InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Shrine Prostitute ❯ Dis/Connection ( Chapter 28 )

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

A/N: I'm alive! Surprising, right?

Just wanted to give ya'll a warning: I loathe this chapter. I have written and rewritten probably every part of it at least eight times. But, as many people have told me, once it's that overworked you just have to let it go. What happens in this chapter needs to happen, even if I'm not telling it in the best way. Oh well. Next chapter is much more interesting to me anyhow so it should be better. Should be.

Also, long chapter is looooong. That totally makes up for taking years between updates, right?

Lastly, thanks to everyone who still reads this thing. Your words of encouragement, heck even just the page views, help keep me motivated to finish this monstrosity. Way to go team!

~ ~ ~

Shrine Prostitute by FlameTwirler

~ ~ ~

Chapter 28: Dis/Connection

Connection
----- logical sequence in thought or expression; coherence
----- the act or state of connecting; union
----- something that connects, joins, or relates; link or bond
----- an acquaintance, esp one who is influential or has prestige
----- association; relationship
----- a circle of friends or associates or a member of such a circle.
----- a. an opportunity to transfer from one train, bus, aircraft, ship, etc, to another
       b. the vehicle, aircraft, etc, scheduled to provide such an opportunity

Dis-
----- a Latin prefix meaning “apart,” “asunder,” “away,” “utterly,” or having a privative, negative, or reversing force

~ ~ ~

He was running, racing through the trees with an exhilaration that bordered on terrifying. He dodged over branches, weaving between them at such speed he got slashed by more than a few, but that was beside the point. Coming to a full stop in a small clearing, the dappled sunlight filtering through the dense foliage above, he held his head high and inhaled deeply.

It smelled like freedom.

And he’d never been more uncertain, been more unsure of his place in the world, than he was in that moment.

~ ~ ~

It was a blisteringly tense first week in the Higurashi household. The other members of the family had come to care about Inuyasha as well, and not just because of his relationship with Kagome. Souta constantly tugged at his ear and worried about Inu-no-nii-san, though after the first quiet reprimands from his mother he was more careful to bring up his concerns out of earshot of his sister.

Even the other hanyou and youkai who hadn't met Inuyasha, but only knew of him through reputation, were speaking of it constantly. They were nagged by the same apprehension about Kagome, not to mention fear for Inuyasha, as their human counterparts, perhaps even more so since their heightened senses allowed them to more acutely detect the physical effects the news was having on the girl. However their anxiety was tinged with just a bit of excitement and hope. What if he succeeded? What if this hanyou could actually make it out there, in the wild? What would that mean for the rest of them if he could?

Of course then Kagome would come sighing into the room, shoulders slumped, eyes dull, hair disheveled, and they would just shake their heads.

~ ~ ~

Mrs. Higurashi watched her daughter wander the shrine grounds with a heavy heart. It was so painful to see her baby like this, knowing there was so little she could do. At her daughter's behest - and frankly she'd needed little urging - she called Ryu daily to see if there was any news. She knew he'd call the moment he knew anything, but it was nice just to be able to talk to someone else with inside knowledge about Inuyasha - considering the only other adult she knew of his acquaintance was not exactly very talkative at the moment - and they'd gotten to talk theories.

Ryu had immediately revealed the absence of his firerat gi - something no one other than Ryu even knew about - and given its special self-cleaning, self-repairing properties, it was one of the strongest pieces of evidence that he'd gone of his own free will  - that this wasn't some sort of Shrine sabotage or hanyou hate crime - and was aiming for the wilds.

Kagome had readily agreed because it felt right. That was all well and good - truly, it was a lovely addition - but Mrs. Higurashi did appreciate having something a bit more solid.

Now they mostly made caged guesses as to which direction he might have traveled, but they never said anything more specific than that, since they never knew if someone could be listening in. The Bacana Shrine may view Inuyasha as an asset, a liability, a burden they were glad to be rid of or a gold mine they would be happy to retrieve. They were never quite sure which. Apparently they were both growing paranoid in their later years.

That or they both just had much to protect.

She sighed as she realized Kagome had been staring at the door to the room she'd shared with Inuyasha, which her daughter had considered moving into permanently to free up another room in the house, but hadn't quite gotten around to doing yet. Mrs. Higurashi sidled over to her, gently ushering her away, taking her across the courtyard into the main house and sitting her at the kitchen table. What she needed was some good hot food in her to chase away the ghost of these blues. The girl would snap out of it soon enough, and when she did...oh heavens help them.

~ ~ ~

Mrs. Higurashi nearly jumped out of her skin when Souta came running inside to tell her that Kagome had officially gone crazy. She immediately put down the things she'd been gathering at the property they'd dubbed the 'school-room' - one of three that Yami had already managed to purchase - and rushed after her son. She could hear her daughter shouting attacks through the trees before she even got home, but still Souta stopped at the edge of the shrine courtyard and pointed to where Kagome was set up like she might miss it.

The two of them just stood there and watched, dumbfounded.

Somehow, Kagome had managed to string up enough laundry line back and forth to make it sturdy enough to hold just about every rug she could find in the house. Now she was taking a broom - the oldest, most decrepit one by the looks of it, thankfully - and was attacking them with a vigor that would make any dojo master proud. And from how long it had been since those rugs had been cleaned and how little dust remained in the air, she'd obviously been at it for a while.

"Souta," she said cautiously, careful not to catch her daughter's attention, "I want you to go inside now."

"No way!" he rebutted laughingly. "This is awesome!"

Mrs. Higurashi's gaze traveled past her daughter to the windows of her house, which were full of onlookers, and she mentally groaned. Then again, what had she expected? That no one would be interested in the spectacle Kagome was making of herself, even if she knew they were all just concerned for her mental stability and well-being, or the welfare of their favorite rug?

"Souta, you can either go inside now and stand with everyone else or you can go back to the school house." She almost had to shout to be heard above Kagome's yelling.

