'Shippou-chan,' Kagome thought wearily. 'what's the matter with you. I love you so much and it hurts that you're shutting me out!'

After about twenty minutes of walking in near contemplative silence, the trio reached a spot deep enough into the woods just outside the perimeter of a park that nobody would be able to see them.

"Okay," Shippou spoke commandingly. "Stay here. I'll transform and carry you to the house."

"Y'know," Kyo spoke up hesitantly.

"What?" Shippou asked exasperatedly. He really didn't want to listen to anything the red haired boy had to say. He didn't know why, but he didn't like him one bit.

"Never mind."

'What were you about to say Kyo-kun?' Kagome thought as she observed Kyo's shifty eyes and worried and uncomfortable expression.

He wanted to show Kagome the true form of the cat, but he had just gained her love. He didn't want her to get scared and leave him even if it would mean they could see her family faster if he ran beside Shippou. The other red-head was just going to have to figure out a way for all three of them to get to go.

Kagome looked up to see Shippou walking twenty feet away and sitting cross-legged. He closed his eyes and sat that way for a good five minutes before a green glow spread from his chest to the rest of his body. The soft glow gained strength as if a sunrise was peeking through a green canopy. Eventually the light became so bright, Kagome and Kyo had to look away for fear of losing their sight.

'You can look now.' They both looked up and had polar opposite reactions.

"Omigosh! Shippou-chan! You're amazing! You're so big and strong!" Kagome squealed in absolute pride and adoration. Her little kit was no longer as little as he had once been. Now he was a good seven feet tall at the shoulder and his muscles rippled smoothly under his sleek auburn coat. He was truly a fox demon now that he had awoken his true form and could control it.

"Oh, my…" Kyo trailed off. "What the… What just…" He couldn't be scared by the transformation considering his curse, but he was in complete shock at how big Shippou had gotten. And Kagome's reaction to the transformation was a complete surprise. If she reacted like that about Shippou, would she react the same way about him? His form wasn't nearly as beautiful or strong as Shippou's. Maybe she would turn him away in disgust. He decided that it wasn't necessary to tell Kagome about his other form, at least not now.

'Climb on,' Shippou commanded, slightly cheered by the praise Kagome had given him. He knelt down so that, with Kyo's help, Kagome could clamber onto his back. Kyo scrambled up after Kagome and they were on their way. It was time to meet the family.

Thirty minutes passed as Shippou sped through the woods, expertly jumping fallen trees and dodging fallen rocks without breaking his stride. The miles zoomed away as Shippou kept going.

Kagome and Kyo kept silent for the whole trip, both contemplating what would happen when they got to wherever they were going. Kagome was nervous because she wasn't sure if she would be able to fit back into the family now that so much time had passed. She was also kind of scared of what InuYasha's reaction to Kyo would be. He was always overprotective of her when Kouga tried to court her even though he had Kikyou. Now that Kikyou was gone, did he think he could just take her? Well, he certainly had another think coming! Kagome was nobody's second choice!

Kyo was terrified even if he wouldn't admit it to anyone, not even himself. He was going to a house full of demons that could tear him apart if they so desired. He couldn't defeat Yuki, so what chance did he have of defeating full blooded youkai? Also, he wanted to please Kagome, but he didn't know how he was supposed to do that. He would just have to be on his best behavior.

Shippou was mulling over his feelings for the red head on his back. He was strong, kind, rash and loyal, so why did Shippou have a problem with him? Kyo was similar to InuYasha and he could very well become his next 'dad' if Kagome wanted it. The beast in his brain thrashed at that thought. He didn't want a new dad. He just wanted Kagome to always be there for him. She was human, she would die young. Shippou didn't want to have to give up one second with his mother if he could help it and he certainly didn't want to share that time with another male. Shippou sighed to himself. If Kyo was whom Kagome had chosen, he would have to get used to it. Maybe, given time, he could actually come to like the other ginger.

Finally Shippou came to a smooth halt. 'We're here,' he growled softly. He knelt down again and Kagome and Kyo slipped off him, both landing softly on the grass. Kagome's knees trembled and she collapsed on the springy weed.

"Kagome!" Kyo exclaimed as he tried to catch her.

"Kaa-chan!" Shippou cried, detransformed, as he kneeled in front of her. "What's the matter?"

"I, nothing." Kagome stuttered, too embarrassed to tell them that she was scared of meeting her family. She grabbed both boy's hands and they hauled her to her feet. She kept holding both their hands as they made their way to the front door.

Before they could even walk up the steps to the enormous yet quaint mansion, a silver-haired man dressed in a red fire rat haori leaped in front of them.

"Shippou," InuYasha growled. "Where the heck have you been? Who's that with…" InuYasha stopped speaking as his nose finally caught up to his brain. Meanwhile, tears had gathered in Kagome's eyes at the sight of the man she had once loved.

He was all grown up now. His face was more angular, his body was taller, and his eyes showed that he had seen much more. He was almost as tall as Sesshomaru, but there was no way he would ever come close to the height of the InuYoukai.

Kagome stumbled forward until she was right in front of the hanyou. "InuYasha." She whispered, the tears that had been building finally escaping their prison behind her eye lids.

"Kagome!" InuYasha exclaimed. He wanted to pick her up and spin her around. He wanted to hold her close and whisper how much he had missed her, but there was someone else's scent on her. All over her. Instead, he freaked out. "Why are you crying? I'm sorry! I didn't mean it!"

Kagome started laughing through her tears. InuYasha's response was so typical. She opened her arms and wrapped them around his waist. She had missed him so much.

"You brought her back," InuYasha spoke softly to Shippou over Kagome's head. She really was short. He had never really noticed it before, but she was already almost seventeen and she hadn't seemed to grow at all.

Shippou nodded then jerked his head to the orange-headed boy InuYasha's normally sharp nose had ignored for the time being in the excitement of having Kagome back. He immediately pulled Kagome behind him and growled lowly at the other male.

"Who are you?" he demanded, not bothering with any form of pleasantries. The scent of cat was making some part of his brain bristle in fury.

"Uhh," Kagome spoke up from behind her hanyou friend. "That's Kyo, InuYasha. He's… very important to me so please don't hurt him." She walked over to Kyo and stood so close to him that their shoulders brushed, but she didn't do anything more intimate lest it set the volatile hanyou off.

"Hn," InuYasha grunted. He glared at Kyo and then turned his golden eyes on Kagome. His glare softened to a slightly pleading look. "C'mon Kagome. Let's go inside and talk."

He reached out for Kagome's hand. Her eyes filled with tears again and she ran at InuYasha. He easily grabbed Kagome, set her on her place on his back and sprinted the rest of the way back to the house.

Shippou merely glanced longingly after the pair and then sighed wearily, "We may as well follow."

"Kagome won't go back to him, will she?" Kyo mumbled quietly. "She won't leave me for him, right?"

Shippou looked into Kyo's distraught red eyes and realized that he really did care for Kagome and he really didn't want to lose her.