InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Waiting on a Wish ❯ Chapter 15 ( Chapter 15 )

CHAPTER 15

InuYasha never really left Kagome for the rest of the day.

After dinner, he took her back to work, and was waiting for her when she was finished. Somehow, he even convinced her that her orphans would be all right with just a phone call checkup for the night. And then he took her back to her apartment. There was a kind of quiet desperation to his touch that night--a rough, subtle energy that harkened back to his earlier embrace and ensured that she was both too distracted and too exhausted to worry about anything else for the rest of the night.

It wasn’t until much, much later that her subconscious finally hit her with the connection she’d somehow missed during Mama’s phone call. It woke her up out of a dead sleep; she sat right up in the middle of her bed--so suddenly that she jerked an alarmed-at-being-unexpectedly-woken-up hanyou with her. She reassured him as best she could, managed to let him grumble, scowl, and wrap her back up in the safety of his arms without giving herself away, and waited until he fell back asleep.

Then she just lay there, hurt and confused, her thoughts a jumbled-up mess of chaotic dismay. She ruthlessly fought back the tears that pushed at her eyes, struggled to understand why and what it meant, and desperately searched for the best way to respond. And when she finally fell into a fitful sleep, many hours later, it was with the unease of someone who’d found a solution that was risky at best, and the determination of one who was willing to play the odds.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

S he knew exactly what and who to expect. Really, it was starting to get predictable.

Kagome was already clocked out and waiting by the time his car pulled into the limited parking beside the clinic. She had her bag in hand--not her medical bag this time, but a large, formless brown suede tote that had doubled as a book bag a few times during university--and was sitting in one of the chairs in the lobby, one sandaled foot tapping impatiently against the cold tile floor.

It was already dark outside; the artificial lighting inside reflected the bustling activities of the clinic back on itself, and made seeing out the glass doors impossible. So, in the interest of keeping the element of surprise, she chose to sit in a chair that rested against the same wall as the main entrance so he wouldn’t see her before he actually walked in the door. She didn’t want him getting suspicious or bracing himself for anything. She had the distinct feeling that she would need to get--and keep--the upper hand if she was going to convince him to do what she wanted tonight.

Miroku, for all his faults, could be quite loyal when it came down to it.

It was Kagome who was surprised, however, when one of the glass doors opened and her appointed guardian walked in. He had brought a familiar and dearly missed face with him.

Sango appeared first, wearing a simple skirt and a warm sweater, her hair down in a straight, silky mass that fell past her face and shoulders. She was talking in a low murmur to Miroku as he followed her inside. They were so intent on their conversation that they didn’t even notice her sitting there as they walked right by her.

“I still don’t like it, Miroku. He should have just told her.”

“Of course he should have. She’s going to learn the truth eventually anyway, and you should have heard him when he asked me to do this--he wants her near him, and it’s killing him not to have her.” He sighed and allowed the door to swing shut behind him. “I think he’s convinced himself that this is the best way to protect her tonight, but he’s sulking his way through it.”

Sango gave a disdainful “humph” and crossed her arms over her chest. She turned to scan the reception desk, oblivious that the person she was looking for was sitting in a chair two feet behind her. “He’s just too stubborn for his own good. We know. What’s the harm in her knowing?”

“Indeed. I did wonder about that. I’m not quite sure what’s going on in his head right now…. Not to mention the fact that it would have been so much less work for us.” Miroku shook his head, and allowed a delighted grin to spread across his features. “On the other hand, just think of the price he’ll have to pay for it later, after she thinks back a bit and puts two and two together.”

Kagome sighed quietly to herself. He’d been sending Miroku in his place since he’d met her; she would have been sincerely disappointed had he done any less tonight. Apparently, though, InuYasha had asked for double the protection tonight. She supposed she shouldn’t be surprised, really--he would be feeling more vulnerable, and of course that would translate to her. And it wasn’t as if she could complain--she was finally getting to see Sango. A tiny, brief smile twitched across her lips. It had only been about a week, but it felt like ages.

“But how are we supposed to explain it, Miroku? It’s not exactly normal for us to invite ourselves to dinner at the shrine, is it?”

Kagome sighed again, louder this time, and stood to her feet. “How about you don’t even try?”

It was almost funny, the way they both jumped, then whirled to face her. Sango’s hands had actually come up in a half-defensive stance before she realized who had spoken. “Kagome! I thought you would still be working!”

She shook her head. “Nope. I got off thirty minutes ago.” I arranged to leave early the second I got in this morning. They didn’t need to know that, however. “You’re late,” she informed them.

“Oh. Uh…sorry?” Sango exchanged a bemused look with Miroku, then turned back to Kagome. She stared at her for a moment, her large brown eyes tentative, then smiled softly. “It feels like it’s been forever, Kagome.”

Kagome felt a return smile warm her face, and she set aside her goal for just a moment. “Yes, it does. So much has been happening lately, hasn’t it?” She studied her best friend with a clinical eye. “You look pale. How are you feeling?”

“Well, the bump’s gone.” Sango put her fingers to her forehead and gave a wan smile. “I’m fine, Kagome. Just a little tired is all.” Behind her, Miroku’s brows tensed unhappily at her words--a look that Kagome didn’t miss, but decided to address later.

She nodded and reached out to grasp at Sango’s free hand. “All right. We missed our lunch this week, didn’t we? We’ll have to make it up soon.”

Sango squeezed her hand in return. “Yes, we will.” Her look turned stern. “You have a lot of questions to answer.”

Kagome smiled again, and released her hand. “Later, I promise.” She turned to include Miroku, who was listening to their brief bonding session from a few feet away, the universal look of patient masculine indulgence on his face. “Well then….” Her smile brightened considerably. “Shall we go?”

Identical looks of surprise returned as they shared another glance. Miroku stepped forward, his smile turning quizzical. “Well, ah…. Yes. Actually, Kagome, we were wondering--”

“You’ve come to give me a ride. I know.” That pulled them both up short, and they exchanged yet another speaking look. Kagome rolled her eyes. “He asked you to do this, right? He told you to stay close for the night, make sure I was ok?”

They stared at her in silence. Finally, Miroku just shrugged, and rubbed at the back of his head, a rueful twist to his lips. “He’s only worried about you, Kagome.”

She nodded, keeping her expression serene. “And since he couldn’t come with me tonight, he decided to ask you instead. I understand.” She turned away, tossing them another look over her shoulder as she started for the doors. “So let’s go.”

Without waiting for a reply, she pushed out the doors and into the much cooler nighttime air. She tugged her thick sweater a little closer, readjusted the bag slung over her shoulder, then searched for Miroku’s car. She was already tapping her foot, standing beside the back door of whatever sporty model import Miroku currently owned--he’d told her what it was when he’d bought it, but she knew almost nothing about cars, and cared even less--when they caught up with her.

They both pulled up short on the sidewalk to stare at her again.

