~InuYasha POV~

As morning broke over the horizon I watched as Kagome got up and stretched her arms yawning, it was early and I was surprised to see her up. She used to always complain about waking up early in the past. It almost made me sad to know just how much she's changed but I decided to up it out of my mind, I had a role to play this morning and her getting up early just made it easier for me. I leapt out of my branch to land next to her in a crouch making her jump slightly.

"InuYasha! don't do that!" she hissed as she placed a hand over her heart.

I chuckled at her "Sorry…habit. Besides, I was under the impression that you have been training…I'm surprise you didn't sense I was up" I said playing around with her enjoying the fact that it was just the two of us right now.

"Normally I would put since this is our camp I sorta left my guard down" she then looked over to Alex who was still asleep.

"He stayed up the majority of the night watching over you" I said playing my part to perfection, in which she narrowed her eyes at me "I don't blame him for being so tired, let him sleep in" I was pretty sure her internal bullshit radar was going haywire but I knew my face was masked with genuine concern.

"Okay…." she said slowly the shrugged "Well damn, I wanted a training partner this morning"

It was almost too easy. It was almost like she was picking up on my thoughts.

"Well what about me?" I said smirking at her "Show me what you have learned and I will give you my input"

Kagome frowned at me and gave me a looked like she waiting for me to sprout out horns at any moment.

"Why are you being so nice now?" she asked me suspiciously.

"Kagome, I'm sorry for getting out of line yesterday…I haven't seen you for four years, and despite of everything you are still my friend…right?" I said giving her my most sincere looking face "And may I point out to you that I am a Inuyoukai…we tend to get a bit territorial"

I can tell she was pondering this then nodded in exasperation "Oh alright…I guess I can understand it. Geez InuYasha you tend to go all out on your instincts don't you?"

I shrugged it off like the fact that I now had to play nice to the bastard and I had to restrain my natural urges to claim her where not a big deal, but I kept reminding myself that it will all pay off in the end. She's changed, she was a warrior now and she had to see that I respected that and was willing to be her ally.

"So you really want to see what I have learned and exercise with me?" she said as she moved to grab her arrows and the rest of her gear.

"Sure I do. I want to know what you've learned and if you want give you some tips on tracking and hunting demons better" I really didn't want her to be anywhere near demons but I had to bite my tongue. I saw her eyes light up on my offer.

"Yeah! That would be great" the enthusiasm in her face made me grin at her. She truly was beautiful when her smile reached her bright blue eyes, making them look like sparking gems "I got a handle on my powers thanks to Uncle Rick but if I could learn how to hone in on my demon hunting skills that would be helpful on tracking Naraku down"

I didn't say anything because I didn't want her to know who much that statement affected me. I didn't want her anywhere near Naraku. That bastard was the reason why Kikyo died and why Kagome left me in the first place. No…what I wanted was to grab her and take up high in the western mountains, claim her and lock up her up so that no danger could ever reach her, but I couldn't do that…at least not right now at least.

"Well come on then" I say to her smirking "Try and find me" I leapt up into the trees running on the high branches until I'm a good mile away from where she was up on a breach. Thinking that it would take her a good half hour for her to track me and if even if she did I would hear her on the ground.

So I settled down on the branch and waited. It must have only been 10 minutes later when I hear a slight movement from a nearby tree. I look and listen for the sound of her heart beat, surprised when it wasn't on the ground up from a tree.

'Sly little minx' I think to myself 'She's playing in my element not wanting to be in the disadvantage'

I was just about to jump to another branch when an arrow lodges itself to the fabric on my left arm. I raise my eyebrow at it and give out a bark of laughter then look in to the direction where arrow came from. I spot her crouching in a branch that was coved by the fullness of the tree. She jumps down from the branch, managing to give me a panic attack for a few seconds before I see her land on the balls of her feet expertly. She runs over to where my tree is at and launches herself on the trunk then digs her foot into the truck as she uses her knives to climb the tree. She was quiet and fast as she reached the lower branch; she uses her covered hands to flip herself from branch to branch like some sort of acrobatic monkey.

