A/N: Hope you enjoy!
Beta; Cstorm86

The Miko Meets the Parents

Kagome watched Shippou as the boy made his way back to the table, holding a small paper tray with some of the cookies he had taken from the bowl.

The kitsune eating their lunch didn't pay much attention to him as he walked near them, a few animal ears cocking towards the sound of his footsteps was all. She guessed they weren't wary or confused by seeing the kit and his companions. 'I guess it makes sense. We're not screaming in denial at them and the mere fact that we were led here by one of them proves we're alright,' she thought.

She glanced to Inuyasha, who slumped in the chair next to her. He seemed alert and annoyed, but not agitated, which was a good sign. She had to trust the shrine guardian's instincts, after all he was her partner and friend.

Shippou made it to the table and put the plate on it, jumping to his chair and snatching a cookie. Kagome almost reached for one herself, seeing as the boy was happily munching on it. But their shape and color - and more importantly, Inuyasha's warning - gave her pause.

'Fox treats,' the hanyou named the cookies and glanced her way. 'I didn't know you dig in fox biscuits?'

'Oh, hush!' Kagome blushed and shook her head, clasping her hands together on the edge of the table top.

"Shippou!" called a voice from behind the miko and before Kagome could turn her head to look that way, the said kitsune leaped to the table top, half-eaten cookie in hand.

"Daddy!" the boy exclaimed happily and from his high spot leaped at the approaching fox, that resembled a human only by wearing a shirt and a pair of jeans. The fox grabbed the boy in his paws and nuzzled his hair. Kagome smiled at the joyful yips both exchanged, then looked to a woman that entered the cafeteria after the kitsune

She wore the same type of comfy, not expensive attire as the fox, but retained human features. Appearing young and with ginger hair tied in two ponytails, she looked a lot like a foreigner from Ireland, with freckles and green eyes completing the look. The woman grinned down at the two hugging in front of her.

"Um... Shi?" the miko asked, turning her eyes back to them as well. "Is that you?"

"Oh, Miss Higurashi!" the fox's ears perked up and in a poof of smoke he assumed the visage of the post man she had met. Shippou climbed up his body to his shoulder from where he leaped at the female, who giggled and kissed the top of his head as she hugged him. "Nice to see you again! And you too, fluffy tail," he winked at Inuyasha, who shrugged and grunted.

"Hey, Kagome, this is my mom!" Shippou waved his little hand from where he sat in the woman's embrace.

"I'm Uka," she introduced herself. "I must say we didn't expect Shippou to wander in the apparent world and cause you trouble. I hope he behaved."

"Like hell he did," Inuyasha grumbled while Kagome waved her hand in front of him, shaking her head.

"Don't listen to him, he's just grumpy," she said. "I'm Higurashi Kagome and he's Inuyasha. And Shippou was just a bit too eager to prank the patrons at my shrine, nothing more."

"Naughty fox, eh?" Shi sat on the chair Shippou had been sitting on while Uka pulled out a new chair, sitting down with her son in her lap.

"We're thankful you didn't purify him and went to such lengths to bring him back to us. I must say, I'm surprised you didn't take him to the Kitsune Inn, it's way closer," she said in the same kind, polite tone.

Kagome was about to answer when Inuyasha spoke again.

"The miko went out of her way, left the shrine to bring your pup to you. Don't dig holes in hillsides about it and just be thankful," he said and crossed his arms over his chest. His voice wasn't as rude as it usually was, but it was far from being on the same level as Uka's. The woman gave a small nod and stroked Shippou's hair before the child wiggled out of her grasp, snatched a cookie from the bowl and went to sit in his father's lap.

"We are indeed thankful," Shi replied and hugged Shippou before giving him a tug on his ear. "You should be at the Inn, kid."

"I missed you. And I was worried something bad happened to you!" Shippou whined, rubbing his ear.

"How can we repay you for your kindness?" Uka asked, tilting her head. "You brought him safely to us while so many others would seal him away or purify him."

"It was nothing, really," Kagome smiled warmly. "I'm not the kind of person to harm a child."

She had just a vague sense of how to purify or seal away youkai, so it never had been an option, but she decided not to reveal how much she had to learn.

"Just take the brat and don't let him wander to the shrine like this again," Inuyasha grumbled. The pair of adults looked down at their son and then at each other.