She raised an impatient brow at Miroku. He hesitated, frowning, then pulled his keys from his jacket pocket. A second later, the car alarm beeped, letting her know that the door was unlocked. She pulled the door open and scrambled into the back seat. While she settled, the front doors opened, and Miroku and Sango climbed in. Then they both sat there, eyeing her as if she had suddenly sprouted horns and webbed feet.

Sango had twisted around so she could stare at her fully, wrinkles forming in the space between her brows. “Kagome….” Kagome could see the concern in her eyes, even through the darkness of the car. “I know you’re anxious to see your family, but--”

“We’re not going to see my family.”

Her smooth, unruffled interruption had the two in the front glancing at each other, mystified. Sango raised both brows questioningly at her fiancé, and Miroku shrugged an answer with a tiny shake of his head.

Kagome almost smiled as she watched their silent interplay. This is kind of fun.

Miroku turned in his seat so he could see her face. His dark gaze swept over her, noting the firm set of her shoulders, the odd glint in her eyes. He obviously didn’t like what he found, because he was beginning to look uneasy. “But…. InuYasha said that you had a family dinner tonight.”

This time she did smile--sweetly. “I did. But I called Mama earlier and told her I wouldn’t be able to make it after all.” She shrugged lightly. “She postponed it until tomorrow.”

“Ah. I see.” He paused. “Then where are you in such a hurry to--”

She dropped the smile, giving them her steeliest look of determination. “You’re taking me to see InuYasha, of course.”

A thick, awkward silence followed her statement as her two closest friends absorbed her words and intent. Miroku’s eyes narrowed into a sharp frown. Sango twitched. Her eyes locked with Kagome’s. Understanding flared, and a quiet acknowledgement flashed between the two women.

Sango’s expression ran a quick gamut of emotions--from shock to guilt, and sheepishness to contrition--before it finally settled into thoughtfulness. She didn’t break from Kagome’s stare, and Kagome refused to drop the faint challenge from her eyes. Finally, Sango broke the stalemate by dropping her gaze and giving a faint nod. She turned in her seat and looked at Miroku, whose expression had smoothed out--gone blank with surprise for just an instant--and tapped at her jaw with one finger.

Kagome didn’t say a word. She just sat back comfortably against the fine leather seats and waited--somewhat impatiently.

Finally, Miroku seemed to gather himself. His attention focused once more on the doctor in his backseat, and his mouth turned up into what Kagome could only assume was what she had heard InuYasha not-so-affectionately refer to as his ‘bullshit smile’. She felt the skin around her mouth tighten.

“Ah…him. Well, I’m afraid he’s indisposed for the night.”

Kagome sat forward and fixed a stare on him. She didn’t say anything, just stared at him until he started to squirm. Then she sighed, suddenly tired of all the word games. “Of course he’s indisposed for the night.” She paused, then dropped all pretense, looking him straight in the eye, both serious and solemn. “He’s human.”

She watched with extreme satisfaction as Miroku’s eyes widened. Then he sighed and turned around. “He didn’t tell you.” It wasn’t a question.

“No, he didn’t, but that’s between him and me.”

“Then I can’t--”

“Oh, stop it.” She sat back with a huff, rolling her eyes to the low ceiling. “Who does everyone think I am? I’m a doctor. I treat humans, youkai, and hanyou. I know a lot about the physiology of all three. Did he really think I wouldn’t figure it out?” She gave a vague wave of her hand. “Most hanyou cycles are directly tied to nature, you know. Their human periods tend to fall on natural events that happened around the time of their births, from things as simple as the first blooming of certain kinds of plants, to the first day of each new season, or more commonly….” She gestured again, out the window at the moonless sky. “Solar and lunar cycles.”

Another tense silence fell over the car.

Then Sango turned to Miroku. “I told you this was a bad idea.”

Miroku sighed again, shaking his head. “If you’ll remember, I never disagreed with you.”

Kagome stared at them both from the back seat. “You know where he is, right? So take me to him.”

She saw Miroku’s fingers tug at the collar of his jacket. “Kagome…. I can’t. I promised him I’d look after you tonight.” Another tug before his hand dropped back to the steering wheel. “Besides, he’d kill me.”

She blinked at him for a moment. “I understand.” Then she sat forward again, leaning between the seats to give him a soft smile. “But if you don’t help me, I’ll tell him you just abandoned me at the shrine to go spend your evening alone with Sango.”

It took a minute for the threat to sink in, but then his head whipped around and he stared at her in disbelief. Whatever he saw in her eyes must have convinced him she was at least semi-serious, because a moment later, he literally paled--though he did manage a faint scoff. “You wouldn’t.”

Kagome almost felt sorry for him. Her smile turned sympathetic. “In this case? I most definitely would.” She thought for a minute, then added. “In fact, I’ll even spend the night in my old room and call him to come pick me up in the morning so that he can see for himself.”

Anger flashed through his gaze, followed quickly by panic as his fingers tightened around the wheel. “That would be…. I’m his best friend, Kagome. He knows I wouldn’t do that. He’ll believe me--especially when he finds out you already know about his….um, time.” He paused, then said quietly. “I’m sorry, Kagome. I really am. But I won’t.”

She blinked at him again, a frown wrinkling her forehead as she considered him. “Are you sure, Miroku? It’s not exactly in your best interest to tell me no.”

He looked faintly queasy, but shrugged carelessly. “It’s not exactly in my best interest to do what you want, either. He won’t react well to having you show up on his doorstep tonight of all nights.” He hesitated. “It’s not a fair thing to do, Kagome. I won’t help you ambush him.”

For a moment, she was at a loss. She rarely saw him this serious; he really had no intention of helping her. She bit her lip, her heart starting to constrict in her chest as she realized she might be fighting a losing battle.

She still didn’t know where InuYasha lived, and if Miroku refused to tell her, she’d never find him on her own. Certainly not before the end of tonight, when the urge to be with him was pushing her so strongly. Her shoulders slumped with sudden dejection. “Please, Miroku.” She whispered it, trying to keep her throat steady. “This is important. I need….” I need to see him. Tonight, I need to be with him. She didn’t say that last bit aloud, but the words seemed to hang in the enclosed space of the car anyway, lending unspoken weight to her plea.

And it was true.

It had taken her longer than it should have to figure out why he’d reacted so strangely to her mother’s request. She’d been so preoccupied trying to hide her disappointment that the obvious hadn’t hit her until the middle of the night last night. It had been then--after she’d gotten through the anger and hurt that he hadn’t seen fit to trust her--that she’d realized that she couldn’t let him be alone on his most vulnerable of nights. The sentiment was so strong, so fierce….

And yet, she’d been afraid that she couldn’t simply ask him. For some idiotic reason, he was trying to keep it from her. She needed to show him that he shouldn’t have--that he didn’t have to. This had been the only way she could think of to do it.

But now…. He might actually have to be alone.

Sango’s dark brown eyes had widened at her, their look almost stricken as she took in the expression on her best friend’s face.

Miroku considered her for a moment, then turned to stare down at the steering wheel. He drew in a deep breath and let it out. “I made him a promise, Kagome. I can’t just go back on it. Besides….” He shook his head, his expression regretful. “It’s not my place. I can’t force this on him.”

