Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

Reacquaint
"A...what?"

"Amnesia, Shippou-chan. It means he can't remember."

"This is a grave situation, indeed, Kagome-sama."

"What do you intend to do, Kagome-chan?"

"Take him home...he shouldn't be worrying about demon attacks now. He seems to have forgotten the better part of most of his life, including his battle-skills. I wouldn't risk it."

"It sounds like a good idea...but how long do you think it will take...? To recover, I mean?"

She sighed.

"I don't know Miroku-sama...anything from two days to years. I just don't know. It depends how much of his brain was affected...The only way we can tell that is by taking them to the hospital, but he's a demon, so I don't know how I'll be able to do that..."

"Hospital...is the recovery place you go to for treating injury, yes?"

She nodded.

"Oh...he just has to pull through." Her voice was not as convincing as she has wanted it to be.

"Kagome-chan..."

"Inuyasha will be fine!" Shippou piped up in his squeaky voice. "After all there ain't much brain he can lose anyway...and besides, his head is too hard. You'll see. He'll be back in no time."

A smile poked at Kagome's face for the first time in days.

"Thank you Shippou-chan." she cuddled the little kit. "But, for now...until Inuyasha feels better I'd like you – all of you – to give him some space. He doesn't seem to trust anyone, and he barely tolerated me. I don't want to upset him any more than is necessary."

Everyone nodded.

"It's just...while he is like this he may panic, and strike out, and..."

"Of course, Kagome-sama. You are the one in possession of most knowledge about his injury; we will follow your judgment."

"Kagome...I think you should go see Inuyasha."

"Is he awake?"

Shippou nodded.

"Okay. Sango, may I please borrow Kirara? The faster I get Inuyasha to my time the less chance of another youkai-encounter."

"Of course, Kagome-chan. Kirara?"

A mewl of acquiescence was given.

"It's decided then. We leave tonight."

It was still light outside when he awoke. He was alone this time. His head was pounding and parts of his body were throbbing. He gingerly lifted his head only to become dizzy and be forced to set it back down. Suddenly that strange yet oddly calming scent invaded the room again and the weird-dressed girl appeared in his line of vision.
He would have tried running, but he knew it to be futile.

"How are you feeling?" Her voice almost made the pain disappear.

" 'Kay."

"Say...how would you feel if I were to take you home...with me? Away from here?"

His eyes snapped to her.

"Y-you mean you won't tell my big brother?"

"Tell him what?"

"T-that you found me..."

"No. Why would I do that?"

He closed his eyes.

"Never mind."

"Can you move?"

He didn't answer, and it took Kagome a while to realize it was because he was trying to do so.

"It's okay. It's okay. Relax. You had a tough battle."

"I'm fine!"

She smiled.

"Yes, you are, but I'll help you anyway, shall I?"

He stared at her searching for some sort of flaw in her logic and finding none he nodded shyly. She helped him rise, and led him to Kirara. He stopped in shock, the look on his face suggesting that he expected to be mauled.

"This is Kirara. She won't hurt you."

"But...I'm a half-breed..."

Kirara purred and nuzzled his cheek taking advantage of his inability to move. The surprise and awe that creeped onto his face made everyone's hearts miss a beat.

"Inuyasha." He approached. "You get better now, you hear! Don't make Kagome unhappy!"

"You...don't think I should be dead?" Inuyasha's eyes suddenly rivaled a child's, in their innocence.

For the first time since his parents had died every hair on Shippou's body bristled.

"You' re dumb if you think that!" Inuyasha flinched. "I, Shippou, of the Kitahou kitsune clan am your brother in all but blood." He announced regally.

Kagome and Miroku stared, not quite sure what to make of it, while Sango's eyes began watering.

"You..accept...me?"

"You, and I are...brothers." He hugged the poor boy, marvelling at how strange it was to feel Inuyasha shake like that.

"When you feel better, come back to us."

Miroku and Sango nodded in agreement, while Kagome picked up Shippou and cuddled him.

"Thank you, Shippou-chan."

"Let's go, Kirara." She wrapped her arms tightly around Inuyasha and with one last wave to their friends, they were off.

The climb up the stairs was particularly taxing for both Kagome and Inuyasha; they walked into the house and headed for the seats in the kitchen. Inuyasha's eyes were frantically darting to all the things that appeared new to him.

