InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Second Chance ❯ If This is Love... ( Chapter 18 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Disclaimer: I don’t own it so please don’t sue. With the updates I give, I shouldn’t. (Sniff) First things first. For one, I have to admit that the summary I gave for this chapter on the last chapter has changed. It’s a bit more cut down, but it’s pretty much what I wanted. Um...what else...oh yeah! Since the month of February is so short, I’ve decided to bring Sesshoumaru (human form) up a little earlier. Normally we have to wait at least two chapters for him but not this time. The next chapter will begin the month of March.

(I)
‘There she goes,’ Sango muttered to herself as Kagome walked past her to unlock the passenger side door. ‘She’s humming again. She’s been doing that all week. I wonder what’s happened.’ She slid in the car after a brief tug-o-war with the door’s child safety lock and the edge of her asymmetrical skirt and glanced back at Kagome as she jumped into the driver’s seat to start the car.

“So...” Sango casually began after relaxing against the back of her seat. “What’s new with you?”

“What are you talking about?” Kagome mumbled back absently before growling at a black car ahead of her that was doing 25 in a 30 mile zone. “Nothing’s new with me, why?”

“I’m just asking,” Sango replied with a shrug. “You were really depressed last week and I wanted to make sure you were ok.”

“Oh. “ Kagome deflated slightly, the good mood and glow surrounding her evaporating slightly as she maneuvered through traffic. “I meant to tell you about that.”

“About what?” Sango asked after sitting up. “What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

“No, nothing happened exactly. Terrance’s mom sent me something.”

“What?”

Kagome sighed and glanced up at the cloudless blue sky, her eyes misting over slightly before returning to the world around her. “She sent me a letter and a book of Terrance’s drawings. They’re some great pictures in there.”

“And that’s why you’re not depressed anymore?” Sango asked and nodded when Kagome did. “But that doesn’t explain the humming now does it?”

“Humming,” Kagome repeated as she pulled into a parking space beside a café. “Um...I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Yes you do,” Sango disagreed. “It started a day or two after you came back to work. You know, the last time you was this happy was when that Mystery Man of yours...oh...” Sango drawled and laughed when Kagome’s face flushed. “It’s got something to do with him doesn’t it? Or have you finally decided to give Psycho Cop a chance?”

“Hey, be nice to Kouga,” Kagome cried out as they got out the car. “He’s actually ok.”

“So it’s him then?” Sango asked and laughed when Kagome turned her back on her and walked off. “Hey, I don’t care who it is. If he’s able to put a smile on your face-wait a second.” She grabbed Kagome’s arm and jerked her back, her face set in mock seriousness as she glared at her.

“What Sango?” Kagome asked while she tried to get her arm free. “What is it now?”

“How did he put that smile on your face exactly?” Sango asked and wagged her eyebrows. “You didn’t do anything I wouldn’t do did you?”

“No!” Kagome glared at her and jerked her arm free. “Are you crazy! I barely know him! And you’re turning into another Miroku by the way.”

“Oh no,” Sango groaned miserably as Kagome dragged her into the café to the hostess’ booth to order. “Please commit me when I start grabbing waitresses’ behinds.”

“I will,” Kagome assured her before dragging Sango to the nearest table. “Now sit down and behave. You’re starting to scare me.”

“Yes Mommy,” Sango cooed in a high pitched squeak. Kagome frowned when she laughed and picked up her menu, deciding to ignore her overly hyper friend until she calmed down. “I’m sorry Kagome,” Sango wheezed as she calmed herself. “I had at least four Snicker bars for breakfast.”

“Why? Don’t you know that’s bad for you?” Kagome scolded softly. “The last time you did that was when you pulled an all nighter for our Economics class back in the 11th grade.”

“Yeah, I know.” Sango sighed, propped her elbow on the table and dropped her forehead into her upturned hand. “I’ve been on the phone all week with the bridal shop and their suppliers trying to find our dresses. I’ve even got my mom and Miroku’s mom trying to find alternative dresses for the bridesmaids to wear.”

“What about my dress?” Kagome asked before greeting their waitress. “You never said anything about it.”

“Yours is stuck in The Land of the Lost too,” Sango groaned. “I don’t know what to do. I’m trying not to freak out but the woman that’s making my veil and taking up my dress can’t do it without the dress.”

“I bet your mom is freaking out too,” Kagome replied sympathetically. “I’m really sorry you had to change the date Sango. I know it sucks.”

“Yeah, but at least now we have a little more time to make sure things are the way we want them to be,” Sango replied and laughed after a second’s thought. “Or better yet, to make sure they’re the way I want them to be. The only think Roki’s said the entire time is ‘Whatever you want butterfly. I’m happy just so long as you are.’ Have you ever heard anything so useless?”

“Maybe he just wants you to be happy with everything,” Kagome replied and laughed as Sango glared at her.

“No, it’s more like he doesn’t want to get involved so I can’t blame him if something goes wrong,” Sango disagreed.

“But I kinda want him to be more involved than he is.”

“I’m sure he’ll get over it soon,” Kagome replied before changing the subject. “So where are you guys going on your honeymoon?”

“We’re not going on a honeymoon.”

“What?” Kagome stammered in surprise. “Why not? You guys have to go on a honeymoon!”

“We can’t afford it,” Sango said with a shrug. “We want to go but we’re trying to save money so we can move out of my apartment and into one of our own. I kinda want to live in a place like yours...um, without that Naraku dude of course.”

“Of course,” Kagome giggled in agreement. “I’d like to live somewhere without him showing up at my door too. You know what though?” Kagome began thoughtfully with a finger tapping her lower lip. “I haven’t seen him in a while. It’s been almost a month at least.”

“Really? One month without him showing up and trying to hug you, touch you and otherwise trying to make your life a living hell? Well I know you’re happy about it!”

“Yeah,” Kagome nodded with a smile. “I kinda am. Maybe I should drop by his place and check on him though.”

“What for?” Sango asked and thanked their waitress as she sat their order down. “I mean, I wouldn’t worry about him if I were you. He seems like the type that can take care of himself. Hey, you’re not thinking of inviting him to my wedding are you? Cause if you are then you’re not getting through the door.”

“I’m not,” Kagome assured her. “I’m not sure who I’m going to bring but I’ll find someone.”

“Well you’ve got two choices,” Sango pointed out before beginning to eat. “You’ve got the cop and the mystery dude. I think the cop is cute though.”

“You haven’t seen the mystery dude,” Kagome sighed wistfully. Sango watched as a far away look settled on Kagome’s face and smiled at her best friend.

“You’re in love.”

“Huh?” Kagome blinked, then frowned and cocked her head to the side in confusion. “What was that?”

“Oh, you’re in love,” Sango repeated casually and pointed her fork in her direction. “Could you pass the salt?”

“I am not in love,” Kagome huffed in disagreement. “He’s just...really cute. You’d have to see him to believe it. ‘Cute’ doesn’t even describe him.”

“Wow. I’m gonna have to see him. Invite him to the wedding.”

“I can’t,” Kagome shook her head. “He’s always away. I only see him once a month.”