Her heart sank at the finality in his tone. She bit her lip, trying to think of some way that might convince him. She couldn’t do this on her own. She needed help.

Then Sango surprised them both by leaning across the seat and tapping an affectionate finger against her fiancé’s arm. “You know…. I bet he’ll believe me when I tell him what a wonderful evening we had together after we left Kagome alone at the shrine.”

Kagome gasped, then sat up straight, giving her a hopeful look. Sango met her gaze and her lips turned upward in a tiny grin.

Miroku’s brows shot up in surprise. “Wha…. Sango….” He looked from her determined face, to Kagome and back again. “But…..”

Sango was completely unrepentant. “It is the only fair thing, Miroku. She deserves better than this kind of deception--and we’re not going to help him with it anymore. If he wants to lie to her, let him do it himself.”

Now the dark violet of Miroku’s gaze sparked with reprimand. “Sango, this is one thing he has the right to do in his own way. You know how exposed he is during this time. We have no right to force this kind of confrontation on him.”

“Kagome knows, too, Miroku.” Accompanied by the faint groaning of well-kept leather, Sango leaned across the gap between their seats to emphasize her rebuttal. “And InuYasha’s the one who started this whole thing, chasing after her like he did. He has no right to keep a secret like this when he was the one who forced himself into her life in the first place. Honestly.” She sat back against her seat and crossed her arms. “My best friend needs our help, my dear lord monk.” Her large brown eyes narrowed, and her thick lashes clashed ominously as she gave him a look she reserved only for special occasions. “And, Miroku…if she doesn’t get it, then I think you should prepare to get used to sleeping in your own apartment for a while.”

“What?!” The panic was back in his face. Apparently, he took that threat very seriously. “That’s not fair, Sango!” He glanced back at Kagome and tried to sound reasonable. “Come now, ladies. This is a bond of masculine trust. You can’t seriously be expecting me--”

“Miroku.” Kagome once again sat forward. She placed a pleading hand on his forearm, her gaze as honest and sincere as she could make it. “Please. This is important to me.”

“Besides, what’s more important? Masculine trust, or a warm bed at night?” Sango added. She was eyeing her fiancé as if she were re-considering her choice of future husbands.

The look of cornered desperation that slowly dawned on his face was enough to make both women exchange tiny, triumphant grins. “Can’t we just…all go out to dinner or something?” When their grins just widened, he groaned, putting his head back against the headrest. “Very funny, you two. You know he’s going to kill me, right?” His head lifted and he sent a pathetic look at the woman in his passenger seat. “He’s going to kill me, Sango, and we’re never going to get married in a beautiful ceremony, and we’re never going to move into that apartment that’s as far away from our parents as possible, and we’ll never have that baker’s dozen of beautiful children we’ve always dreamed about.”

At the phrase ‘baker’s dozen’, Sango’s eyes widened, her cheeks flushed darkly, and for a moment she looked like she was getting ready to smack him. Then a smile twitched at her lips, and she shook her head, then turned to look through the windshield. “Look at it this way, Miroku. You’re damned if you do, damned if you don’t, so you might as well be damned in the most entertaining way possible.”

He dropped his mournful expression to stare at her with horrified amazement. “What convincing reasoning.” He sighed, then gave her a crooked smile. “You do know me so well, my lovely Sango.”

“Lucky me,” she muttered, still looking away from the two other occupants of the car.

“Besides,” Kagome added, feeling a blush creep up her cheeks. “If we do it my way, I can probably keep him from actually killing you.”

He thought about that for a moment, and his crooked smile slowly morphed into a wicked one. He reached out and turned the keys in the ignition. “Another excellent point, dearest Kagome. Very well, ladies. You win.” As he gave the engine a moment to warm, he looked over at Sango. “You’ve never been to InuYasha’s place, have you, Sango?”

Sango’s eyes widened, but she shook her head. His smile only deepened as he pulled out of the parking spot. “Well, then. Entertaining it should be.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~

Somehow, Kagome wasn’t the least bit surprised when Miroku started maneuvering them through a suburban area that seemed very well-to-do. It was similar to the area where the orphanage was located--an entire community of walled-in houses, offering rare privacy for its residents in a city that was incredibly crowded.

She was a little more surprised when Miroku suddenly turned off onto a short driveway that ended at a set of large, wrought-iron gates. They were a little farther back from the road than the other gateways they’d passed had been, and seemed to be the only entrance to a property that ran the entire length of the block.

And they were shut tight.

The eyes of both women focused on Miroku as he came to a stop right in front of the gates. He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, his eyes studying the structure blocking their way, then gave a sigh and a slight shrug. “Ah, well. Let the fun begin.”

Leaving the engine to idle, he opened his door and stepped from the car, walking casually over to the side wall, where a small electronic panel was set into a hollow in the smooth stone. Well aware of his avid audience, he reached out and pressed one of the many buttons on the panel, then glanced up, drawing their attention to a small plastic dome set further up in the wall. He raised a hand in a cheerful greeting.

Nothing happened.

Still in the car, Sango and Kagome exchanged a bemused look.

Then an electronic-sounding whine cut through the air, causing both women to jump, and an old, wrinkled, tough-sounding voice echoed into the night from…wherever the speakers were hidden. “You! Damn lech! What do you want this time? Don’t you know how to do anything but bother my tenants?”

Shocked, the girls exchanged another look.

Miroku just smiled and bowed slightly, his gaze still directed upward. “My dearest, lovely landlady. You know the only real reason I come is to hear your sweet voice and bask in the glory of your presence.”

A decidedly un-lady like snort followed that declaration. “Hn! Hogwash. The only reason you’re here is to pester that hunter in my building. Your silly lines don’t fool me.”

Miroku’s grin widened. “Of course I’ve come to pester him. I wouldn’t be his friend if I didn’t. It’s why you always let me in.” His hand went to his heart in a semi-dramatic pose. “And may I remind you, dear lady, that lines are only lines if they are untrue. No untruth could ever be told in your divine presence.”

“Balderdash.” The response was a grumble, but both Kagome and Sango could detect a flattered hint in the life-worn tone. “Alright, monk. What are you here for?”

“Why…. I have a very special guest to see InuYasha.” His hand swept back to indicate the car.

The bodiless voice seemed to hesitate. “Guest?” She--whoever she was--didn’t sound pleased with the declaration. “You expect me to let someone else on my property this time?”

The monk’s smile never wavered. “Not just any guest, dear lady. A very special guest.” He turned and startled Kagome when he opened the back door of his car. For a moment, she just blinked at the proffered hand that reached in. His fingers curled up in a ‘come here’ gesture.

She glanced at Sango, who just shrugged. Seeing no protests on Sango’s part, Kagome hesitantly place her hand in Miroku’s. His fingers closed over hers and tugged gently, pulling her from the car. Free hand clenched in a white-knuckle grip around the strap of her bag, Kagome followed mutely, both anxious and curious as to what Miroku was up to now.

