~~~ ((my timeskip thingie))

Andy tossed and turned in her sleepingbag, mentally cursing the idiot who decided that the ground was supposed to be a hard surface. Finally, she got up and went outside. Maybe sitting outside for a while would do her some good. She looked around and was surprised to see Sesshoumaru still awake, sitting comfortably on the grass.

"Why are you still awake?" she asked softly, so she didn't wake anyone else.

" I was... watching the moon for a while," he replied. "You, on the other hand, should be asleep."

"I couldn't sleep," she said. "You know I don't like sleeping on the ground much. It hurts when my hips and shoulders dig in."

"I offered you my bedroll," Sesshoumaru pointed out softly. He beckoned her over and she obeyed, sitting in front of him. She relaxed a bit when he began to rub her shoulders. "You should use it so you don't bruise."

"I'll be alright for one night," Andy protested half-heartedly. Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

Belle paused when she thought she heard someone talking, then shrugged it off. She was currently a little ways away from the others, laying on her back with her legs propped up against a tree, staring up at the stars with her head in Eclipse's lap.

"You're bad even for a slight insomniac," Eclipse said softly, just sitting there and letting her shift and get comfortable.

"I know, I know," Belle muttered, yawning a little. "But Tomas was being clingy, and I got too warm anyway."

"Ah yes, Tomas the portable space heater that will leech the life right out of you." Eclipse's lips twisted in a small grin.

"And Hiei was in there, for some unknown reason."

"Alright, that is unusual," Eclipse admitted after a few moments. "Perhaps he and Kurama were in a fight?"

"Ha! As if!" Belle rolled her eyes. "'Rama's practically a saint, and Hiei's just Hiei."

"It seems we are not the only ones awake at this hour," Sesshoumaru said quietly.

"Hm?" Andy replied. Sesshoumaru rubbing her back was slowly putting her to sleep.

"Your new friend and her Eclipse are still awake," he replied. Andy shrugged a little under his hands.

"That's their business," she said. "I mean, it's not like we can point fingers." Getting up, Andy went into her bag and dug out a comb. Then she went and sat down behind him again. Gently, she started to comb out his hair.

"What are you doing?" he asked dryly.

"Hush, you," she said. "This is the only excuse I have to play with your hair."

Belle sighed softly and looked up at the sky again, letting Eclipse get comfy again. "'Clipse?"

"Mm?"

"Do you think it's a good idea, traveling with them?"

"I don't see why it wouldn't be. After all, a larger group may attract more attention but is also safer."

"Mmkay."

"Go to sleep, Belle. Don't worry about it."

Belle yawned and got comfortable there, looking up at the sky and wondering what the others were dreaming of, if they were asleep, and if not what they were doing.

Andy combed out Sesshoumaru's hair in silence, grinning a bit when when she hears him purring slightly.

"I'll do this more often if you want me to," she offered as she worked some tangles out. "It gives me an excuse to play with your hair, anyways."

"Perhaps I will take you up on that eventually," he replied. She kept combing his hair until it was smooth, and then plaited it into a loose braid to keep it from tangling again. Setting down the comb, she moved to sit next to him.

"Sess?" she asked after a moment.

"Hm?"

"Do you think it's alright for them to travel with us?"

"I think it would be good for you to have a human companion to talk to," Sesshoumaru replied carefully. "If this arrangement doesn't work out, then it would be no major loss."

"Meaning you don't care one way or the other," Andy translated.

"Perhaps."

Eclipse stayed there for most of the night, getting a blanket out of nowhere and pulling it over Belle after she fell asleep. He could faintly hear the other two, but not well enough to hear what they were saying. Shaking his head a little, he settled down to rest for a while before the dawn.

Andy wasn't sure when she finally fell asleep against Sesshoumaru. One moment she was leaning against him, and the next she was waking up in her sleeping bag with two bedrolls underneath her instead of one. Getting up, she stretched and then headed outside to see Sesshoumaru leaning against a tree, asleep. She grinned a bit and went over to him.