I'm laughing by the time she reaches my branch.

"Well that was a side of you I have never seen before little monkey" I say making her chuckle "So..knives in the boots huh" I say looking at the sharp blades that retracted on her shoes.

"Yup, the very latest in tree climbing equipment" she says with a smile as she takes back her arrow "You would have been harder to track if you weren't so out in the open. You didn't even use the leaves to camouflage yourself, plus that red is a dead giveaway. I thought you were going to give me challenge oh mighty youkai" she teased.

I gawked at her then chuckled "Alright then…if it's a challenge you want" I lean in close to her and whisper in her ear "Come find me little kitten" I say to her enjoying how she shivered before I launched myself into the forest. I jumped ran and zigzagged deeper into the forest until I made it to a thick tree. This time I made sure that I was hidden high in a branch thick with leaves. I take my haori off and tuck it into my under kimono shirt and listen for her. There was something so exhilarating about this little game of hide and seek that made my blood pump and my heart soar. Maybe it was the knowledge that it was just the two of us out here, that here in this moment and time this game was just about us. I hear her moving on the ground few minutes later but I can't pinpoint from what direction she is coming from as I strain my ears and nose to see from where she is was. I smile when I realize that she is using her powers to mask her scent from.

Clever little one.

I crouch low on the branch looking in the direction I believe she is coming from. I see her moving from tree to tree using the foliage as cover and the shadows to mask herself. She's good. The only way I was able to tell it was her is because I knew she was out there, had I been any other demon and just happened to be lounging in the branches I would have not known she was out there.

I hear her breathing is steady and her heartbeat is steady, she is in full tracking mode, her steps never stepping over any twigs making her silent and lethal with her bow and arrow notched and ready. I was impressed on how much she has learned, I feel a surge of pride well up inside knowing that this tiny, beautiful and deadly creature was my mate.

I see her tilt her head as if trying to pick up on my aura. I can feel hers brushing against mine but I mask my youkai from her. I didn't know if it would work since we were mates after all, it's not like one could hide from ones mate.

She stops right under my tree and pauses making me grin. Good girl. She was just about to point her arrow up in my direction when I jump off of my branch tackling her to the ground laughing at her shocked expression.

I end up sitting on her stomach giving her a big grin "Gotcha!" I say to her making her laugh at me then up her hands up in a symbol of surrender.

"Okay Oh fearful demon! I surrender….now get off me you big dog! You're heavier now then four years ago! Good grief what have you been eating?!" she laughs as I help her up to her feet.

I shrugged "I'm a growing boy" I tell her making her laugh even harder "Right….sure thing InuYasha, I swear if I didn't know any better I would say you were taking steroids"

"Huh?" I say to her as we walk back to camp she shakes her head "never mind"

An idea pops into my head.

"Hey, you want to hop on?" I say offering my back to her "It'll be like old times again" I say trying to act nonchalant and friendly, but I really want to throw her on my so that her scent was all over me.

"Sure" she says smiling at me then climbed on making my heart skip a beat at having her in close proximity again.

Mate.

Yes, our mate.

I smooth my youkai as I run through the forest with Kagome once again on my back. The feel of her legs around my waist and her small arms around my shoulders are heaven and it was making my inner demon very content at having her near us. Her scent told me how happy she was at this very moment with me, together like we use to and it made me smile even wider. I don't run as fast but keep it at a brisk job prolonging our time together as much as possible.

Once we got back to camp I saw that the dickhead was scowling and pacing the camp floor while Kikyo sat near a rock with one of her hands on her cheeks looking like she was contemplating on whether to kick him or not. I say she does..it would be funny as hell to see, I also made me smile to know that Kikyo didn't like the prick, she was on my side after all. I stop just as we get close to them and see the asshole's eyes widen when he sees Kagome on my back.

"Oh your back!" cries out Shippo launching himself on to my shoulder "Did you sense a jewel shard Kagome?"