Miroku stopped her only a few feet away from the electronic panel on the wall. Ignoring the buttons and the dark, flat-screen viewing panel, he dropped her hand--only to place both of his on her shoulders and adjust her standing position so that she was directly below the small plastic dome high in the wall. Since Sango was still sitting in the car, observing his every movement, Kagome allowed it without comment.

Finally, Miroku seemed satisfied, and turned to face the dome again, dropping into a slight bow. “My dearest landlady, allow me to introduce Higurashi Kagome.” Automatically, she looked up at the dome and the camera that was obviously behind it. The landlady didn’t respond--Kagome got the oddest feeling that she was being examined--and Miroku straightened. “Kagome and InuYasha only just recently met, but I thought I should bring her to meet you, since you’ll be seeing a lot of her from now on.”

“Oh? Be seeing a lot of her, will I? And why would that be?” The old woman suddenly sounded a lot less formidable.

Miroku simply smiled again. “Why? That would be because InuYasha is extremely fond of Kagome…. Let’s just say that they are very good friends.”

Her breath caught and her cheeks heated as she turned a furious glare on him. From the car, Sango’s outraged “Miroku!” sounded quite clearly into the silence following his insinuation.

But the old woman behind the impressive stone walls seemed amused. “Oh-ho…. So it’s like that, is it?” The ancient voice snorted a brief almost-laugh, then sighed. “All right. You might as well bring her on in. To the house, lech. We’ll have some tea.”

A buzz sounded loudly, and the gates began opening of their own accord.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was almost as if they had entered a forest. The grounds were obviously extensive, and as Miroku drove slowly down the paved drive, trees grew thick and wild on either side. The tall, broad trunks and green-heavy boughs were like a thick layer of insulation within the walls--extra protection against the surrounding city--and were so pervasive that it took a few moments before they thinned and cleared, revealing two buildings nestled within a much larger, better-manicured area of the grounds. The drive rounded on itself, circling around a large, stone-lined, plant-covered pond that sat opposite the larger of the two buildings before leading right back out to the entrance.

Kagome was so curious, she was almost pushing her nose against the glass of her window as they drove around it, passing by the larger building.

That had to be where InuYasha lived.

It was only three stories, and its construction only faintly resembled the generic, boxy construction of most modern apartment buildings. The entrance was elaborate: a stone walkway led up to a wide porch and two doors that appeared to be made of carved, solid wood. Two small lamps on either side of the entrance illuminated the doors with soft, glowing yellow light. Windows peppered randomly along the face of the building, and glass sliding doors, each underlined by their own private railed balconies, indicated individual apartments on each floor. The length of space between each veranda was greater than she would have expected; Kagome found herself wondering how big the apartments actually were.

She also found that she liked it immediately. For some reason, despite its size, the whole place felt natural and earthy. The grounds were green and well kept, but wild and thick enough to feel completely independent of the surrounding city. The building was secure and comfortable-looking; it had a peaceful, unaffected vibe that impressed Kagome as far more habitable than the sterile, uninspiring building she currently resided in. Soft, warm lights filtered through most of the curtains and blinds, serving as little reminders of the life that existed within.

In fact, only the top floor remained completely dark.

Kagome bit her lip and pulled her gaze away, her fingers twisting together in her lap in a fit of nervous anxiety. She was well aware of the risk she was taking--a test to a relationship that was so new and fragile and tentative that the wrong pressure might break it.

This time, she was intruding on him.

She had no idea how he would react to her presence on this, his most vulnerable of nights…. No, vulnerable didn’t even begin to cover it. Defenseless, weak, afraid--being the primary physician for an orphanage full of hanyou children had made Kagome well aware of how most hanyou viewed their human times.

And a small part of her was desperately afraid right now. She was afraid that he would be angry--truly and sincerely angry--at her interference. She was afraid that her own anger and hurt would rise in response and cause damage that she was desperately trying to avoid.

But most of all, she was afraid that he would reject her. Would he tell her to leave, tell her it was none of her business? If he truly felt that this part of himself had nothing to do with her--even after the whirlwind of madness and intimacy that had characterized the past week-and-a-half between them--then what was it all for?

Regardless, very soon now, she would have to deal with whatever consequences would result from her impulsive act. She would see if fate had indeed presented her with something that was as special and unique as it felt--or if she’d been playing a fool’s game from the very start.

In an effort to distract herself, she allowed her gaze to drift to the surrounding landscaping….

And found herself marveling.

The property had the most remarkable abundance of neatly kept, widely varied greenery she’d ever seen. Bushes and flowers trimmed the building itself, and a wide variety of shrubbery lined its front walkway and filled the yard with color and vegetation. Kagome noted with some surprise that a few of them would actually produce edible fruit during the right time of year.

But it was the second building--much smaller, off to the left of the first, and consisting of a single story with a simple, cottage-like design--that Miroku was directing his car towards. He pulled off the drive and onto the grass, parking near several other cars haphazardly arranged in the flat, vegetation-less distance between the two buildings. Kagome noted with a small start that one of them belonged to InuYasha. She’d actually forgotten he had one.

He’s really here.

The car engine purred to a stop, and Miroku glanced at his two passengers with a faint grin. “Interesting place, isn’t it? Apparently, these particular grounds have always been like this. The land has been in this family for generations.” He paused. “Well, a few generations, anyway. I don’t think the original owner died all that long ago.” He pulled the keys from the ignition and opened his door. “Let’s go have some tea, shall we?”

Exchanging a shrug, both women followed him as he strolled off in the direction of the cottage, ignoring the larger building entirely. Kagome cast a hesitant glance over her shoulder--first at the cars, then at the scattered glowing windows in the larger building--before frowning at the man in front of her. “Miroku….”

“Have patience, Kagome. You’ll get to him.” Miroku didn’t turn around as they made their way along the path that led to the front door, but his voice was solemn. “This will only take a little while.” She heard a sly grin enter his tone. “You just have to pass inspection first.”

Inspection?

Ok, and that didn’t make her nervous or anything. As if she wasn’t suffering enough from the emotion already.

Beside her, Sango frowned at Miroku, eyes narrowing with suspicion on his back as they followed in his wake. Kagome found herself quite unexpectedly distracted as she got a better look at the many kinds of vegetation and shrubbery growing along the path and around the house. She recognized quite a bit of it.

Where most people would have grass, here some truly rare medicinal herbs grew in abundance. She stared in half-amazement, her brain automatically cataloguing all the specific plants and their uses as they walked by. This place was better-stocked than the garden they maintained at the clinic, and it was all neat, subtly organized--some of it was even arranged in crop-like rows--and obviously tended with loving, knowledgeable hands.

She looked back at the house before them, studying it curiously. Just who lives here, anyway?

It didn’t surprise her at all when Miroku veered around the side of the house and followed another path that led around to the back. They passed several more clusters of rare plants along the way, and by the time Miroku actually stopped walking amid the more traditionally arranged rows of gardening in the back, Kagome had seen just about every herb or specialized plant she’d ever read about.