“Well see if he can come,” Sango said next. “And if he says no then ask the cop. I’m sure he’ll tell you yeah in a heartbeat.”

“Yeah I shoul-hold on,” Kagome said as she plucked her phone from her purse. One of the phone’s original ringtones played on the speakers but a picture of a little fox appeared on her screensaver. “Hello?” she answered while Sango looked on. “This is Kagome. How may I-“

She frowned, her face becoming thoughtful as the person on the other end relayed their message. “Are you serious?” she said finally. Sango stopped eating and looked up before motioning for the waitress.

“Um, yeah, I think we’re going to need a couple of to-go boxes and the check please,” Sango told her and waited for the waitress to nod before glancing back at Kagome.

“No, don’t worry about it. How’s Shipp?” She nodded at the answer and sighed. “No, don’t be sorry for telling me. I told them to call if they needed something. I’ll be there as soon as I can. Which hospital again?” She grabbed a napkin and jotted down the name of one of the local hospitals. “No, that’s not very far from where I am now. Yeah, I’ll be there in maybe thirty minutes. Alright. Thanks for calling Dr. K. See you soon.” She slid the phone closed and sighed before glancing up to look for the waitress.

“I’ve already called her Kagome,” Sango told her and motioned for her to sit back down. “What’s going on?”

“Shippou’s grandmother’s in the hospital,” Kagome replied wearily. “Something bad happened at their house. I don’t know what just yet but I’ve got to go to the hospital. Poor Shippou. I bet he’s really worried about her too.”

“I don’t doubt it,” Sango said and thanked the waitress when she returned with their boxes and the check. “Come on then,” she said as she dumped her salad into her box and paid for her half of the check. “There’s no sense in keeping him waiting. Let’s go.”

)-(

“Hi,” Kagome began as she leaned over the desk at the nurse’s station. I’m looking for Mrs. Takisai’s room.”

“Oh, it’s down the hallway,” the nurse replied as she pointed toward the left of the ER. “Just go straight down the hallway behind me until you get to room 112.”

“Thank you.” Kagome made her way down the hall quickly, the tapping of her heels echoing down her path as she whispered the room numbers she passed.

“107, 108, 109, 110, 11-Oh!” She cried out and fell backward when something heavy collided into her and she fell to the cold sterile floor. “Ow...” Kagome grumbled as she sat up and rubbed her sore behind. “What happened?”

“I’m sorry Kagome. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

Kagome looked up, found watery green eyes staring back at her and smiled as Shippou held out his little hand to help her up. “Don’t worry about it,” she replied as she brushed herself off and kneeled down to give him a hug. “I’m a lot more resilient than you think.”

“What does resilient mean?” Shippou asked before wrapping an arm around her waist to guide her down the hallway.

“You sure I didn’t hurt you?”

“I’m positive and resilient means that something is hard to hurt. You know, it’s tough just like me.”

“Yeah right,” Shippou snickered in disbelief. “You’re about as tough as a ladybug Kagome.”

Kagome laughed along with him, figuring that to a youkai that would be true as they walked into his grandmother’s room. “Grandma,” Shippou said as he let go of Kagome and ran to the old woman’s bedside. “Look who I found in the hallway.”

Mrs. Takisai smiled as Kagome waved from the doorframe and motioned for her to come inside as she sat up and strained to move her legs off the bed. “Hello Higurashi-san, how are you?”

“I’m fine Takisai-san. I heard that you had some sort of heart attack. I don’t think you should be moving around.”

“Who told you that?” Mrs. Takisai asked as she stood up and held onto the bed for support. “I didn’t have a heart attack per say-“

“It was more like a panic attack,” Kagura interjected as she walked into the room. “You practically ran here didn’t you Kagome?”

“Yeah well,” Kagome replied sheepishly. “I was worried. You said she had some sort of attack.”

“Yeah, a panic attack. See?” She held out Mrs. Takisai’s chart for Kagome to see and pointed toward a single line on the form. “She just got really scared, that’s all.”

“Really? What happened?” Kagome asked. Shippou frowned sullenly and sank into a nearby chair while Mrs. Takisai explained.

“Shippou’s dear mother came over without permission. She got angry and gave me quite the fright.”

“I can imagine,” Kagome replied. “So what happened?”

“One of the neighbors called the cops,” Shippou said while he flipped channels on the tv. “But when the cops got there Mom had busted the hinges off the door and was threatening her. They dragged her away in cuffs.”

“Oh wow,” Kagome gasped. “I’m sorry you had to see that Shippou.”

“I’m not,” Shippou replied evenly. “I think they should have done that a lot sooner.”

“Well,” Kagura interrupted before Kagome could say anything else. “I find that, aside of your blood pressure being a little high, you’re fine for the moment. I would suggest you go to a doctor as soon as possible to get that blood pressure looked at. Other than that you’re free to go.”

“Thank you dear,” Mrs. Takisai said and patted Shippou’s head when he jumped up to help her walk. “Here.” She reached inside her purse and handed Kagura a handful of saltwater taffy. “That’s for taking such good care of an old woman like me. I appreciate it.”

“It’s not a problem,” Kagura assured her as she pocketed the candy. “It’s my job. You remember what I said about your blood ok?”

“I will. Come on Shippou. Let’s call a cab.”

“Actually,” Kagome offered before they could leave the room. “I could take you home. It wouldn’t be any trouble.”

“Don’t you have to go back to work?” Kagura asked. Kagome nodded. “Yeah but I’ve got an extra hour or so to spare. It won’t hurt to stop by somewhere and pick up something to eat before taking them home. What do you say Shipp? You want something from Cinnabon?”

“Yeah!” Shippou cheered enthusiastically. “Don’t you want one Grandma?”

“I do if you do,” she nodded before smiling at Kagome. “Thank you so much dear.”

“It’s not a problem. Let’s go-“

“Actually, I need to speak to you Kagome,” Kagura said as she grasped the fabric of Kagome’s trench coat. “It won’t take but a couple of minutes.”

“OK,” Shippou waved as he and Mrs. Takisai walked out of the room. “But don’t take too long ok Kagome?”

“I won’t. Now what’s this about Dr. K?” Kagome asked as Kagura let her go to flip through Mrs. Takisai’s chart. “What’s the matter?”

“It’s her blood pressure,” Kagura said before shaking her head. “I want you to make sure she gets it checked on alright?”

“I’ll do what I ca-“

“Don’t say that,” Kagura grumbled irritably. “I hate it when people say that. That means they’re not going to try at all. I want you to make her go to the doctor.”

“I can’t do that,” Kagome replied just as irritably. “I’m Shippou’s case worker, not hers. Besides, I’m sure she’ll get right on it.”

“If you say so. Well, what are you standing there for?” She made a halfhearted swipe at Kagome as she escaped out the door and waved back when Kagome did before disappearing down the hallway after Shippou and Mrs. Takisai. They left the hospital’s ER and quickly made their way back to Shippou’s house with a quick stop for cinnamon rolls along the way.

