Disclaimer: -sigh- I own Rose and crew and Fluffy because he is a sexxxxxxeh bitch. Rumiko Takahashi owns everyone else.

Tera: OMG, LOOK, A CHAPTER! FINALLY!

Chapter 5

"Put me down!" Rose yelled, changing back into herself.

"No. You agreed. You're coming, like it or not." Sesshomaru urged the chariot to go faster.

Rose folded her arms. "You're a big meano, you know that?"

"'Meano?' What is a 'meano'?" He raised an eyebrow without looking at his childish goddess.

"Well, you see, my friends Diana and Kat are quite insane. And Kat tried to call Di a meanie one day . . . but it came out meano . . . and the word kind of stuck." She yawned hugely and tried to cover it.

"At least you managed to take my backpack." Digging around in the big pocket, she came up with a sweatshirt. Closing her eyes, she snuggled into it and tried to catch some z's.

"Are you cold?" Sesshomaru asked incredulously. Rose mumbled something incoherent and snuggled deeper.

"Answer me, wench."

Rose cracked an eyelid open. "Don't call me wench." She shut it.

"My lady, we will be there soon. There will be a fire."

Rose nearly jumped for joy. "Fire? Really? YES!"

"What is so special about fire?" Sesshomaru asked.

Rose put on an entirely unconvincing picture of innocence. "Nothing."

---

"I don't smell a thing," Inuyasha grumbled with his nose trained to the ground.

"Well, you're the only one of us with a good nose so, keep trying, please," Kagome begged with big eyes. Inuyasha mumbled something about "wenches" and went back to sniffing.

Five minutes later, he looked up irritably to the sound of Sango giggling.

"Either keep it down or find someplace private," he snapped.

Miroku looked at him from where he was carrying Sango. "Sorry, it's just . . . You know, while we're walking. I mean– might as well, right?"

Inuyasha twitched slightly at what he thought they were talking about. "Whatever."

Miroku went back to nuzzling his love's neck.

"Inuyasha, what if we don't find Rose?" Shippo asked.

"Then we don't find her. Big deal. It's not like I care," Inuyasha scoffed.

"No one said you did." Kagome smirked as he scowled.

"Yeah, well, I'm just making sure you didn't start thinking it."

"I wouldn't dream of it." Kagome swooped down and kissed him lightly on the cheek before taking her place happily behind him again.

"What was that for?" he demanded roughly, trying to hide the pleased blush creeping along his face.

"Oh, nothing," Kagome replied, her grin becoming contagious. Inuyasha smiled at the ground and managed not to touch his cheek until he was sure she was no longer looking.

---

"DAMMIT, ROB, I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!" Diana bellowed at her unfortunate friend.

"Well. . .maybe she's just feeling sad and misses us," Rob suggested meekly, his hands clutching the amulet which was emitting a steady glow.

"Maybe it's malfunctioning," Kat said matter-of-factly. She wasn't nearly as afraid of the blonde as Rob was.

"Magic doesn't malfunction, Kat, my darling," Diana bit out with false sugar. She sighed and clenched her fists on the table.

Why did Rose have to do this to me? Why did the third member of the triad have to be so prone to falling into magical wells? Why did Rob have to run into her? Why did my best friend have to leave me?

---

"Jaken, prepare a fire. Rin, go amuse yourself elsewhere," Sesshomaru snapped as Ah and Un stopped the chariot neatly in the clearing that he had left Jaken and Rin.

"Yes, lord Sesshomaru," the two chorused together and went off to do his bidding.

Rose nervously rubbed her arm. "Why did you take me?"

Sesshomaru looked up at the icy tone. "You were unsafe with my half breed brother and his foolish humans."

"You don't think I can take care of myself?" Rose was offended. And she had thought that he knew of her skills.

"There will be times when you cannot look rely on yourself alone. And I will be there."

She shouldn't have trusted him, a demon, but there was something telling her she had to. She was his goddess and as such, he was expected to want to serve, but that didn't mean that plenty of her subjects felt something a bit less than loyalty toward her. She sighed.

"Very well. But only until I find out a way to go back home."

He cocked an eyebrow at her. "'Home'?"

"Yes. I don't live here."

"So you are like that other one that my half brother loves for some unknown reason."

"Yes. And I want to go home." Rose looked up, realizing that for the first time. At first, it was an adventure. But now she had been kidnapped, in a sense, and she wanted to leave.

"If you are safer at home."

"I am never safe. I work exterminating demons and other evil magical beings."

"You exterminate the very creatures that worship you?"

