Disclaimer for the entire fic: I do not own Inu Yasha.

The Ad

Ch. 1

By Sailor-Scribe

"I can do this. I'm a big girl…a professional." Kagome reassured herself as she fastened the subtle blue skirt and fixed it so it would ride only two inches above her knees. "Hojo and I have been dating for twelve years, and this relationship wasn't going anywhere. He was my high school sweetheart, my first love…not my first lover! Ok, when you realize that you have been with a man ten years and you still haven't done…that, well, it's a sign that there is something not right in the relationship." The young girl struggled with the small buttons on her imitation white and blue stripped shirt. "Though I can't use that reason for the break up… He would freak on me!" Picking up her hairbrush, she readied herself for her daily battle.

"Ok hair, today you need to behave, or a bun it is!" She fought the knots and static and was pleased to see her hair fall into place.

"It's an omen. He will take my news well!" She grabbed the matching suit jacket and walked out of her room. "Kagome, you are twenty-four years old. You are a woman. You have needs that he doesn't meet, and he has needs you obviously can't satisfy…When was the last time he tried to get me into bed? I don't think that ever happened. What a horrible person I am! I'm leaving a man because of that…no, it's not just that. There is no spark, no passion, and apparently no attraction. Come on girl, you can do it. Knock on that door and break his poor heart. Do it quick; it will be easier that way." Kagome stood defiantly in front of the door before knocking gently.

"Come in." A tired voice answered.

"Ji-chan? I need to talk to you for a moment."

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"Sango!" Kagome smiled as she rushed to meet her friend in the elevator, balancing her first cup of coffee of the day.

"Did you do it?" She asked as she pressed the fifteenth floor as she finished her third cup of the day.

"Hai." She turned and smiled brightly at her friend. "I'm a free woman!" She squealed.

"How did Hojo take it?" Sango asked as she straightened her black business jacket.

"He was trying to break it off for months, too! I know I should be sad, we've been dating since high school, but in truth, we have grown apart…very apart, and this peace we made…We are what we must be: friends!"

"I'm happy that's off your shoulders!" The older woman smiled as they made their way off the elevator, throwing her paper cup in the trash. "What's next? A crazy romance? Maybe a quick love affair with the exact kind of man our mamas warned us about?" Sango winked.

"No thanks…I want to do the single thing, and I want to do it for a while!" She laughed. "I am not looking, and do not wish to be found." She joked as they made their way to the office they shared.

"Monday," Sango yawned. "Back to the slave pits!"

Kagome removed her trench coat as her loose raven hair fell in gentle waves down her back. "Get me the files on the Moushi case as soon as you are settled." Sango started as she handed her black coat to her friend. "I have to interview the young lady in question today; it's not an easy or pretty task, but it is part of the job. I would like you to observe from the side room. Two lawyers might seem too intimidating for her."

"But I'm not a lawyer…at least not yet." Kagome laughed.

"Trust me Kag, if you are wearing a suit, you are a lawyer in her eyes. Speaking of which, how's studying for the bar coming along?" Sango asked as she sat down checking her messages.

"It's coming. Two more months, and I take the test." Kagome replied as she hung their coats behind the door.

"You'll do fine. You have the makings of a great lawyer. Besides, if I can pass it, then you won't have a problem. Then you will have your own office with your own assistant, and I will be left trying to find your replacement."

"I hope you're right. I mean, my grandfather doesn't agree."

"That's because he still wants you to take over the Shrine after he is gone."

"With his health, he'll outlive all of us." She joked.

"Good morning ladies. Did you dream with me?" Miroku winked as he entered the room. He was carrying a fresh cup Columbian coffee with a scent that made Sango's mouth water. He sat on the edge of Sango's desk and opened a single button of his Armani Black Suit, revealing a silk mauve shirt and black tie.

"Mr. Houshi, that comment can be taken as sexual harassment." Sango threatened as she raised him a warning brow.