Kagome pulled up as close to the front door of the house as possible, a brief whistle escaping her lips as she surveyed the damage done to the antique pine door. Pieces of the frame were hanging from their nails and the door itself was braced against the doorframe covering the entrance to the house. The police officer on the scene briefly tipped his hat at Kagome and Mrs. Takisai as Kagome helped Mrs. Takisai up the stairs.

“Man,” Kagome grunted as she struggled to move the heavy door away from the entranceway. “This thing is massive.” She stepped back gratefully when the police officer came up the porch and watched as he pulled it out of the way before returning to his post by the foot of the stairs.

“I’m going to fix you some tea ok Grandma?” Shippou asked as they entered the living room. He scampered off before Mrs. Takisai could respond and she laughed as she settled herself into a plush red recliner.

“Oh that Shippou,” she sighed as Kagome sat down on the edge of the sofa beside her. “He’s such a lovely boy. Don’t you think so Higurashi-san?”

“Yes, of course,” Kagome readily agreed. “And he’s so cute too.”

“Hey, I heard that!” she heard Shippou yell from the kitchen. Kagome giggled as Mrs. Takisai reminded the kit not to shout through the house.

“Only uncivilized people shout at others from anther room,” she reminded him as he brought her a steaming porcelain cup. Shippou blushed and lowered his head. “Sorry Grandma.”

“No harm done Shippou dear. Now let your grandma kiss you.”

“Aw Grandma,” Shippou complained as she grabbed him and tugged his cheek toward her waiting lips. “Not in front of Kagome! Come on!”

“So what if she sees me kiss you? She knows I love you don’t you Higurashi-san?”

“Yes,” Kagome sniggered from behind her hand. “I totally understand.”

“But-EW!” Shippou shrieked as Mrs. Takisai planted a loud, wet kiss on his cheek when he wasn’t looking. “That’s so gross!”

“Well next time don’t make me fight you for it. Now scamper on kit,” she said as she directed him toward the stairs.

“You’ve got a project to work on.”

“Oh yeah.” He thundered up the stairs like a herd of elephants, then peered over the banister at Kagome. “You’re not going to leave without saying goodbye to me are you?”

“Nope,” Kagome shook her head. “Besides, I want to see this project of yours.”

“Cool! Later.”

Kagome giggled as he ran off and talked to Mrs. Takisai for the rest of the hour, then stood up and announced it was time for her to leave.

“Awww...” Shippou said as he appeared from out of nowhere. “You said you weren’t going to leave without saying goodbye.”

“I wasn’t going to,” she told him and gave him another huge hug. “I was coming up there to say goodbye when you showed up. How did you do that by the way?”

“That’s my secret,” Shippou said and smiled mischievously.

“Well don’t do it to your grandmother,” Kagome advised sternly. “Dr. K’s worried about her heart and I don’t want you scaring her.”

“I won’t. I’ll take good care of her, you’ll see.”

“That’s good. Now I’ve got to go.” Kagome retrieved her coat from the coat rack sitting in the hallway. “Mrs. Takisai? What are you going to do about your door?”

“I suppose I’ll just have to call one of my friend’s so they can take me to Home Depot,” Mrs. Takisai speculated. “Until then, I guess that poor police officer is stuck outside. When you leave please tell him to come in for some tea.”

“I will. Are you sure you don’t want me to call anyone? I’m sure my brother or grandfather knows someone who can help.”

“No dear we’ll be fine. Besides, I have my protection right here don’t I?” she said as she hugged Shippou to her hip. Shippou nodded and grinned.

“Don’t worry about us Kagome! We’ll be fine!” He motioned for her to lean down and whispered in her ear, “I’m gonna put a protection spell on the door that my dad taught me. It’s a really powerful one too.”

“Cool,” Kagome nodded in approval. “You’re one step ahead of me aren’t you? Well if you’ve got things covered then I guess I’ll be going. You call me if you need anything ok? Groceries, a ride to school for Shippou, anything alright?”

“OK!” Mrs. Takisai and Shippou replied as they waved goodbye. They watched her stop and talk to the officer a while before hopping into her car, the little Beetle’s speakers thumping a few moments later before she pulled out of the driveway and vanished at the other side of the road.

“You know Grandma, I like her,” Shippou said as he and Mrs. Takisai turned away from the door. Shippou doubled back to apply the protection spell, making sure it was undetectable to the human outside but strong enough to keep his mother, the weather and anything else that would harm them out.

“I know Shippou. I like her too.” Mrs. Takisai returned to her chair while Shippou ran upstairs. He gathered his homework together and began to carry it from the room when he spotted the fish tank sitting by his bed. The blazing red fish swam around inside, some branching out on their own while others stayed together in a little group. He smiled and lightly tapped the glass.

“I really, really like her,” Shippou whispered to the fish as though he were confiding in them a big secret. “Sometimes at night, when I know no one can hear me, I pray to wake up and find that she’s my mom instead.”

(II)

“Oh come on Souta,” Kagome grumbled into the phone. “You can’t spare anything? Not one yen?” She nodded while he talked, the end of her Bic pen tapping angrily against her kitchen countertop as she glared at the microwave. “But-but what about-fine,” Kagome sighed. “No, I understand. I’ll think of something. Yeah, I’ll call you back. Bye.”

She hung up the phone and sighed again, her head falling to the counter as waves of loose damp hair fell around her to brush against the counter’s sides. “I swear, this is so hard,” she whined before sitting up and rubbing the red mark the counter left on her forehead away. “Souta’s broke, I’m broke and Kagaromaru’s always busted for cash,” she bemoaned as Sesshoumaru padded into the room.

“It’s bad enough that Miroku and Sango aren’t going on a honeymoon,” Kagome said and scratched behind Sesshoumaru’s ears when he plopped his head into her lap. “It’s not fair. I think all couple’s deserve to go somewhere.”

‘We didn’t have a ‘honeymoon’ did we Sesshoumaru?’ Kikyou asked as Kagome continued to complain. Sesshoumaru snorted lightly and rolled his eyes.

‘If you call your imprisonment a ‘honeymoon’ then yes, you did.’

“All I wanted was to give them a good Valentine’s Day,” Kagome sighed despondently. “I’d collect a couple of hundred dollars, give it to Roki and have him take Sango someplace great next week. Ohhhh.” She dropped her head to the counter again and groaned her frustration. “If only Miroku’s paintings would sell. He’s not getting enough exposure I suppose. I give up.” She sighed, jumped down from the stool and quit the room, leaving Sesshoumaru to stand there to wonder about his dinner.

‘Is that all you think about?’ Kikyou complained wearily. ‘Your dinner? That’s why you’re doing so many exercises as is. You need to slow down.’

‘And you need to leave me be for a moment,’ Sesshoumaru snapped back testily. ‘I am trying to think.’

‘Well don’t try too-‘

‘Finish that sentence and I’ll remove your stomach the next time you ‘visit’ me.’

‘Woah,’ Kikyou gasped before throwing up her mental hands in surrender. ‘Alright. No need to be hasty. What are you thinking about anyway?’

