It's been awhile since I've posted on this account..

And I am debating on deleting this acount completely.

If you want to RP still, let me know.

I need at least 10 people to respond before I reconsider.

Plus, I want to finish posting my Sango/Sesshoumaru Story!

xD

[okay, I seriously need more comments from people other than Sesshoumaru...I feel like a LOSER.  Thanks.]

*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~**~*

"Kohaku! Catch me!" Rin ran away from him, giggling wildly as she careened down the polished floor of the long corridor.

Kohaku was only a heartbeat or two behind her, his longer legs giving him the advantage in catching up with the little girl. "Rin, come back here!" he shouted. "Makiko says you have to take a bath!"

"Nooooo," she squealed, eluding him and darting into a different passage. Kohaku tried to ignore the smirks and giggles of passing youkai as he tracked his prey. Bath time for Rin was an event that never failed to amuse the household staff. For the umpteenth time Kohaku regretted that he’d ever told Makiko that he would bring in the dirty little scamp. Rin knew the passages much better than he did and he suspected she only let him follow her because she was enjoying the chase. He leaned against the wall, listening hard to the different sounds of the fortress. She was one, maybe two corridors down.

He crept up on the passage, listening for the sounds of the hiding girl. He heard movement and jumped without hesitation. "Gotcha!"

A sharp blow struck him across the face and sent him staggering into the nearest wall. "You do not ‘got’ me, human whelp." He looked up into the angry eyes of a youkai lord he’d never seen before. The man’s face was furious, his eyes narrowed in disgust. "How dare you lay your hands upon me? I should kill you for your insult."

Kohaku immediately dropped into a submissive bow, kneeling on the floor with his face down. Makiko had already warned him that nobility considered it a grave insult to be looked in the eye, let alone grabbed by a human. "Forgive me, lord. I meant no insult."

The demon swore softly under his breath and Kohaku kept his body perfectly still. He didn’t dare look up. "Filthy beast. I never thought I’d see the day that Sesshomaru-sama would allow such dirty animals within these walls. Your presence fouls the very air we breathe and the stench of you offends me greatly."

"Forgive me, lord. I meant no insult," Kohaku repeated. Makiko told him never to vary from that sentence. Addressing a lord to his face could be dangerous even for a demon, depending on rank. It seemed as if this particular lord was in a bad enough mood already. Kohaku waited tensely for the man to move off and leave him.

"I think you are not sorry enough, human," the man said in a cold dangerous tone. "Perhaps a severe beating would improve your manners."

Kohaku flinched inwardly but didn’t move. "Forgive me, lord. I meant no insult."

"That’s enough, Hisuni-sama," another voice said quietly. Kohaku looked up and saw Jano coming up behind the angry youkai. "Your rank does not give you leave to punish this particular human. If you dispute this fact, you are more than welcome to take it up with Sesshomaru-sama himself."

Kohaku risked a glance at the youkai lord. The man was scowling, his smooth features dark with dislike. "Protecting the rabble are you, Jano? I would think you’d have more urgent duties than playing wet-nurse to a disgusting human pup."

"My duties are whatever Sesshomaru-sama says they are," Jano said evenly. "I do not answer to you or anyone else within these walls regardless of rank or bloodline. I suggest you attend to your own business and have enough grace to accept the young man’s apology."

Hisuni’s face flushed with anger. "You forget your place, Jano. Don’t think that I will allow you to trifle with me."

Kohaku swallowed hard as Jano’s face darkened and became very threatening. "Lord or not, I don’t answer to you. If you wish to challenge me formally, I will accept and we can settle this dispute honorably."

The lord’s face paled noticeably, the angry flush of blood receding as he comprehended Jano’s implicit threat. Jano was not just a member of the household guard; he was Sesshomaru’s personal bodyguard and assassin. Hisuni was no fool and had no wish to humiliate himself by entering into a duel he wouldn’t win. With an angry snarl still on his lips, he turned swiftly and stalked away, muttering about impropriety and disrespect.

"Ass," Jano said pleasantly. He glanced down at the kneeling boy. "Oh get up already, Kohaku. You don’t have to be afraid of that pompous coward. Hisuni hates everything around him anyway, it’s not like he couldn’t have shown a little more dignity for a simple accident."

Kohaku stood up and grinned shyly. "Thank you, Jano-san. For a moment I really thought he was going to hurt me."

Jano snorted. "He would have. But he would have had to answer for it to Sessh. I actually did him a favor by stopping him." The youkai looked around, his nose twitching. "Rin, get your ass out here. I knew you were involved somehow."

The grubby little girl poked her head around the corner of the next passage. "I was scared for Kohaku. It was Rin’s fault, I shouldn’t have been running and hiding."

Kohaku smiled as the tall bodyguard swept the tiny girl up in a friendly, one-armed hug. "Hiding from what? The terrors of hot water and soap? Makiko is right, you really are a little barbarian." He set the girl back on her feet and gave her a light swat on her behind. "Go find Makiko and take your bath, Rin. And don’t make me come after you, no hiding this time, understand?"

Rin giggled and reached for Kohaku’s hand, but Jano shook his head. "Kohaku is coming with me, Sesshomaru-sama wants to see him."

Kohaku looked nervous. "Why?" He hadn’t seen the youkai lord since he’d woken up several days ago.

Jano raised an eyebrow. "I have no idea. Perhaps he’s finally going to tell you why he brought you here, I’ve been curious about it myself."