Souta didn't have to be told twice. Before she could think it over and send him back anyway, he scampered into the house, leaving the door open just a crack behind him. Like they needed help hearing with all that youkai blood in there. With a sigh she found herself wishing just this once their blood would fail them and they could have their privacy. She wondered how youkai dealt with it all the time. Did they just not have the same human notions of privacy? Or did they extend certain courtesies or block some things out? She made a mental note to ask Yami about it sometime.

Either way, in the end she knew she couldn't begrudge those inside this forthcoming conversation, even if it would be a bit uncomfortable. After all, they loved Kagome too, and they'd all watched her pain manifest in listless sadness so now they'd watch it manifest in furious anger.

Obviously this had been building up for a while though and she thought it best to just let her get it out of her system; that and she didn’t think it in her best interest to try and get close to her while she was still swinging that broom around quite so violently. So in the meantime she just stood on the sidelines and watched as her daughter vented in therapy, standing by simply to make sure she didn’t injure herself in any way. After all, what was good for the soul wasn’t always good for the body.

Suddenly Kagome’s aggression peaked and with a massive effort she lunged forward, bringing the broom down with a resounding thwap. The bottom of the targeted rug swung back from the force of the hit, the laundry line squeaked in protest, and with an earsplitting crack, the broom handle shattered into two splintery pieces. Giving up the ghost after years of service, the head spun a bit on its way down to land with a plop on the courtyard floor, leaving Kagome breathing heavily, chest heaving, hands still clutching tightly to the other end.

“It’s all my fault,” she said through clenched teeth, her eyes not leaving the wreckage she’d just wrought.

Mrs. Higurashi was well aware her daughter wasn’t referring to the broom. But for one thing, she certainly wasn’t going to suggest that her daughter was at fault for anything at a time like this, yet she also knew that Kagome needed to be the one to take the step and get it off her chest. Still, only silence had followed that statement so a little prodding might be in order to get the conversation rolling at least.

“That’s all right dear. The broom was old and we have one or two others to make do with.”

Kagome spun around and actually growled at her. “That’s not what I’m talking about and you know it.”

Mrs. Higurashi bore her wrath with stoic calm, smiling gently. “Then what are you talking about?”

Looking at the broken piece of broomstick in her hand for a few seconds, as if it might give her the words, she repeated, “It’s my fault, all of it,” before casting the shattered wood aside where it skittered away over the stones. “I made him promise me.”

There was no point in even asking who ‘he’ was. Kagome had started pacing back and forth along the length of the line she’d strung, but this time Mrs. Higurashi could tell she was winding herself up to speak so she kept her peace.

“He was just so - and being so - and so many things happened - and don’t you think he deserves to be happy?” She looked up at this and Mrs. Higurashi realized she actually wanted an answer.

“Well of course. He probably more than anyone else I know after everything else he’s had to endure.”

“Exactly! That’s what I mean! So I made him promise me to look after himself, to value himself better, and to actually try to be happy, to live instead of just surviving. He promised me on the day I left and not even a week passes before he’s left that mockery of a Shrine behind him…and left me behind too,” she added in a low grumble.

“Don’t you see? I pushed him to it! And now the idiot’s left for some forest or mountain where he’ll probably wind up getting himself caught in a bear trap and have to gnaw his leg off or something, and it’ll all be my fault!”

That particular scenario was so outlandish that she could only suppose it was because Kagome refused to humor the notion that Inuyasha might die out there. Whether that was from her belief in him, a deeper understanding of the situation, or just sheer stubbornness, she wasn't sure.

“Now Kagome, don’t you think you’re underestimating his skills just a little?” Mrs. Higurashi asked hopefully. “He does have his instincts and all that innate power from his youkai side after all.”

“Yes, but he’s also grown up inside of one small box of a room his whole life; he’s never really gotten to use those instincts or hone those skills.” And she was shivered to think about the upcoming new moon, even if it was three weeks away.

"It's just...Augh!" she yelled to the skies. "Couldn't he have at least stopped by to tell me where he was going? Or at least to say goodbye? I mean, how could he just let us all worry like this? I know he has all these complexes about being independent, but he knows we care by now. I mean, not even a word to Ryu. Come on!

"And all this after I was the one who pushed him into it, that he deserved it. What irony, eh? And I find myself getting so worked up about it, so, so...angry, that I catch myself thinking that he's nothing but a selfish jerk who can't see past his own insecurities."

"Kagome..."

"No, mom, it's true. That's the one time he could've let us know anything and he passed it up. You can bet that we're under surveillance, by the local government here even if not by the Bacana Shrine wishing to get their gold mine back, and Inuyasha will be suspicious enough about the latter."

Mrs. Higurashi shivered as she recalled the young man Kazuma who'd come to check up on Inuyasha during his home stay. Even without Kagome's tale - of which she was sure many details had been left out - he'd had left a sour taste in her mouth.

"Even if Inuyasha was inclined to write, that would mean filching some paper and ink somewhere, not to mention managing postage, then braving a human population to get it mailed. Considering he wandered off to get away from all the prejudice and danger that comes from being around such groups, I doubt that'll be happening anytime soon...if at all."

She moved to lay her hand atop Kagome's head before pausing and pulling back. She was sure that, in the mood she was in, her daughter wouldn't appreciate the gesture, might even be irritated enough to swat her hand away. Then Kagome would be sure to feel bad about that later, and she really didn't want to give her anything else to possibly feel guilty about.

Sighing, she restlessly moved her weight to her other foot. She could appreciate Kagome's dilemma. Grief, especially when mixed with confusion, inevitably led to anger about the loss, the unfairness of it. When her husband had died she’d been furious with the kami for taking him from her so early. Where was their loyalty? Did they feel nothing toward the man who kept up their shrine, who was raising his children to honor and respect them? It was one thing to deny her her husband, but where was their compassion toward her children, who now had to grow up fatherless? She’d shirked her shrine duties for months, angrily abstaining from any rites meant to honor or strengthen their ‘protectors’.

