"Hey! Kagome! Sango! Lookit me! Watch me!" The following splash marked the young fox demon's entry into the peaceful lake. The tree branch he had dived off of still swayed slightly from the tiny weight it had just held. Another smaller splash sounded as Shippo broke the surface, blowing water off his lips.

"Hey guys! Didja see? Were you watchin?" Paddling as fast as he could manage, Shippo swam to where the two girls lay sunbathing on the shore. Both were leaning up to watch Shippo as he had gleefully dived and frolicked in the cool clear water. Both smiled as a soaked Shippo happily trudged through the shallow water to where they lay on the sand, soaking up the heat from the sun beating down.

"It was awesome, Shippo! That was a really great dive! If you were a little boy in my time, you would be great on the diving competition" Kagome beamed at Shippo. He was like a little brother to her. She couldn't imagine what life would be like if she hadn't met him.

"Kagome's right, that was amazing! And it was really daring of you to go so high atop the tree." Sango said. She shared Kagome's affection for Shippo, and encouraged any show of bravery on his part.

Raising one hand to the back of his head Shippo blushed and looked at his feet for a moment

"Thanks guys..." Quickly, he glanced at the tree he had just jumped off of, a small smile forming on his mouth

"I'm going to climb even higher and do a backflip!"

Before either girl could say a word, he was off.

Sango sighed, "Kagome, this is great. Getting to relax, it's such a beautiful day." Sango glanced down at herself for a moment, viewing her figure clad in the purple strapless one-piece. "And these 'swim-suits' are wonderful, if a bit revealing. I still can't imagine wearing one of those... what did you call it?"

"It's a bikini, or a two piece, and it's really not that bad." Kagome grinned." At home, girls wear these all the time. Just wait till the boys come out. They probably think they're wearing underwear." The girls giggled together at the thought.

"Hey girls! Sango, I must warn you, you may have to delve deep inside yourself to find control when you see me"

Turning to see the source of the voice, there was Miroku, proudly standing in the green swim trunks Kagome had brought for him. Sango hid a chuckle behind her hand.

"Oh, I think I'll manage." Rising up from her beach towel, Sango posed sideways. "What do you think of the one Kagome brought for me? Do you like it?"

Miroku slowly blushed as he gazed at Sango. The simple suit hugged every curve. She had chosen it because it seemed to have the most fabric, but the clinging material left little to wonder about. The simple neckline let Sango's chest show itself off, and the cut of the leg on the suit made it seem as those hers went on forever. The rich purple only emphasized her flawless skin. Miroku stood dumbfounded; a lecherous smile gradually crept across his face. He was in his glee as he slowly stepped toward the unsuspecting girl.

Sango felt gooseflesh crawl along her neck and her cheeks turn red. "Well? Do you plan on answering me today or are you just going to stand there like an idiot?"

The breath on her neck was closer than she had anticipated as she heard "Will this answer suffice?" Next there was a man's hand cupping and caressing her bottom. Sango gasped, and the red in her cheeks flushed to her whole face. Sensing what was coming, Miroku cringed away, trying to get closer to the water.

"YOU PERVERT!" A slap cracked through the air "LOOKING AND TOUCHING ARE TWO!" a second slap, "SEPERATE!" a third, "THINGS!" The final one sent Miroku flying on his back into the shallow water. Sango fumed and panted with the effort. She promptly sat down and wrapped herself in the beach blanket. "I should have known better than to trust that lecher" She could feel the flush on her cheeks, both sets. From his perch in the tree, Shippo looked on. i That idiot. He never learns. /i

Kagome smiled, i typical Miroku/i she thought. Turning towards Sango, it was obvious the other girl was still upset with the monk, but Kagome new Sango kind of liked the attention. By the shore, Miroku sat in the water the ripples from his fall still spreading out from his waist. He sighed and pressed a hand to his face now marked with Sango's handprints. "I always say it's worth it, but this time was the best!"

As Sango aimed a rock at his head, Kagome took hold of her wrist.

"Wait, don't throw a rock at him, your likely to knock him out in the water... why don't you go for a swim with him and Shippo? It's getting really warm out here and I'm going to go in to, in a second"

Sango glared at Miroku in distrust. "Ok, but I swear, if he tries that again, I'll drown him."

Miroku threw his hands up in mock defeat. "I promise, I'll restrain myself. Swimming only in this lake." He beamed his trademark boyish grin. Sango stood and dropped the towel, much to Miroku's delight. Turning his back to her, he swam further out, where Shippo had just jumped off the highest branch he could reach. Stepping into the water, Sango looked over her shoulder, "You coming Kagome?"

"One more second." Kagome watched as her friends enjoyed the refreshing water. She could hardly believe there was a time when she had not known them. They were family to her, and she to them. As she started to rise, she noticed there was yet one more missing from the group... where was InuYasha? i Why hasn't he come out yet/i Kagome thought. "I'm going to get InuYasha, I'll be right back!" she called as she headed towards the few shrubs that marked where the sand of the beach met the grass.

"You don't need to look for me, I'm right here" the half-demon stepped out from behind the bushes furthest to Kagome's right. Still looking down at his own red and yellow swim trunks that Kagome had picked out for him, InuYasha walked towards her. "I don't know why you girls couldn't just go to the hot springs like normal; the water is just too damn cold. And I look like an idiot." As always, InuYasha's tone was gruff. "Miroku may be used to that, but I'm sure as ... hell... not..."