Butterflies were swarming in Kohaku’s stomach as Jano led him deep into the fortress and up a long flight of stairs. He wanted answers but he was also dreading them. He could recall the look in the youkai lord’s eyes when he’d held him by his throat, preparing to tear the life out of him over Naraku’s treachery. He’d been very lucky to keep his skin that day and wondered what Sesshomaru’s intentions really were.

Jano pushed open a door finally and led him inside, a breezily unconcerned expression on his face. "My lord," he called out cheerily. "I’ve brought the boy as you requested."

"Thank you, Jano." Sesshomaru was standing next to wide window that opened out onto a long balcony. Kohaku realized they must be high in one of the fortress’ towers. From where he stood he could see a vast expanse of open sky cut by mountains. He had guessed by what he’d already seen that the sprawling building was located in a valley of some kind. The foggy mornings and crisp nights made him think they were rather high up in the Western mountains. Under Naraku’s rule, he had traveled considerably but never so far west.

The youkai lord fixed him with an unreadable expression and Kohaku dropped his eyes, staring instead at the finely woven and embroidered carpet. "Who struck you?" the demon asked in a disinterested tone. He had noticed the bruise forming on the boy’s cheek. Kohaku didn’t meet his gaze and so missed the flash of anger that glinted momentarily in Sesshomaru’s eyes.

Jano cleared his throat. "He had a misunderstanding of sorts with Hisuni, my lord. I’ve taken care of the matter, it won’t happen again."

Sesshomaru held Jano’s gaze for a moment longer before turning his attention back to the human. "You wonder why I brought you here," he said quietly.

Kohaku glanced up and then back down at the carpet. "Yes, Sesshomaru-sama." The boy flinched when he heard the unmistakable sound of a sword being drawn from a sheath. He swallowed against his dry throat.

"This is Tenseiga," Sesshomaru said, noting how the boy’s muscles had twitched when he’d drawn the sword. "You may look at me, boy, I’m speaking to you." Kohaku glanced up and looked at the shining blade. It looked like any other katana he’d ever seen, other than it seemed to be highly polished. Sesshomaru moved the sword in a sweeping motion and Kohaku’s eyes widened, noting how the bright finish seemed to blur ever so slightly.

Sesshomaru smiled faintly and sheathed the sword. "Tenseiga has the power to cut death. It was by its power that I was able to restore your life. No foul trickery like the Shikon shard, its power is far more subtle and difficult to understand."

The youkai turned away from him, a soft whisper of silk as Sesshomaru looked out the window with a distracted expression. "I spared your life that day to fulfill an obligation. Your sister saved Rin’s life, it seemed suitable that I should save yours in return."

Kohaku had guessed as much from what his sister and her friends had told him. He knew Sango would have done such a thing instinctively, there was no way she’d not risk her life to save a helpless child, even one that belonged to a demon lord. He felt nervous; he didn’t know what to say or what to ask. His father had told him that courtesy often was the best way to deal with others.

Kohaku bowed respectfully. "Thank you for saving my life, Sesshomaru-sama."

Sesshomaru waved his hand lightly to dismiss the unnecessary gratitude. "I did so for my own reasons. I place no obligation upon you for my actions."

"My lord, can I ask why you brought me here?"

The youkai glanced back at him. "You were ill, you would have died if I hadn’t." And you didn’t want to see her cry, a voice whispered in his mind. He ignored it.

"Then I should also thank you for healing me," Kohaku said slowly.

"I did no such thing. I was certain you would die if I didn’t take you, I was much less certain you would live if I did." How to explain the subtlety of the Tenseiga to a limited human mind and that of a child? Why should he bother? He had only guessed that proximity to the sword and himself would restore the boy. Tenseiga was possessive, more so even than Toukijin. It refused to allow the boy to die, compelling even Sesshomaru himself with its demands.

The boy remained silent and the demon continued his thoughts, aware that Jano was still waiting like a shadow in the room. His first indication of Tenseiga’s nature had been Rin. She grew disruptive, anxious, and uncontrollable when he was away from her for too long. At first he had dismissed her behavior as that of an unruly child, one who feared losing the security his presence offered her. He gradually became more aware of the bond that had developed between them. Embarrassing certainly, to admit that he, a daiyoukai, lord of his people and accustomed to violence as a way of life, had let a tiny human waif become such a vital part of him.

"Kohaku," he said, using the boy’s name for the first time. "I will tell you this so that you don’t misunderstand my intentions. I did not save you out of kindness or compassion. Those are human emotions and I don’t want you to confuse them with youkai nature. We are not the same as you."

Sesshomaru paused briefly, choosing his words carefully. His voice was chill with a lack of emotion. "It is my belief that the Shikon jewel that bound you to the world in a cursed half-life has also dealt you an unseen damage. To put it in simplest terms, your soul was being torn from your body. That is the true reason for your illness."

"So I will die if I leave here," Kohaku said in a sober, quiet voice.

Sesshomaru nodded, it seemed the boy might not be as stupid as most humans. "If you stray too far from Tenseiga’s influence, and thus my own, your body will again begin to collapse. I do not know if it is simply the misuse of the Shikon jewel or if it was Naraku himself that has done this to you. Tenseiga cuts death, but it also forges a bond between those it spares and the one who wields it. That is the reason I have taken you under my protection."

Kohaku hesitated, unsure how the demon would take his next question. "Does my sister know this?"

