Chapter 4: Food and Entertainment

Janis rolled over on the ground, it was the middle of the night and she was tired, but there was no way she could sleep after the day she'd had. Who could? Everyone else seemed to, they all slept soundly, and it was obvious that this was routine for them.

She got up slowly so not to wake the others and looked around, they'd made camp in a thick forest near the rushing riverbank. She knew it would be best not to wander far, but she really needed time to think. She stepped over a couple sleeping bodies and set out for her walk.

She leisurely took one step after another, the breeze picking up stray locks of her wispy hair, the soft brown reflected caramel in the moonlight. Her green eye shone like jade and the blue gleamed like the morning sapphire sky, she patted the dirt of her skirt as she continued.

A sprinkle of rain began, unaware to her she'd s walked right into a clearing and the soft rain intensified immensely. She was beyond the sight of the group, which of course was what she wanted, she needed as much space as she could put between her and the group.

"I just want to go home," she whispered.

And then there was a voice.

Janis. . .

She shook it off and turned on her heel back to the direction in which she came.

The midday sun beat brightly against Janice's closed eyes, she was pressed against something warm, and comfortable. She nuzzled her face further into the warmth attempting to shield her eyes, then she realized she was moving. She opened her eyes tiredly and blinked the sleep away from them. She furrowed her eyebrows and looked around quizzically.

Her arms were tightly wrapped around InuYasha's neck, and his long arms were under the bends of her knees so that she was securely strapped to his back. Before she'd awaken her head was resting snugly against his back, where his sliver cascading hair cushioned her head as a pillow. He'd been carrying her.

"Where are we?" she asked sleepily, she looked around, trying to decipher as to where they were. Until she realized once more that she wasn't home anymore. She lifted her head slightly, judging by the position of the sun it was just about noon. How long had she slept?

"Oh, great you're awake!" said Kagome, smiling.

"Thank god!" said InuYasha, he let go of her legs, letting her down, "I've been carrying you since sunrise," a pinch of irritability clung to his voice.

"We tried to wake you up, but you were out cold," said Kagome, walking beside her.

"Sorry," Janice laughed slightly, completely embarrassed.

"Hey don't worry about it," said Kagome smiling at her, "are you hungry? We've been waiting for you to wake, so we could eat. It's only polite, you know. We decided that to have lunch up there- by the river." She pointed ahead, there only a few yards away was perhaps the most pristine sparkling aqua blue water she'd seen. The whole scene looked absolutely perfect, above the river was a small cute wooden bridge.

As they gathered themselves Kagome set up the lunch area, placing down a red-checkered picnic blanket and dumping her massive yellow backpack out on top of it. She pulled some food from the pile, "good thing I brought extra this time." She said and handed Janice a cup of noodles. Janice gratefully accepted the food, sitting beside her was InuYasha who tore into various things rapidly, as if he hadn't eaten in weeks.

They sat in a circle, all enjoying the abundance of food, Janis was glad that most of the food was from the present it aiding in the healing process of being homesick. Janice finished her noodles quickly, during the meal everyone had been generally quiet (except InuYasaha's continuous slurping noises) to the state in which they had been occupied with their eating. InuYasha wiped a stray piece of food from his face with the sleeve of his kimono, somehow Janis suspected that he would have horribly messy eating habits from their first encounter.

Now, after eating Janis felt rejuvenated and enthusiastic, there was no reason she couldn't make the day a good one. She grew wide-eyed with her new found enthusiasm at the beauty of the river, she stood then hurried over towards it. Her pace quickened as approached the bridge, now at the railing she peered over to the wondrous sight and watched with amusement as her reflection twinkled beneath her.

InuYasha cocked an eyebrow at her excitement, the others paid no mind, and casually finished eating. Janis leaned over the railing , and let out a sigh of delight, "the water's so beautiful!" she said, her expression enlightened.

"Perfect for swimming," InuYasha's voice was followed by a firm push on the small of her back. She gasped and whirled around as she toppled over the side, as a reflex she grabbed the hand quickly before it and she retreated from sight.

"Ahhh!' she heard InuYasha growl as she pulled him down with her, she caught him completely off guard which surprised him more than the fact she'd actually caught his hand. On impact the water splashed up, splattering harshly over the bridge.

"WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA?!" she screamed, when she resurfaced, her hair plastered to her face. He was beginning to really annoy her, before she was willing to let bygones be bygones but now she was pissed. She knew that she annoyed him, for reasons unknown to her, it didn't take a genius to figure that out.