"Sess," she said softly, shaking his shoulder. "It's morning, Sess." Sesshoumaru's eyes slowly opened and Andy let him go. "Time to get up."

"You should get dressed," Sesshoumaru replied as she stood up. Andy rolled her eyes.

"Bah, you've all seen me in my pjs by now," she said, though she headed in to get dressed all the same.

Belle emerged from a tent not long afterwards, her hair brushed and done up in two braids that had been coiled against her head. "Morning!" She grinned when she saw Sesshomaru. "Where's Andy? You know?"

Tomas followed her out of the tent, securing a last bobby pin in her hair before nodded, satisfied with his work.

"Getting dressed!" Andy called when she heard Belle ask. "I would leave Sess be if I were you, he's not a morning person before someone makes some tea for him!" She couldn't see Sesshoumaru's mouth twitch a bit as he fought a tiny smile, but she knew he probably was. He knew the irony of what she said. She hopped out of her tent on one foot, trying to get her other shoe on, and tripped on a tree root. She let out a high-pitched squeak as she fell, but she didn't hit the ground. Looking up, she saw that Sesshoumaru caught her.

"Thanks, Sess," she said as she stood up and forced her shoe on properly. "Because, you know, I'm not much of a morning person, either."

Belle laughed. "Oh I've already had my tea. I can grab you some if you want. There's a ton left, since Eclipse drinks it too."

"I'm working on her?" Tomas raised his eyebrows at his trainer.

"Uh huh. Shoo. Go have fun with her hair. I'm sure she won't mind. Do you Andy?" Belle grinned as she watched Tomas walk over to Andy, already muttering to himself about what he could do.

"I don't mind," Andy replied, pulling the elastic out of her hair and unravelling her long braid. "Have at it, but make sure it's easy enough to undo later." She could feel him tugging on her hair, and she assumed he was testing how well she withstood her hair being pulled. "Don't worry about pulling my hair, I've had it tied back tight enough to pull my scalp back before and it didn't bother me."

She didn't see the look that Sesshoumaru shot at Tomas as he turned to go and get ready for the day.

Belle grinned and went to go get some tea for Andy and Sesshomaru both, humming to herself. She returned with two cups and handed one off to the demon with a grin before she went over to Andy.

"Wow. He actually listened to you." She smiled and handed over the cup of tea. "Looks like he's just doing a braided bun. Should be pretty easy to get out. Lucky."

Andy took the cup of tea and took a sip, sighing.

"This is good stuff," she said. "Perfect strength and sweetness." She sat still as Tomas continued to work on her hair, trying her best not to move. She looked out the coerner of her eye at Sesshoumaru, and she could tell he was making an effort not to look at her and Tomas, but what she didn't know was why.

Belle grinned and looked over at Sesshomaru. "Try the tea. It doesn't bite back. Well, not much." She grinned and skipped off to go make sure everyone else was up.

"You'll have to pardon her," Eclipse said dryly, walking over to them, his hair in its usual immaculate ponytail. "She becomes inexusably hyper after she's had her tea in the morning. She's even worse if she gets coffee."

"Done!" Tomas said, taking a step back. "Let me know if you need help with it later." He gave Andy his best charming smile and a wink before he sauntered off.

"That won't work on me, I read the books!" Andy yelped at Tomas, blushing anyways. She didn't notice Sesshoumaru glaring at him, but her Hiei and Lucivar did notice. "Damn the fact I never finished them..."

"Easy, old son," Lucivar murmured to Sesshoumaru. "I don't think he meant it. Just keep your head about you, or more people than us will notice."

"I haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about," Sesshoumaru replied stiffly.

Tomas laughed as he vanished into the tent to go put his things away.

"Don't mind him," Eclipse said, rolling his eyes. "He flirts with everyone. That's just how he is."

"Not my fault!" Tomas yelled. "White Court! Not my fault!"