Sesshomaru smiled slightly. "No, but she does now understand that your life is in my hands. She accepts the fact and does not question my actions."

Kohaku found himself frowning at the demon’s words. That didn’t sound at all like his sister. Sango should be frantic to get to him; the thought had pained him since he’d woken up with Rin standing over him. Sango had to be worried, Sango didn’t trust demons and he worried that she’d kill herself trying to find him.

Sesshomaru noticed Kohaku’s perplexed expression and smiled inwardly to himself. "Have I answered your questions, Kohaku?"

"Yes, thank you, Sesshomaru-sama." The demon turned away again and flicked his fingers at the boy in a dismissive gesture. "You may leave."

The boy turned obediently to leave and stopped next to the door. "Can I ask you one more question, my lord?"

"What?"

Kohaku took a deep breath. "When will I see my sister again?"

"When I so choose. Now leave." He had heard the appeal in the young man’s voice, knew how desperately Kohaku must want to see his sister again. Sango shared such feelings, that much was obvious.

He’s my brother! she had shouted, pain and need held captive in her eyes. The bond between the two siblings was strained and frayed by all that they had been through, but they still clung to each other all the same. Remembering Sango’s anguish over her brother’s life sent an unfamiliar pang into Sesshomaru’s heart.

Such emotions are a sign of weakness, he told himself. Their love of each other is a vulnerability that has been exploited by Naraku and has nearly caused their destruction. Still, it nagged at the back of his mind, giving him the barest glimpse of how their human minds and hearts were tormented by their separation.

It occurred to him that he hadn’t made it any easier on her; he’d expected her to trust him implicitly, accept his decision and his actions without so much as a word. Humans didn’t work like that, he thought, frowning slightly. They had no biological impulse to trust him or follow his orders. They fumbled their way to conclusions like a man fumbled his way home after too much drink.

Sesshomaru realized suddenly how difficult it had been for Sango to accept his actions regarding her brother. And he’d forced her to submit to him again, thinking that would reassure her. It would have reassured a youkai female, being taken by a stronger male, but Sango was human.

Uneasy with the direction his thoughts were taking him, he looked back at Jano. "Why are you still here?"

The boy had left, but his bodyguard remained standing, waiting for his lord to remember his presence. "You seem distracted, Sessh. Is there something on your mind?"

Sesshomaru scowled, knowing that Jano would hardly be intimidated. "It’s personal," he muttered. "When I want your opinion on something, I’ll ask you for it."

Jano raised an eyebrow, answering Sesshomaru’s surly tone with an easy grin. "Even when I tell you that the scouts have reported back to me? If you’re not interested, I can come back later."

He shot his bodyguard a look that meant it was time to quit playing around. "Report, Jano. What did they find?"

The demon leaned easily against the wall, a knowing smirk on his face. "They think they might have tracked down Naraku. Villagers in the eastern part of the territory have been seeing strange things in the sky and anyone who gets to close to the affected area doesn’t come back."

Sesshomaru frowned. "Is that all?"

His bodyguard shrugged. "They didn’t investigate further, you told them to report back if they got so much as a sniff of that foul bastard. Did you want me to send them out again and see if they can get better detailed information?"

"No," Sesshomaru said quietly. "I want you to go yourself. If it is Naraku, don’t even think about engaging him. I want you back here with the information so we can plan how to approach his lair. I’ll have no more mistakes, I want to kill that abomination personally."

"Goddamnit!"

oOo

"Inuyasha! Settle down already," Kagome reached out to touch his arm but the half-demon shook her off angrily. He glowered at his companions.

"We would have been here earlier if you people weren’t always slowing me down!"

"Excuse us for needing to sleep," Kagome exploded. Miroku and Sango backed away from the irate girl. "You’re the only one that can run for days and not get tired. Don’t you dare blame us because Naraku’s not here anymore!"

With the exception of a cranky hanyou, they were all exhausted. They’d caught wind of Naraku’s whereabouts and had barely stopped to rest, let alone eat for longer than it took to keep them alive. And again they were too late; the wily demon had once again moved his lair, leaving a defiled space in the earth where he’d been. The small glade might have been beautiful once; rich with wildflowers and green grass swaying gently in the breeze. Now it was dark and dead, even the insects had retreated from Naraku’s evil miasma.

There was also no shortage of remains laying around, no few of them human. Unwary villagers, innocent travelers that happened upon the demon’s lair. It looked like Naraku had been feeding oni and monsters again, probably for building new and foul creatures to do his bidding. That explained the bits and pieces that didn’t look human anymore.

Miroku sighed wearily and unpacked a shovel. "Grave digging again. By Buddha himself, I’m tired of burying Naraku’s victims."

"I’ll help you, houshi-sama," Sango said softly. She knew how much it bothered Miroku, how many innocent lives were lost to Naraku’s evil purposes. It bothered her too, she still had nightmares about crawling half dead out of her own grave. As the human remains were well scattered, it was decided that a single grave would have to suffice. Naraku’s miasma left no more than bones anyway, skin, hair, flesh and organs dissolved under the corrosive influence.

They worked to dig the hole together, moving earth in harmony and silence. Inuyasha and Kagome also worked silently to collect the sad bits and pieces that used to be human beings. Shippou had wanted to pick flowers for a grave marker, but there weren’t any to be had. Kagome had given the fox a piece of paper and a crayon, asking him to draw the flowers since there weren’t any for him to pick.

