AN: Sorry for the long wait. My mind has been on other things lately. Either way, I had some spare time today, so for your amusement is the next chapter to this story. Here you go!

Cloud Nine

Inuyasha stormed back to the camp, fury blazing in his eyes. Kikyou noticed with interest that Kagome was not with him. "What happened?" she asked quietly.

"That wench went with Sesshoumaru!" he snarled. "She turned her back on me!" Suddenly he collapsed to his knees, trembling visibly. Kikyou hurried and kneeled beside him.

"Inuyasha!" She grabbed his shoulder and shook him. "Please, tell me what is wrong!"

He looked at her then, and she gasped. His eyes were completely clear for the first time in months. Fear and anger shone from their depths.

"Something . . . is wrong." he gasped. "Kikyou . . . I hurt . . . her. Kagome. I swore . . . to protect her." His arms were shaking with the effort of holding himself up. "Dear kami . . . he was right. It . . . isn't over . . . yet."

He collapsed on the ground, leaving Kikyou staring at him in a horrified wonder as the full meaning of his tortured words sank in.

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In the three weeks that passed Kagome became more and more a part of Sesshoumaru's small pack. Even Jaken seemed to take a liking to her, even if he did still growl about wayward humans from time to time. She was still Rin's onee-san; if anything, close proximity to the girl had only cemented that bond.

As for Sesshoumaru, he found that he could not regret his decision to take her in. He enjoyed her company, her ever increasing enthusiasm for their travels. Often he would sit beside her at night, talking about their pasts, what things were like before the arrival of Naraku.

"Don't you ever go home?" she said one night. Rin was sleeping in her lap as miko and taiyoukai sat back to back. The top of her head barely caome to his shoulders.

"I don't really have a home." he admitted. Despite his habitually bland voice, Kagome could tell he enjoyed these conversations. "Once, in my father's early years, the Western Lands had a cohesive government. Now, I go where the rumors of trouble take me. That's how all the lords rule."

"Huh." She tilted her head back thoughtfully. "I haven't seen my family in months, not since they died. I couldn't face them. They pitied me for what I lost."

He could hear the scorn in her voice. "You do not accept pity."

She snorted in disgust. "Iie. I don't need it and it does no good. I need them to help me move on, and they didn't. They let me wallow in it." Suddenly she sighed. "Not that I can really blame them. The only one who would really understand was Okaa-san, and she wasn't there."

Sesshoumaru hardly heard her last statement. That first part had his mind reeling in surprise. He hadn't even begun to suspect . . .

He tilted his head back so it was resting on hers. "Perhaps we are more alike than we thought."

She smiled and relaxed against him, her eyes closing on their own accord. "Perhaps." she murmured. Her breathing evened out as she fell asleep.

The taiyoukai allowed his lips to curve into a small smile as he reached around him and settled the miko and child more comfortably in his lap. Somehow, in some way, Kagome had definitely grown on him.

Father, please keep them safe.

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AN: oh, btw – kouyuu won the vote. by one vote. less work for me!! review, please!