"Hi Kagome, dear. You're home." With a smile, Kagome's mother walked into the kitchen. "Hello, Inuyasha." She moved to twitch his ears.

"Mom, don't!" Kagome barely managed to get her warning out before a growl erupted from Inuyasha's throat. "Mom...Inuyasha got hurt, protecting me...he has amnesia...please tell Jii-chan. I don't want him to do anything to upset him." She whispered in the hope that Inuyasha's hearing would be slightly dulled by the condition - she wanted to explain what was affecting him in detail later on. Mrs Higurashi nodded, but approached Inuyasha once again.

"Hi. I'm Aya, Kagome's mother. I hope you'll feel better soon."

More confusion flooded his eyes – a quiet disbelief at Aya's genuine kindness. Satisfied that he was in good hands Kagome went to unload her bag and change into more comfortable clothes.
Aya patted Inuyasha's head in a gesture meant to soothe him.

"Aya...-sama." He decided it was safer to stick with polite suffixes lest he insult her. "Thank you for having me over. I apologise for imposing upon your time."

She smiled and shook her head. "We're all family here."

If his eyes became any bigger, she decided, they would fall right out of his head.

"You protect my daughter, now it is merely a time for you to be protected. And please, just Aya will do."

He bowed his head slightly, in reply.

"Now, Inuyasha, are you hungry? Shall I get you a drink?"

"Y-y-you...serve...me?"

"Of course. You are family after all."

She didn't get much further – Kagome returned just in time to see her grandfather trying to mock-exorcise a terrified looking Inuyasha who lashed out the moment the salt touched him.

"Jii-chan!"

Inuyasha in a panicked reaction had swatted him away, no doubt unaware of his own strength, throwing the old man nearly half-way across the room, and in a split second his face went from terrified to aghast and ashamed. He turned and fled. Kagome was surprised that he could still move, but attributed the sudden agility to the fact that he had felt threatened.

"Mom, I'm going after Inuyasha."

Her mother turned teary eyes to her. "I'm sorry, Kagome. He just came in, you know how he is."

"I know." And she was gone.

"Inuyasha!"

There was no way he could have gone too far with his injuries.

"Inuyasha!"

She hoped she would find him before having to say the incantation.

"Inu-"

He was huddled behind the Goshinboku, knees drawn to his chin and eyes downcast.

"There you are."

"Forgive me!" He burst out.

"It's okay. It wasn't your fault."

"It...it was going to hurt...but then it didn't...and I...forgive me Kagome-sa...Kagome."

She drew him close and held him like a child.

"I don't understand Inuyasha, but I do know that my grandfather provoked you. You defended yourself, that's all. From now on, though, just know that grandpa...he is a little strange, but his sutras and salt and magic never work on you, alright? So don't raise hand to him again, even if he behaves like today. I'll have a talk with him, okay? What he did wasn't nice, but he's been doing that since you first came to our house – in a way it has become your entertainment, and he didn't know..."

"So, you're not angry...?"

"No. You didn't know any better. Now, you do, and I trust you won't do this again, yes?"

"He won't hurt me...? Last time people tried to purify it hurt. I know I should be a big boy and pretend it doesn't but..."

She kissed the crown of his head.

"Go on, you can tell me..."

"My mother died a few months ago...the villagers tried to purify me. It really hurt. The salt burned. They locked me in a cellar and starved me and said that they wouldn't let me out because I was a half-breed. I didn't know what that meant...so I apologised thinking it was something I did...then big-br..."

He was silenced by the plopping of warm tears on his hair.

"Inuyasha, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Kagome...?" She was so upset with him she was crying? He didn't understand why his heart lurched at the thought, but brought his arms up to comfort her, completely surprised when they circled her form completely.

"I'll talk to Jii-chan. Let's go inside for now." She kissed his hair again.

Dinner was a silent affair; Inuyasha was too afraid to talk in case he made another mistake, Kagome was mulling over what he had said, while her mother and Souta were contemplating the implications of having an amnestic Inuyasha in their home.

"Demon!"

"Jii-chan!" Kagome was furious; Inuyasha merely turned apprehensively.

"I may not like you, but you take good care of my grand-daughter. Rest assured that there will be no repeat of today's events."

"Sir...!" In a second he was prostrate at his feet in a manner so unlike him that it made Kagome's heart break.