Eventually she’d moved past her anger. Time and distance taught her that life was unfair to everyone and that she wasn’t exempted from that. Besides, not even the kami had limitless power, even more so now that fewer and fewer devoted worshippers came to the shrines each year.

She’d have prayed to their patron gods for some peace on behalf of her daughter but doubted they’d have the strength to do anything since their new situation basically starved them of followers. She wondered absently if they felt betrayed because of that. Then again, she didn’t think she could truly honor any kami that didn’t feel outraged about how these hanyou were treated, or didn’t feel any sympathy for their plight. Any spirit, no matter how powerful, who couldn’t see the honor and inherent goodness in what they were doing with their shrine didn’t merit her prayers.

Idly, she reminded herself that she should prepare some extra offerings for the kami, should say another small prayer later that evening. After all, even minimal power on their side was better than nothing. Besides, she didn't want the kami to end up feeling slighted and ignored, thereby resenting them or even turning against them. No, that wouldn't do at all.

Looking at her daughter, she felt for her, she truly did. Kagome had all this same anger boiling up inside of her but had no one to blindly direct it at. The real culprit was society at large but that was far too vague and amorphous to be a fitting target. So who was she to blame in this scenario? Inuyasha? Herself? Apparently she was doing both.

"I'm sorry honey," she said, moving closer to put her hand on her shoulder. She could only hope Kagome moved past this stage quickly.

It made her start wondering more about Inuyasha's state of mind though. After all, what choices did the boy actually have? Love was truly a wonderful thing, but at the cost of freedom? Was it worth such a tradeoff?

If Inuyasha had left the Bacana Shrine for their home she doubted he’d be welcomed back there if he, for whatever reason, decided he couldn’t stay with the Higurashis any longer. Would that leave him with no options then? Would he be more effectively imprisoned than he ever had been before? A jail he hated would be easy enough to plan on leaving, but one he liked, or even loved?

For she knew the boy, despite all his gruff exterior, was tenderhearted, at least where Kagome was concerned. Would he be able to raise her hopes by coming to their home only to decide down the line that it wasn’t for him? She didn’t think he could do that to her.

Ultimately she stifled a heavy sigh. She could sit and philosophize all she wanted but she’d never been a slave, one of the world’s forgotten to be used only for the amusement of its cruel inhabitants. So who was she to say whether love or freedom was more important? Or if he could even believe in love without freedom?

There would be no answers until they knew what had become of Inuyasha or they got to talk to him again. Until then, she could only pray for his safety.

Squeezing Kagome's shoulder, Mrs. Higurashi said, "Just because he left doesn't mean he chose to leave you." And despite the inherent contradiction in the words, they both understood it wasn't when talking about Inuyasha.

When only silence followed, Mrs. Higurashi ushered her back inside, smiling softly as she saw the shadows of hanyou and youkai alike disappearing around the corners. Souta popped in and she nodded toward the courtyard, glad he understood and grabbed a couple of the others to help him take down Kagome's targets. Manoeuvring Kagome over to the kitchen sink, she started washing the girl's hands so she could check for splinters or cuts.

Looking out the window, allowing the trees to blur and imagining all the distance between them vanished to nothing, she sighed again, if a bit wistfully. She just hoped Inuyasha was all right and that he knew what he was doing.

~ ~ ~

Inuyasha woke as the first rays of sunlight hit his eyes, gratified to see leaves obscuring his view. Much to his chagrin it had taken him more than just a couple nights to get used to sleeping high up a tree. It was one of the few benefits to this being a solo adventure that no one was around to see this.

It wasn’t that the branches were uncomfortable. While yes, he was used to having a bed back at the Shrine, he’d also been sleeping on open wounds most of the time. Really the biggest problem had just been finding the right kind of place to hunker down for the night. At first he’d taken to trying to sleep as high up in trees as he could in order to diminish any visibility from the ground, but after falling out a few times during the night he’d quickly learned that the thinner branches were just too insubstantial to support his weight as they swayed back and forth throughout the night.

Luckily he’d only fallen on his face the first night; after that he’d woken swiftly enough to twist himself around and land on his haunches.

Then he’d tried the lower branches, even finding some thicker around than he was, but that ended up almost being worse. Whereas the small branches swayed entirely too much, sometimes in a different direction than the trunk as every part of the tree moved, the thick branches moved too little. His body had just started to be able to accommodate to these movements unconsciously as he slept, so when he leaned back against the trunk and felt it shift his body tried to sway with it, only to realize the beast of a branch he sat on didn’t sway as well, it outright lurched.

Grumbling he finally moved on to midsize branches, which were more comfortable all around as he didn’t have to be too close to the ground. After all, the bright red of his fire-rat clothing stood out enough as it was. While it was wonderful to have clothing that self-repaired and auto-cleaned, he could’ve done without the high visibility.

But none of that mattered, none of it. All that was important was that he’d succeeded. He’d done it! He’d proven to himself that he had the innate skill to overcome these obstacles, the knack for learning how to bend himself to take advantage of his environment.

He could do this. He could survive.

~ ~ ~

There was a knock at the door and Mrs. Higurashi sent a curious glance its way before wiping her hands on her apron and turning her pot down to simmer. Vaguely, she wondered at who it could be. They still got occasional worshippers to the shrine-proper and some of the outer buildings but they rarely came to the house anymore. Jii-chan complained that they were just spectators come to see the ‘hanyou shrine’ and just being on the property was enough; they didn’t dare to actually meet any of them other than whoever might be attending to the shrine that day. He always mumbled about ‘disrespectful rubber-neckers’ but she herself saw something different there. She saw hope. After all, curiosity was much better than fear or derision, and much closer to conciliation than utter rejection.

Still, it had been a while since they’d been treated to an unannounced visitor, and with all their regular friends entering through the kitchen door, curiosity was nipping at her stockinged heels.

Perhaps someone was arriving with a new hanyou?

