InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Betrayal's Gift ❯ Chapter 13

A/N:

 

===========================================================

 

Miroku stood in front of the well house. He had a distinct feeling that wouldn't shake him. His daughter had been missing now for a week since the school called.

 

Kagome broke down again and took so many pills that he had to rush her to the hospital.

 

He stood there not looking at the well house but remembering Hotaru's face as she backed out of the alley he occupied. In fact that was the last time he set foot over there since he confronted Kagome about it.

 

“Miroku?”

 

Miroku turned to hear the sound of his sweet mother in law.

 

“Ms. Higurashi.”

 

The older woman sighed. She was very upset to see her daughter hurt by this man. She didn't understand what had happened so long ago when Kagome brought him home instead of Inuyasha and neither one of them thought to fill her in, of coarse she didn't press but she was disappointed non the less to be kept in the dark. It was when she was cleaning out Kagome's room to prepare it for Hotaru that she found Kagome's journal. She didn't want to read it, really she didn't. She would pick it up and than put it down again, but, she had to know what happened for she knew that Kagome loved Inuyasha with her entire soul.

 

After reading Kagome's journey and closing the book she cried for both her daughter and Inuyasha. She didn't particularly like Miroku at first because she felt he took advantage, but then, she couldn't judge him. Hadn't she done stupid things after her husband died? And besides what was now done could not be undone, so, she had to leave well enough alone and go along silently with her daughter's decision.

 

However, with keen observation it seemed that Kagome and Miroku really did care deeply for one another and that they had both fell in love, so, she was content. She thought at that time maybe it was fate that they had come together. But after an incident a while back their relationship really began to change. She kept her mouth quiet but now she had to intervene. Her grand daughter was possibly hurt or worse.

 

“Miroku, do you suppose that Hotaru went down the well?”

 

“Kagome sealed the well so I think that would be impossible.”

 

Ms. Higurashi looked up at the well house. Then she began to go in. Opening the door she turned on her flashlight and began looking around.

 

“This is not necessary Ms. Higurashi, Hotaru would not be in the well.”

 

“I don't know about that monk. Kagome said she felt the waves of time coursing through her not so long ago. I know she's under some hard medication, but, wouldn't that make her more susceptible?”

 

Miroku placed his chin in his hand as his other hand held on to his Shokanju.

 

“I suppose your right, but if that is the case, than how do we get her back?”

 

“I don't know, but don't you think that if she does come back her home should be different? Don't you think that you and Kagome should make it to where she would want to come home?”

 

She patted him on the shoulder as she made her way to leave when she spied an arrow with dried blood on it.

 

She bent down to pick it up and stared at it hoping that the blood wasn't whose she thought it was. Miroku as if sensing something stood over her shoulder and looked at it. He saw an aura around it, an aura like Hotaru's.

 

Than taking the flashlight from his mother in law he dropped his staff and leaned in the well to look in, his face ashen. He expected to see his daughter lying at the bottom of the well dead and was relieved to find that it was in fact empty.

 

“Miroku?”

 

“I believe your right Ms. Higurashi, she is on the other side of the well. I don't know what time she's in, but hopefully like Kagome she will find her way back.”

 

“Good lord Miroku don't frighten me so.” She chastised. He smiled apologetically to her and helped her out of the house. He needed to get Kagome better so they can have a long talk.

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

Kagome was in Hotaru's room looking out the window. She saw her mom and Miroku walk in and then out of the bone eaters' well house. She wondered what was going on. She had not taken her medicine at all that day and she felt healthier than she had in years.

 

Kagome had just woken from yet another dream, the same dream she had repeatedly every so once in a while, but this time it was different, her dream had come true; she knew now what her destiny was to be. She mourned her loss, but, it wasn't hers to mourn over.

She knew that Miroku was going to come talk to her. She had to let him know where Hotaru was and why.

 

She stood up and went to her bedroom and pulled out a small blue box when she turned around to exit the room she found him standing in the doorway.

 

“Kagome?”

 

“Hotaru…she's in the feudal era…with Inuyasha.”

 

“How did…well, I shouldn't be surprised now should I?” He smirked.

 

He walked up to her and sat down on the bed when she sat down on the soft mattress.

 

“Miroku, we have much to talk about don't' we?”

 

“I suppose we do.”

 

Kagome sighed. Then she looked straight ahead looking deep into her past and urging him to look there with her.

 

“That day in the forest…by the well.”

 

“Do we need to go over that Kagome?”

 

“Uh hmm.”

 

“Ok as you wish.”

 

“Miroku, on that day we set our fate, not only ours but that of our daughters and Inuyasha's. I don't understand it all, but, what had happened between us back then was supposed to happen.”

 

“How can you say that Kagome, you love Inuyasha, I loved Sango. It was a mistake. All this suffering I put you and Hotaru through…”

 

He paused for the shame of it all was too uncomfortable for him to say but he knew he had to continue.

 

“That suffering, my guilt, it was not meant to happen.”

 

“For you to say that than you mean Hotaru wasn't meant to happen either.”

 

Miroku looked down with his shoulders slumped.

 

“I suppose so Kagome, Budda knows how much I love her, but, I hurt her, I hurt you…”

 

Kagome sat there with tears in her eyes.

