"

Turning away from him Kagome bit her lip gently, her eyes focused on the ground as she contemplated her next words. "I'm sorry—about, your mother." Her words were met with deafening silence and Kagome, fearing she had upset him greatly, turned quickly in his direction. The sight that met her however, was not depressing, upset, angry, nor sad; instead, she saw a charming yet pained smile, lining an exceptionally handsome face.

"She was an amazing woman." He spoke carefully as he looked straight at her, old pain flashing for just a moment in his eyes. "But—she died a very long time ago," He gulped as his words came to fruition, the sound of them as unbelievable to him as they were to Kagome. "And there's nothing I can do about that."

Kagome felt her heart clench tightly in her chest as the urge to reach for him overwhelmed her completely. Carefully, she moved to her knees, scooting forward once she was able so she could properly reach for his hand. The Captain actually blushed from the blatant nature of her movement, his hand warming as she held it between two soft hands. "I'm still sorry." She told him, her eyes focused on their knees which were no more than a half a foot apart.

Overwhelmed by both her kind words and the warmth that was overflowing from her hands to his own, Inuyasha failed to resist the urge to pull her forward into an impromptu hug. "You're too good for me." He told her as he buried his nose into her hair, inhaling her scent of Irish lily's and salty water deeply.

A red tint forming on the bridge of her nose, Kagome closed her eyes, falling into the warmth that was his massive arms. Her whole body shuddered as the heat from his body penetrated her clothes, wrapping all around her, blocking out the cold that encompassed them. As soon as the hug began however, it ended. Inuyasha pulled himself away from her regretfully, his arms falling from her back, landing on the ground beside her before he moved himself away.

Shifting somewhat awkward, Kagome looked off to the side of the ship, attempting to think of anything she might be able to say to end the intrepid silence. "Well, now that the secrets out where are we gonna stay in Ireland?" The words stumbled from her mouth, officially changing the subject as she stepped back with her gentlest smile on her face.

"We're going to Dublin." Inuyasha answered quickly yet cryptically as he licked his lips, his mind still focused on the possibility of tasting her. "We're gonna stay with the three scalawags."

"Scalawags?" Kagome wrinkled her nose as she took in the completely new word.

Inuyasha snickered in response as if there was something highly amusing about the word itself. "You'll met them soon, probably in another two or three days."

Kagome opened her mouth to protest the Captain's words but found herself cut off before she could even get one word in edgewise.

"Be patient." He interrupted before she could ask any more questions about the three mysterious men. "You'll met them we when get there."

Kagome nodded her head slightly even as her heart pounded slightly in her chest in anticipation. "Who could they possibly be?" She turned back towards the beautiful night sky. "The Three Scalawags." The thought taunted her senses as the Captain stood beside her looking out across the sea with searching eyes.

It wasn't his eyes that found what he was searching for first this time, however. It was the sound of the ocean's currents becoming swifter, of water washing not on a bow but against land. The Captain closed his eyes and took in the beautiful sound, his mind able to imagine the sight he could not see. A cliff higher than any other he had ever stood on in the world, grass that was green and always was green year round, blue grey water which matched her eyes, and surf which tried to climb an impossible height.

Opening his eyes, Inuyasha looked towards the sightless object, just barely able to make out the shape of cliffs looming in the distance. "The cliffs of Moher," He told himself as he inhaled sharply, knowing that their journey would be over in only a matter of a few days. "I'm home."

End of Chapter

Please Review

A/N: I hope you enjoyed the chapter! We had some great fluff in this chapter that was really fun to write and I hope just as fun to read. As for next chapter, we will be meeting three very important scalawags from Inuyasha's past, it promises to be a blast!

Bonus Question:

In what episode does Inuyasha give Kagome an impromptu hug that ends with him pushing her down the well?

Last Chapter's Bonus Point:

Naraku literally translates into hell! In some cases this can also mean evil because of the Japanese cultures idea of hell and the way connotations apply to different words. Great job for everyone who won! Congrats:

Aozora12, KittyIchigo1, 14 inu-kag, Alice's Secret Lover, Leomae, LadyDogDemon, KaUiA, AiydanWarrior, Saria Forest14, kan78

Notes:

Oarlock - The rectangular lock at the end of the rigger which physically attaches the oar to the boat. The oarlock also allows the rower to rotate the oar blade between the "square" and "feather" positions. Also historically called 'Rowing Gate' by some manufacturers.

Gulf Stream - Together with its northern extension towards Europe, the gulf stream is a powerful, warm, and swift current that originates at the tip of Florida, and follows the eastern coastlines of the US and Newfoundland before crossing the Atlantic Ocean. European discovery of the Gulf Stream dates to the 1513 expedition of Juan Ponce de León. By following the gulf stream, ships going to Europe from America were able to shave several weeks off their trips. Meaning, the gulf stream current makes it quicker to go from America to Europe than to go from Europe to America.

Genki desu – I'm fine.

The Cliffs of Moher – (Irish: Aillte an Mhothair) are located at the southwestern edge of the Burren region in Country Clare, Ireland. They rise 120 metres (390 ft) above the Atlantic Ocean at Hag's Head, and reach their maximum height of 214 metres (702 ft) just north of O'Brien's Tower, eight kilometres to the north. The cliffs receive almost one million visitors a year.

Next Chapter:

The Three Scalawags

See you then!

UNEDITED

POSTED

3/24/2013