She opened the door and that possibility went straight down the drain as she noted the stranger was alone. Further, he was human. At least, she thought he was. Some of the stronger youkai could make amazing humanoid forms for themselves. Slightly distracted, she studied his face for any tell-tale signs. After all, it wasn’t polite to just outright ask before even proper introductions were made.

“Would you happen to be Dr. Hirohito?” she inquired. Her daughter had warned her he was bound to show up sooner or later and, despite her best efforts, most likely unannounced as he was both horribly unorganized – at least regarding everything other than his research notes – and most impulsive.

The young man bestowed her with a wide, brilliant smile – no sharp incisors, she noted – and bowed in greeting. “Alas, I am not. While one could say my vocation is healing of a sort, my particular area of expertise would be spiritual, not physical.”

She pulled her gaze back then to see the full picture, looking at all of him and not just particular facial features, and fought down what she knew had to be a spectacular blush. His attire clearly declared him a monk.

She hadn’t even invited him inside before questioning him. Where had her manners gone? “I’m so sorry. Please, beg your pardon, do come in. Welcome traveler,” she greeted formally, though warmly, ushering him inside.

She was more than a little shocked to have a holy man visiting. It had been quite a while since they’d entertained anyone from any of the other shrines. But why was he knocking at the house door? She hid her nervousness in her fluttering, quickly moving about the house as she led him through the back door and out into the courtyard, away from the children playing up on the second landing. Their lack of contact with their neighboring shrines had been understandable, what with the activities the Sunset Shrine was now associated with. This new visitor could either be seen as an act of solidarity or a messenger sent with a warning that the others would not stand by them if things turned sour.

Standing in the shade of Goshinboku, she turned and smiled broadly at him. “Now, to what do we owe the pleasure? Do you wish to be purified first? Would you care to rest or take any refreshment before overseeing any rites?”

The monk chuckled before taking her hand and bowing over it. “I take it from your solicitousness that you might be Kagome’s older sister?”

She stared at him in shock. Oh, it was an obvious ploy and flirtation, one she might have responded to regardless, but her daughter’s name spilling from his lips had her on edge. “What do you know of my daughter?”

The man straightened, obviously sensing her shift in mood. “Ah. Miss Higurashi wouldn’t happen to be home, would she?”

She didn’t like his easy dismissal of her question. “She’s at school, actually,” she tossed out, hoping to get some sort of reaction from him.

“Would that be the medical or law school?”

Mrs. Higurashi relaxed. “You really do know her then?”

“I said as much, didn’t I?”

She laughed, seeing that his evasiveness was more of a game to him than any actual desire to frustrate her. “Actually you didn’t. I think I can safely assume now that you’re here on more of a personal visit than a professional one?”

“That it is. I met her at the Bacana Shrine and she told me I was welcome to drop by if I was ever in the area.” At the widening of the woman’s eyes he quickly added, “We only met briefly, and never in a professional manner, mind you, but Kagome is someone who considers even the smallest acquaintance to be a friend.”

That was certainly true enough.

They both turned at the sound of the back door to the house sliding open with a thwack, Shippo, Souta, and a recently recovered Shinichi falling out in a tangled mess of limbs as they growled and wrestled, before Shippo leapt up and led the other two in a race across the yard and into the trees beyond.

Mrs. Higurashi watched her visitor’s mouth fall open, his eyes wide as he watched the exchange, and chuckled nervously. “Ah, about that…”

The monk started laughing. Uproariously. “Oh, what I wouldn’t give to be here when Inuyasha sees that!”

“Inuyasha?” she repeated on a gasp.

He turned back to her then, his grin fading. “It seems I owe you an apology. I wasn’t sure how much of Kagome’s…endeavors had been made known to or supported by her family.” He coughed decorously. “I suppose I should start over.”

He then proceeded to tell her the entirely of his acquaintance with both Kagome and Inuyasha, and such a dramatic storyteller he was that the sun had set before he’d finished.

Of course by then she’d pulled him inside and set him down to dinner, shooing the boys to take their food and eat outside as a picnic so he wouldn’t edit his words for their younger ears.

She hadn’t heard the front door open until her daughter’s shocked exclamation pulled her out of the tale-induced trance.

“Miroku?”

The monk rose instantly and walked over to his stunned friend. Kagome’s surprise abated with his quickly spun explanation, her expression morphing into something much more somber. Understanding and compassion had sparked in Miroku’s eyes and Mrs. Higurashi quietly left them to their conversation of Inuyasha and his disappearance, hoping and praying that this young man might be able to help Kagome in ways none of them had been able to.

~ ~ ~

Inuyasha flicked his claws into the stream, spearing a fish with now expert ease. He didn’t bother with a fire, as he'd found he actually liked them raw, which was just as well since fires not only took time to build, tying him down to one spot, but they were a rather obvious giveaway as to his location.

He rather tried to keep his presence under wraps. All the land outside city limits fell into three distinct categories: pasture or farmland, nature preserves with annoyingly regular patrols on the watch for poachers, or rural, sprawling youkai estates. After his first run in with the last he’d steered clear ever since.

He’d been riding on a high of his independence and skill, and had figured that with so much land there was no way the youkai would know he was hunting on the outskirts of their land. How wrong he’d been. Seemingly they’d deemed him too far beneath their notice, though, as they’d merely sent underlings – brainless, bottom level youkai with barely any reasoning skill – out after the ‘pest’. Apparently this particular clan used oni for their basic security issues and, though he’d never admit it, the fight had been difficult for him.

It wasn’t that he was unskilled of course; it was simply that there were three of them and he’d only had practice in killing small game that supplied his meals. He had absolutely no preparation for how to fight things larger than himself, and nearly as strong as he was to boot. Luckily instinct took over and he was completely healed from the fight before the end of the day, but after that he completely avoided any entanglements with youkai. They were far more trouble than they were worth, fuckin’ hoity-toity bastards.