Once finished, they gathered to bow their heads respectfully while Miroku murmured a short blessing. It seemed inadequate somehow; all they were able to do for these poor people was hope that they were now at rest. Sango closed her eyes, contemplating her own graves. She hadn’t been back to the site of her village in some time to pay her respects. Kohaku had expressed an interest in returning for such a reason. Sango deliberately pushed the thoughts of her brother out of her mind. It was too painful to think about. She prayed he was better now and not too anxious about her absence.

"Now what?" Inuyasha said in a glum voice. He glanced over at Kagome and Sango, scratching his head absently. "We might as well rest, but I’m not staying here. This place gives me the creeps."

"You aren’t the only one," a voice said quietly.

They all started and hands went immediately to weapons. Inuyasha scowled into the gathering darkness. "Who’s there? Show yourself!"

A man stepped out of the trees, holding out both hands to show them he hadn’t drawn his blade. "Peace friends, I mean no harm. I watched you showing respect to the dead and thought that perhaps you might have information about the monster who did this."

Inuyasha kept his hand on the hilt of Tessaiga, but didn’t draw the blade. "Spying on us? What makes you think we’d tell you anything?"

Kagome edged closer to his side. "He hasn’t done anything hostile. Don’t be so quick to judge him."

"He could be working for Naraku!"

The man laughed at that and his voice had a warm, friendly ring. "The hanyou is correct, girl. You should be suspicious of strangers always. As it happens, I am not working for Naraku, but I am looking for the foul creature."

"Come closer so we can see you then," Inuyasha ordered gruffly. "If you don’t mean any harm, you don’t have a problem showing yourself instead of hiding in the shadows."

The man drew closer, throwing off the hood of his cloak and exposing his face. Inuyasha stared hard at him. He was plainly dressed in dark clothes with a long cloak trimmed in jet-black fur.

The man smiled then and showed pointed fangs. "Satisfied?"

"You’re inuyoukai," Inuyasha growled, his hands tensing again. "I thought I smelled it, how did you mask your scent?"

The demon chuckled. "Trick of the trade. I might be inclined to teach it to you someday. You have a problem with inuyoukai? You’re half dog-demon yourself or I don’t recognize those ears."

Sango stared at the newcomer who smiled so confidently at them. "Are you from this area?"

"No, but this is close enough to my home territory that my people were concerned by Naraku hiding here. You are a...demon exterminator, are you not?" His eyes held a flicker of recognition as he took in the details of her uniform. She nodded, easing her hold on Hiraikotsu slightly.

"What are you doing here?" Miroku asked, his voice mild. "If you were looking for Naraku, I’m afraid you’re too late. As were we."

The youkai nodded. "I can see that, monk. I’ve been sent by my people to track the monster, make sure he stays away from our territory. I was going to report back with his precise location, but it seems he’s given us all the slip. Too bad, I hate to miss out on a fight."

"You’ve been tracking him?" Kagome said, looking at him with curiosity. "Were you going to attack him?"

He shrugged. "Those were not my instructions, I was only to report back with a confirmation of Naraku’s location. I was not to engage him in combat without provocation." He sighed and looked up at the darkening sky. "It seems I’ve wasted my time, but I also have no desire to camp here. I’d much rather get back to my home and sleep in safety."

"Is your village far from here?" Miroku asked interestedly. He was tired of sleeping on the cold ground. Youkai or not, he seemed friendly enough and anyone who had it in for Naraku couldn’t be all bad.

With a faint smile, the demon met the monk’s eyes. "As it happens, my…uh…village isn’t far from here. I can offer you its hospitality. You have my word no harm will come to you."

"A demon’s word," Inuyasha said darkly. "No thanks, I’d rather trust the woods."

"You’re very suspicious, aren’t you? If you used your nose, you’d know I’m not lying. Even a hanyou should be able to scent deception in another inuyoukai."

Inuyasha grinned. "You were able to cover your scent before, what makes you think I don’t know you’re covering something now?"

Sighing, the dog demon reached for his sword. Inuyasha immediately tensed, but the youkai didn’t draw his blade. Instead he pulled the katana with its sheath from his waist and tossed it over to the hanyou. "If I’m lying, you can kill me with my own blade. How’s that for an indication of my intentions?"

Inuyasha gripped the sheath in his hand for a moment before tossing it back. "If you’re lying, I won’t need your puny sword to kill you. My own will do the job just fine."

Kagome finally nudged him in the ribs. "Oh come on, he’s trying to be fair. We all need a rest, I know you won’t admit it, but I bet you’re curious about a village of dog-demons."

"Why should I be?" he said, glaring at her. "I don’t give a damn about it."

"Are you scared?" she asked in a challenging voice. He refused to dignify that with a response, instead turning his fierce yellow gaze on the patiently waiting demon. "How far is your village anyway?"

"Not far. If you can keep up with me running, we can be there by morning. If you’re up for such a long run that is, your friends will definitely need to ride that cat-youkai."

Kirara mewed lightly, twitching her tails as she knew she was being spoken of. She picked her way delicately over to the demon, her expression wary even in her adorable kitten form. He bowed and Sango again heard an unusual hissing-purring form of language, this time from the strange dog-demon. Kirara’s response was to curl up on his toe and purr contentedly.

Sango was amused. "Well, she seems to like you and she doesn’t like everyone. I’m curious myself and the idea of a real bed seems too good to be true."