‘I am thinking about calling Inuyasha,’ he replied before following Kagome’s scent out of the room toward the stairs.

‘Are you going to get him to do something?’

‘I am not sure,’ Sesshoumaru replied. ‘But I am thinking about it.’

)-(

Miroku stumbled through the front door to the living room, his workbag haphazardly hanging from his limp shoulders before falling to the floor behind him. Miroku was the next to fall but managed a softer landing as he sat on the couch in front of the tv. He was tugging his boots off just as Mrs. Higurashi walked into the room.

“Are you alright Miroku?” she asked as his boots thumped one by one to the floor. He nodded wearily and wiped the sweat from his brow. He had changed jobs sometime in January, having quit his desk job at the hotel to work at an international shipping company. Since then he remained grimy and worked constant overtime at work on the conveyor belt loading and unloading the massive tractor trailers that drove in and out of the facility.

He worked overtime to pay for the wedding, he and Sango having decided long ago to pay for as much of it as possible without their parents’ help. Miroku’s father was constantly pressuring Miroku to borrow more money from him which did nothing but add more stress to the situation.

“I’m fine Auntie,” he sighed heavily before rising to his feet. “I just need a shower and a quick talk to my butterfly, that’s all.”

“Aww,” Mrs. Higurashi cooed as he walked out of the room. “Young love is so wonderful.”

“Eh?” Ji-san said as he entered the room. “What’s that about love?”

“I’m just thinking about Miroku,” Mrs. Higurashi said before busying herself with picking up his fallen bag and boots. “He works so hard and I think he gets discouraged sometimes.”

“Feh! That’s what’s wrong with kids these days!” Ji-san declared suddenly. “They get discouraged so easily! Why in my day-“

“Yes Dad yes,” Mrs. Higurashi interrupted just as the doorbell rang. “I know. I’ll be right back.”

“That’s what’s wrong with young people today too!” she heard him say as she walked down the hallway to the front door. “No respect for their elders!” She tuned out the rest of his complaint as she peered through the peephole, her brow frowning slightly at the dark haired stranger standing on the other side before she unlocked and opened the door.

“If you’re looking for Souta dear, he’s not here,” she told him, though she had a feeling that the man in front of her didn’t know her son in the least. He stood a good foot taller than her 5' 3" in a dark, almost black business suit. His hair was just as dark but long and pulled back to lay against his back in a mid-length ponytail.

“No ma’am, I’m not looking for him,” he said with a slight laugh and a shake of his head. “I’m looking for...” He reached inside his breast pocket for a slip of yellow Post-It paper and sighed. “Ah! There we are. I’m looking for ‘Higurashi Miroku’? Is he in?”

“Um...yes. He’s in. Please come in.” She stepped aside so he could enter, his large frame brushing past her slightly as he walked into the small house to the living room.

Inuyasha looked around in surprise, his light brown eyes confused as he gazed at his surroundings. ‘A budding artist lives here?’ he thought in disbelief as he drank in the homey charm of the simple furniture surrounding him. ‘Sesshoumaru has lost his mind.’

Sesshoumaru had called him over the weekend, barking his head off about a rumor of an artist that lived at a shrine near the middle of the city and how he wanted him to drop everything he was doing Monday to check it out. Now that he was here Inuyasha was beginning to feel like he was wasting his time when Mrs. Higurashi directed him toward a nearby armchair.

“Please, sit down Mr...”

“Just Inuyasha, please,” he said with a casual wave. Mrs. Higurashi nodded. “Alright. Would you like something do drink?”

“No, I’m fine. I’d just like to see this artist please.”

‘He knows Roki’s an artist?’ Mrs. Higurashi thought in surprise. ‘How, unless-He must be here to see Miroku’s art!’ She rushed upstairs and knocked on the bathroom door, mindful of the sounds of water coming from inside as Miroku’s voice rose above the noise.

“Yes?”

“There’s someone here to see you!” Mrs. Higurashi called.

“Tell them to come back later!”

“I think that’s a bad idea,” she told him before glancing down the stairs. She could barely see the back of Inuyasha’s head from her place at the top of the stairs and he was still seated where she left him. “This guy looks important. I think he’s come to look at your work.”

The shower suddenly fell silent and after a few minutes of stumbling and muttered curses Miroku’s damp head and wide violet eyes appeared in an opening in the door. “What did you say?”

“I think he’s here to look at your work. Hurry up and put on something nice!” She smiled when he shut the door and listened as the sounds of hurried scrambling murmured through the door. Miroku popped out a few minutes later and was hurrying to fasten his jeans as Mrs. Higurashi attempted to straighten out his hair.

They found Inuyasha crouched down on the floor when they finally came downstairs. The tie he was wearing was now dangling in front of the family cat and he laughed as the enormous orange feline lazily batted at the silk material. “This has to be the laziest cat I’ve ever seen,” he joked while Ji-chan and the others looked on. He stood up and brushed himself off, then stuffed his tie into his pockets before turning to Miroku.

“Are you Higurashi Miroku?” he asked and he grinned when Miroku nodded. “It’s good to meet you. I’m Inuyasha.”

“Um...good afternoon Inuyasha,” Miroku replied hesitantly. “What can I do for you?”

“I have a little problem. You see,” Inuyasha sat back down in the recliner and waited for Miroku and the rest of the family to be seated as well before continuing. “I’m remodeling my downtown office and I’ve been looking for some accessories to, you know, decorate the building and that kind of stuff. You with me so far?”

“Yeah,” Miroku drawled slowly. He still didn’t understand what all this had to do with him, but he decided to allow the stranger to continue with his story.

“OK then. Like I said, I’ve been looking for some stuff. Well my assistant was supposed to be helping me find some artwork like paintings, sculptures and stuff like that. Apparently my assistant has been sitting on your name for the past three months. That’s why I’m so late.”

“I don’t understand,” Miroku admitted. “You mean to tell me that your assistant recommended you to me? From where? I’ve never had a showing.”

“There was one you did in America a few years ago right?” Inuyasha inquired. “I think you were in high school?”

“Um...yeah,” Miroku nodded. “But that was for photos. I never had one for paintings.”

“Well do you paint?” Inuyasha asked, his exasperation at how difficult Miroku was being coloring his voice slightly. Miroku nodded and Inuyasha sighed. “Can I see them?”

“Ok, who put you up to this?”

“Huh?” was Inuyasha’s stunned reply. “Say again?”

“Who put you up to this?” Miroku demanded before jumping out of his seat to pace the room. “Let’s see...I told a few guys at work about my art so...”

“You have to excuse him,” Mrs. Higurashi apologized as Ji-chan began to scold Miroku for his rude behavior. “He’s under a lot of stress lately.”

“Kagome and the others wouldn’t do this kind of thing,” Miroku continued to speculate. “So who could it be...”

‘Kagome...hey, I know that name!’ Inuyasha realized. ‘No wonder the last name sounds so familiar! This must be a cousin of that girl Sesshoumaru’s looking after or something! No wonder he sent me here. This guy better be good though,’ Inuyasha grumbled, his mood souring almost as quickly. ‘He knows I hate wasting my time.’