~ ~ ~

Miroku glanced at Kagome out of the corner of his eye, quiet astonishment mixing with concern, even suspicion. They were walking amiably on their way to meet Sango - the pace chafing as he was obviously the more excited out of the two of them to see Sango's face. Then again, Kagome did get to see the other girl quite often. Miroku tamped down a tiny flare of jealousy.

However, Kagome was acting decidedly...odd. She'd been moping around ever since he'd arrived, but here she was talking with excitement. Dare he say nervous excitement? She gestured animatedly as she spoke of nothing at all.

His lips quirked. He decided to bide his time and let her have her fun; Kagome was never good at hiding things for long. Besides, whatever had her spirits up might prove amusing for him as well. He could always hope.

They turned the corner and walked between immaculately trimmed hedges into a large open space lined by an assortment of quiet shops. The courtyard was filled with tables and chairs, plus a delicate fountain that helped drown out the noise from the street. Miroku, though, only had eyes for one thing in particular.

He smiled widely at the girl sitting across the courtyard, her eyes widenening in surprise. It would seem that Kagome had failed to mention his being in town. He glanced at the troublemaker walking beside him but she just shrugged, though her eyes were lit with amusement. So that's how it was.

When the two of them finally reached the cafe table she was seated at, Sango was starting to look slightly suspicious. "You...you're..."

"Handsome?" he supplied. "Dashing, debonair, irresistible?"

"Here," she said bluntly.

He raised an eyebrow at Kagome, but before he could ask the girl anything, Sango continued. "Someone actually took you home with them?"

"Ah, home visits actually aren't that common," he said circumspectly. He could sense Sango's curiosity, but feeling the burning presence of Kagome standing beside him, he figured it would be safer to avoid that topic at the moment.

Sango raised and eyebrow and he coughed delicately. "Actually, my time at the Bacana Shrine is finished. I'm my own man again, and as such I thought it might be nice to come visit my lovely friends."

"Really? Your sentence is finished?"

He 'tsked' at her choice of words. "Now Sango, I was given the opportunity to provide my holy services at a prestigious shrine. Hardly a punishment."

"If you say so," she replied dubiously. Then her eyes alighted on something behind him. "Say, isn't that one of your old clients from the Shrine?"

Before she could even finish speaking he had moved in front of Kagome, crouching down to her height and peeking out from around her. "Where exactly did you say she was?" his affected calm doing a poor job of concealing his nervousness.  

Sango was outright cackling, Kagome's giggle joining in. "What was that about your service being an honor instead of a punishment?"

Miroku stood slowly back to his full height and spun to look at her. "You are evil," he declared with perhaps just a hint of admiration in his voice.

"Oh, I knew this was going to be good," Kagome declared laughingly.

They turned to look at her simultaneously, Miroku smiling at her comment while Sango raised an eyebrow. Keeping her eyes on her friend, Sango asked of Miroku, "How long have you been here exactly?"

"What, eight days now?" He looked to Kagome for confirmation.

The guilty look on her face said it all. Miroku quirked an eyebrow at her while addressing Sango. "I take it this lovely example of an upstanding friend here somehow neglected to mention my being in town?"

Sango's eyes narrowed as she looked at Kagome.

Kagome laughed brightly if a bit nervously. "Wow, listen to my stomach growling," she said, though there was no sound forthcoming. "I think that's my cue to go in and buy my lunch. Miroku, you want me to grab you anything?"

He considered toying with her, giving her a lengthy list that forced her to stand here under Sango's withering stare a while longer, but the prospect of being alone with Sango was more enticing. He shook his head.

"Okay then. See you in a few," she said, beating a hasty retreat to the cafe door.

Turning back to Sango he chuckled at the irritation on her face - irritation he was sure had more to do with her being caught unprepared than from any perceived slight on Kagome's part.

"Now don't be too vexed, my dear Sango, I'm just glad Kagome found a way to amuse herself, even if it was at our expense. That's the first time I've seen her smile all week - at least, the only time when she wasn't under a dogpile of children. Although that actually happens surprisingly often." Though truly it wasn't really all that shocking. Surely the children had also caught on to the connection and were doing their part to help Kagome smile.

Sango's gaze, which was still trained on the cafe door, became concerned. Then his words registered. "You've been with her all week?"

"Yes. She was rather upset those first couple days, more moaning and lamenting and cursing than anything else. I've been called upon both as a handkerchief and punching bag, but she's pulling herself together."

“Cursing? Kagome?”

“Well, when I say cursing, I mean ‘cursing’ relative to Kagome. Puppy level cursing, you could say.”

Sango chuckled softly, shaking her head.

“After a few days, though, she seemed almost vented out. I don’t think she’s the kind of girl given to harsh emotions for long."

“No, I don’t think so either,” she agreed. "Strong, yes, but not harsh."

Miroku's entire face dimmed. "She's just not smiling like she used to, seems a little sad around the edges all the time, though she tries her best to hide it now. At this point I think our biggest problem is going to be her trying to work herself to forgetfulness. So, that’s when I figured a distraction was in order and got to asking about you.”

She gazed at him flatly. “Or the first time you could sneak your request in without it seeming rude or out of place.”

He chuckled. "Not at all. It was at that point that she apparently planned this whole scheme to amuse herself. After all, who else would understand the delightful awkwardness of a brothel-meeting-turned-reunion?”

Shaking her head, Sango chuckled. “No one I can think of.” She looked up at him, shielding her eyes from the sun. “You may as well sit down; I’m guessing Kagome is going to be much longer than the ten minutes it takes to get through line.”

“If she comes back at all,” he agreed, seating himself in the chair directly to her right. "Now that she's pulled her prank she may make a run for it or just watch from the window."

"That's just wishful thinking on your part. How long are you going to be gracing us with your presence here in town?”

“I decided this is as good a place as any to start over. After all, there are such wonderful enticements here,” he added impishly.

She rolled her eyes at his overtures. “What about your work as a monk?”

“Seeing as it’s not likely that my previous shrine would welcome me with open arms, I figured it was time to move on.”

Sango snorted before a thought hit her. “Don’t tell me Kagome’s shrine took you on?”