Her mouth was already partially open in amazement, so her face registered no significant change in expression when she noticed the back door. It was a sliding door, made of wood…and startlingly huge. It was nearly twice the height of the cottage’s quaint front door, and a significant breadth wider. A small light protruding out over the door cast a dim yellow glow that managed to illuminate only the trampled, packed-down dirt of the ground immediately surrounding the back entrance.

Both Sango and Kagome halted, gaping at the sizable door as Miroku glanced at them over his shoulder and gestured ahead. “Well… Here we are.”

Sango, who seemed to be having a much easier time of figuring out what she wanted to say than Kagome was, once again turned an uncertain frown on her fiancé. “Miroku, who exactly lives here?”

He looked genuinely surprised. “Why, InuYasha’s charming landlady and her son, of course.” He scratched at his head. “I thought that much was obvious.”

Sango glance back at Kagome, worry in her pink-shadowed eyes. “But…. Miroku, this door is….”

Miroku was shaking his head. “Sango, Sango. Don’t you trust your beloved fiancé?”

Sango sniffed and crossed her arms. “Not really.”

Miroku gave her a look of wounded dismay, then shrugged and stepped into the small pool of light. “You shouldn’t worry so much. This will be relatively painless. Kagome will do fine, believe me.” His lifted a hand and rapped his knuckled lightly against the abnormally large door.

“Relatively painless?” Sango stomped over to him, sounding as if she were ready to do him bodily harm. Kagome followed quietly, not sure what to think. “Miroku, I’m warning you, if you--”

Her fiancé cut her off with a loud sigh, then turned to fix a serious look on both women. “Anyone who wants general access to that building,” he pointed in the general direction of the larger building behind them, “has to go through this woman first. It’s her building, and she’s very particular about who she lets in.”

“What?” Sango stopped dead in her tracks and glanced back at her friend, who was looking more uncomfortable by the second. “But why?”

Without warning, the door to the cottage was flung open with a loud, deep-sounding scrape, and the aged voice from the gate reverberated with surprising force through the foliage. “I have my reasons, girl, as I’m sure you’ll figure out for yourself soon enough.”

With identical gasps of surprise, Kagome and Sango both jumped their gazes turning towards the slightly hunched-over figure currently being dwarfed by the hugeness of the doorway. Interior lights spilled around her and out into the garden beyond, but not so harshly that they couldn’t make out her features. She was a frail-looking and skinny woman, her ancient face hollow and weathered with wrinkles, her expression permanently stamped with a determined frown. A pale kerchief covered her head, and a loose knot of thinning gray hair peeked out from under it at the back of her neck. She was currently dressed in a long house-robe and thick pair of house-slippers.

She looked like she was ready for bed.

Which served as a wonderful reminder as to how late it actually was.

Utterly dismayed at the thought of having disturbed her, Kagome stepped forward, breaking the frozen tableau that had fallen at the woman’s appearance, and bowed deeply, her voice soft and apologetic. “Umm…. Please.” She straightened, but kept her head meekly lowered. “I am deeply, deeply sorry for bothering you so late, but it’s very important that I see InuYasha tonight. Won’t you please tell me where he is?”

The older woman didn’t move, didn’t change expression--just stared at her.

After a few moments of tense silence, they heard a grumpy sigh, and the old landlady looked at Miroku. “Humph. One special visitor, eh, lech? So why do I have two girls on my doorstep?” Without waiting for a reply, she turned her back on the three in the garden and started shuffling back into the interior of the cottage. “Well, come on in, then. Tea’s waitin’ in the kitchen.”

In the wake of her shadow, both women turned to stare at Miroku.

He gave another unhelpful shrug and a grin as he moved to follow.

**************************************************************** ***

The interior of the cottage was much larger than it seemed to be from the outside. The ceilings were very high--almost as high as the roof itself--and all the doorframes that lead from room to room on the inside were as large as the back door had been. The floors were hardwood and carpeting--no tatami mats to keep clean--and the decorations were simple, neat, and consisted of potted plants, sparse furniture, and bookcases that were filled mostly with books on plants.

She led them straight through cottage, down a hallway that ran past three rooms before they reached the kitchen. The first, immediately beyond the back door, was a long room with a packed-dirt floor, filled with bags of fertilizer and gardening tools; the second was a small room that looked to be dedicated to drying and preserving herbs; and the third, the living room, contained a small television set, some random furniture, and the majority of the books.

The kitchen itself was small but lined with shiny modern appliances, randomly interspersed with light-curtained windows. A short wooden table set up on a rug off to one side. It was towards this table that the shriveled landlady gestured as they walked in. “Go on you three, sit down,” she said, giving them her back as she shuffled her way over to the stove where the tea was steeping. They complied, kneeling cautiously by the table and waiting in silence.

She checked the tea, mumbled to herself, then started pouring--into five cups, Kagome noticed, not three, which suggested not only that (despite her protestations) she’d known about Sango before they’d shown up at her door…but that someone else would be joining them as well.

“So…. It’s very important for you to see that hunter, is it?”

It took Kagome a moment to realize the old woman was addressing her. “Oh! I, uh….” She hesitated, eyeing first the hunched-over back of the woman who had yet to turn and look at her, then an enigmatic Miroku before turning her gaze down to the clenched fists in her lap. “Yes.”

A non-committal grunt. “And what’s so important that you gotta do it tonight?”

“ Because I--” She broke off, at a sudden loss. “Tonight is…um….” She bit her lip, beyond uncomfortable. “Very…special…to me,” she finished lamely.

“That so? Special, is it? You want me to let you in my building for ‘special’?” She picked up the tray with the cups and shuffled it over to the table. “Hn.”

Kagome fidgeted. The older woman may or may not know anything about InuYasha, but there was no way she could tell a complete stranger the circumstances that had prompted her unexpected visit. “I would appreciate it very much.”

The tray hit the table with a forceful thump. Kagome gave a slight jump, then looked up to see the old woman standing next to her, staring down at her with a rather intimidating glare. “That really all you got to say?”

Kagome hesitated again, her knuckles whitening with tension as she considered the question. For some reason, a less-than-subtle challenge laced the older woman’s tone, and Kagome found herself resenting it. Her relationship with InuYasha was none of this woman’s business--tenant or no. Imperceptibly, her lips firmed and her chin rose as she met the landlady’s gaze squarely. “Yes.” Her tone was stiff, polite, and inflexible.

“And if I say that isn’t good enough?”

Pursing her lips to hide her dismay, Kagome kept her eyes defiantly and unflinchingly direct. “Then I’ll find him on my own, even if I have to bang on every window in that building from the ground floor up.” If anyone thought she would leave here without seeing InuYasha first, they were in for one hell of a surprise.

Tension thickened the kitchen as everyone seemed to freeze, waiting for the landlady’s reply.

“Heh. You got guts, dontcha? That’s good.”

Shocked more at the faint satisfaction that softened the woman’s gaze than at her words, Kagome blinked again. “Good?”

“It’s none of my business, pryin’ into that hunter’s life.” She held out a thin clay teacup. “Glad you got the gumption to stand up for that. You’ll need it when dealing with that one.”