"Very well," the demon said with a smile. "You will be honored guests in my home for as long as you wish to stay. I’m sure that my people will do everything they can to make you feel welcome."

"I ain’t holding my breath," Inuyasha said grimly. "You haven’t even told us your name and you expect us to follow you home like little stray puppies."

The demon gave him an arch glance. "My name is Jano. And I don’t usually bring home strays. But you look weary and this is far too depressing a place to rest for any amount of time. If you don’t trust me, that’s only to be expected. You don’t know me. But if you don’t think of me as a friend, you can at least think of me as Naraku’s enemy and I’m sure we’ll get along fine."

***END OF CHAPTER EIGHT***

Miroku’s expression was thoughtful as he walked through the forest. It had been a quiet day, nothing more exciting than helping Kaede with a couple of ailing villagers. He didn’t mind very much, one of the old women had a lovely young granddaughter. Her grateful smile had lightened his heart for a few moments and he found himself watching her as she hurried to make tea for Kaede and himself. Mentally, he gave himself a boot as soon as he realized he was considering asking the sweet-faced girl his favorite question, she was far too young and Kaede would likely think him the worst kind of pervert.

Too late, she’d already noticed the direction of his gaze. "Houshi-sama!" she said in a disapproving tone. He blinked at her, casting the innocent mask back onto his face. Miroku grinned. Too young for now, but the lovely thing about girls was that they would blossom into women. No matter, he had more important things to worry about.

Kagome had left for her homeland two days ago and he had to admit he felt a sense of relief. If the tension between her and Inuyasha got any worse, he was thinking of going down that well himself. Difficult to travel with a pair that couldn’t seem to get along without arguing most days, far worse when the same two weren’t speaking at all.

He actually preferred the arguments, they added a certain sense of continuity to his days and he had to admit, he never got tired of watching Kagome put the sit on Inuyasha. It puzzled him that she hadn’t done it recently, but obviously there was more going on than a simple monk understood.

Inuyasha seemed relieved that Kagome had left, he’d been looking a might harried and stressed these days. Miroku had an idea of why, but for the life of him he didn’t understand why the stupid dog didn’t just go find himself an agreeable demon female if Kagome had rejected him. He didn’t think Inuyasha was innocent of what males and females were supposed to do with each other and finding a way to relieve the tension seemed like a simple enough concept. He was frustrated himself, but you didn’t see him tearing around the village and barking at people for no reason. Not that he hadn’t thought about it.

Miroku decided he was still a little depressed over Sango’s quiet rejection. He was seriously going to miss teasing the exterminator, whether or not she’d have ever taken him up on his offer was only part of the appeal. He sighed, scratching absently at the back of his neck. It still made no sense to him, but something had changed between them.

He looked into his rosary bound hand. "You are the cause of this," he admonished mildly. Of course, traveling with two extremely attractive and unavailable women wasn’t exactly helping either. Especially when said females seemed to disapprove heartily of any attempt to find friendlier companionship. He sympathized the his half-demon, cold uptight bitches indeed.

He was startled out of his thoughts when he heard Inuyasha’s voice raised up in a strident question. "Sango, why the hell not?"

"I’m not ready, I don’t know what to say!" Miroku hurried over to where the sounds were coming from, his ears already starting to twitch. Something was going on and maybe this would be the time he’d find out what. He leaned against a tree trunk, hoping the hanyou was too distracted to notice his presence. It was pure hell trying to sneak up on a half-demon.

Miroku sank silently to the ground and used a single finger to move aside a cover of leaves. He could just see Inuyasha’s bright red clothing through the thick brush. "I don’t give a fuck if you aren’t ready. You should have thought about that earlier. I’m tired of lying."

Lying about what? Miroku chewed on his lower lip. Falsehood was hardly Inuyasha’s strong point but what could he have to lie about for Sango?

The girl’s voice was so soft he had to strain himself to overhear. "I’m not asking you to lie. It’s just I don’t know how Kagome and Miroku will feel. It’s going to be a shock."

The hanyou made a disparaging sound. "I don’t care what they think."

"That’s you, I care about it. If we don’t tell them in the right way, they’ll just think the worst of both of us."

Hmmm? Miroku frowned, this wasn’t making any sense. What could those two be up to that they don’t want to talk about?

"Are you ashamed?" Inuyasha asked quietly.

Sango didn’t answer immediately, Miroku waited several heartbeats to catch her reply. "I’m...I’m not ashamed."

"Then what is it?"

Miroku thought he’d never heard such a gentle tone from the hanyou. He heard Sango sigh softly. "Inuyasha, it’s like you said earlier. I’m a demon exterminator, I’m supposed to hunt and kill youkai, not go to bed with them."

Miroku’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. Did I just hear what I think I heard? No, I’ve got to be wrong about this.

Inuyasha’s soft chuckle made him sit up straighter. He had to see their faces to see if he really was hearing what he thought he’d heard. "Okay, Sango. I promised I’d wait until you were ready to tell them so I will. It was easier to keep quiet when I thought it was just a one-time thing, but I guess it’s not going to be that way, is it?"

No way, Miroku thought furiously, feeling a tingle of jealousy. He did not just say that, he did not just say that! Sango replied in a soft, intimate tone Miroku had never heard before and the monk felt his heart drop into his stomach like a ball of ice and sharp glass.

"I don’t know how to thank you for being so patient with me."