InuYasha's words trailed away as he looked up to see Kagome in front of him. There, standing not two feet away was Kagome in the tiniest... i something /i he had ever seen. Girls didn't wear this! Kagome didn't wear a hell of a lot compared to girls he knew, but this was... this was... A LOT LESS! Kagome was now 18, and developed a beautiful figure. The black bikini with the sport style top was one of Kagome's favorites, but to InuYasha, it looked as though the top had been attacked by Kilala, and for the bottom, InuYasha simply couldn't believe, it was like some type of undergarment! First shock, then embarrassment, then something akin to jealousy of others seeing her like this washed over him. He responded to this in typical fashion.

"Wh...what the hell are you wearing? Is that it? You practically NAKED! Did Miroku see you? I bet that pervert hanging around behind a bush gettin off on this!" As his words came out in a rush, InuYasha first peeked behind the nearby bushes, then grabbed Kagome's wrist and landed her behind the closest bush that he thought would cover her. As she tried to get back up, he placed a hand on her head, preventing her from rising any further from a kneel.

"InuYasha..." she said through gritted teeth.

"I'm not letting you out from behind the bush till you put some damn clothes on..."

"Well, that's nice, but YOU don't decide what I wear, so LET... ME... I UP/I It's a swimsuit I wear all the time, lots of people have seen me in it, so knock it off!"

InuYasha recoiled enough for Kagome to stand. "Lots? What do you mean 'lots'? Have other guys seen you?"

Kagome smiled for a moment, "InuYasha, you're jealous!"

"I AM NOT!" He turned his back to her, "Why would I give a damn if you want guys to look at you like your piece of meat and it's supper time. It's fine with me!"

Kagome clenched her fists and did her best to bore a hole into the his head with her glare, but to no avail... i That jerk/I

Sango, Miroku and Shippo turned in the direction of the noise. Sango sighed.

"They're at it again... can't they make it through one day without a fight?"

"InuYasha probably said something about her bathing suit, he's so jealous, but he'll never admit it." Shippo said as he started to paddle back to shore.

"Kagome can handle him, she always has." As soon Miroku finished his sentence, the threesome saw InuYasha flying thru the air, landing a bellyflop in the water just a past the shallow water. Sango was the first to reach him. As she approached, he peeked his head out of the water and glared at her.

"I could kill you for teaching her to throw people like that..."

Sango stared for a moment, then looked at Kagome who had sat in the water, a considerable distance from her disgruntled projectile. "Well... I didn't expect that ..."

"Yeah, it coulda been worse. She coulda said sit!" Shippo added.

"You little..!" InuYasha reached out for the smaller demon. Sango snatched Shippo out of harms way, and smiled "Let's just enjoy the rest of the day before we head back to the village, ok? The water's nice, the day's warm..."

"And I brought lunch..." Kagome had made her way over to the rest of the group. i Gotta call truce at some point, he won't /I

"...Fine, let's eat then, I'm starved." InuYasha stood up and started back to the beach.

Kagome watched as her friends headed back in, and smiled, i Fighting or not, I love being here in the Feudal Era with... everyone. /i

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After spending the day at the beach, the group had returned to the village, and was presently sitting around the small fire in Kaede's hut. Kaede wanted to discuss the Jewel.

"Kagome, ye have been here for a few years now, and ye have collected most of the shards. How many are there left?" Kaede's wizened, yet welcomed voice came at her from her right. Looking at the almost complete jewel hanging from her neck, Kagome tried to make an estimate. "I'm not sure, around twenty pieces, more or less, I think."

Kaede nodded, "Ye should be wary then, more demons will surface, and they will be strong, and quite dangerous. As the jewel comes closer to being whole again the more deadly the ones who would want it become"

"Hah, "InuYasha sneered from the corner he sat in, arm propped on one knee, "We've killed every demon to come our way since we started looking for the jewel shards, we'll kill anymore that show up."

"Ye shouldn't be so cocky, InuYasha, not every demon is the same. These will not be like Naraku, or even the Band of Seven. Ye will have to watch every step."

"Whatever, we'll get them before they get us"

Kagome glanced up, "We'll worry about that when it comes. Kaede? I think it's time now." As she stood and left the hut, InuYasha turned to the elder.

"Why do you continue training her, Kaede? You said yourself her powers are strong enough as it is, and she already has enough to worry about with the jewel shards. Besides..." his voice dropped a level, "I'm here... "

The old lady stood. "You do not understand, InuYasha. Kagome's powers are ... more than what I had originally thought. Since she has been spending more and more time here, I have had a better chance to see her capabilities. She has healing powers, purification; she may even be able to use them for defense, eventually. I'm not sure we've even tapped into them fully yet." glancing up at the now enraptured group, Kaede finished the shocking message, "She may be more powerful than Kikyou ever was. Much more." With that, Kikyou's sister exited the hut, following the path that Kagome had taken, to the small secluded clearing where the training would be taken place.

"Stronger than Kikyou? I had no idea she had those capabilities, I mean, I sensed she was strong, but..." Miroku trailed off in shock.

Shippo thought for a moment, "didn't she say Kagome might be able to use her powers for defense too? Sango, does that mean she won't need us?" His voice was pained.

"Shippo, of course not. Kagome will always want us with her, and she may not always need us to help her all the time, we are her friends, and she always needs us near her anyway." Sango picked up the young demon and hugged him.

InuYasha remained silent. Shippo had voiced his thoughts. What if Kagome didn't need him anymore? He knew her spiritual powers were already impressive, more than once, she had saved him or one of the others with one of her Miko's arrows. But... he was her protector... would she want him around anymore, when she could protect herself?