I hereby disclaim all rights for the characters, although I take responsibility for whatever actions I make them do. All rightful credit must go to Rumiko Takahashi for gifting the world the acclaimed InuYasha series (especially to the non-canon couple we all came to love).

This chapter is for the one who changes his mind.

A/N: I know, I've been gone for more than a month now, but I'm trying to catch up and write! I love this story too much to give up on it, so I'm continuing this one. Don't worry, we still have a plot to follow. Thank you for not giving up on this story, too. I appreciate it so much.

Fickle

Jaken tuned out the ridiculous singing of Rin as they treaded the grassy path towards the clearing where their lord and the guest awaited. No matter where the evident signs pointed to, he refused to accept the bare truth. He would not.

Sesshomaru-sama hasn't marked her yet, he thought, clinging to that tiny shred of hope that the proud Western Lord would change his mind. It was beyond the impossible that the inu-youkai would take a human—a human!—for a mate. And not just any human, for that matter… the hanyou's miko! The Western allies would start a revolution if they found out this outrage. Village priestesses were beheld as youkai's mortal enemies, and now the most imperial lord of Nihon had allowed a miko—a weak and untrained one, for that matter—to join his pack.

"Jaken-sama, will Kagome nee-san really stay with us from now on?" Rin's voice broke the imp's reverie.

"Ask Sesshomaru-sama," he answered absently as he carried the elk's cleaned meat in his left hand and held the his Two-Headed staff in the other. When they got to the clearing, the miko was still in her strange mat with her large tome, but now the inu-youkai lord was sitting still against the tree beside her.

His smell is strongly masking the miko's spiritual aura, Jaken thought. Sesshomaru-sama may be covering her presence from his bastard half-brother, or they were doing something else.

The imp was petrified. This was not the mighty Sesshomaru he'd known for seven hundred years. He would never let a fragile little human destroy his reputation.

Maybe… maybe he was using her to hurt the hanyou. That could be the only reason why the Western Lord would take it this far. Somehow, Jaken felt a little flicker of hope. This was just another brilliant ploy to play with Inuyasha, to toy with his feelings, until he would be willing to trade the tetsusaiga to get his precious miko. The imp had the sudden urge to slap himself. Of course. This was Sesshomaru-sama's plan all along. Once again, he was guilty for doubting his lord.

He watched as Rin threw her small body to the miko and they laughed loudly as they both tumble down to the odd matt. Mumbling irritated complaints, the imp proceeded to cook the elk into the boiling pot of soup, the smell of herbs wafting in the air.

"It smells good, Jaken-sama!" the miko chirped as she leaned forward and took a sniff. Inwardly, the little retainer felt pleased. He had always prided himself as a very good cook and he was feeding Rin very well when their lord was not around.

"Eat. We will depart immediately," Sesshomaru announced and got up to leave, but the miko cleared her throat and looked at him.

"Sesshomaru-sama, won't you eat with us?" she asked, making Jaken pause from pouring broth to look up morosely at her. Is she a fool? Sesshomaru-sama does not eat my food!

The Western Lord's face grew impassive. His golden eyes strayed to the boiling pot and narrowed. Sensing trouble, the imp brought himself down on the ground and bowed. "Milord! I'm not worthy of such honor. Please don't heed the human. I don't want to bring such disgrace to your name."

He waited for the boots to crush his head, certain that this had angered the temperamental inu-youkai, but a few moments passed and nothing happened.

"Jaken." The little retainer flinched at his lord's voice. He raised his small head slightly, surprised that Sesshomaru-sama had seated himself back.

"M-milord?"

"The soup is getting cold."

The imp immediately shot to his feet and scurried back to the campfire, stunned that the miko could make Sesshomaru-sama—the most powerful youkai—change his mind. He heard her thank the Western Lord in a light voice and he responded with a curt "hnn". When did the hanyou's miko have that effect on the stonecold killing perfection?

Jaken was speechless. This fragile little human smelled nothing of fear as she talked to Sesshomaru-sama in hushed tones while Rin ravaged her soup. He gave them their bowls, nervousness dwelling in him as the Lord of the Western Lands tasted his food for the first time in seven hundred years. He made no remark, but he kept sipping from his bowl. Something lodged inside the imp's throat—was he not dreaming?

"It's really good, Jaken-sama," the miko said as she put down her bowl and tipped her head slightly. "I hope you can teach me how to make a soup as good as this."

He grunted, grudgingly acknowledging her. He turned his back from them as he discreetly wiped a single tear.

How can he not accept her politeness now?

Perhaps… perhaps I like her. Just a little, Jaken finally admitted, even to himself.