Inuyasha laughed again, Miroku could hear the smirk in his voice. "Don’t worry. I’ll think of a way you can pay me back."

They drifted away and he sat still at the base of the tree. He couldn’t deny the truth and felt a little pang like the blade of a knife slipping into him. It was quite obvious that Sango and Inuyasha were lovers. That had to be the cause of the tension between the half-demon and Kagome. The girl had finally worked up her courage to offer herself to him and he had rejected her.

Miroku kicked himself for not seeing the truth sooner, but all the confusion regarding Kohaku had distracted him, kept him from reading the signs. Kagome was probably still ignorant of what had been happening right under their noses. Miroku finally stood up, dusting the leaves and dirt off his robes. Kagome deserved the truth, whatever the outcome.

oOo

Sango was dreaming about Kohaku, he was lost and she couldn’t find him. Desperate, she ran through the deep darkness of the forest, calling out his name. The harder she ran, the louder she yelled, the darker the forest became. Eventually it felt like she was running in place, lost in the blackness and felt herself becoming overwhelmed by despair.

Trust me.

Her eyes opened suddenly and Sango felt to become herself quite calm. The panic of the dream was receding quickly and the exterminator stared up at the star-filled sky. Longing for her brother filled her heart. Where are you now, Kohaku? Is he taking care of you, are you feeling better? I want to know, but at the same time, I’m afraid I’ll hate what I find out.

Trust me.

Just before he’d left her, exhausted and spent on the forest floor, the youkai had leaned close, his lips brushing her ear. Sango closed her eyes again and shivered, even the memory of his mouth so close to her made her tremble. How could she trust him when she didn’t even know him? She couldn’t trust her own feelings; even her own body had turned on her. Trust him? She hardly had any choice about it. Kohaku was gone, Sesshomaru refused to so much as hint about why he had taken the boy away.

Sango reached out her arms and stretched sensuously, rolling over to snuggle her face tight into her blankets. If that was the demon’s idea of punishing her for defying him, she hoped she’d have more opportunities to do just that.

She flushed, embarrassed by her own thoughts. What the hell was wrong with her these days? She’d been in a dead panic at losing Kohaku and now all she wanted to do was lay here and think about how Sesshomaru made her feel when he touched her. Her little brother could be in danger, she had no way of knowing what the demon’s plans for Kohaku were.

Trust me.

Oh damn you to hell anyway, the girl thought, scowling to herself. It was going to be a long night.

oOo

The boy’s eyes opened slowly, blinking against the sunshine that was pouring into the room from the open window. Kohaku thought he could smell flowers and for the first time in what seemed like forever, a sensation of peacefulness filled his young body. He didn’t hurt, not anywhere, and it had been such a long time since he could say that.

A small face pushed itself into view and Kohaku started, almost reaching up to defend himself from this stranger. Only he recognized her a moment later and a happy toothy grin was her response to his wide-eyed stare. "Kohaku-kun," the girl squealed. "You’re finally awake!"

"R...Rin?" he asked, stammering a bit. He remembered this girl, he remembered a voice inside his head, instructing him to kill her, slit her throat, cut her up. He shook off the memory with a sudden chill. "What are you doing here?"

That made the girl laugh, she looked so happy he found himself smiling back at her. "Rin lives here," she said, her eyes dancing. "Kohaku can live here too and be friends now!"

He sat up, looking around him in confusion. He was in a small, somewhat plain room. The furniture seemed to be of good quality but there wasn’t much in the way of decoration. It was also spotlessly clean. He didn’t recognize this place at all and wondered where his sister was.

"Okay, Rin, then what am I doing here? Where am I?"

She danced around the room, full of exuberant energy. "I told you, this is where I live." The girl turned back to him, a serious look on her face. "I’m glad you’re feeling better, you seemed to be really sick when Sesshomaru-sama brought you home."

Kohaku froze, staring at the young girl in shock. "Sesshomaru-sama? He brought me here?" This was bad; he didn’t remember the demon taking him anywhere. "Rin. This is important. Where is my sister? Have you seen her?"

Rin shrugged, fiddling with the bed covers. "Rin doesn’t know," she said softly. "Sesshomaru-sama was alone when he came with you. He told me to let you sleep until you weren’t sick anymore. I’ve been waiting for you for four whole days."

Four days? He was out of it for four days? Kohaku shoved the blankets off his legs and tried to get out of bed. His knees were awfully weak and all he wore was a light-sleeping robe. "Rin, do you know what they did with my clothes?"

"Your clothing was thrown out, it was filthy," a voice said from the doorway.

Kohaku spun around, trying not to wobble too much. A pretty woman with braided dark hair was giving him a mischievous look. In her hands was a tray that held a few dishes. A wonderful smell was coming from the bowl and Kohaku’s stomach woke up and let him know that it hadn’t eaten recently.

"Who are you, ma’am?"

She smiled at him, showing pearly fangs. "Well, a human with manners. How nice to see that at last, Rin’s a right little barbarian."

"Rin is not a barbarian," the little girl said loftily. "Rin is a very polite child and does so have manners."

The woman snorted in amusement. "Not to hear Sesshomaru-sama tell it. You’ve been a brat since you got here. Nothing I’ve done or anyone else has done has changed that."

Kohaku stared at her. "You’re a youkai."

She settled on the edge of the bed and arranged the tray neatly in front of her. "How observant you are," she said pleasantly. "Why don’t you sit back down, young human? You have to be starving. I didn’t know humans could survive fevers that high, but you’re obviously tougher than you look."