“ ‘That one’…. You mean InuYasha ?” She quoted, a confused frown wrinkling her forehead as she accepted the cup.

Another grunt came from the older woman as she settled onto her knees beside Kagome. “That hunter is one of the prickliest, stubbornest, rudest, most inconsiderate examples of the male half of any species I’ve ever met,” she started matter-of-factly. Kagome’s eyebrows shot upward in surprise, but the landlady continued as if she hadn’t noticed. “If he hadn’t saved this place from that damn rogue….” She paused, then glanced begrudgingly out a window. “But he did, and he would again, and that’s worth more to us than almost anything in the world.” A sniff, and a sip of tea. “He’s a good one, I suppose--if you can get underneath all the rough.”

“He…saved…?” Kagome was having a hard time following the thread of the conversation.

“If you’re gonna be involved with him, you need to be able to stand up for yourself, else he’ll walk all over you--in everything you do.” For a moment, the old woman sounded strangely musing, almost wistful. An almost smile twitched at her thin mouth, and for a moment her age-weary eyes grew fond and distant. “Youkai are like that, you know. Dominant by nature, they are. Even the gentle ones.”

Her meaning was obvious, and a faint blush colored Kagome’s cheeks. For a moment she was speechless. Across the table, she heard Miroku stifle a chuckle, followed immediately by a quiet sound of pained objection as Sango pinched him in retaliation.

The woman next to her took another sip of tea, then sighed. “Course, he’s a hanyou, so you’d need to have a strong will anyway. They don’t necessarily live easy lives, you know--and anyone close to them has to be ready to take on the trouble that can go with them. Not as bad as it used to be, of course, but still….”

Kagome felt her spine stiffen to match her voice. “There’s nothing wrong with being a hanyou.”

Dark, sharp eyes blinked at her in surprise, the action immediately followed by a loud, barking laugh. “Course there isn’t! Never said there was! Wouldn’t have expected you to think so, anyway, seeing as you and that pretty one up there are friendly enough for a midnight visit.”

Kagome’s blinked at the woman, her flush darkening. Then she sent an infuriated look at Miroku, who was too busy sipping at his tea in an effort to avoid Sango’s glare to notice hers.

The old woman gave a half-amused snort. “Besides, if I thought there was anything wrong with being hanyou, then I imagine that things around here would be very different.”

A loud scrape and thump was heard from another part of the house. While Kagome and Sango looked around and Miroku calmly sipped his tea, the old woman turned to call over her shoulder to the door that lead out the other side of the kitchen. “Done checking those trees, are you? Come into the kitchen. Company’s here and we’re having tea.”

There was a brief pause, then a timid, gentle baritone called back in response, “Yes, Ma.” This was followed by a series of faint, heavy, regular thuds, drawing progressively nearer the kitchen.

Kagome exchanged a curious look with Sango. Ma? The old woman’s son? And then he shuffled his way into the kitchen, and both women realized why the ceilings and doors were so abnormally large. Surprise drifted across both faces.

The person who made his entrance was at least ten feet tall, with a great, slightly-hunched-over bulk and strong, thick arms almost as long as his body. His head rounded off a thick neck, his nose and mouth elongated and narrowed to resemble a muzzle, and he had large bulbous eyes that were a curiously pretty powder blue. Thin black hair was pulled back into tail at his neck, and his clothes were patched, careworn, and--at the moment--covered in dirt.

He hesitated when he entered the room, his remarkable eyes going from his mother, to Miroku, then darted between each of the girls in turn before returning to settle on Kagome. Unsure of what to do, she just sat there and blinked at him. Wait…. Her son is a youkai? But…. Her gaze jerked over to Miroku, demanding an explanation.

The monk set his teacup aside as he smiled a polite greeting. For the first time since they’d entered the kitchen, he spoke up. “Jinenji. I’m glad to see you again. The grounds are looking well.”

To Kagome’s surprise, the larger youkai nodded his head timidly in return and spoke again, his voice surprisingly soft and diffident for such a large and imposing youkai. “Lord monk. You’ve…come to visit with InuYasha?”

Miroku gave a nod. “Actually, tonight I have brought a few visitors who I thought you’d like to meet.” He gestured behind him with one hand. “This beautiful woman beside me is my fiancée, Sango. She also is a hunter, and she and InuYasha often work together for the Alliance.”

Sango, who had also been mostly silent up until now, smiled hesitantly and bowed her head, though she still looked mildly uncertain. “Jinenji.”

As a response, Jinenji nodded again, even more shyly than before.

Miroku’s smile widened as he gestured once again, at Kagome this time. “And this, Jinenji, is Kagome. She is the reason we’re here tonight.” He paused for the space of a breath. “She’s come to see InuYasha.” Without waiting for a reply, he turned to Kagome, his sharp-eyed gaze warning her that he was about to say something important. “Jinenji here is the legal owner of the property we’re on. Jinenji’s father, you see, was a youkai who had a strong connection to the earth. He was the one who preserved this place in its natural state and left it to Jinenji and his mother after he died.”

Behind Miroku, Sango’s eyes widened in realization.

Across the table, gray eyes blinked again at the monk as the young doctor took in his words. “His father was….” Oh. Comprehension washed the surprise off her face. Of course. The old woman’s posturing and questions made a little more sense now--her son was a hanyou as well.

Much of the stiffness dissolved from Kagome’s shoulders. This was territory she was very familiar with. She offered the gentle giant in front of her a smile and a respectful bow of her head. “Hello, Jinenji. Thank you for allowing me to see your home. This is a lovely place.”

She wasn’t sure, but she thought she detected a faint blush spread across his cheeks. He ducked his head like a shy schoolboy. “Th-thanks. Most of it was left by my pa. I just keep it all up.”

That reminded Kagome about all the unusual landscaping that had so startled her on the way in. She tilted her head in inquiry. “I’m amazed at how many rare herbs and plants growing around here. Some of them are foreign, and some of them can’t even be found in the wild anymore. How did you get them? Do you know how they’re used?”

A tiny smile stretched the oddly shaped mouth of the hanyou. “Yes. My pa used to travel a lot and collected lots of plants when he was younger. He taught me about all the uses of every plant here.”

She felt her eyes widen at his words and blinked at him again. “All of them? Every single one? But there are so many!”

Jinenji’s blush darkened and he shuffled a little closer to the table. “Pa knew a lot about the earth and plants. He could feel them and talk to them, could make them grow anywhere. He taught me how to coax the earth into producing the best environment for them to grow.”

Kagome just sat still for a moment, absorbing the hanyou’s words. She could feel excitement momentarily infringe on her urgency to see InuYasha. She had the oddest feeling that she’d just found an invaluable source of help in treating her patients. A youkai with an affinity towards plants and earth? An instinctual knowledge of herbs and their uses? What might he know that other doctors and modern-day scientists might not have thought of? It was possible that he could tell her more about the medicines she used to treat the youkai at her clinic, or even new ways to treat wounds and chronic conditions.