“I just can’t figure it out,” Miroku said and ignored Ji-chan when he attempted to pull him back to his seat. “Who could it-“

“Look, how about I show you my card?” Inuyasha offered as he reached inside the breast pocket of his suit jacket.

“Then if you still don’t believe me I’ll leave. Sounds like a deal?”

“Yeah, deal. Let’s see it.” Inuyasha handed his card to Mrs. Higurashi, who passed it to Miroku without reading it. Miroku thanked her and glanced down at the card. His eyes rounded almost instantly and he read over the card three more times before reading it out loud.

“Inuyasha Taisho of Taisho Real Estate, The Issac Medical Research Center, and Taisho Technologies. Holy crap man, is this you?”

“Yeah, that’s me. So now am I on the level?”

“Yeah!” Miroku exclaimed, unknowingly causing Inuyasha’s hidden ears to ring. “So you’ve seen the photos?”

“Actually I haven’t seen anything,” Inuyasha admitted with a sheepish shrug. “It’s my assistant that does all the research. I found a Post-It note in her file drawer with your name and address on it.”

“Oh. Man, that sucks.” Miroku scratched his head thoughtfully, then shrugged and said, “So, do you want to see the paintings?”

“That’s why I’m here.”

“They’re not here. I don’t paint here. I keep a little studio a block away for all my stuff.”

“Then let’s go.” Inuyasha bowed to Mrs. Higurashi and Ji-chan as Miroku grabbed his coat, hat and boots. “Thank you for having me. I’m sorry to have disrupted your evening like this.”

“It’s no trouble at all,” Mrs. Higurashi told him as he and Miroku walked out the front door. “Please, come back again! Good luck Miroku!”

Miroku smiled and waved back at her before walking down the massive shrine stairs to the street below. Inuyasha walked a little ahead of him with his hands buried deep within the confines of his trench coat. “I had the limo drop me off,” Inuyasha said and groaned when it began to snow. “I think that might have been a bad idea.”

“I can get my truck, but it’s no limo,” Miroku offered. He led Inuyasha toward his red Toyota and jumped inside. “It’s kinda hard to get started, so bear with me.”

“Yeah, no problem,” Inuyasha told him as he boosted himself into the high cab. He watched as Miroku struggled with the starter before it finally turned over and the engine started. They drove down the road to Miroku’s studio in silence with the rattling of the engine and the occasional backfire the only sounds. They pulled up to a dusty warehouse-like building

10 minutes later.

“Here we are,” Miroku said as he turned off the engine and jumped out of the truck. Inuyasha followed after him as they walked into the building and into a cargo elevator set on the main floor. “I’m only three floors up, so it’s not gonna be a long wait.” Miroku stood by when Inuyasha nodded and raised the elevator grate when the elevator finally stopped.

“Well, this is it,” Miroku said as he flicked on a light switch. The soft white light lit up a back section of the room where twenty covered easels sat waiting. “I cover them to keep the dust from them,” Miroku explained at Inuyasha’s confused stare before pulling the covers off of them. Various watercolor landscapes were revealed, some with mountains and nature while others were more modern with offices and city life.

“Nice,” Inuyasha nodded as he stopped in front of a painting of the shrine they just left dusted with snow. “You’re landscapes are traditional. They remind me the older paintings.”

“Yeah, that’s what I get told all the time,” Miroku sighed. “They say that people are looking for something different, something new and that anything that reminiscent of the old wouldn’t cut it.”

“I don’t know about that,” Inuyasha disagreed. “You know the saying; ‘Those that don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it’.”

“Yeah, I agree,” Miroku laughed as he leaned against a nearby column. “I gave up on my sculptures a few months ago. I’ve always hated the way clay felt underneath my fingernails.”

“And paint is different?” Inuyasha asked and cast a sideways glance at Miroku before turning to another painting.

“Well kinda. It’s not as gross-feeling, especially the watercolors. They just wash right off.”

‘A human that likes to be clean?’ Inuyasha inwardly teased as he stood up and glanced around him. ‘Interesting...’

“Those paintings back there,” Inuyasha began as he gestured toward five paintings that were still covered. “What are they?”

“Um...I don’t think you’d be interested in those,” Miroku said with a thoughtful frown. “They’re my private collection and I’m kinda picky about who I let see them.”

“Who’ve you let see them so far?” Inuyasha inquired curiously.

“No one.”

Inuyasha couldn’t help but laugh and Miroku quickly joined him. “You’re not exactly trusting are you?”

“Nope, not at all,” Miroku shook his head. “But...do you really want to see them?”

“Yeah,” Inuyasha nodded. “Why not? I’ve seen everything else.” He stepped back so Miroku could pull the sheet off the nearest one, which was a five foot canvas that swung on chains from one of the exposed pipes along the ceiling. Brown eyes widened in amazement and he stared at the painting in amazement while Miroku continued to uncover the other, smaller, paintings.

The border of the painting was surrounded in black. White painted figures stood in various states of despair, agony and frustration, the darkness surrounding them all encompassing and discouraging as he looked on. A sense of hope, along with a bright burst of color, came from the center of the painting. An angel glowed golden from the center, it’s feathered wings barely stretched from behind her as she gazed down and to the side. Her arms crossed protectively over her nude chest and a gauze-like sarong was draped around her hips. Her feet were bare and her hair looked windblown as the creatures below her reached up to touch her holy form.

“It’s...amazing,” Inuyasha couldn’t help but whisper before turning to the other paintings. Each one held the face or body of the angel in various forms and poses but Inuyasha couldn’t help but return to the first one. “It’s...amazing. Who’s your model?”

“My fiancé,” Miroku admitted proudly. “She’s my inspiration for all of them.”

“Yeah, I see that. Man, these are beautiful. What kind of angels did you base her on?”

“Early Christian. I thought for a few years that I would be a monk but she quickly changed that.”

“Yeah, I see. Um...” He looked away thoughtfully before turning back to Miroku, who stood waiting for Inuyasha’s reaction. “How much do you want for it?”

“For what?” Miroku croaked in surprise. “For that one?”

“Yeah, for this one. I can see it in my lobby, right when you first come in.” He grinned at Miroku’s amazement and jovially clamped his hand on his shoulder. “Your fiancé would greet my clients long before my secretary would.”

“I...I don’t know,” Miroku stammered. “I-Its kinda sentimental and everything so-“

“No, I understand that,” Inuyasha nodded. “I’m prepared to pay you for it.”

“Um...well...what do you think it’s worth exactly?”

“Um...that’s a good question,” Inuyasha replied before stepping closer to the painting. “It’s oil instead of watercolor...huge piece of work...must have taken you weeks to get this together.”

“Months actually,” Miroku corrected him. “I had to get the details just right. I scrapped three canvases before I came up with this.”

“I see...hmmm...” Inuyasha thought it over for a few minutes, then said; “I’d say about 5 or so.”

‘$500? Man, that’s a lot more than I thought it would be.’ “You really think so? Someone would pay $500 for it?”

“I think so yeah,” Inuyasha nodded. “But I didn’t mean $500. I meant $5,000.”