He waved the thought aside. “No, nothing like that, though I do spend enough time there. But they don't have the funds to hire another hand and I'd feel like a freeloader if I took up their offer to stay there, even if they do have all that extra space now.

“I got myself a job – complete with attached cozy, if antiquated, apartment – at a small shrine about three miles that way.” He pointed northwest. "It's nice to know this cafe is nearby so if I ever have any spare change I can head over."

Sango's face twisted and silence reigned for a moment while Miroku waited for whatever it is she wanted to say. Hesitantly, she asked, "This shrine of yours, does it have a fox statue out front?"

He shook his head. "No, just dragon statues, and one of the poor boys is missing a front paw."

Sango blanched. "That's...right next to my house."

Miroku visibly brightened. "Really now? Isn't that a wonderful coincidence." She looked at him suspiciously but it really was; he'd had no idea where she lived. "Now you'll just have to find excuses to come pray at my shrine, or maybe just give me your address so I can visit you from time to time."

Folding her arms, she sniffed. "As if I'd do that. If I let you know where I live you'd probably spend more time at my place than yours, not to mention likely eating everything in the house."

"Ah, so you're in a house and not an apartment," he said, rubbing his chin. "Nice. Makes you easier to find. If you won't be amenable I can always just walk around knocking on doors until you answer." He grinned cheekily and she had to wonder for a moment if he'd actually do something like that.  

Finally she waved her hand at him. "It wouldn't matter either way. If you came by then I'm sure Kirara could take care of you."

"Kirara - that's an unusual name. Roommate of yours?"

To his amazement Sango actually blushed. "Not exactly."

He leaned forward on his elbows, fascinated. "Don't tell me - girlfriend?"

She snorted. "In your dreams, houshi."

"Then what is there about this Kirara to actually cause the oh-so-stoic Sango to blush?"

She glared at him. "I'm not stoic."

He merely raised an eyebrow. "Ah, I am proven wrong."

Her glare intensified but when he prompted, "Kirara?", she lost her steam.

"She's my domestic."

"Maid?"

"Cat."

"I'm supposed to be 'taken care of' by a pussy cat?" he asked unbelievably.

Sango mumbled something unintelligible.

"Sorry, what was that?" He refrained from adding the 'my dear' only because she was having so much trouble spitting this out anyhow, and he was curious enough to not want to have to wait another five minutes for her to get to the point.

Sighing, Sango said, "She's a domestic youkai." She watched as his eyes slowly widened until he looked slightly crazed. "That's an unbecoming look for you, houshi," she said drily.

"You? You have a youkai as a pet?"

"Hey, she's not just a pet," she declared defensively. If possible his eyes widened even further before he closed them, shook his head, then laughed ruefully. A slow smile spread across his face as he reached for her hand.

"My dear Sango, will you never cease to amaze me?"

She avoided his gaze as she wriggled her hand free. "What do you mean?" she muttered

"From the limited bit I know of your past, together with how wary you were of meeting Inuyasha, I gathered you weren't too fond of youkai."

Sango huffed out a breath and ruffled her bangs. "Not all youkai. I mean, I'm certainly not inclined toward indiscriminate fluffy feelings toward them, but I don't think all youkai are bad any more than all humans are good. And with Inuyasha...I just wasn't prepared to make any decisions about the guy before I even met him. If I was feeling predisposed to like him before ever talking to him isn't that also a form of judgment? Or just pity? And after meeting him, I doubt Inuyasha would be the type to appreciate that kind of pass anyhow."

Miroku's smile softened. "True, that is much more fair minded."

"Besides..."

"Yes?"

She turned her head away from him, glancing at him from the corner of her eye. "We've had Kirara since I was a kid. She's actually...she's the reason Kohaku's still alive."

Miroku instantly sat up straight. He couldn't believe Sango had just volunteered something like that. It made him want to pull her into his arms and wipe that look off her face. He wanted so badly to ask more, but with the way she was holding herself, the tension in her body, he knew she'd been pushed as far as she would go.

Instead he leaned forward and folded his hands on the table where they would be in plain view, and said, "In that case I would be honored if you would let me meet her."

Just then Kagome bustled out, shoving a muffin wrapper in the trash can and carrying a cup that was mostly just leftover ice.

Sango smiled tightly. "I'll think about it."

"You will?" Miroku was more surprised and elated than she thought he had any right to be.

Kagome barreled up to the table, already talking a mile an hour. "I'm so sorry, I forgot that I have to go over to Yami's house. We're talking about some of the plans for the new property, plus Josef wanted a little extra tutoring and didn't want to have to do it in front of the other kids. Then I have a test tomorrow..."

She was still talking, more to herself now, as she started to amble away. Even though Miroku's eyes showed he'd prefer to stay, he stood and readied to follow the distracted girl. 'She shouldn't be left alone' he mouthed and Sango understood. Watching her friend mumble intelligibly, an almost manic light in her eyes, she realized just how deep in she still was. It made the difference of how she'd seemed when they'd first arrived all the more striking. Were she and Miroku really that amusing?

He hung back just a few more seconds to say, "You should come visit the Sunset Shrine more often. You know, see Kagome a bit more."

She knew that, while he meant it, her seeing Kagome wasn't his first objective. Regardless, when he threw her a wink before walking briskly to catch up with Kagome, she couldn't help but smile. She wondered if he really knew what he was doing. She wondered if she did.

Still, she figured it couldn't hurt to go visit Kagome's shrine more often though.

~ ~ ~

Miroku walked happily up the steps of the Sunset Shrine. Ever since moving back to the city he’d made himself something of a fixture there. Even after a couple months, there was never a dull moment. Between watching Shippo’s pranks, listening to Kagome’s tales, eating Mrs. Higurashi’s cooking, and bantering with Sango while trying to tease the rare smile of her, he found himself perfectly happy. And that was all before even mentioning the assortment of hanyou coming and going.