"They hurt people. And it's much easier to worship me from Hell than from Earth."

"You don't hurt people?"

"Only people that hurt other people."

"They are still people."

It was annoying her, this killer's logic.

"Yes, but they are a danger to more people."

"Ah. If that works for you, then." Sesshomaru returned his gaze to the fire.

"You act like I'm stupid!" Rose folded her arms and glared at him.

"You're human," he replied simply.

"Being a demon does not make you smarter than me."

According to the arch of his eyebrows, it apparently did.

"You know what? Whatever." Rose flicked two fingers at the fire and sent some of it leaping over to her. Settling along her arms, the flames flickered merrily, warming Rose up and allowing her to get some sleep.

The thought that she was fireproof was vaguely fluttering throughout Sesshomaru's mind. The more unwanted thought that she was beautiful occupied most of his thoughts.

---

"Well try harder!" Kagome shouted.

"I can't sniff any more than I already have!" Inuyasha shouted back. Sango, Miroku, and Shippo were keeping a good distance away from the bickering couple.

"Can't you just try?"

"No, wench!"

They glared at each other before Kagome finally bellowed "SIT, BOY!" and Inuyasha crashed to the ground.

"Let's set up camp!" Miroku suggested cheerily, trying to keep them from killing each other.

"I think that's a great idea," Kagome sniffed, nose in the air, and stomped over to the monk.

"Oh no you don't." Inuyasha grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "We'll be back." Miroku nodded and proceeded to build a fire.

"Inuyasha, what in the world are you doing?" Kagome hissed as she was forcefully dragged into a thick clump of trees.

"Kagome, I've been thinking about what Rose said." His face was serious and his solemn eyes downcast.

"Rose says lots of things," Kagome pointed out quietly.

"I mean about you. And...Kikyo." He looked up at her with molten gold eyes.

"Oh," was all she could think to say as she looked down.

"I need to know something, Kagome." He lifted her chin up with a clawed finger.

"Yes?"

"I mean, I already know that you hate it when I see Kikyo, but does it really hurt you that much?"

She wanted to lie and say no so that he wouldn't feel so bad. But Kagome didn't lie.

"Yes, it does." She looked anywhere but at those beautiful amber eyes.

"Kagome..." He pulled her into his warm embrace while her shoulders shook. "Kagome, please don't cry. I-I love you." There, he said it.

She sniffled and looked up at him.

"What about Kikyo?"

"I owe my life to her and so I have to protect her. But she's just a husk. You have a soul and you'll always be my Kagome."

Kagome's eyes quivered with disbelieving happiness.

"Really?"

He nodded and tightened his arms around her.

"Inuyasha." She looked up at him, content to be in his embrace.

"Yeah?"

"I love you, too."

---

"Who're you?" Rin asked Rose, smiling toothily at her.

"I'm Rose. And you are?" Rose had always like little kids, they were just so cute.

"I'm Rin. Lord Sesshomaru saved me from a bunch of wolves!" One could tell she was proud of this feat.

"Did he now? What happened?" Rose was braiding her hair; in these conditions, who knew the next time she'd get a bath.

"I'm not really sure. I think I died. And the next thing I knew, I was with Lord Sesshomaru!"

Rose's nimble fingers paused in mid-twist. "You think you died?"

"Mm hmm. But Lord Sesshomaru saved me and now I'm here!"

"Uh huh..." She was quite a bit slower as she resumed braiding, lost in thought. "Rin, does my lord ever use the sword at his side?"

"Which one? He uses the tokijin, but never the tenseiga."

"'Tenseiga'? Is that somehow related to the Tetsusaiga?" Her hair would never get done at this rate.

"I think it was forged by the same man. Ooh, your hair is pretty! Could you do mine like that?"

Rose had finally managed to finish the braid and tie it off. She chuckled. "Of course. Come here, sit in front of me and take down your ponytail."

Rin obeyed and soon Rose was working on the child's long black tresses.

"What are you doing?" came a cold voice.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin turned her head quickly, causing Rose to accidentally pull on her hair.

"Hello. Rin, stop moving." Rin turned her head to face front, determinedly keeping still, though she was still beaming. No one bothered to answer the demon lord.

"I said, 'what are you doing?'" He was starting to get annoyed.

"I'm braiding her hair, got a problem?" Rose snapped, her fingers working even faster.

"Have either of you seen Jaken?" he asked rather than answering.

"Nope," they chorused. He sighed and sat down next to them, a very uncharacteristic thing for him to do.