"Good thing you ladies know better." He laughed. "And by the look on Miss Higurashi's face, I would guess is fair venture to say that someone has good news."

"Mr. Houshi, we are on the clock!" Kagome protested.

"And, as your boss, I will take it under consideration. So, did you dump him?"

"We mutually agreed to be just friends." Kagome corrected as she stepped outside for a moment with Miroku close behind.

"Ah, so you dumped him with class. I've taught you well."

"Miroku!" She complained as she grabbed the desired files.

"How did your grandfather take it?" He asked ignoring her comment.

"He took it relatively well. He tried to hold back his tears, but it sounded like muffled chuckles instead…He even pretended to smile." She confessed as she handed Sango the files.

"Ouch." Both Miroku and Sango replied.

"What?" Kagome asked taking another sip of her coffee; French vanilla was the only coffee she could stomach so early in the morning.

"He has been planning your wedding for years!" Miroku complained as he left his cup unguarded near Sango.

"That doesn't mean he's heartbroken…Remember when he said he would help you beat up Hojo if you agreed to marry me before the New Year?" She asked as she noticed Sango stealthily kidnap the abandoned cup. "He just wants great-grandchildren before the God's tree dries up. He's trying to see the bright side now: maybe, I will find a man that does want marriage." She dismissed.

"Well, now that gossip is out of the way, what do you ladies have on the schedule today?" Miroku asked as he noticed his missing cup. Sango was relaxing as she inhaled the sweet aroma,

"Black, with two sugars, just like I like it!" She smiled.

"You owe me!" Miroku warned. "Lunch at Kazanna Café. Kagome, you are welcomed to come." He turned to the young woman who was logging on to her computer on his way out of the room.

"No, I'm going to go home and have lunch with ji-chan." She smiled as she began to sort through her morning mail.

"Hey Sango, Ayame sent an email before she left last night, the Moushi case has been postponed again. Something about the retainer not being paid fully."

"This is something I hate about this job: money before morals. Forward it to Mr. Houshi with a colorful note on my behalf."

"It will be my pleasure."

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"Now, where is that scroll?" the old Higurashi priest wondered as he searched the crowded attic. He had maneuvered himself from chest to chest, rediscovering some relics he had believed to have been lost, but not the scroll in question. He sighed as he realized the only trunk he had not examined was the one with Kagome's baby things. The old man smiled as he took the pink case with yellow daisies painted on the side and open it.

A strange sense of calmness filled him as he saw pictures of his late son proudly holding a-day-old Kagome. Those had been happy times, but unfortunately, they did not last. He passed another picture with a six-year-old Kagome holding her head to her mother's pregnant belly trying to hear if her brother could talk back yet. How he missed her, too. Trying to compose himself, he passed through the pictures and Mr. Teddy to find a discarded scroll on the bottom. "How did you get in here?" He wondered as he opened it up. "Just as I thought…there is one left, and if the family tradition stands, he will be needing a bride soon enough. Keiji, you are true to your name you governor with discretion you!"

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"Ji-chan!" Kagome called as she walked into her house dispensing her black leather mules by the door. "I came to surprise you for lunch, and it's just like you not to be here." She sighed as she noticed an old manual typewriter on the kitchen table. She shuddered remembering using it during her freshman writing seminar. "I am definitely glad we upgraded to the PC." Kagome, overcomed by curiosity, approached the old contraption after pouring herself a glass of milk. The heavy glass slipped from her hands as she lost a breath somewhere in her throat. What kind of prank was this? She re-read a third time, hoping to find she had misread the whole thing.

"Dear Council of the High Priest,

I regrettably write to you with the sad news that I must resign my post as the head priest of the Higurashi Shrine due to health reasons. Since my grandson is still too young to preside, please send a replacement soon. Please act quickly for the poor excuse of a physician that is my doctor has estimated I have less than a year left.