“F-f-five thousand dollars!” Miroku stuttered in disbelief. “Someone would pay $5,000 for that!”

“Yeah, you’re right,” Inuyasha replied. “I wouldn’t pay $5,000 for it.”

“Oh,” Miroku suddenly deflated. “I see. Well-“

“I’d pay $8,000, but that’s my final offer and I’ll write you the check today.”

‘$8,000!’ Miroku sank to the floor in front of the painting, his pupils dilated and his mind fogged as Inuyasha turned to another of the smaller paintings. ‘$8,000! Imagine what I can do with $8,000! I won’t have to work overtime anymore that’s for sure! I can spent more time with Sango now!’

“Hey, I’ll throw in about $750 if you throw in the shrine painting,” Miroku heard Inuyasha say from somewhere behind him. He turned just as Inuyasha leaned over the only table in the studio and pulled his checkbook from his coat pocket.

“Who do I make the check out to?”

“Oh, um, me,” Miroku responded. He dusted himself off and approached Inuyasha in a daze, his violet eyes distant and unbelieving as Inuyasha signed and dated the check before handing it to him.

“Excuse me for a second,” Inuyasha said as he flipped his cell phone open and dialed. “I’ve got to make a call real quick.”

“Yeah, no problem,” Miroku whispered as he held the check in his hand. His fingers gently traced Inuyasha’s scrawled penmanship reverently. ‘Great Kami-sama, it’s real,’ he said to himself. ‘He’s serious. He’s really going to buy my work...’

Inuyasha hung up his phone with a quick snap, the limo he called for already on the way as he turned to Miroku. He couldn’t help but smile at the dazed look on the human’s face and he found an urge to help him growing in his breast.

“Hey,” he said and snapped Miroku out of his daze. “When’s your first showing?”

“My first...I don’t have a showing,” Miroku replied softly, the shock of the afternoon still fresh in his mind. Inuyasha brushed it off as a mild inconvenience and sighed. “Aw hell, don’t worry about it. What are you doing tomorrow afternoon at 3?”

“In the afternoon? Um..” Miroku thought over his schedule for Tuesday and shrugged. “Nothing important I guess.”

“Great. I’m going to send my gallery manager-“

“You’re an art dealer too?” Miroku quickly interrupted. Inuyasha chuckled and shook his head. “No, I’m a gallery owner. Here, let me switch cards real quick.” He retrieved the card he gave Miroku earlier and replaced it with one from a different pocket of his coat. This one had his name, phone number and cell phone number along with the name of the gallery.

“ ‘The Moonlight Lagoon’?” Miroku read curiously. “That’s an odd name for a gallery.”

“I’m into odd,” Inuyasha commented briefly. “Anyway, I’m going to send the manager here tomorrow so you be here. Um...let me see that card real quick.” Inuyasha grabbed the card and quickly scribbled something on the back of it before returning it to Miroku. “That’s for the host at that new restaurant downtown, um...Le Chateau Orange or something like that. Anyway, it’s French or something. Take your girl there this Friday for Valentine’s Day. It’s on me.”

“No way man,” Miroku said as Inuyasha began to search the room for something to put the paintings in. “I can’t accept this from you. You’ve done enough.”

“Don’t worry about it man. Take your girl out and enjoy yourself.”

“Alright then,” Miroku relented before glancing around him. “Let me grab something for your paintings.” Inuyasha leaned against the table and watched as Miroku unwound large sheets of plastic from a massive roll at the back of the studio.

‘What a way to get to a girl’s heart,’ Inuyasha smiled to himself. ‘Sesshoumaru’d better be glad that this guy is good or else he’d be really disappointed. He’s a good enough dude though. I wonder what the rest of his family is like...

‘Speaking of family,’ Inuyasha thought as an impish grin began to form on his lips. ‘Sesshoumaru’s been a big help today. I wonder if I can find some way to help him...’

(III)

Kagome stood by as Shippou pulled a large plastic crate from underneath his bed and moved back so he could plop it onto his bed. “What’s this?” she asked as he fished out pictures, notebook paper and three small plastic containers.

“That’s my experiment,” Shippou replied with a proud smile. “I’ve got everything done! The experiment took a while but it was worth it! I learned some pretty gross stuff too!”

“Really? Like what?”

“Ok, like the peanut butter-“

“Wait a sec,” Kagome interrupted before sitting down at Shippou’s desk. “How about you break it down for me? Tell me everything you did, everything you used and the results you found and pretend like you’re telling it to a class.”

“Oh, um...ok,” Shippou readily agreed. “But what for?”

“Just in case you have to present it to your class. This way you’ll know what to say and you won’t stumble over anything.”

“Yeah, ok,” Shippou nodded again. “That makes sense. Um...ok then! Well first I grabbed nine plastic containers-“

“Ok.” Kagome nodded when Shippou held up one of the nine containers. “And?”

“And I divided them into three groups-“

“Did you write out a list of everything you used?” Kagome interrupted. “You know, like forks, knives, containers, stuff like that?”

“Yup, here it is.” Shippou passed her a purple folder stuffed with paper and opened it to a certain page. “See, it’s right here.”

“Oh. Ok then. OK, keep going.”

“Um...next I filled the containers with different things. Three of the containers got the soda-oh, um, should I tell what kind of soda I used?”

“Um-hum,” Kagome replied. “That’s useful stuff.”

“Oh, ok. I used the dark cola cause I thought it would have more sugar. I used smooth peanut butter and I grabbed some regular white bread. I divided them up again and put them all in a dark, warm corner of the house.”

“Why did you divide them again?” Kagome wondered out loud. “What made them different this time?”

“Um...one set I kept the lid on, one set I took the lid off after a week or so and the other set I kept the lids off. That’s why I divided them.”

“Oh. Right. So what happened?” Shippou pointed toward another slip of paper and grinned when Kagome grimaced.

“Oh ew,” Kagome groaned. “I didn’t know soda could grow mold.”

“Yup, and it was some nasty white stuff too!” Shippou replied excitedly. “I saved some of it for the showing! You wanna see?”

“Um, no,” Kagome replied quickly. “I’d rather not. You really thought this out Shipp. This is a great report.”

“You really think so?” Shippou asked shyly. “Everyone else in class is doing volcanos and potato clocks.”

“Oh please,” Kagome huffed and waved a dramatic hand through the air. “Are you kidding? Volcanos and potato clocks have been done to death. You’ve got a great, well thought out experiment here. It’s original too. I bet you’ll get an A+ for sure!”

“Thanks Kagome!”

“You’re welcome. Only one problem though...”

“What’s that?” Shippou asked, his green eyes focused solely on Kagome as she thoughtfully tapped her chin. “I’ve got everything I need right here.”

“Yeah, but you could use a board to post your findings on. Do you have one?”

“No, I don’t,” Shippou replied dejectedly. “Grandma and I haven’t found a way to the craft shop to get one.”

“Hmmm...well that’s no problem,” Kagome said as she stood up and pulled her coat from the back of Shippou’s desk chair. “Grab your coat. We’re going trunk diving.”