They were fascinating, really, no two alike. The variety of species, appearances, skills, aptitudes, sizes, and powers were seemingly limitless. Even siblings, it would appear, weren’t exempt. There were two girls he’d met here who he would never have guessed for sisters if not for their similar youki.

He’d never thought all that training with Mushin when he was younger would’ve been useful. As a traveling monk he hadn't had much reason to come into contact with youkai, after all. The fact that he’d had the chance to interact with so many at the Bacana Shrine had been the only good thing about his sentence – until meeting Sango and Kagome, of course.

Kagome herself even seemed to have some latent miko powers, much to her surprise and her grandfather’s delight. The old man had been much put out, however, when Kagome hadn’t taken Miroku up on his offer to help her coax them out. She just didn’t have the time, she explained, and a bit sadly at that, which let him know she did at least have the interest.

Besides, with her being so busy and tired she couldn’t give it her all and what if she wasn’t paying attention and accidentally zapped someone?  He had to admit that beginning training or practice when surrounded by a bunch of those with youkai blood wasn’t precisely the best of scenarios.

Now, though, as he topped the stairs and slid open the back door he was surprised by the nervous energy buzzing in the air. He turned to Kagome, who’d jumped in her chair at his entry, and quirked a brow. “Wound a little tight, are we?”

“Oh, heh heh,” she laughed. “Sorry, it’s nothing.”

He plopped himself down in one of the empty chairs at the kitchen table and grinned. “Well this ‘nothing’ sounds more interesting than what I had planned today.”

He craned his head to look up at Jinenji, who absolutely dwarfed the table. Then, swiveling to take in the rest of the attached rooms, he confirmed no one else was around. “You two are alone, eh? Is there anything I shouldn’t know about?”

He waggled his eyebrows and Kagome sighed expressively, rolling her eyes. “Ignore him,” she directed at Jinenji. “His robes are probably just too tight.”

The towering hanyou studied his attire with confused eyes and Miroku chuckled lowly. Kagome had yet to realize that, for all his gentleness and genial temperament, Jinenji was somewhat lacking in the humor department. Given their upbringing many of the hanyou were the same way, but Miroku was sure that for Jinenji it was simply part of his nature.

“Don’t worry about her, my friend.” He had to crane his head up again and made a mental note to himself to sit across from the giant in the future, not next to him. “She’s merely giving me the reprimand I deserve. Now tell me,” he continued in a more conversational tone, “what sort of meeting have I stumbled in upon?”

Kagome tapped her fingers nervously on the tabletop. “Jinenji agreed to meet with my professor, Dr. Hirohito.”

“Ah, my twin,” Miroku enthused. Kagome shot him a quizzical glance and he waved it aside. “Never mind. But if you set up this meeting then why, pardon my asking, are you so on edge?”

She sat up straight. “I’m not on edge!” Even Jinenji threw her a dubious look at that. “All right, fine. Professor Hirohito can just be a bit…enthusiastic regarding his research. I’ve taken him samples of Inuyasha’s blood before and he simply fell all over himself at the results. Ever since I let slip that I have other hanyou at my house he’s been pressuring me to let him come here and meet them.”

Miroku cocked his head to the side. “Isn’t that a good thing? What kind of research is he conducting anyhow?”

“Well yes. And no.” She sighed. “It’s a bit complicated. Since he first got his hands on some hanyou blood he’s been studying its properties, its similarities to both human and youkai, and plenty of other aspects I’m sure I’m not even aware of yet. The good thing is that it could possibly prove that, on a genetic level, hanyou are in no way deficient and are on the same physical level as those of their parentage. The problem, though, is that if he proved we’re physically compatible but they weren’t given equal rights then we risk exposing them to organ harvesting, organ farming, or other things we haven’t even considered.

“He’s a good guy, really, and is even willing to sit on his research until it’s safe to publish it, even if it doesn’t happen in his lifetime. He really is great, but, um, he’s not exactly the most…sensitive concerning other people, especially as he tends to have a bit of tunnel vision where his studies are concerned. I told him Jinenji was willing to have a short discussion with him, as there is virtually almost no literature on hanyou, but I have no doubt he’ll try to get some samples and take other liberties.”

Jinenji leaned forward and laid his hand on Kagome’s. “I’ve dealt with much worse, and at least his intentions are honorable.”

“What are you really worried about, Kagome?” Miroku asked, propping his head on his hand.

“I don’t want him to upset Jinenji. I know you’ve dealt with worse,” she said, turning to the hanyou, “but this is supposed to be a safe house and I don’t want to bring anything in here to challenge that.”

“And?” Miroku prompted.

She sighed, glaring at him. “Am I always this easy to read?”

He chuckled. “No, I’m just especially gifted. So?”

“Dr. Hirohito is something of a friend but he’s also my teacher. How do I not offend him if he comes on a little too strong and I have to step in?”

Miroku clapped his hands. “Then you’re in luck because I have the perfect solution!”

“You do?” she asked, Jinenji echoing her.

“Yes. You, my dear friend, are going to excuse yourself and leave them to me.”

She gaped at him. “Excuse me?”

“You don’t want to have to play referee between two friends and risk them feeling like you’re taking sides. Besides, even if it never came to that, your nervous energy is hardly going to make things proceed any more smoothly.”

Looking up at Jinenji, her eyes widened and she glanced back and forth between the two of them. “But…you…why?”

“I’d be more than willing to take your place, Kagome. We both know I have a very skilled tongue and without being so emotionally involved I’ll be able to keep the peace a little more easily.” The fact that he only made the slightest of smirks at his innuendo before moving smoothly along let her know just how serious he was about the whole thing.

“Jinenji?” Miroku’s advice was beginning to appear sound, but she wouldn’t move forward if her hulking friend wasn’t comfortable with it. To her relief he just smiled down at her.

“I think the houshi makes some wise points. I don’t want to be in a place where I might make you uncomfortable or put strain on your relationship with the doctor.”

Crossing her arms she huffed. “I’m worried just as much about you as I am him. I don’t want you feeling hemmed in or like you have to do something you’re not comfortable with.”

