Chapter 2: Please Let Me Stay

((I do not own the characters in Inu Yasha, I do, however, own myself….which is who the American tourist is supposed to be…so no stealing me!))

Anna sat at the side of the well once again. Only, this time when she looked around she saw trees and grass instead of the walls and floor of the shrine. She took a deep breath of the pure fresh are and sighed. "This is what it's supposed to be like….everything so nice and clean…untouched by man….too bad more of the world isn't like this…"

Inu Yasha stood a little ways off, sulking. The rest of the group was crowded around the newcomer. The child, who she had learned was a fox demon named Shippo, was seated on her lap, the man named Miroku sat on the ground beside the well, looking at her, Sango sat facing her, a small cat demon curled up on her lap, and Kagome sat on the well beside her. Anna had just finished explaining how she arrived there, and the others, who had been listening intently, let the information sink in.

"So…how come we can speak to each other…you just said you can't speak Japanese…" Shippo looked confusedly at her.

"well…I think it's because of this…" her hand went to the shard around her neck as she looked at the young kitsune on her lap.

Kagome blinked as she said softly, "a shard of the shikon jewel!"

Anna continued to twirl the jewel shard between her fingers as she spoke. "Oh…is that what it is? The man who sold it to…" she stopped suddenly as her eyes grew wide and she turned to face the monk sitting on the ground beside her, whose hand now rested gently on her rear. She jumped up and quickly ran to the other side of Kagome. "What does he think he's doing?"

Sango swiftly had her huge boomerang out and whacked Miroku on the head with it, her eye twitching, "Good question…" she muttered, then in a slightly more audible voice she continued, "I suppose he can't help it for some reason…."

Miroku looked at Sango, trying his best to look apologetic; he wasn't sure why she even seemed to care what he did. He was certain she held no strong feeling for him, other than of course the friendship the whole group shared. But she was always so jealous! "Sango…"

The demon slayer turned away, her hair flying out behind her. "Oh just ask her your stupid question and get it over with! You know…one day your lecherous ways are gonna land us ALL in trouble!"

Anna blinked and looked at Sango, then watched Miroku as he approached her. Miroku opened his mouth to speak, but Inu Yasha interrupted, "don't even think about it letch. She's probably creeped out enough by the whole situation without you helping."

Miroku sighed and sat back down, looking at Sango, then the ground. Anna turned to Kagome, "I'm afraid to ask what the question was…"

Kagome nodded "trust me…be glad he didn't get to ask…"

Anna looked at Sango, who was still seething as she stood beside a tree. Then she whispered, "Sango seems to have a thing for Miroku…"

Kagome laughed, "Finally! Someone else who sees it!"

"How could I miss it…she got so jealous!"

Kagome sighed "yeah well, unfortunately, Miroku is always doing that stuff…to every woman he meets, then he asks them to bear his children."

Anna gasped "that was his question!" She blushed brightly, "your right…I'm glad he never got to ask!"

Kagome laughed again, and looked at Inu Yasha, who despite the moment he had taken to stop the monk's question, was still sulking a few feet away, "Inu Yasha…are you still upset? Get over it!"

Inu Yasha jumped into a tree, crossing his arms over his chest, one leg dangling off the branch. "Feh…"

Kagome sighed, "He gets that way…no one ever accused him of being mature!"

Inu Yasha looked at Kagome, then at Anna and back at Kagome, "so…when are you gonna get that jewel and send her back to your time where she belongs?"

Anna jumped up and raced over so she could stand under the branch where Inu Yasha was sitting. She looked pleadingly at him, "oh please! Don't make me go! Let me stay just a little while…"

"Feh, look…we need your shard…"

Kagome was standing beside Anna now, looking up at Inu Yasha, "Inu Yasha…."

Miroku stood up and walked over, facing the two girls, "I agree with Inu Yasha…she should leave, you know as well as we do how dangerous it is here…"

Sango looked over at Miroku, "that's true monk…but still, you have to consider kagome's position, this is a girl from her time…she could use friends from her era to keep her company…"

Shippo hopped up on Anna's shoulder, looking up at Inu Yasha and sticking out his tongue. "I like her and I want her to stay!"

Kagome smiled hugely as she looked at Inu Yasha, "then it's decided! She stays!"

"Feh….fine, but don't expect me to save her ass every time she gets into trouble!"

Anna beamed up at the hanyou. She clapped her hands together excitedly "OH THANK YOU!" she and Kagome looked at each other and let out a small squeal of delight. Sango smiled at their display of joy while Miroku blinked, Shippo laughed, and Inu Yasha rolled his eyes. The American girl turned once more to face Inu Yasha, a serious look on her face "And I promise…I won't get into any trouble! I can take care of myself!" she gave a curt nod as if to say, 'so there'.

"Feh, yeah right…I can tell just by looking at you your weak…even weaker than most human woman."

Kagome shot Inu Yasha a dirty look, and Anna blinked, looking hurt, "I am not weak!"

"Oh please! Your about as fit as a bowl of lard!"

Kagome gave another glare "Inu Yasha…" she hissed out warningly. But the half-breed ignored her and continued his insults.

"I mean, I'm surprised Miroku even went after you…he usually avoids the bigger women….."

Anna let out an offended gasp at the fact that she had just been called fat, true, she was larger than most girls her age, but her frame carried the weight well. She wasn't 'ugly' fat….she was just a little bit chubby.

"INU YASHA! SIT BOY!" Kagome roared out, causing the poor boy to tumble from the tree. "That was very rude! You NEVER tell a woman she's fat! Not that you are Anna!" she shot an apologetic look to her new friend.

"It's alright," Anna commented softly with a small smile, "I know I'm not exactly a size two over here." She laughed softly to show that there were no hard feelings, meanwhile Inu Yasha lay twitching in the imprint he had made in the ground.

Shippo stood watching the whole incident from his spot near the well. He blinked and made a mental note never to call a girl fat, at least not when Kagome was around.