“What’s that?” Shippou asked as he struggled into his navy blue parka and followed Kagome down the steps and out the front door the snow covered driveway.

“Trunk diving is where we sift through all the junk in the back of my trunk,” Kagome replied before unlocking the trunk and popping it’s hood open. “I’m sure we’ll find something in here.”

“Yeah,” Shippou muttered softly as he pulled out a box of extra violin strings. “I’m sure we’ll find...something in here.”

They searched for five or six minutes before finding something useful. Shippou held onto a tray filled with different kinds of glue and stickers while Kagome held up a flattened cardboard box and a pad full of colored paper.

“Think this will work?” she asked Shippou as he looked over the different glittery paints.

“Yeah, I think it will.”

“Well let me grab something else and let’s go!” She unlocked her car door and fished out her black bookbag, then locked her car and followed Shippou back into the house.

“My my,” Mrs. Takisai began as they walked past the kitchen. “You dears are working awfully hard.”

“We sure are Grandma!” Shippou chirped excitedly. “You should see Kagome’s trunk! It’s got all kinds of neat stuff in there!”

“Yeah well,” Kagome muttered sheepishly as a light blush stained her cheeks. “I’m gonna get around to cleaning that thing out one of these days.”

They made their way to Shippou’s room where Kagome dropped the cardboard box and colored paper onto Shippou’s bed. “There,” she said as she brushed her hands off. “Now for this...” She opened her bookbag and pulled free her laptop computer and a small printer. “I’ll type out your research while you decorate the cardboard box. Then you can cut out your title and header pages and map out where you want them on the poster.”

Another two hours flew by, with Shippou hard at work cutting and gluing the cardboard box into a suitable poster while Kagome typed out the paragraphs and titles connected with his project. When she finally finished they sat down, cut out the titles and began placing them on the board to decide where they wanted them.

“There,” Kagome said as they placed the last title. “I think that’s gonna look great, don’t you?”

“Yeah. Thanks a lot Kagome.”

“It’s my pleasure. Oh! Will you look at the time?” Kagome exclaimed when she looked at her watch. “I’ve got to get back. I’m sorry I can’t stay to help you glue everything down.”“You’re going to leave the glue and stuff with me?” Shippou asked as she packed up her laptop and printer. Kagome nodded and lifted the pack to her back. “I don’t see why not. You can have them if you want them. I honestly don’t need them.”

“Um, ok. Cool. Oh! Wait a sec!” Shippou cried out as Kagome stepped across the room’s threshold.

“Yeah?” Kagome said as she leaned against the doorway. “What is it?”

“I’ve got something I wanna give you,” was the muffled response as the little seven year old frantically dug around the inside of his backpack. “I know it’s here somewhere. Where did it-ah HA! Found it!” Shippou quickly turned and handed her a small white envelope.

“Hey, what’s this?” Kagome asked before pulling up her pant leg and crouching down to Shippou’s level.

“It’s a Valentine’s Day card,” Shippou admitted bashfully. “I made it in art class today. I gave Grandma one too.”

“Wow,” Kagome marveled at the bright red colored paper with cut outs of pink hearts and white birds on the cover. “It’s beautiful.”

“Read the inside,” Shippou urged as he tugged on a nearby strand of her hair. Kagome sat down and crossed her legs, then waited as Shippou scrambled into her lap and got comfortable. “Alright, let’s see,” she whispered as she opened the card. “‘Kagome, Thank you for being so nice to me and Grandma. Thank you for being my best friend. I love you very much. Shippou.’ Aw Shippou...”

“Hey, you’re not gonna cry are you?” Shippou demanded when she gave him a gentle hug. “Grandma cried when I gave her hers so don’t you dare cry on me!”

“I won’t,” Kagome sniffed before giving him a bright smile. “See? I’m not gonna cry. Thank you so much Shippou. I love the card and I love you too.” She hugged him again, this time in his true form. His tail brushed against her ankles as he hugged her back and the claws in his little paws dug into the back of her blouse. “You’re still amazingly cute in this form,” she said and ruffled the bright red hair on top of his head. She giggled when he frowned and batted her hand away before jumping out of her lap to let her leave.

“Are you coming back soon?” Shippou asked as he and Mrs. Takisai watched Kagome load her things into her car.

“As soon as I possibly can.”

“Promise?”

“Yeah,” Kagome nodded with a bright smile and a wink. “I promise.” She waved again before closing her car door and starting her engine. Shippou and Mrs. Takisai watched as Kagome pulled out of their driveway, the tip of his bushy tail flickering against the hardwood floor as she drove up the street and disappeared.

)-(

“Hey, you’re right Kagome,” Sango said as she read over Shippou’s card. “This is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.”

“I know,” Kagome said as she hung her coat up on one of the hooks beside their office door. “He’s so cute and so smart! I told you about his experiment right?”

“Yeah,” Sango nodded before passing Kagome the card. “We did volcanos and stuff. I never could get mine to erupt.”

“Me either,” Kagome admitted with a laugh. “Did you ever find out how?”

“Nope,” Sango replied and laughed. “I can’t believe Miroku and the others did though. They wouldn’t tell me how to do it. They said it would be cheating.”

“Well at least your volcanos looked better,” Kagome said as she sat down behind her desk. “I remember one of mine that was made out of brown clay and that gross red gel icing.” They laughed at the memory of the ugly volcano, then calmed themselves as one of their co-workers poked his head inside their door and shook his head at them before walking away.

“What are you and Miroku doing tonight?” Kagome asked. “It’s Valentines Day you know, so you’ve got to do something.”

“Oh, Miroku’s taking me to some French place on the other side of town. Oh! Great Kami-sama! Did I tell you what happened Monday?”

“Huh? No, you didn’t,” Kagome replied with a confused shake of her head. “Why, was it something bad?”

“No, it was something great! Someone bought two of Miroku’s paintings!”

“Really!” Kagome exclaimed excitedly. “Who? Did he say?”

“No, Miroku won’t tell me,” Sango quickly replied. “He said that the guy wanted to remain anonymous. But he paid almost $9,000 for them!”

“Wow! Go Roki!” Kagome cheered. “It’s weird that the guy doesn’t want anyone to know he bought them though.”

“That’s not all,” Sango said next. “Miroku said that the guy owns an art gallery somewhere downtown and that he wants Miroku to be his featured artist for March! Can you believe it! It’s like a dream come true for Miroku!”

“I don’t doubt it,” Kagome agreed. “So are you guys spending more time together?”

“Yup! It’s great! He’s stopped working so much overtime and his mood is so much better! I’m telling you Kagome, this has to be the greatest thing to ever happen to him.”

“Besides you right?” Kagome joked. Sango giggled and nodded. “Of course!”

“Have you heard anything from the bridal shop yet?” Kagome asked and looked up when Sango sighed. “What is it?”

“That’s the only thing that’s not fine,” Sango replied sullenly. “They still haven’t found them. But the guys were fitted for their tuxes on Tuesday.”