"Rin, do you like your hair that way?" he asked once Rose had produced a mirror from her pack to show her what she looked like.

"Yes! I think I'm pretty!" Rin twirled around, laughing. Rose couldn't help but smile.

"Teach me how to do that," Sesshomaru commanded. They both looked at him.

"Pardon?"

"I said, teach me. If Rin likes it, then I want to be able to do it for her." Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed, daring her to argue.

"O-ok. Come here, Rin. Sit down again, I'm gonna redo your hair, ok?" Rin obliged and Rose ran her fingers through her coarse locks. "What year did they invent shampoo in?" she muttered to herself.

"Well?" Sesshomaru asked impatiently.

"Ok, separate the hair into three sections. Take the right section and cross it over the middle. So now the right section is the middle section. Now take the left section and cross it over the middle section. Then right, then left, then right, then left and so on and so forth until you don't have enough hair left. And always pull tightly after each crossover so it doesn't get loose and messy." She demonstrated. "Now you try!" She un-braided her own hair so he could practice– she didn't want him accidentally hurting Rin.

He grabbed her hair, hesitating slightly, and raked his fingers through it to comb it out. Rose closed her eyes; his claws felt good. Then he followed her directions, messily creating his first braid.

Rose could have stayed like that forever. When he pulled, his long claws gently tickled the nape of her neck, sending warm shivers throughout her body. She subconsciously leaned back into him. Only when he grunted his completion did she snap out of her daze. Then it hit her.

He was only using one arm.

"My lord, how did you do that?" She quickly undid the clumsy braid and braided it herself.

"Just the way you told me too. Did I do it wrong?"

"No, it's just...you have only one arm to do it with."

"Yes. And?"

Rin watched in fascination as Rose seemed to turn shy.

"I-I can get you a new arm." She looked down.

"I've tried. It's no use. But one arm is just as efficient."

"I mean, I could make you an arm. It would be no trouble at all." Her fingernails had suddenly become interesting. Rin decided that she needed to find Master Jaken.

"What do you mean 'make me an arm'? Is there a magic that conjures flesh?" His eyes narrowed again.

"It wouldn't be made of flesh. It would be made of special fires and magics. It will connect to the nerves and cells in your real arm so it can function properly and will be illusioned to appear human–ah, demon."

"Would it be strong?"

"As strong as your other arm."

"Will it transform if I transform?"

Rose had to think about this one for a minute.

"That could be arranged, yes."

"Very well. Get started then."

---

Tera: I FINALLY PUT UP A CHAPTER! HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN?

Matt: Really long.

Sesshomaru: I liked the absences of chapters.

Tera: Now, onto my reviews!

Forest E. Halliwell: Teehee

AmIyourbrother: ...You leave lousy reviews, you know that? -pouts-

Mai Naotaki: I think I shall start at the end of your review and work my way to the beginning. First: You're my only fan...Forest, "torv", Layla, and xam don't count. Actually, I think I shall skip around quite a bit. Ok, Fluffy being the sexxxeh bitch of a demon he is feels the need to protect his goddess. Kinda like the same need someone who actually likes our not-so-revered president might feel if someone tried to assassinate the stupid hick. Aww, your poor arm! -kisses arm- OOH, that's right, Layla and I were going to wallow in Kikyo's misery after this chapter! -le gasp- I liked the beating. I thought she deserved , and I changed it about her knowing, it now says that she "figured it out". You're right about the tree...ooops...MWahaha, ok, well, see ya next time!

Layla: MWAHAHAHA! WE MUST NOW REVEL IN KIKYO'S MISERY! I thought this chapter was extra fluffy. AND FLUFFY WAS IN IT! -drools-

SolShinji: I updated! Yeeee! Matt's happy. Ish (he's too mean to be happy unless he's insulting someone).

Inu-obsession92: I'm glad you love it so much! DONT DIE! -saves- I might be awhile updating, depends on how much access I have to a computer.

Matt: Ok. Tera and Layla shall now revel in Kikyo's misery.

Tera: MWAHAHAHA! -throws a wrench aat Kikyo-

Kikyo: OOOOOOOOOOOOW.

Layla: Teehee::flicks kikyo:

Tera: -spoons Kikyo's eyes out-

Layla: -pours lemon juice on sockets-

Kikyo: -shrieks multiple obscenities while cursing Tera and Layla's existence-

Matt: THIS FIC IS ONLY RATED TEEN.

Tera: right!

Sesshomaru: -disposes of body-

Tera: Hope you enjoyed and, as always, review!