Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Inuyasha characters. Nekoyasha and Isaaru are the only things out of my little head.

Chapter 5: Courting a Demon

In the light of the torch that Naraku left, Kagome watched her friend as the cat sobbed. After a few long moments Nekoyasha looked up at the miko.

"Was the monk Miroku's father?" Kagome tentatively asked.

Nekoyasha gave her a small smile. "Yes, he was."

"Would you have had his child?"

Nekoyasha sighed. "There were many reasons that I said no. Of course there was my daughter, but I could have had another child. It was the fact that my husband had just been killed. I needed someone who would be there for me. I knew that Rinoke could not stay. As you have noticed from his son, men like that never wish to stay in the same place for long."

Kagome nodded. "And the samurai?"

Nekoyasha bit her lip to hold back her tears. "My husband. He was killed in a war that even I couldn't stop." She looked away from Kagome. "What kind of Demon Lady am I if I couldn't even pull the strings to keep my husband safe?"

Kagome was quiet for a while. It was a question that was asked in pain and did not need an answer. So instead the future girl asked, "Can you tell me about him?"

Nekoyasha looked up and smiled a sad smile. "He was very persistent. He caught me human one night and kept coming back to see if he could see me that way again. His only power was that he got a cat hanyou out of her shell."

"Nani?"

"I used to be very much like Inuyasha and did not want anyone to see me on my human nights. Well, you see his mother was sick…"

)()()()(

Thirty-eight years before:

Damn new moon. Well, at least the village knows not to bother me tonight, a black-haired Nekoyasha thought as she settled herself down to eat something and settle in for the night.

She was curled up in front of the fire painting when a knock was heard at her door. She froze. Maybe if she didn't answer the person would go away.

Again a knock came even louder. "Nekoyasha, I know you are in there! Let me in!" the young samurai yelled.

Nekoyasha sighed. If she didn't answer him, Isaaru would probably knock her house down.

"Go away, Isaaru! I am not seeing anyone tonight!"

Isaaru sighed. This little demon healer didn't get it. He wasn't going to leave without her help. "It's my mother, Nekoyasha."

"I saw her just yesterday and prescribed some medicine for her. She should be fine if she has been taking it."

"That's the problem! She has taken it and it is not helping!"

Nekoyasha did not like where this was going. She gave up a silent prayer to anyone that was listening. "I can't do anything about it tonight."

Isaaru had enough of this. "Oh yes you will!" he roared and tore the door off and walked inside.

Nekoyasha screamed and blew out the candle as she hid. This was not going to be good if this… this warrior saw her as a fragile human.

"Nekoyasha, where are you?"

"I told you to go away! I will not see anyone tonight!" she screamed back at him.

He slowly looked around. He smiled when he saw her shadow from the fire light. He quietly went over to her hiding place and pulled her out of it. She screamed and covered her face with her hands.

Isaaru blinked. He studied the fingers in front of him. They didn't look to have claws. Also her hair was the wrong color. The healer's hair was red not black. He pulled her hands away from her face and looked into her gray eyes.

"Who are you and what have you done with our healer?"

"Isaaru, put me down. I am Nekoyasha."

Surprisingly he did as she instructed. She took a step back from him and brushed herself off. When she looked back at him, she found that he was staring intently at her.

"Isaaru?"

"You look different tonight… Your hair is the wrong color."

The girl sighed. "I know. This is why I can't help anyone tonight."

That statement seemed to awaken the samurai. "You have to help my mother. I don't know if she will last the night if you don't."

"I can't help anyone when I'm… I'm…" She held her hands out. "When I am like this."

The man reached out and grabbed her hands. "Like what? Are you saying that you shy away from the town because you are human?" She nodded. He laughed. "This is your mother's village. No one is going to look down on you because of it. Besides does this affect your ability as a healer?"

She thought about it for a minute, then shook her head.

"Then come on," he said as he grabbed her hand and pulled. She resisted.

"I can't go out there like this." He shook his head and put his cloak around her covering her head.

"There. Now, no one will know it is you."

)()()()(

"That's so sweet," Kagome commented.

Nekoyasha smiled at the memory and her friend's comment. "I suppose so."

"How was his mother?"

"She was ill. The herbs I gave her weren't working so we had to try something else."

"How did she take to you?"

Nekoyasha stared off into space. "She had heard the stories of my mother and had seen the occasional painting. She took it well. It was easy to see where Isaaru received his tolerance from."

"And what happened after?"

"Isaaru kept coming to see me. He would bring me flowers and herbs and animals that he had hunted…"

)()()()(

Nekoyasha looked around her door. There was Isaaru standing there with a basket in his hands. The cat sighed.

"Isaaru, I keep telling you that I don't change every night."

The man smiled. "I know, but I have become accustomed to seeing thee every night now. I find I enjoy thy company. Care to join me on a picnic?"

"What if someone needs my services while I'm out?"

He was prepared for this. "We can have it in the field behind your house."

She found she couldn't argue with that. The truth of the matter was she would be sad if he stopped showing up every night. But she wasn't going to let him know that.

They were laid out on the blanket looking up at the stars. Nekoyasha admitted to herself that the man was a good cook… or perhaps his mother had made the meal. It didn't matter though. She enjoyed being with him. Could I be falling in love? She shook her head. Of course not.

Isaaru let out a long sigh. The feline turned to face him. He turned to face her and put his arm around her.

"Nekoyasha, I am leaving soon."

"Why?"

"One of the warlords is making trouble. He is trying to gain other provinces that are not his."

The Lady frowned. "I think I know which one you are talking about. We are having problems with him as well. Thinks he is better than he is." She paused a moment. "How long will you be gone?"

"About a cycle of the moon. I was wondering if my mother could stay here with you while I'm away. Since I am her only son and will not be here."

The healer smiled. "She is welcomed here."

"Good. Also I have one other question to ask you."

"Okay," she replied a little hesitantly.

"When I come back, will you be my mate?"

)()()()(

A/N: Sorry for taking so long to update. This chapter kind of took awhile as did the chapter after it. Plus I haven't been to the computer lab in quite some time. My cousin was in town, and my boyfriend broke up with me (that alone will wipe the creativity out of anyone).

Thank you for the reviews. Tell me if you want me to continue this side story. (There would only be a few more scenes.) I started this because a) I did not know where to go from chapter 3 (getting the gang to the castle) and b) I wanted to work with Nekoyasha's husband and thought this would be as good of place as any.

Thanks again!