"You needed a bath anyways!" he retaliated, slightly bobbing in the deep water.

"You shouldn't be talking!" she yelled, splashing him angrily.

"I don't smell as bad as you!" he snarled, infuriated by the splash.

"No, you just shouldn't be talking."

"Did you just tell me to shut up?!" he lunged at her, dunking her fully underwater. After a moment her hands sprang up and grabbed his ears, forcefully pulling him under as well.

"Well they seem to be getting along well," mused Sango, as she slurped down the last of her ramen.

"Indeed," Miroku nodded, trying his best to refrain from laughing.

"Boy, InuYasha sure is an idiot." Commented Shippo, as he gradually sucked on a giant lollipop.

After many corrupted attempts both of them finally made it to shore, each giving the other the silent treatment to the other. InuYasha shook off, making water return to Janis's already dripping wet clothes, she glared and once again tried to stop her dripping hair. At this rate it would be nearly impossible for her to get her hair dry, seeing as how long it was, whereas the shaking dog-method worked pretty well for InuYasha, he already looked dry.

The wind started to blow, sending freezing chills down her back. Ominous black clouds overrode the once brightly shinning sun casting extending shadows across the meadows. That's just rude, she couldn't help thinking as she looked at the sky. She and InuYasha joined the rest of the group, one smiling triumphantly l and the other shivering utterly defeated.

Janis traveled at the back of the pack, InuYasha in front of her and everyone else in front of him, carrying on a conversation that she had no place in, and felt misplaced just for over hearing it. Where did my good day go? She questioned gloomily in her mind. She crossed her arms over her chest and scowled, her bones were chilled.

InuYasha's golden eyes betrayed him as they subtly ventured to her as he walked, his expression changed when he saw how cold she actually was. After watching her shiver for a while he rolled his eyes feeling terribly guilty, because his clothes were already dry.

After a second Janis looked up from watching her hair drip on the grass, the top of InuYasha's robe was extended to her, he was still walking steadily but he'd fallen back a few steps to even his stride with hers. She looked to him anticipating some snide remark but all she saw was the back of his head.

"It's dry," he said lowly. She honestly didn't know how to react, but took it as he said silently. She draped it around her shoulder and cuddled into it, the cloth was still warmed from his body and she thoroughly appreciated it. As they walked she let her eyes follow his steps, then let her gaze wander.

"Thank you," she said quietly, yet loud enough for him to hear. His ears twitched, but he didn't reply.

"So," began Miroku after a long pause, "I suppose you don't sense a demonic aura." It took Janis a moment to compute that he was talking to her.

"I guess," she said with uncertainty, "but if that's what it is was, why doesn't that same thing happen whenever InuYasha or Shippo around?" the only difference she could tell was that they weren't for the exception of one, wasn't trying to kill her.

"Hmm. . ." he pondered, "perhaps it's because their hearts aren't tainted with evil and hatred, like the one before."

Janis shrugged, she obviously had no idea. Miroku glanced over his shoulder behind him for the first time in a while, he examined what she was wearing then looked over to InuYasha. An odd feeling washed over him, and a goofy expression took over his face.

"Wh-what!?" asked Janis, feeling nervous under his gaze.

InuYasha looked at him, "what's your deal, Miroku?"

"How very kind of you to offer your robe to Miss Janis." He smiled, mischievously.

"Shut up, perverted monk," he growled, punching him upside the head, "it's not like that." At the sound of the smack the other looked back.

Kagome glared at InuYasha, "you're so rude! SIT" InuYasha, on impact, cause the ground to tremble.

Janis couldn't help but smile, "I truly love when it when she does that!" at the sound of her voice he growled.

InuYasha sprang up from his crater, "and here I was being nice to you!"

"You call that nice?"

"Consider yourself lucky I don't hurt short weaklings!"

"You're always beating up on me!" interrupted Shippo.

InuYasha smacked him on the head, "this doesn't concern you, Shippo!"

"See!" he whined.

"You're so immature!" shouted Kagome, she pointed then screamed, "SIT!"

"Would you stop that!" the half-dog demon mumbled into the earth.

". . . sit," she said with her hands on her hips. He groaned, face fully planted in the dirt.

"Idiot," replied Shippo, as he stood over the fallen InuYasha.