She set her cup down and sat forward eagerly, a bright, delighted smile on her lips. “Jinenji, would you mind showing me some of your garden sometime? Maybe tell me something about them? I would very much like to hear what you know about the herbs you grow here.”

Jinenji looked surprised, even truly shocked. He stared at her for a moment, then swung his large head to look at his mother. The older woman’s attention was riveted to them, her dark eyes swinging from one to the other as they spoke. When her son turned his gaze to her, however, she looked away, taking an absent sip from the teacup in her hand with a quiet “humph”.

Kagome waited patiently, realizing her suddenness of both her visit and request would be far atypical of anything the retiring landowner had ever encountered, and slightly embarrassed that she’d put him in such an uncomfortable situation. She wasn’t usually so forward, but she’d let her eagerness carry her away. She bit her lip, then started to offer an explanation as to why a stranger would be so interested in a garden. Jinenji’s voice stopped her.

“You…. You really want to?”

She felt the warmth of a relieved smile break across her face as she rushed to reassure the blushing youkai. “Oh, yes, I would. Very much.”

A hidden tension released from the large shoulders as Jinenji nodded. “All right.”

Another “humph” had Kagome turning to face the old woman beside her before they could discuss it further. She was greeted by a pair of dark eyes that regarded her suspiciously.

“What interest would you have in my Jinenji’s garden anyway?”

“Oh, did we forget to mention?” Miroku spoke up again, an extremely pleased, almost gloating smile across his face. “Kagome is a doctor. She works at a clinic that takes in all manner of patients.”

Heavy, thin-haired brows of gray lifted questioningly. “All manner, eh?”

Kagome smiled and nodded. “Yes. We treat any patient, regardless of what species they are.”

Risen brows abruptly narrowed. “You meaning to imply you treat hanyou as well?”

Kagome nodded again--but it was Miroku who spoke, still grinning like a Cheshire cat. “Of course, dear lady. In fact, Kagome here,” he gestured across the table “actually specializes in patients of mixed species--she has to, considering she’s the primary physician for an orphanage full of hanyou children.”

Miroku said the words with the sort of special inflection that is meant to have more meaning than it sounds, but Sango and Kagome couldn’t figure out why. Jinenji and his mother, however, seemed to find that last tidbit extremely interesting. Kagome thought the old woman’s brows must get a lot of exercise as they lifted once again in surprise.

A moment of quiet expectation reigned in the kitchen as the old woman stared at a grinning Miroku.

Then, to everyone’s shock, the old woman burst out laughing.

She sat and laughed for a full minute, her scratchy old husk of a laugh reverberating off the various surfaces in the kitchen. Sango and Kagome exchanged mystified looks, Miroku set his cup on the table with a self-satisfied air, and the giant half-youkai simply watched his mother.

Finally, the old woman began to calm down. She wiped at her eyes with a gnarled hand and glanced over at Kagome. “An orphanage full of hanyou, is it? No wonder you aren’t afraid of my Jinenji. I suppose you use herbs in your healing?”

Hesitantly, Kagome nodded. “They usually work better on youkai.”

The old woman shook her head, sounding amenable. “So they do. All right.” She put her hands on the table and started to struggle her way into a standing position.

Jinenji, seeing his mother’s efforts, simply reached out one of his long arms, plucked her up, and set her on her feet. “Be careful, ma.”

She patted a few fingers of his large hand affectionately. “Thank you, Jinenji. You’re such a good boy.” With that, she turned and shuffled her way over to counter by the sink. “Just out of curiosity,” she called over her shoulder as she yanked open a drawer and started rummaging, a strange metallic sound--like coins rubbing against each other--emanating from within the drawer. “How did you and that hunter meet?”

Kagome blinked. “Well, um…. He was a--a patient of mine.”

Miroku chuckled. “He was seriously injured by a rogue and Kagome came in to the clinic and saved his life--on her day off, no less.”

“Oh-ho? Is that so?” The old woman seemed amused by this as well. “Well…. It seems you’ll do just fine.” She found whatever it was she was looking for and slammed the drawer shut before shuffling her way back to the table. She stopped right over Kagome and looked down at her. “Kagome, was it? The night’s getting old, so if you’re done with your tea, you might as well head on over there to see that hunter.”

Kagome hesitated for only a minute, gray eyes wide and staring at the old woman hovering over her. Then the reason she was here pushed to the front of her mind with full force and she scrambled to her feet. “Really?”

The old woman nodded. “Course. You’re welcome here anytime.” She nodded off in the general direction of the larger building. “The hunter’s on the top floor. Just take the stairs. It’s the only apartment up there, so you can’t miss it.”

Kagome stared at her for a moment longer as she realized what the old woman was saying. She’d just been given a stamp of approval. Gratitude and relief surged through her in a rush, and she dipped forward in a deep bow. “Thank you very much.”

She glanced at Sango, who gave her a small smile, her expression mixed with relief, encouragement, and her own dose of worry. Miroku declined to speak, just gave her a reassuring smile and nod. She nodded back at him. Her hand snagged up her purse, pulled it over her shoulder, and she started to turn for the door.

She was stopped by a gnarled hand on her arm. Startled, she found herself staring at InuYasha’s landlady once again.

“Do you know why I make it a habit to screen most of the visitors that come through here?”

Kagome blinked at the unexpected question, then furrowed her brows. She hadn’t really thought about it, but….

Sango spoke up from her place next to Miroku. “You want to keep unfriendly visitors away from your son.”

The old woman grunted, then cast an appraising look at the female hunter. “Good guess, but that’s not all of it. If it were just me and Jinenji, it wouldn’t matter so much. But we got our tenants to worry about, too.”

“Tenants?” Sango’s brow furrowed in mimicry of Kagome’s confusion.

Jinenji stirred, nodding his head, and speaking up with his soft-toned voice. “Hanyou.”

“Hanyou?” Kagome felt her eyes widen. “Everyone?”

The old woman nodded as well. “Yep. Hanyou and family, every one of them in that building over there.” She sighed. “There was a time, after Jinenji’s father died, that we didn’t know we had legal rights to this place. We had to live on our own, out there, back when things were a lot worse for hanyou than they are today. Jinenji and I both had a hard time of it. When we were finally able to come back, Jinenji wanted to make sure there was a place where at least a few hanyou who might be in the same situation could find a place to live peacefully. That’s all.”

“Jinenji did?” Kagome swiveled to face the large half-youkai behind her.

“Humph.” The old woman snorted softly, but her voice was humble. “Of course Jinenji did. He’s always had a heart just like his daddy.”

Kagome’s entire expression softened, and she reached out a hand to rest against one long, bulky arm. “That’s…. That’s a very kind and generous thing to do.”

Jinenji went from light pink at the touch of her hand, to dark pink at her words. “It’s…. It’s not really anything. Ma and me, we only need a little room, so this house is plenty, and I… I like having the company around.”

She smiled. “Well, I think it is special. Thank you for doing it.”

