The entire group was silent as they sat around the campfire. Somehow, it was very cold tonight. Kagome was shivering, even while wearing her warm pajamas. Since Miroku and Sango were fully clothed and their clothes were warm, they weren't shivering. Inuyasha's red haroi protected him from the cold, and Shippou simply warmed himself in Inuyasha's haroi. The relationship between the two had gotten stronger with their mutual dislike of Seshoumaru.

Seshoumaru was cold, however, and he kept inching towards the fire to keep himself warm. He didn't want to attract attention so he simply kept quiet, trying his best efforts to keep himself warm. His lips were turning blue and he couldn't understand why his body was feeling so cold. He was a youkai. His body temperature was supposed to adapt to the climatic changes.

As Kagome handed out bowls of steaming ramen around, she frowned as she noticed Seshoumaru's trembling form. Although it was slight, she still noticed. Setting her bowl down, she dragged out a quilt from her bag. She honestly had no idea why she hadn't thought of it before. Dragging the quilt around herself, she called out softly to the young inuyoukai, who turned to look at her.

"Come on. Under here. You'll be warmer this way."

He hesitated for only a second before rushing to the heat and warmth the blanket offered. Kagome pulled him closer to herself so that he was leaning on her in a comfortable position. Shippou scowled and looked at his own ramen and started eating it. Inuyasha ignored the act, knowing that if he got angry, Kagome would sit his ass into the ground.

Seshoumaru liked the salty noodles and ate them delicately, savoring each bite as it filled his body with a fuzzy warmth. He also liked the way this human girl smelled. Like jasmine and sakura combined. It was pleasant to his nose, and he dwelled in that scent often enough.

"Kagome?"

Kagome looked at Sango, a brow raised in askance.

Sango hesitated, "Do you feel that?"

"Feel what?"

"That aura."

Kagome frowned and concentrated on her miko powers. Everyone hissed at the strange feeling of her powers expanded with the exception of the youkai child, who kept on eating blissfully. Miroku wondered at that, but kept silent, waiting for Kagome to finish what she was doing.

A few months ago, Kagome had approached Kaede and asked to be trained. Nobody knoew what brought upon this desire, and the only thing that willfully stubborn girl would say was that she didn't want to depend on anyone. The elderly priestess warned her that this could take years, but Kagome remained adamant. However, to everyone's surprise, Kagome's sould was so vast that she absorbed everything Kaede taught her in days. Nobody could understand this phenomenon. Everything Kaede would do, Kagome would demonstrate ten times stronger. It had taken a week for the girl to master everything that the old priestess knew. It was baffling, but Kagome was baffling, so they all learned to accept it.

Kagome searched , and expanded her aura even more, till sweat started dripping down her face. This, Seshoumaru noticed, and unconsciously, he gripped Kagome's hand. Nobody noticed this. All they noticed that Kagome's tense face had calmed, and she seemed to find it more easier to expand her power.

After a few seconds, she snapped back, and looked with worried eyes at everyone sitting there. Her voice was soft and hinted at uncertainty, "I don't know who it is, but someone is heading towards us, at an incredible speed. The aura is very powerful and is concentrated on us. I think we'll find out who it is by tomorrow afternoon, at the speed being travelled."

"What if it is Seshoumaru?"

Miroku voiced everyone's question and Kagome cast a worried look at a silent Seshoumaru. He looked so much like him, but so different. Chibi Seshoumar's eyes were warmer and confused.

"I was thinking that I would take Seshoumaru up on Kilala, but The present Seshoumaru isn't an idiot. He'd know immediately. The scent factor for one. I'm probably the first one who'll get killed at his hands."

Although, it was a pathetic attempt at a joke, everyone was startled when Seshoumaru's voice rose in anger, "No!"

Kagome stared at the child version of Inuyasha's elder half brother, "I will never harm you!"

Kagome laughed weakly, "You wouldn't. But Seshoumaru might. The Seshoumaru of this time."

The child's face was stuck in a stubborn pout, "I will not allow him to harm you."

The child's fiercely protective attitude made Kagome want to smile. Just one day, and he was already protecting her.

"It's probably best if you leave in the morning, Kagome-sama. You can follow us at a safe distance, and if our surprise guest does turn out to be Seshoumaru-sama, you can stay out of sight and hearing range."

"Won't he be suspicious if Kagome's scent is surrounding us, and no Kagome?"

"Why would he care?"

Sango huffed, "Oh come on. His is Seshoumaru we're talking about. He's bound to notice."

Inuyasha, who had been silent up till now, spoke up, "We'll hand the brat over to Seshoumaru, tomorrow. And that's that."

Kagome scowled at him, as Seshoumaru's eyes widened. He looked at Kagome, as if seeking reassurance that she wouldn't make him leave her. Kagome's grip on his hand tightened, as she ignored the half demon.

"I think your idea has merit, Miroku. I'll leave after breakfast and if Seshoumaru gets wind of anything, me and Kilala will distance ourselves and if worst come to worst, I'll shield our scents off with a barrier."

Inuyasha growled and to everyone's amazement, Seshoumaru snarled at him. Even Inuyasha was shocked, and then his eyes tinted with red as his growl increased volume. Seshoumaru crouched protectively in front of the young miko, now, as he two growled back. Both their eyes were tinted with red.

Kagome immediately placed a barrier between the two growling inu's.

"Enough!"

She pulled Seshoumaru back towards her and he didn't protest, the red slowly fading from his eyes. He stumbled into her lap, and still half beast, he nuzzled her neck and licked it, and slid into unconsciousness with a soft whimper.

Inuyasha's cry was enraged as he too reverted back, "He just claimed you, you idiot! Don't you even care!"

Kagome looked confused, "What do you mean, claimed me?"

Sango rolled her eyes, "He scent marked you, Kagome. What inu baka is trying to say is, that he put a temporary mark on you. Inuyoukai do that to people whom they trust or they have affection for. It's a way of saying that they care for you."

Kagome looked at the small face nestled in her bosom. This was Seshoumaru, the same youkai who had time and time again tried to kill her. Yet here he was cuddled up to her, stating that he liked her. His younger version anyway.

"He's Seshoumaru! Give him to his adult version and they can do whatever the hell they want! I don't want this brat around!"

As if sensing the hostility aimed at him, Seshoumaru curled even more into Kagome and tiny whimpers could be heard from his shaking form. Kagome scowled, suddenly furious.

"Shut Up!"

The entire camp went silent.

Kagome's eyes were cold and hard as stone, "Shut up, Inuyasha. Until you grow up, I don't want to hear another word from you. I am ashamed of you. I am ashamed of you and of Shippou. You two know best of all what it's like to lose your family and here you are trying to do the same that was done to you as a child. What does this show of your character? I heard what you two were saying earlier today. He's just a child. A child who has feelings. I don't know what happened to make him the way he is today, but for now he's a child, who's scared and lonely and probably hurt. I can't look at the two of you. If you have a problem, Inuyasha, then deal with it or go to Kikyo, and deal with it. I will not tolerate your cruel behavior a second longer."

Inuyasha and Shippo's faces were pale as they saw her. She turned her back to them and steeled a sleeping Seshoumaru into her sleeping bag and followed suit. Her voice was still hard, "Goodnight."

A.N: God, I'm sleepy….