 

“I know, but this is our punishment for being traitors. You thought I was seeing Inuyasha behind your back, why wouldn't you think so. I was committed to Inuyasha, you all knew how I loved him, I betrayed him and that is my own fault that I lost him not yours. However, in the same vein, how could you trust me, I cheated on someone I said I loved. You know the whole time we've been together since that day I don't think that I once told you that I loved you.”

 

Miroku gasped, because she was right, she never did say the words, but that didn't mean anything. She saved his miserable life. She could have left him there to die at Inuyasha's hands, which he would deserve, he was Inuyasha's best friend and he betrayed him by sleeping with his woman. He knew how he felt about Kagome, Inuyasha's actions spoke louder than his words, and still he seduced the innocent miko who was doing naught but trying to help him.

 

“Kagome, I knew you loved me. Your actions proved that.”

 

“No, you don't understand. I married you because I figured I deserved this punishment. I learned to love you like a wife should, but…”

 

However, she couldn't look him in the face when she continued. Instead she combed her fingers through her hair and sighed.

 

“But then in my heart you still weren't the one I wanted. I was unfair to you and you sensed that. I don't blame you anymore for sleeping around with those women.”

 

Kagome kind of laughed when she continued.

 

“It's not like I didn't know you are a hentai monk right?”

 

Almost affronted by her remark Miroku felt like he had to explain that she was wrong.

 

“Kagome, no, I went to those women because I was…I was angry at myself for messing up your life. Had I left you alone you would be with Inuyasha.”

 

Kagome looked down at her hands where the blue box lay quietly, tears began falling from her eyes.

 

“Miroku, do you love me? Did you ever truly love me like you did Sango?”

 

Miroku's own violet eyes teared up; he looked at his hands in his lap and gave a half hearted smile.

 

“Did you ever truly love me like you did Inuyasha?”

 

“Tushay. But this is the point I am getting at…Miroku…I don't love you like I loved Inuyasha. I loved you because you were here. Your familiar and we share a bond that I can't share with anyone else. But am I `in love' with you?…have I ever been in love with you?”

 

She took a long pause to really think about her feelings. It was so long that Miroku was becoming anxious of her answer. Finally she spoke in a very hushed tone.

 

“The answer is…no.”

 

They both sat quietly for what seemed like months both in their own thoughts. Than out of the stagnant silence Kagome's soft voice broke through the deafening quiet.

 

“I'm sorry Miroku if I hurt you, please believe me it wasn't my intentions. I love you, but not like that, but I know that you are not in love with me either.”

 

She turned to look at him and saw pain reflecting in his eyes. She felt horrible, she used him all these years to try and atone for her sins, yet she couldn't stop telling him what she needed to say because she didn't know how much longer she could go on without taking her drugs again to escape this painful world so she continued before the pain was too much to bare.

 

“I believe for you I'm the link that keeps you connected to Sango, and you are the link that is connected to Inuyasha. That is why I think that our mistake was supposed to happen. Do you understand now?”

 

No he didn't understand completely. He didn't understand why she believes that their mistake eighteen years ago was supposed to happen but he knew this much, he did truly fall in love with her, but it was different, he knew she wasn't Sango.

 

But, maybe she had a point. Maybe he did take Kagome because she was close to Sango. She was familiar in a century where he didn't even exist. Just maybe he fooled himself that he loved her, because if he did, he would have never went behind her back to other women and he would have never seen the face his daughter gave him had he truly loved Kagome with his whole heart.

 

Kagome broke his thoughts once again.

 

“Hotaru will come back, she will have her own journey, our fight is not finished in Fuedal Japan. We will go back too when we are called.

 

This time Miroku looked at her, she was different now.

 

“Kagome, did you take your medicine?”

 

“I haven't taken it all day. Don't worry Miroku, everything will be alright and we will not be sad anymore. Our sins will be forgiven.”

 

“Kagome? You're beginning to frighten me. Seriously, I don't understand.”

 

Kagome smiled and looked into his eyes deeply. With a watery smile she handed him the box.

 

“Here open it, I've been saving this…I look at it every once in a while to remember…I think…because when I'm on that drug…I just go away to a safer place…you know? But when it wears off…I have to remember…”

 

Miroku took the box she offered and looked at her. She looked up at him expectantly and moved closer to where her thigh brushed his.

 

He opened the box and in it were yellowed pieces of paper. He opened the paper and read the date and looked at his wife. She urged him to continue with a nod of her head and so he continued to read it. His eyes opened wide and then began to tear up. With a big sob escaping his throat he hugged Kagome to him.

 

“No Kagome, I won't let you, I won't…”

 

“Shh, it's alright Miroku, I told you, it's my fault alone, not yours. I can't mourn over something that wasn't mine.”

 

She pulled out of the embrace and kissed him lightly on his lips. His eyes full of distress searched her face but all he saw was serenity there.

 

“Kagome…I can't let you do this…I can't let you…you need help…we can get you help.”

 

She placed a delicate finger on his lips and shook her head.

 

“Be happy Miroku, you worry too much, I'm not crazy. It's my atonement.”

 

She said nodding her head up and down to convince him of what he read. She kissed him again softly and then again with more passion. He accepted hungrily giving her his own passion back. In no time at all their feelings of guilt, anxiety, and regret overwhelmed each other and soon they found themselves naked and tangled in a lovers embrace as they slept soundly.

==============================================================