She heard a crusty sigh from behind her. “No use getting all sentimental or anything. Just know that we don’t want it spread around. We only offer the apartments on a very select basis, and everyone who knows about this place keeps quiet about it. We don’t want an army beating down our gates. As far as this neighborhood is concerned, this is a private residence, just like every other home in this area.”

Kagome nodded and drew a deep breath. “I understand. I won’t talk about it.”

The old woman nodded her satisfaction. “Good. You had better get going, or the sun will rise and you’ll lose your night.” She reached out and clutched one of Kagome’s hands within the gnarled clutch of her own. Something small, warm, and hard pressed firmly against her palm. “Don’t forget: top floor, only apartment.” She dropped Kagome’s hand and started to sit once again. “And you needn’t bother to knock. Just go right on in.”

Kagome took another moment to in stand stock-still surprise as she realized what her hand now fisted so tightly around. She blinked around the table and took in the grinning, confused, and indifferent expressions before she smiled. She nodded once again, then turned to dash out of the house.

She paused only once, to bow gently to Jinenji, a soft smile on her lips. “Thank you for your hospitality. I hope we can discuss your garden more sometime soon.”

Jinenji surprised her by tipping his head down in his own awkward version of a bow. “Okay… You can to visit anytime you want. I’m always here.”

Kagome nodded. “Yes.”

She sent one last look of thanks to Miroku as she made her way back towards the door they had come in. In her wake, the kitchen was silent for a few moments.

Then the old woman “humph’d” again. “A doctor for hanyou children, eh?” She pinned Miroku with her gaze. “You could have just said so at the gate, lech. You knew I wouldn’t have any objections. No danger in her meeting any of the others if she’s fair enough to treat them as children.”

“I could have,” Miroku acknowledged with a smile. “But it was more fun this way. Besides, you were going to have to meet her eventually. I strongly suspect she’ll be the newest addition to your little community here before too much longer--if not as soon as she walks through his door.”

“Miroku!” Sango gave him a sharp rap to the back of the head, infuriated that he would talk so freely about their friends’ private lives.

“Ouch!” Miroku rubbed at his head defensively. “It’s only the truth, Sango. I’ll be surprised if he lets her go back to her apartment for more than her clothes.”

Sango huffed and sat back, crossing her arms. “I sincerely hope you don’t talk about us like this in front of other people.” Her eyes narrowed. “That would be seriously bad for your health.”

Miroku looked thoughtful, then apprehensive. “How bad, exactly?”

“Miroku!”

Across the table from them, the old woman lifted her hand and sipped noisily at her tea, eyeing them with one eye over the rim. “So… You are the one who is bound to marry this fool of a monk?”

Sango sighed, and her shoulders slumped wearily. “Unfortunately.”

“I see that Kagome isn’t the only one in need of a strong will.”

“Not at all, dear woman. My beloved here already has my will wrapped neatly around her talented little fingers.” Miroku’s smile was slightly wicked, and his eyes gleamed with humor.

Sango sighed again--wearily--and swiped said fingers of one hand through the loose fall of black hair around her face. “So you say…. Now if only I could figure out how to manipulate it, maybe you wouldn’t give me so many headaches.”

The weariness that had set in her shoulders was now evident in her voice, earning her a concerned glance from her fiancé. He studied her for a moment, all evidence of amusement sliding off his features as he took in her pale skin and tired-looking eyes. His gaze skimmed over her cup and noted that it was almost as full as it had been when she received it, and his frown grew momentarily dark.

When he turned back to the old woman and Jinenji, however, his expression was mild. “I do believe it is getting to be late, and we have taken enough of your time. We are on our way out to eat, and we need to hurry if we are going to get to our restaurant in time.” He pushed to his feet, one hand discreetly wrapped around Sango’s elbow to pull her up with him; she came without a hint of protest. He bowed to both the old woman, and the hanyou. “Thank you both--for the tea, and for allowing Kagome to see InuYasha. I believe this will be good for him. Please excuse us now.”

“Hn? Look a bit on the sick side, don’t you girl? Fine, fine. Leave the cups. They’re mine anyway.” The old woman eyed the couple suspiciously. “You know what’s so important about tonight for that doctor, don’t you, lech?”

Miroku smiled. “I do indeed, dearest lady. But, sadly, most of my secrets are not mine to tell.” He nodded once again to Jinenji. “Good night to the both of you.” Without waiting for a reply, he ushered Sango in front of him, guiding her through the cottage and out the door.

It wasn’t until they were back in his car that Sango sighed heavily, leaning her head against the headrest and looking up at the larger building some distance away. The windows on the top floor were still dark. “I wonder if they’ll be ok, Miroku? I think Kagome was more upset than she let on that InuYasha kept this from her.”

Miroku glanced over at her as he started up the car, letting the engine hum to warm. “I don’t think she can hold it against him for too long. She--maybe even better than you or I--knows what it’s like for hanyou at times like these. And….” He hesitated. “InuYasha may be stubborn, but he’s not a fool. He won’t lose her over something like this. He’s been waiting too long.”

“What?” Sango lifted her head off the chair.

Miroku took the opportunity to rev the engine a couple times. Then he smiled cheerfully at his fiancée. “So, where are we going now that we don’t have to watch out for Kagome?”

Sango eyed him suspiciously, then gave a shrug and allowed her head to thump back against the cushion of the headrest. “I don’t know. I don’t really feel like going out.” She sighed again and glanced up once more at the darkened top floor of the apartment building. A small smile curved her lips. “How about we pick something up to eat at home? Something that would go well sitting on the couch in front of a good movie.”

Miroku pondered the suggestion, found he had no objections to a night of cuddling, then gave her a considering glance. “What movie were you thinking of?”

For the first time in a long while, his Sango treated him to her slow, sinfully wicked, blood-thickening smile. He felt her hand start to trail up and down along his thigh, and she practically breathed out her next sentence. “Oh, nothing in particular. Just one of those that we won’t mind completely ignoring.”

Gods, did he love that smile.

His delighted grin was followed almost immediately by the car going into gear. “Whatever you want, my dearest Sango.”

He also made a mental note to pick up some aspirin, just in case that headache of hers tried to get the best of her again.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^_^^^^^ ^^^^^^

A/N: I’m so happy right now. I get to post another chapter much quicker than the last one, and for some reason, tonight it’s leaving me especially tickled. ^_^ So….whatcha think? I was really anxious to get this out, because I have something of an adult nature planned for the next one, and this had to come first. Hee. Writing is so much fun.

One hundred percent extra special thank you (as always) to Blackberry for her excellent ‘betaing skilz’, and for being so wonderfully fast at getting it back. You made my day!

And to everyone who has reviewed or written to me over the past few months, I can’t thank you enough for all the encouragement. It means so much to me. I’m offering me deepest and most sincerest apologies to those who I didn’t find the time to e-mail back--I read them, I swear, and usually I’m better at responding. Life’s just been a little tough for me recently. I’m sorry. I’ll do better in the future, cross my heart….

Anyway, please enjoy, and as always, all comments, corrections, or general communication is appreciated. ^^

Cheers and Blessings,

~Quill