"I apologise sincerely for having caused you any injury. I understand that a man in your position would feel offended to stay under the same room as a half-breed, and I thank you sincerely for your magna-...man-ag...magnanimi-...for your kindness in allowing me a place to sleep under your roof. I am..."

"Whoa there sonny boy."

Kagome was glad her grandfather stopped him. She honestly hadn't known Inuyasha was capable of such manners – he was a polished gentleman even by modern standards.

Oh, Inuyasha...What must have happened to make him lose that side of himself? What terrible things had he faced to mould him into the brash, uncouth boy she knew?

"The fault lies with me and I'll take it no other way. Now, get on up, finish your dinner, and go to bed. You've had a rough day. And don't worry about hurting me, you missed...er...anything vital. You're quite a fetching fellow now that I'm having another look at you. Were you always such a whizz with words?"

" I don't know, sir..."

"Well, it doesn't matter much. Stay here till you get better, we'll resume our battling once you're yourself again. Gotta do something around here to keep an old soul entertained."He chuckled. "Ah, I'm off to bed. Too old, these bones, to keep until the wee sma's. Good night."

A chorus of goodnights was heard before Kagome announced she and Inuyasha would also retire.

While Kagome was helping her mother with the cleaning, Inuyasha took the initiative to go to her room. He knew well what would expect him, so he began preparing for it. His little heart was pounding so hard it sent tremors through his body, still part of his still innocent mind wanted to hold on to the hope that perhaps co-operation would mean slight leniency.He placed the switch gingerly on the bed and, upon hearing Kagome's footsteps on the stairs, he laid down, submissively. Kagome walked into the dimly moonlit room to find Inuyasha lying on the floor. She wondered if he was so tired he had fallen asleep, but then he stirred.

"What's wrong, Inuyasha? Are you alright?"

"Yes."

"What are you doing on the floor?"

He got up and picked up something from the bed, gave it to her, then laid down again.

"Why did you just give me a stick?"

"Aren't you going to punish me?"

"What...?"

"I thought...perhaps, if I don't resist, you'll only give me twenty."

"Twenty what?"

"Hits."

"What?!!!"Her voice suddenly reached notes completely new to her.

"I'm sorry. I had no right to be so rude. I accept whatever punishment you choose to give me. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

The way he had spoken, so painfully hopeful and sad at the same time, tore at Kagome's heart.

She sat down next to him and gathered him into her arms, as much as it was possible.

"Why? Why do you think I'd...?"

"You own me."

"I do not own you. Who told you that?"

"My big-brother. He said if anyone gives ever saves your life then your life becomes theirs. And you saved my life, and so...like my brother said, you own me. He knows everything! He is so great. One day I wanna grow up to be like him."

"He...told you...you...?"

"Yep! He 'splained to me what a half-breed was. Now I'm not as dumb as I was before. He taught me that half-breeds are meant to be kneeling in the dirt at true youkai's feet."

"He...he...beat...?"

"He disciplines me. Half-breeds need to learn their place. He is right...but..."

Kagome didn't dare open her mouth. She didn't think it would make much of a difference if she did – she was speechless.

"I...I wish he liked me a little more. When I told him I wanted to be like him he gave me twenty. Said it was an insult to his pure-blood...but you know Kagome, I didn't mean it as an insult...I didn't know. But it's okay, I know now. I know he is trying to make me stronger by putting me through a tough training...and he misses father too. I caught him one time when he was having a bad day. I tried to make it better, really I did...I even went and managed to catch two rabbits" pride suffused his voice on this last point "but...he didn't like them. He threw them both away 'n said I was never to mention our father again. I was hungry, but he didn't even let me eat my rabbit...and he beat me. Which is okay, because I know it's just his way of dealing with the loss of our father...but...I wish...I wish he could stop hurting some other way."

He paused thoughtfully before continuing.

"I mean...it's not like he's ever done worse than the villagers. At least with him I can eat twice, three times a week...four if I'm good...and he really doesn't beat me all that much. I mean, I can still walk afterwards...and it's not like I scar anyway. But...I still ran away...which makes me bad. And big-brother isn't very forgiving...so...if you don't mind can I stay with you a while? Please? Then, when I do go back, maybe big-brother will be less mad."

"O-o-o-f course. Of course." she had problems getting even just those words past her trembling lips.

Three...times...still walk?