Kagome shakes her head as I let her climb off of my back "No Shippo I just had InuYasha help me practice my tracking skills"

"I would have thought you would have waited for me for your training" said Alex almost growling at my mate. I suppress the snarl that is trying to come out of my throat and instead I look over to Miroku who was cooking up some fish and take the one he offers me.

"You were asleep. InuYasha told me you were up almost all night keeping watch so I didn't want to disturb you"

"He did, did he" he says catching my eye giving me a glare that I brush off "Well wasn't that just nice of him and how would he know that unless he was up all night as well"

"I was up all night" I say to him then walk over to Kagome and give her a fish "I'm almost always up all night, I don't need so much sleep like the rest of you" I finish saying.

"So you waited until I was good and asleep to try and sneak up on Kagome isn't that right demon" he spats out at me, I can smell the jealously sounding him like a thick blanket.

"I didn't wait for shit dickhead"

"InuYasha!" Kagome says frowning at me, but I had them right where I wanted them so I look at her with innocent disbelief "What? He insulted me first. He knows my name why does he insist on calling me 'demon' all the time like it's a fucking disease. I'll call him Alex if uses my damn name Kagome. It's the least he could do since I stopped calling him names" I say then cross my arms to my chest and waited for what I knew would be her reaction.

I see her eyes widen then bites her lip in chagrin the looks over to the dickhead "InuYasha is right Alex; you did start this…this time. Apologize and stop calling him demon like that, he's more than that and he's only half anyways"

I almost give in to the urge to give him a shit- eating- grin but know that if I did Kagome would tell that it was all in act. I really didn't care if he called me 'demon' and I really didn't want to call him Alex but I told myself that it was necessary.

I see him look at Kagome in horror before he glares at me "I apologize…InuYasha. I will stop using that word and call you by name if you do the same"

Knowing that I had Kagome where I wanted, I smirk and hold out my hand to him making Sango gasp, Miroku gave me a knowing smile and Kikyo looked away clearly holding in her laughter

"Sounds good to me Alex, truce?" I say almost throwing up on his shiny black boots but I accomplished what I wanted. Kagome went over to where I was and gave me a huge grin then looked over to Alex and frowned when he didn't take my hand.

"Alex?" she says frowning and gives him a look that makes him snarl but graphs my hand squeezing it hard. I only smile when I apply just a fraction of my strength to squeeze it back making him almost grunt in pain.

"Now how about we head north" I say letting go of his hand as quickly as I possible cant "We may get some idea on where that bastard Naraku is hiding now that Kagome is here" then I turn to Kikyo "Not that you didn't help" I say then grin at her.

She rolls her eyes at me "Oh I know what you mean InuYasha but your right, with Kagome here it will add to our defense"

"Will you be okay being so close to me?" says Kagome going to where Kikyo was "I thought it was dangerous being close to each other?"

"It used to be, but ever since I made peace with InuYasha and realized that I don't love him romantically I find my soul at peace. My desire to drag him in hell has long passed, so I don't feel the need to complete our soul" she says making Kagome sigh in relief.

Alex is looking at both of them in confusion "So wait…are you telling me that part of Kagome's soul is in you?"

I look at Kagome "Didn't you tell him?" I say making sure that I fully hint at the fact that I knew something he didn't about my mate.

Kagome ponders for a moment then her eyes widen "I may have forgotten to mention it. Sorry Alex, the thing is that I am a reincarnation of Kikyo, we share the same soul"

"Reincarnation? But that would imply that she is dead" he said looking at Kikyo.

"I am" she says making Alex take a step back in alarm.

"Are you sure, cuz where I come from dead people…don't walk and talk"

I sign in exasperation making him know that I found his ignorance tiresome "She was brought back to life by magic; her body is made of graveyard soil and bones. The part of Kagome's soul that she has within her helps her 'live'" I say.

"She looks really alive to me" he says.

"Anyways, now that everyone is caught up we still have a problem" say looking at Alex making him stare back at me.

"What?"

"Your horses" I simply say. He misses what I'm trying to tell him but then I hear Miroku.