Your humble servant,

Keiji Higurashi"

"Kagome, are you home?" She heard her grandfather as he entered the house.

"Yes ji-chan. She ran to grab a mop. I came to surprise you for lunch and instead I made a mess." She tried to get the glass out of the way before he reached her, but by the serious look on his face, she could tell the old man knew. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Kagome, we all must die at one point or another. It's a way to shed these earthly bounds before we start once again." He soothed as he sat by her side softly brushing her hair from her eyes.

"I don't want to lose you too, ji-chan. Who will take care of me then?" Her eyes were beginning to water.

"Oh, my precious Kagome, you are a big enough girl to take care of yourself, besides, the letter is just a formality. I am bound to do it because of that idiotic doctor of mine…I know I still have many years left with you and your brother." He reassured placing a soft kiss on her head.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Simple, every day I pray to the Goshinboku that I may see the day of your wedding, so I can walk you down the aisle. We both know that tree has never failed us." He smiled. "Now, let's not worry about tomorrow, my granddaughter came to have lunch with me, and lunch we will have!" Kagome forced a smile as she finished cleaning the spilt milk and glass.

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Morning pleasantries had passed as quickly as business. With the Moushi case on hold, the two had a much lighter workload. They had spent most of the day taking care of loose ends on other cases, and now, lunch had passed way too fast. Although Kagome hated filing, she welcomed the distraction. Besides, any excuse to examine real contracts was a good one. Contracts had not been her forte at school, and she knew that if Houshi and Son made her an offer, she would probably be placed in the contract department. She would rather deal with family law and pro bono, which is what she mainly worked with Sango, even if the majority of cases were divorces. She felt one party should be there for the children.

She sighed as the lunch hour came to an end. Now, if she could pretend that everything was fine without Sango, or worse, Miroku noticing, she would be just fine. "I can't believe we got so much work done today. It's a miracle!" Kagome tried to act nonchalant as she hung up her coat, but Sango eyed her anyhow.

"No, it's the result of working without Mr. Houshi's hourly interruptions." What was wrong with Kagome's face? "Ah, the missing smile." Sango realized.

"I've never met a man that likes to gossip as much as him." Kagome agreed.

"Speaking about me, I see." Miroku smiled as he entered their office.

"For once, Miroku, you actually got it right." Sango teased raising her eyebrows towards Kagome. Miroku noticed it instantly and discretely closed the door behind him.

"What happened?" Sango moved towards her desk with Miroku closed behind.

"What do you mean?" Kagome feigned innocence, but she had been working with those two for three years now, and she knew what any idiot of the street could have told you: if you go up against lawyers, you are bound to lose.

"Kagome, we know you. Did something happen with your ji-chan?" Miroku asked taking a friendly authoritative pose.

"No." Kagome choked.

"I hope you learn to lie before you start professing as a lawyer, or you are going to cost me millions." Miroku complained pulling up a chair next to her. Sango made herself comfortable on the girl's desk.

"Trust us Kagome, we are your friends." She gave Kagome a reassuring smile, which reminded the young lawyer to be why her boss made the big bucks. The truth was she was having trouble holding it in to begin with.

"It's just…I'm a bad granddaughter!" She began to cry, and in an instant Sango was offering her a supporting shoulder.

"No you're not." Sango reassured.

"Yes I am…My ji-chan has less than a year to live, and all he wants in the world is to walk me down the aisle, and I have to break up with Hojo!" Kagome was lost in her tears. The other two tried to console her, but they were barely registering her words. Her grandfather was dying? How?

After fifteen minutes of tears and hugs, the two older lawyers were able to calm the girl enough for her to breathe normally. "Are you sure?" Miroku asked.

"He confirmed it today…he was hiding it from us."

"How is he taking it?" Sango asked.

"He is delusional as ever…he believes his scrolls, spells and relics will keep him safe…he trusts the God's tree not to let him die before my wedding. God, why did I dump him?"