"Say, Kagome, do you think if I'm a really good boy, that Sesshomaru-nii-sama would ever like me? Despite me being a half-breed...you think? I think it would be so great! Perhaps if I'm really good from now on, and I never run away again, or cry when he beats me or disobey him, or...or...if I learn to use a sword...you think he'd like me? Say...does he like me now? I mean now...the part which you say I don't remember. Do you think? What do you think, Kagome?"

I think that if I ever get my hands on Sesshomaru the stripes are all that's gonna be left of him...and the fluffy thing, if I'm feeling gracious.

"I think...Inuyasha is perfect the way he is."

"As a half-breed?"

"As a half-demon." She nuzzled his hair lightly. "Sesshoumaru shouldn't hurt you, even if his upset, or sad. And he shouldn't try to tell you you're worthless. You are wonderful. By saying you are worth nothing he is insulting your father, and lying."

"Are you saying nii-sama is wrong? But...he can't be wrong."

"Sometimes people, when they hurt they take it out on others...it doesn't make you less."

"I'm...not worthless?" The way he pondered the words, as though the thought had never occurred to him before and he was too afraid of what it would mean if it were really true, tugged even more at Kagome's heart-strings.

"I'm going to keep you with me. You're not going back to Sesshomaru. He won't beat you."

"So...he likes me now...?"

"I...can't say Inuyasha. He's saved your life...a few times." Almost counter-balanced by the amount of times he tried to kill you, but still... "And...you did end up fighting together..." Thought both in denial about doing so...

"I think he's started to heal a bit."

"That's good. I don't want my big-brother to be upset. I hate when he's all angry, and sad – it smells terrible!"

"You can smell...moods?"

"Yup. And...he's so sad I just want to give him a hug. My mother said hugs make people all better no matter what the ail...ail...sickness. Yeah...but she was human so maybe it doesn't work on demons...But it works on me, which is strange, right Kagome? Coz, there are days when I want a hug...and if I could get one I just know it would make me feel better...maybe coz I'm not full demon, is that it? That's it, isn't it, Kagome?"

She was reeling. Inuyasha had spoken more to her in the past day than in five years of travelling. This side of him was truly darling, and she couldn't help giving him another cuddle.

"Whenever you want a hug come to me, alright?" She managed to make the words out.

"Really?"

"I'm hugging you now, aren't I?"

"Whoa! You're right! And I'm feeling so much better. Thank you, Kagome." He burrowed further in her chest and, as it was, she found the childish gesture incredibly adorable.

"Kagome..." His voice was quiet again. " Am I good?"

"Yes."

"But people say that demons are bad."

"People don't know demons. And anyway, you're only half-demon, so even if they were right and demons were bad, you'd only be half-bad. In other words, you'd be half-good."

"I never thought about it like that." He answered seriously.

"But people are wrong. You are good."

"I am...?"

"Yes. You save me, and take care of our group. Shippou looks up to you, and you're kinda the glue that holds us together, really. You protect us, and feed us, and keep us on track. You're really great."

"So I'm not bad?"

"No."

After a small bout of silence:

"Kagome...I...I...I get nightmares." He confessed softly. "Can I please share a futon?"

"Of course. If you do have nightmares, won't you tell me about them, please? It's meant to help."

"You...want to know...?"

"I'm your guardian, aren't I? That means I protect you, and make you feel safe. So I want to know so I can keep you feeling safe."

"S-s-so...if I were to share a futon with you...would it be wrong to hug you when I sleep?"

"No."

"Even though I'm...you know...that word which makes you angry when I say it?"

"That means nothing to me, Inuyasha. I want to protect you, take care of you."

"Y-y-you do?"

She kissed his hair softly.

"You don't remember – I promised to stay by your side, forever. I intend to."

He turned wide eyes shining with wonder on her.

"F'r ever'n ever? You won't leave me like my mother? Ever? You won't let me be alone?"

"As long as you want me to...I'll be here."

The shine became brighter until it spilled from his eyes and onto his cheeks tracing small lines into them. She held him closer trying to heal the wounds of his heart – wounds that had been inflicted from such a tender age. If Inuyasha the man needed her as a partner and a woman, the little boy trapped in the same familiar body no doubt needed her as a mother.
She caressed his hair gently and blew softly on his tears before wiping them away with delicate fingers.

"I'll be here."

He closed his eyes and leaned into her.

Author's Notes: Kitahou - North(ern) ie Shippou is part of the Northern Land's fox clan.