He wasn’t going to move without answers. "Who are you? I don’t remember how I got here. Where’s my sister...did he take her too?"

"I am Makiko and I’m in charge of getting you healthy again. I also have the doubtful honor of trying to keep Rin out of trouble when Sesshomaru-sama is in residence. Do all humans ask this many questions?" The young woman gestured at him again. "Please sit down and eat, Kohaku. You’ll catch chill if you keep standing there in your sleeping things."

His legs were getting cold so Kohaku did as he was asked and got back into the warm bed. "Does my sister know where I am?"

Makiko didn’t meet his eyes, looking away from him placidly. "I have no way of knowing that. As I said before, you were very ill, delirious in fact. The lord doesn’t keep me informed as to his reasons and it is considered impolite to ask such things."

Kohaku tried the soup. It was very tasty and warmed him from the inside out. He hoped there’d be more of it. "I don’t remember anything, the last thing Sango told me was that we were going back to Kaede’s village to see if she could treat my fever. I don’t know why I’m here." He looked up and met the woman’s gaze. "Sesshomaru-sama scares me."

"Then you are wise, young human." Makiko stood up and took his now empty bowl. "I’ll bring you more to eat in a few hours, when you’re ready for it. Don’t let Rin talk you into getting out of bed before you’re ready. She’s a devilish child and has no compassion for anyone who doesn’t share her outlandish energy."

Rin leaned over to him conspiratorially. "She’s not normally so cranky, but she’s been sitting up with you for the past few days and I think she needs a nap."

oOo

Kagome stood up and looked at her companions. "I can’t take it anymore. I need a bath and I need to wash my hair."

The past two days had been uneventful. She and Inuyasha had settled on not speaking to each other about anything other than the weather. So far, the tension between them was still evident. Kagome decided she wasn’t about to forgive him for what he did or what he said. Even when she was at home, she found herself thinking about it.

"Who the hell does he think he is," she said aloud, forgetting that she was walking to class with her friends.

Eri shot a knowing look to the other girls. "Here she goes again, talking to herself about her boyfriend."

Kagome stopped and caught the girl with a glare that would have made a youkai cringe. "He is not my boyfriend. Don’t you ever refer to him as that again. I hate him, I hate everything about him!"

The girls looked startled. "Don’t tell me you had another fight," Yumi asked uncertainly. Kagome’s expression was pretty scary. "Did you catch him cheating on you again?"

Kagome held her temper, trying to remind herself that they were just asking a simple question. "No. It wasn’t like that. We just..." She became aware that they were staring at her with rapt expressions. I can’t tell them, what would they say? That I let him put his hands all over me and worse, and then he tells me I’m not Kikyou and it’s wrong? They’ll tell me I got what I deserved for ever putting up with the two-timing jerk in the first place.

"Was it something he did?" Eri asked eagerly.

"Was it something he said?" Yumi chimed in.

Kagome flushed, embarrassed. "It was kind of both," she confessed. Maybe they would understand.

"Did he kiss you?" they asked. Kagome smiled shyly.

Eri and Yumi grabbed her hands. "Did he put his tongue in your mouth?"

"He didn’t kiss me on my mouth," Kagome said softly. The girls’ eyes went so wide she was afraid they’d pop out of their sockets.

"Kagome!"

She glared at them and they shrank back again. "Don’t look at me like that! You don’t understand, it just happened. It wasn’t like I planned it!"

"Oh my god, Kagome," Yumi said, her expression shocked and a little impressed. "How far did you go?"

"Not far enough," she whispered, looking down at the ground. Her friends stood silently, sensing for the first time that Kagome was really upset; this wasn’t a normal fight at all.

"What then?" Eri said in a tiny voice.

"He...he stopped. He said it was wrong because I wasn’t...her."

The other girls drew in breaths of horror. "Oh no, his ex-girlfriend? Oh Kagome..."

"It’s okay," she said, forcing the cheery look back on her face. "I’m fine, really. I’ve just decided that it wasn’t going to work out anyway and if he’s still that hung up on that cold bitch," her friends blinked at Kagome’s harsh tone, "then he should just go find her and they can be really happy together in hell."

"Wow, you’re really fed up with him, aren’t you?" Yumi murmured. They had no way of knowing how literally Kagome meant her words.

Then why am I back here again? Kagome looked over at Inuyasha and he pointedly looked away. Fine. "Well, I’m going to take a bath, there’s a beautiful hot spring nearby and we were going to stop soon anyway. Sango, did you want to join me?"

Sango grinned. "Yes, I think a hot bath sounds wonderful too."

Kagome dug her shampoo and a towel from her backpack. Shippou jumped up and clung to her leg. "Me too! I want to take a bath, see how dirty my tail is?"

She brushed him gently aside. "No, Shippou. You can take a bath later. I’ll even wash your hair for you. Right now, you need to stay here and make sure the pervert doesn’t peep at us."

Miroku shook his head. "I resent that."

She tossed him a casual look over her shoulder. "What makes you think I’m talking about you?" She paused and the monk started to grin widely. "Keep your distance just the same."

Inuyasha turned and watched the girls make their way into the trees. "Did she just call me a pervert?"

Miroku gave the hanyou a cool glance. "I believe she did."