"Well, reconcile. I'm sure Hojo would agree to do this for you. He loves your grandfather as much as the rest of us." Sango suggested.

"I can't. If we miraculously reconcile and get married, ji-chan will know it's staged to make him happy…No, the only way he would believe that I am marrying for love is if he sees me fall in love with someone…preferably, someone new. See, I can't even make his dream come true, and he worked so hard for us. He stopped buying relics for six years to be able to help me with tuition…" The tears were coming again, and her tissue box was getting very empty.

"Don't worry about that now, Kagome. Just try to make the best of the situation." Sango adviced.

"I just wish I could make his one dream come true."

"Kagome, I'm pretty sure his one dream is to see you and your brother happy." Sango continued.

"I know, but marriage, in his mind, is a big part of that…"

"Kagome, do you really want to fake a marriage to make him happy?" Miroku asked raising an eyebrow.

"Anything to make his last days happy."

"Oi, Houshi, I don't like that look on your face." Sango complained.

"The solution is so simple. Hire someone to play the part…Tokyo has to be filled with starving actors willing to do anything for experience and food."

"Miroku, that's the stupidest idea I have ever heard!" Kagome exclaimed in annoyance.

"So stupid…it might work!" Sango spoke in surprise. Miroku smiled victoriously.

"All we have to do, Kag, is put an ad in the local paper requesting an actor for a new reality series. We will say that he needs to play the part of the perfect husband."

"And how are you going to keep them after they realize there is no TV show?"

"Simple, we explain the real situation. At least one of them will be moved, and if that doesn't work, we'll pay him."

"But I can't afford much!" Kagome complained.

"Free legal advice with future contracts." Miroku reasoned.

"She would need a prenup and a confidentiality agreement." Sango continued.

"Are you guys crazy? I can't just pretend to be with some random man off the streets! He can be a psycho!" Kagome complained.

"That is why we will have Ayame run background checks on all of the candidates…she used to work for the IRS, there is nothing that girl can't find!"

"And where do you plan to interview the candidates?" Kagome tried to reason with them.

"Here of course!" Miroku smiled.

"And your father?"

"I will tell him the same reality series story. We do it all the time for the major networks."

"Do you guys think this would work?"

"Kagome," Sango began, "can you afford not to try?"

"You're right…the ad should say 'Looking for a new actor to play role of perfect husband in reality series.' We don't want to get sued for false advertising."

"See, I knew you would make a great lawyer."

"I'll have this printed in tonight's and tomorrow morning's paper. I'll keep it local so we don't get too many candidates. Shall we host the interviews tomorrow?"

"The sooner the better." Kagome agreed.

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"Hello, 'The Daily Sun?'" Miroku leaned back comfortably into his leather chair. "I would like to place an ad. Yes, it should read, 'Desperate woman seeking husband. Willing to pay.' Yes thank you."

After hanging up, he quickly dialed another familiar number. "The deed is done old man. This better not get back to me." He warned.

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Hello again. You guys voted, and I wrote. The results,

The Ad - 24

Beautiful Miscommunications - 12

The Lady of the Crimson Land - 4.5

Thank you all for all your reviews and votes. Meche was very disappointed you didn't vote for Lady, and frankly so was I. I know I will enjoy writing this story, but it's another comedy. Lady will be a major work with multiple themes and plots. And since Meche felt the need to log under fake names to vote for this piece, I think I will write it under Mediaminer.org only because it will contain rape and war; therefore, NC-17 rating.

This story is going to be R. I want to be bolder with my writing, and I don't want to upset those people that kept warning me last story that I was too close to stepping over the line. This way, I can keep everyone happy. Going to prepare my thesis presentation, WHICH I HAVE TO GIVE TO THE ENTIRE BIOLOGY DEPARTMENT TOMORROW! If this is approved, then I can start writing it, and maybe I'll graduate with honors.