"Is it a sign that the shrine guardian of the Sunset Shrine allows kitsune to visit his domain?" Uka asked in a playful tone.

"Feh. As long as you bring offerings and pray instead of pranking others, all are allowed to visit the shrine," Kagome was pretty surprised to hear that. She had expected him to violently decline and tell them to keep away from his domain, but it seemed he didn't care as long as the visitors were behaving.

It made sense, youkai weren't often going to see sacred places, but as long as there was no special barrier to keep them out they could enter the shrine grounds.

"We will visit then, to pay our respects to the deity that has such a kind miko in their service," Uka gave a small nod. "And to place in your hands a gift for overseeing our unruly son's venture through the apparent world."

"Yes," Shi patted Shippou's shoulders. "I am terribly sorry for the trouble Shippou caused you," he shook his head. "And after I swore not to cause you any when you allowed me to keep my disguise and stay in the human lands."

"So, about that," Kagome turned to look his way. "What made you stop working as a mail man? I hope you weren't scared I'd change my mind or something?"

"Oh, no!" Shi shook his head. "I mean... I got spooked by that huge weird storm and decided it'd be better to stick to my own kind," he grinned sheepishly when Uka raised an eyebrow. "Yes, I know, love, I know."

"I never took foxes to be scared of storms?" Kagome tilted her head in confusion.

"It's because daddy has a special tool that he took from the thunder youkai!" Shippou exclaimed proudly. "He probably thought they wanted it back!"

"Well, yes. I have a powerful family heirloom named the Raigekijin," Shi elaborated. Kagome noticed that Inuyasha's ear twitched his way, otherwise the hanyou stayed still. "Thanks to it I can work as an electricity manager here at the village."

"I still think you should just destroy the thing," Uka commented.

"Oh, but it's a family heirloom, love!" Shi gasped at the suggestion. His wife just rolled her eyes.

"Do you two have a place to stay for the night, or will you take the night train?" Uka asked after a while of casual talking. "We could find a place for you two to stay."

"Um, we should be going," Kagome bit her bottom lip. "We don't want to inconvenience you."

"Yeah," Inuyasha stood up. "We have to get back to the shrine."

Kagome wished she could argue, but she knew he was right - they had to come back home and take care of the shrine and her grandpa. Besides, she didn't want to trouble the young parents. She was pretty sure now they'd have to accommodate their little son in whatever quarters they had in the village.

"I see. In this case let us escort you to the gate," Uka stood up and patted Shippou on the head. "Show me your disguise, squirt."

"Yeah!" Shippou nodded and in a poof of smoke changed his looks to resemble a regular human boy. "See?"

"You even managed to hide the tail this time, you made a lot of progress," Uka praised and then the whole family went to show Kagome and Inuyasha the way to the gate, leading them down a path meandering between the trees. It wasn't the same one that they had used on their way in, so Kagome was about to ask Uka how to get to the nearest station after saying goodbye to Shippou. But when she put the boy on the ground after a big hug, she found herself in front of a huge white dog, plastered against the dirt road. Both adult foxes stared at Inuyasha as he nudged Kagome's side with his nose.

'Jump on, wench. We're going home and you ain't dragging me to ride in those crazy trains again,' the dog said in her head. Kagome giggled and mounted the canine, before he stood up and swished his tail. With a bark Inuyasha leaped forward, following the imaginary line straight towards the Higurashi Shrine.

Shippou looked at his parents - his father looked mostly amused, but Uka seemed stunned.

"What's wrong, mom?" the boy asked.

"I never thought Lord of the West would produce a hanyou heir," she uttered and shook her head, grinning. "That sly dog, hiding his pup in the apparent world."

"The Western Lord's heir?" Shi pointed at the thick forest that wasn't a part of the Kitsune Village grounds and where Inuyasha couldn't be seen anymore, obscured by the foliage. "Are you sure?"

"How many silver inu do you know, love?" Uka giggled and bent down to pick up Shippou. "Now, young man. You disobeyed your father's orders to stay at the Inn with your cousins and study. This warrants a punishment."

"Oh, mom, no..." Shippou whined and tried to wiggle out of her grasp, to no avail.
story short - I was going to post this chapter long ago, but I forgot. Sorry for so long delay!