Inuyasha scowled and muttered something rude under his breath. The monk ignored him and stretched out on the ground. He was a little tired; his recent discovery had been keeping him awake at night. He’d been watching Inuyasha and Sango together and thought that they were certainly doing a good job of keeping their secret. Not a hint of previous intimacy showed in their interactions, if anything Miroku would say that they were treating each other with an even greater casualness. It didn’t make sense to him, had he been so lucky as to have charmed Sango into his arms, he’d make sure the universe knew about it.

oOo

Lowering herself into the steaming water, Sango let out a sigh of pure bliss. She felt the tension in her muscles evaporate and leaned back to let herself completely relax. Beautiful. She heard similar sounds coming from Kagome and opened her eyes to smile at her friend.

Kagome splashed around for a few moments, getting her shampoo and soap ready. She lathered her hair, sighing to herself and scrubbing her scalp. It felt so good. Sango watched her, noticing the still slightly unhappy turn of her mouth. "Kagome, can I ask you something?"

The girl ducked under the water, shaking her head to rinse her thick hair thoroughly. Heavenly hot springs aside; it was work to get her hair really clean when she didn’t have water pressure. She popped back up gasping. "Of course, Sango. You can ask me anything."

"What happened between you and Inuyasha?"

Kagome gulped. "What are you talking about?" Sango watched as the girl’s face turned red and knew it had nothing to do with the heat of the water. "Come on Kagome, you two have been sniping at each other for over a week. Do you want to talk about it?"

She twisted her washcloth in her hands, knew she was blushing hard and didn’t know what to say. "I’m not sure. It’s kinda embarrassing. We had an argument and he told me that since I’m not Kikyou, it was wrong for us to ever..."

Sango blinked at her. "That’s all?"

"Isn’t that enough? I’m so sick of being compared to her I can’t stand it, Sango. You’d think after everything we’ve been through together, he’d see me as myself, as Kagome, not just her copy, not just as someone who wasn’t Kikyou."

Sango leaned her head on her arm, letting the warm water wash over her skin. "That’s rough, Kagome. He cares about you, he’s just an idiot."

"I’m not so sure," Kagome murmured softly. "Maybe it’s not just that, maybe it really is me. For all I know, Kikyou is just an excuse to keep away from me."

"Don’t say that," Sango said seriously. "Inuyasha is difficult at the best of times, but you’re important to him. And not because you’re Kikyou’s reincarnation either. He probably can’t even admit it to himself; the guy has some serious problems with trusting people. He’ll come around eventually."

Kagome grinned at her. "I can’t believe you’re defending him. How many times have you told me not to put up with his attitude?"

Sango reached for the shampoo and started to work on her own hair. "I just don’t like to see either of you suffering like this. When are you going to get around to forgiving him? Even if he did say something that stupid, it’s sure as hell not the first time."

Kagome ducked under the water again so she wouldn’t have to answer that question. I do want to forgive him; I want to stop being angry, she thought to herself. I can’t blame Inuyasha, not entirely. I was doing everything I could to encourage him, but I have to admit I’m probably not ready either. Maybe he sensed it and that’s why he stopped when he did. Could he have thought I was teasing him somehow?

Kagome surfaced again, floating over to sit next to Sango. "I know. I’ll get over being mad, I always do. Thanks for talking with me about it, Sango. You’re like the big sister I always wished I had."

The exterminator laughed, rinsing out her hair. "I’m glad I could help. Don’t worry about it so much, you two will eventually get it all sorted out."

Kagome was about to reply when she noticed a dark mark on Sango’s left breast. A slightly circular bruise, just like a bite mark. "Where did you get that?" she asked, pointing to the purplish coloration.

Sango looked down and blushed hard. He’d bitten her, not hard enough to break the skin, but still enough to leave evidence. "I don’t know where I got it," she lied.

Kagome moved closer. "How could you not know you got bit there?" The bruise was flush against the curve of her breast, an unusually intimate place for an injury. She studied the mark, aware that Sango had become tense and felt her friend’s discomfort increase.

"I just don’t remember, maybe I ran into something," the exterminator said tersely.

Kagome shook her head. "No, it looks like a bite, I can see teeth marks."

She turned away, covering her chest with her arms. "I’m fine, don’t worry about it." Sango moved out of the hot spring, reaching for her clothes. Kagome watched her dress hurriedly and disappear into the trees before starting to climb out of the water herself.

Kagome toweled her hair, frowning slightly as she tried to figure out when they’d been fighting anything that would leave a bruise like that. It did look like teeth marks; she could clearly see the outline of fangs. But why would Sango hide something like that? Unless she really didn’t want her to know who or what had bitten into her with such aggressive fanged teeth.

She stopped suddenly, a strange expression on her face. She only knew of one person, one demon that had teeth shaped like that. She’d felt them herself. She knew who could have had the opportunity to get that close to Sango without question and Kagome sank down to the ground in shock.

Sango had looked embarrassed; Sango didn’t want to talk about it, turning away from her with her face flushed like Kagome had asked her about her most intimate secret. Her hands were trembling and Kagome was finally making sense of the situation. Maybe it wasn’t Kikyou he’d been thinking about after all.

"Inuyasha, you son of a bitch!"

TO BE CONTINUED.

[hahaha, I'm such a bitch.  A cliffy for you all.  I'll post the next one after at least five comments/feedback.. =P What is going to become of Inuyasha?  Why the hell is Miroku so nosy? Will Sango's 'secret' be revealed?!?!  Stay tuned.  (XD I am so freaking corny..)]