“Well that’s a good thing. Hey, don’t worry ok?” Kagome said as she stood up and walked over to Sango’s desk to give her a hug. “Everything’s going to be perfect. The dresses will get here and everything will be perfect, you’ll see.”

“Yeah, you’re right ‘gome,” Sango said as she hugged Kagome back. “Now if only I could convince you to bring someone to the reception...”

“Now don’t start that again,” Kagome bemoaned as one of the mail room employees walked into the room. “Hi, how are you?”

“I’m fine Higurashi-san,” he said with a polite bow. “I have a delivery for Nomura-san.”

“For me? Wow,” Sango said as he passed her the clipboard in his hand. “Where do I sign?”

“Right there on the bottom,” the mail clerk pointed out with the tip of his pen. “See, where the ‘X’ is.”

“Oh, I see it. Thanks.” Sango quickly scribbled her name and gave him back the clip, then she and Kagome exchanged excited glances when he stepped outside the room. “What do you think it is?”

“I don’t know,” Kagome shrugged. “But knowing Miroku, I bet it’s something cute.”

The mail clerk came back in holding a glass vase filled with six roses, three reds and three whites surrounded by baby’s breath and other greenery. A small white bear was tied to the vase with a red ribbon. “Awww...” Kagome and Sango cooed as the mail clerk sat the vase on Sango’s desk. “How cute.”

“Miroku’s so sweet,” Kagome said as Sango untied the ribbon and hugged the bear. “And how cute is this bear!”

“I know!” Sango cooed as she lovingly squeezed the fluffy plushie. “I can’t wait to get home so I can thank him.”

“Yeah, and I can just imagine how that’s gonna go,” Kagome winked suggestively at Sango and burst into laughter when Sango blushed.

“Kagome!” Sango gasped in surprise as another mail clerk walked into the room. “I’m surprised at you! When did you become such a hentai? Oh, um..yes?” Sango said when she and Kagome finally noticed the young man standing in the middle of the office. “May we help you?”

“I’ve got a delivery,” he grumbled testily. “I need you to sign.”

“Wow Sango,” Kagome joked as she nudged Sango in the ribs. “That’s two deliveries and dinner! You’ve really gotta thank him now.”

“It’s for you,” the mail clerk snapped before shoving the clipboard at Kagome. “So could you sign please?”

“For ...me? Are you sure?”

“Yeah, it’s your name right here.”

“Um, alright.” Kagome signed as Sango looked on, then waited patiently for the clerk to come back while Sango began to grill Kagome on her mystery gift.

“Hey, who do you think sent it?”

“I don’t know,” Kagome admitted with a shrug. “I wasn’t even expecting anything.”

“Wow, do you think it’s the cop?” Sango guessed.

“Who, Kouga? I don’t know,” Kagome shrugged again. “I wouldn’t exactly put it past him. I don’t think he would do the delivery thing th-woah,” Kagome breathed as the clerk returned with her delivery. A dozen white calla lilies burst from a wide crystal vase. A calla lily was frosted onto the side of the vase and long thin leaves surrounded the beautiful flowers in a bright green frame. “They’re beautiful,” Kagome whispered as the clerk sat them on Sango’s desk. “Who delivered them?”

“I don’t know exactly,” the clerk replied. “Some short dude came by and dropped them off a few minutes ago.”

“Well thank you,” Kagome called out as he walked out of the room. “Now where’s the card,” Kagome wondered as she searched deep within the bouquet. “It’s got to be here somewhere.”

“Let me help,” Sango said before searching the vase and the leaves. “Like you said it’s got to be here somewhere.” She continued to look and soon Kagome found a little white card with her name inscribed in cursive on the front.

Forgive my absence as I could not get away from my present duties.May this small token bring you comfort and pleasure when I cannot.
S

‘How sweet,’ Kagome sighed as she placed the card back on the tiny plastic stand she found it on. She glanced down and found Sango poking at one of the lilies with a thoughtful expression darkening her normally calm and jovial features.

“Hey Sango, what are you doing?”

“There’s something glued on this petal. See?” She waited for Kagome to lean over before pointing out a tiny ice blue crystal pasted onto one of the snowy white petals. “There’s that one, and another one over here.” The two searched the bouquet and found tiny blue crystals pasted onto each of the twelve lilies, a total of twelve in all.

“Do you think they’re there on purpose?” Kagome asked and jumped when Sango nudged her shoulder.

“Of course they’re there on purpose!” Sango said with a look that clearly said ‘Duh!’. “But the real question is why-“

“And what are they?” Kagome finished for her. Sango used her nail to gently scrap one of the little crystals off and caught it before it could disappear on her cluttered desk. She held it up to the light for Kagome to see and they both marveled at the brilliant blue light that shone through it. “What do you think it is?” Kagome asked.

“Well it can’t be a diamond,” Sango shook her head. “Diamonds are clear, not blue.”

“The Hope Diamond is blue,” Kagome offered.

“Oh yeah. Good point. Hm...” Sango thought a few moments more, then huffed in frustration. “There’s no way these are precious stones,” Sango assured her. “I mean, we barely noticed them. If they were then whoever put them on there would have made more of a show of it. Besides, who would risk them being thrown away if they’re worth something?”

“But they were pasted on there,” Kagome pointed out. “And they were really easy to some off. I don’t know Sango.”

“Well let’s do a test,” Sango said before jumping up and moving around Kagome. Kagome followed Sango to her desk and watched as Sango cleared off a spot on the glass top and grasped the small crystal between her thumb and index finger. “It’ll scratch the glass if it’s a diamond right?” Sango said and continued when Kagome nodded. “Well, we’ll know it’s not a diamond when the glass doesn’t scratch. Then we’ll take it somewhere to find out what it is after work.
Sound good?”

“Sounds great,” Kagome agreed with an enthusiastic nod. “So let’s do this.” Sango took a steady breath, closed her eyes and quickly swiped the small crystal against the glass. She opened her eyes and glanced at Kagome first. She found excited blue eyes staring back at her, her hands trembling slightly as she waited for Sango to look down.

Sango looked down first, then Kagome before,

“Great Kami-sama!”

“Do you see that!”

“They’re-“

“TheyR 17;re-"

“EEEEEEEEEE!”

(End Chapter)

SF: That’s the end of that chapter. Whew. Hey, that one came out sooner than the last one.

Inu-chan: Maybe you’re focusing on this one finally.

SF: Maybe. Oh, but anyway-

Sango: Hey, wait a second!

SF: Yes?

Kagome: The crystals on the flowers? Are they real or not.

SF: Oh, did I forget to add that part?

Kagome/ Sango: Yeah!

SF: Oh, well...too bad! Lol. Sorry ladies, but you don’t find out until the next time I update!

Kagome: Awww.

Sango: (snaps fingers)

SF: Oh well. Anyway, I was gonna say that the previews for the next chapter are below. By God, I just love teasing those two!

The bridal shop finally finds the dresses, the second part of ‘Sesshou’s Valentine’s Day gift’ (Inuyasha just loves to do things in pairs), and another attempt at Montery’s.

Next chapter: Chapter Nineteen: In Your Hand