"Of course, your right InuYasha, it didn't occur to me until now" he says then looks at Kagome "InuYasha is right, we can't have both horses with us, actually it would be better not have a horse period"

"Why?" asked Kagome

"Kagome you can hear them coming a mile away and they attract a lot of attention. They also require rest often, grooming and food. We simply can't afford to keep them with us for the long hull"

I saw Kagome thinking it over; her face was looking at the ground in deep thought then nodded slowly.

"He's right Alex" she says finally looking at him "We can't take them"

"Well how are we going to get around?" he says frustration.

"Well other than yourself everyone has their own mean of travel" says Kikyo as she walks over to where one of the horses then looks at him "Can you run long distances?"

~Kagome POV~

It honestly never occurred to me that the horses would be a problem until InuYasha and Miroku pointed it out. I remembered when we use to travel together InuYasha four years ago, he would always tell us when he heard a horse on the path and made sure to avoid the people. Damn that meant that Alex was forced to run by foot.

I knew what this meant. Miroku runs on foot using his spiritual powers to make him fast, Sango has Kirara, Kikyo has her shikigami that help her float through the air, Shippo rides on Kirara with Sango and I of course would be with InuYasha again. That left Alex to run on foot.

"Yeah I can run long distance" says Alex then looks over to me "What about Kagome? She's fast but she's not as good in long distance running"

I knew he would not like what I was going to tell him next "Alex… I always ride with InuYasha on his back"

Alex narrows his eyes at InuYasha; I look up to see InuYasha's face is calm which is odd. Ever since this morning it's like he was a different person than last night. He's changed back to my best friend whom I'm grateful for. The problem with that now was that I was starting to get mixed emotions

"No" says Alex then walked up to me "I don't like this, if it's a ride you need then it should be me who carries you"

I don't want to argue with him, since he is my partner and boyfriend so I look at InuYasha "Do you mind?"

I'm bracing myself for him to have a fit but am shocked again when he shrugs "Sure, if Alex thinks he could handle it. Let's get ready then" he says then walks over to Kikyo to help her unload the horse to send them back to Kaede.

I know I'm gawking at him but honestly he kept surprising me since this morning and I almost feel a bit disappointed. Maybe he doesn't really care and it was just his instincts as a dog demon that made him act all possessive yesterday. As I ponder this I miss InuYasha's question

"Sorry, what did you say?"

"I asked if you want me to carry your stuff since Alex is going to have his arms full with you"

Okay, now I'm just getting weirded out but before I could answer him Alex's voice cuts me off.

"If you think you can handle it de- InuYasha. That has to weigh as much as Kagome does" he says making me frown at him. Why in the world was he acting like a jerk this morning while all InuYasha is doing is being friendly and offered his help?

"Alex" I say making him look down at me "Stop acting like that with InuYasha, he's really trying to be friendly and you're acting like a jerk to him. Trust me when I say that this is a HUGE effort that InuYasha is making on your behalf. He doesn't have to be nice you know"

I see Alex groan and rub his face with his hand "Sorry Kagome, after yesterday he just rubs me the wrong way"

"Santi use to rub you the wrong way too until you got your head out of your ass and realized that we were only friends" I remind him.

"Why are you rubbing up on people?" Says InuYasha looking at Alex then steps back "should I be worried and sleep with one eye open?"

We all laugh hard at InuYasha's antics that I was clutching my stomach while Alex gives me a sour look "Okay enough laughing at my expense. Hop on" he says swinging me up on to his back.

As we take off towards the northern mountains and forests I was surprised on how different it was riding on Alex's back versus InuYasha's. InuYasha handles my weight with ease and enjoys running though the forests while with Alex I can tell it's mandatory. There was no enjoyment for him as he concentrates on breathing and his footsteps. I realize that he has gone in to training mode, it the look of concentration that I often see on him when we here back at the base. He's a warrior and takes his roles serious, which I admire about him but as I look over to InuYasha I feel a yearning as I see him run carefree with a smile on his face.

I shake my head at my thoughts and instead I lay my head on Alex's shoulder making him turn his head to glace at me "I know he cares for you, and you care for him…but please remember that I do too" I nod at him as guilt washes over me as I recall this morning with InuYasha.