Don't It Always Seem To Go by SunsetMiko

Don't It Always Seem To Go

I do not own Inuyasha and Company, no matter how happy it would make me. Rumiko Takahashi does.

This was written for Inuyasha Quotes (http://community.livejournal.com/inuyashaquotes/) Week One prompt:

Sometimes the measure of friendship isn't your ability to not harm but your capacity to forgive the things done to you and ask forgiveness for your own mistakes.

-Randy K. Milholland, Something Positive Comic, 11-07-05

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"That stupid girl," the little green toad demon grumbled as he forced his way through the under brush. Once again he was reduced to little more than a babysitter. He wouldn't have minded so much if it was his Lord's heir that he was trusted to care for and protect, but no, it was a human child! She was nothing but a stray and he still didn't understand why his Lord Sesshoumaru allowed her to follow him, why he protected her, rescued her, and made sure she was properly fed and clothed. It just didn't make sense!

He'd lost her again, but it wasn't his fault. She'd run off just like always. Did the girl not understand that she was a tasty little appetizer to any demon she might come across? She was nothing but trouble in his opinion, but if he didn't find her he might as well cut his own head off. At least that would be faster and less painful than what his Lord Sesshoumaru would do when he found out.

Maybe he should have watched her more closely, but she'd been babbling about pretty flowers for what seemed like hours and his head still hurt from the last time his Lord had been displeased with him. He'd only meant to close his eyes for a minute but he'd fallen asleep and now he had no idea how long she'd been gone or what direction she'd headed. If he had a nose like his Lord he would be able to follow her trail, but as it was, his little green beak just wasn't good at scent tracking.

"Silly child, where could she have gotten to?" he thought aloud, trying to convince him self that she was fine. She was just playing somewhere. Nothing had captured her. Nothing had eaten her. She wasn't currently being digested by some bear demon. She was perfectly safe and everything was just peachy.

It was getting harder and harder to believe himself. The longer he searched the less angry he was and the more worried, and not about his own fate. No, he was worried about her, the annoying little girl who bothered him to no end. The girl who made him flower necklaces and crowns, who insisted he wear them no matter how much he protested. She wanted to make him 'pretty', but she just made him look ridiculous.

'If I find her I'll wear every single flower she picks if she wants. I just have to find her.' The little toad found himself hoping and praying for her safety. He sniffled and shoved his way through another bush. A bit of color caught his eye and when he moved closer to inspect it Jaken found a swatch of orange and yellow fabric, a piece of her kimono. 'She can't be,' the thought, seeing the red stains that told a story. 'She can't be gone.'

He dropped to his knees as he realized that his one true friend was dead, lost to him forever. He was just about to let out a wail of pain when he heard a rustling in the bushes in front of him.

"Master Jaken?"

He was hearing voices, he was sure of it. Slowly he lifted his eyes from the ground and standing before him was an angel, Rin's spirit dressed all in white with her hair in twin braids.

"Master Jaken, what's wrong? Are you hurt?"

"This Jaken is sorry!" he croaked.

"For what Master Jaken? What did Master Jaken do?"

"I let you down! I allowed you to get hurt. I lost you!!"

There was the heavenly sound of her laughter and she spoke again. "Rin just got stuck in a thorn bush. Kagome made it all better and even gave Rin new clothes!"

"You mean you're... you're not..."

"Not what?" she asked with a smile.

Immediately the tears were gone, replaced by frustration and embarrassment. "Stupid girl! You could have been killed! You mustn't wander off like that! What would Lord Sesshoumaru think?" he lectured, trying to save face. She didn't need to know how worried he'd been, how much it hurt when he thought she was gone.

"Rin is sorry. Rin didn't mean to worry Master Jaken."

"Worry? Who said anything about me being worried? Lord Sesshoumaru ordered me to keep you safe and well. That's all! I wasn't worried!"

"Rin made you a flower crown! Can Rin put it on you?"

Kagome watched as Jaken lowered his head a bit and allowed the little girl to put the crown on his head. She smiled as the two walked side by side back the way they came. "We really should have told him she was alright."

"The lesson was necessary and could have been a great deal worse. He will not lose track of her again."

"Yeah, okay, but did you see how worried he was? He thought she was dead. I think he might even have been ready to cry!"

"He now knows what he has. What was it you said? 'You do not know what you have until it is lost'?"

"You don't know what you've got 'til it's gone," she corrected.

"Hn," was his only response as his arms wrapped around her waist and his nose buried itself in the curve of her neck, breathing in the soft scent of her hair. "At least he was not forced to learn that lesson the hard way."

Kagome smiled at his words, remembering how his eyes had looked when she woke up a few weeks before with him looking down at her. The last thing she remembered before that was being lost in the forest, sensing a jewel shard, and then darkness and he had been by her side ever since. "And you thought Tenseiga was useless."

"While it does not occur often, this Sesshoumaru will admit that I was wrong. Tenseiga has proven itself to be quite useful... twice now."