"Oh shut up you quasi-incubus," Lucifer growled, black leathery wings rustling in his agitation. "Why do you people have to be so bloody loud in the morning..."

"Cause we're not all night owls and we don't all stay up all night," Belle teased as she skipped past the disgrunted Lucifer, poking his stomach and deftly ducking a half-hearted swing at her head.

"Are your mornings always like this?" Andy asked as she watched the spectacle. Mornings with her bishies were usually so much quieter, since only Lucivar and Temeraire really spoke more than a few words at a time. She didn't blink when Lawrence came out of his tent completely dressed, though she did wonder briefly how he kept his clothes so neat and crisp. She was surprised when Sesshoumaru suddenly started to make his way toward the lake.

"I wonder what's up with him..." she murmured.

"Nah, this is relatively calm," Belle said with a grin. "My group's kinda eclectic, and go together about as well as oil and water, and a flame. Normally there's more cursing and yelling and throwing things about."

"It doesn't help matters that Tomas gets into trouble every other day," Lucifer grumbled before he disappeared into a tent.

"Like I said, not my fault. I was born this way." Tomas shrugged and finished folding up one tent. Then he saw the dragons for the first time. "Holy shit there's dragons."

"Brilliant observation," Lucifer said caustically. "Absolutely genius."

"Yes, there are dragons," Andy replied, "because dragons are awesome." She watched absently as Temeraire and Lien stood up and shook themselves out. "The white one is Lien, the black one is Temeraire, and Lawrence is Temeraire's captain."

Temeraire looked down at the group curiously.

"Good morning," he greeted politely.

Belle looked up at the big black dragon. "Morning! Sleep well?"

Eclipse sighed and shook his head, herding the others back into their bishiballs for the remainder of the day. They were giving him a headache.

"I slept very well, thank you," Temeraire replied. Lien rolled her eyes at him, clearly already irritated at him.

"Come along, my dear," Lawrence said to the dragon, "we must get ready to go."

"Of course, Lawrence," Temeraire replied, leaning down to nuzzle his captain.

"I should go and check on Sess," Andy said, making to move in his direction. Lucivar stepped into her way, spreading his wings a little.

"I'll talk to him," he said. "You focus on taking down camp." Before she could argue, the warrior turned and walked toward the lake where Sesshoumaru was sitting. Andy blinked.

Sesshoumaru could hear Lucivar's footsteps behind him, and didn't move.

"I think I see what's going on," Lucivar said.

"Do tell," Sesshoumaru replied dryly.

"I think you're starting to like her," the warrior replied frankly. Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow and looked at him.

"And what brings you to that conclusion?" he asked.

"The way you look at her... and the way you got jealous when that Tomas was around." Sesshoumaru didn't reply. Lucivar shrugged. "It's not my business, I suppose. Anyways, we're getting ready to head out. If you still feel like self-imposed exile, then put yourself away for a while."

Belle smiled as she watched them and helped take down camp, getting Eclipse and D'Alerian, her only two out anymore, to help as well.

"So where are we headed?" Belle asked Andy a short while later once everything was put away. "Or, rather, where had you been headed before you ran into me."

"I was really just trying to find my way back to a town," Andy replied. "I'm not really good with directions, so i've just been trying not to get too lost." She grinned a bit. "An actual hot shower would be nice, and so would a real bed." She looked over as Lucivar and Sesshoumaru came back. She noticed that Sesshoumaru was quiet, but it wasn't as if he talked overly much in the first place, so she didn't think much of it.

"Sounds good to me," Belle said with a smile. "I think we need to head in that direction, and it might take us a day or two, but we should get there fine." She stretched a little before rolling her shoulders. "We all ready to get going?"

"Ready when you are," Andy replied, slipping her bag onto her shoulders. Her bag was heavier than she would have liked, but it wasn't any worse than what she carried in high school. Her shoulders and back would ache after a full day of hiking, but that wasn't anything new.