Miroku stood and walked around the table, gently but firmly grabbing Kagome by the shoulders and urging her up from her spot. “That’s what I’ll be here for, right? Besides, with my particular talents I’ll be able to tell if he’s agitated even if he doesn’t say anything.”

She looked at him skeptically but let herself be led back around the table. “Really?” she asked drolly. “And how’s that?”

He leaned in and cupped his hand beside his mouth, as if about to bestow a great secret, then in a mock whisper he stated, “Youki. It starts fluctuating and I know something’s up.”

Her lips quirked up and she shook her head. “Very well, you have me outmanoeuvred. I concede!” she declared, throwing up her hands.

“Quite,” Miroku said, grinning outright. “Now, maybe you could find something else to do. Perhaps at one of the other properties?”

She rolled her eyes. “All right, I get it, I’m not wanted.”

Jinenji started to speak a protest to her choice of words but Miroku steamrolled right over him. “Of course you’re wanted. You’re just wanted more somewhere else.” He softened it with a wink at both parties before patiently shuffling Kagome out the door after a couple more assurances.

After watching her walk away for a few seconds he turned and sat back down, across from the hanyou this time. “So, where were we?”

~ ~ ~

After a good two hours Miroku finally beckoned Kagome back inside and as he greeted her at the kitchen doorway a nervous smile fluttered across her face. Then her nostrils flared, her eyes widened, and she dashed the last couple of steps to the table where Jinenji still sat, looking him square in the face before grabbing one of his hands, turning it back and forth as she looked his arm up and down.

“You were okay with his taking samples?” she asked, surprised.

Taken aback by her sudden perusal, Jinenji quietly replied, “No.”

Instantly she spun on Miroku, eyes sparking. “What happened? I thought the whole point of you taking over was so that you’d be an impartial mediator, so how could you let Dr. Hirohito plow right over Jinenji’s reservations like that?”

Puzzled, Miroku looking to Jinenji to see if the hanyou understood the source of Kagome’s vexation.

“She smells the antiseptic.”

Realization dawning, Miroku sniffed at the air. He hadn’t even noticed the scent until just then. Of course Kagome, with her experience, would pick it up right away. He smiled at the way her indignation was giving way to confusion. “The good doctor didn’t take any samples; he never even had the chance to open that medical kit of his.”

Still somewhat baffled, her gaze flicked to Jinenji for confirmation. “He already smelled strongly of it when he arrived.”

Of course. If he’d been using enough of it earlier the scent probably saturated his clothes and hair, lingering strongly enough to carry the smell with him for a few hours.

She felt about an inch tall.

Sheepishly she peeked up at Miroku from under her bangs. “Sorry. I should know better than to jump to conclusions.”

“Yes, you should,” he agreed, his face falling into an exaggeratedly mournful pout. “I mean, really, I’m hurt. How ever can I feel trusted by you again?”

She cringed and walked right into his trap, falling for it hook, line, and sinker. “All right, all right, already, what can I do to make it up to you?”

“Bear my children?” he asked.

She stared, then fell into laughter before grumbling, “Careful or I’ll tell Sango.”

He rubbed his chin consideringly. “Sango is a strong woman; a wise decision to confide in her.”

Kagome let out a tiny little aggravated growl. “You’re never going to get a girlfriend this way.”

“I’m well aware of that, Kagome.”

She almost asked him more, because there was a darkness in his gaze she didn’t understand, but then Jinenji coughed lightly and she lost her train of thought.

Pulling out a chair she plunked herself down on the other side of the table. “So what did happen?” she asked, a growing excitement taking the edge off any leftover anxiety she was feeling.

“We just talked, “Jinenji answered plainly.

“You just talked?”

“We just talked,” Miroku reiterated, grinning playfully at the droll look he got from Kagome.

Thankfully, Jinenji elaborated. “He asked me questions about hanyou in general, on physiology specifically, and my personal view on how distinct the youkai and ningen halves are, how much they separate as opposed to overlapping or merging…things like that.

“I informed him that I’m no expert on the subject and he had to be careful not to take my word for absolute truth on the matter, but that I would be honest with him as long as he was honest with me. So for every question he posed I got to ask one in return. He was more close-mouthed about his research than I’d expected, though I suppose in the big picture that’s a good thing.”

Here Miroku interjected. “That’s when I told the good doctor that our hanyou friend here could hardly feel inclined to participate in and help advance a research plan that he knew so little about.”

“Nice,” she enthused. “But what about the samples? How did you dissuade him from that? I know he had to have been more than a might pushy…”

Miroku smirked. “That was all Jinenji. When Dr. Hirohito brought it up – a good six or seven times, mind you – Jinenji simply launched into a story that kept his attention rapt.”

“His notebook was rather full when he left,” Jinenji conceded. Kagome was amused to see a small blush working its way across the bridge of his long, already pinkish nose. “When he asked the final time I told him I wouldn’t feel comfortable giving part of myself to a stranger, but I might be willing to share with a friend.”

Eyes widening, Kagome gave her friend a soft smile. “And what’d he say to that?” If she knew the professor, she guessed he’d have been jumping over the moon.

“We’re meeting again next week.”

“Really?” she enthused. “When?” Dragging out her planner she grimaced to see she had almost no time available.

Miroku placed his hand in the middle of the page she was frantically reworking in her head, and slowly pressed down.

“I’m sorry to tell you, but this meeting is strictly boys only; no girls allowed.” Then he leaned forward and mock whispered, “It’s easier to do the male-bonding that way.” Kagome stared at him and he winked, continuing, “I couldn’t very well leave Jinenji in the grasp of that bloodthirsty doctor – the man would eat him alive!”

They turned simultaneously to take in the sheer size of their hanyou friend and burst out laughing, Jinenji softly falling in a moment later.

~  ~ ~

Mrs. Higurashi sighed as she watched Kagome hustling around the house, hastily throwing things into that monstrous yellow backpack of hers before racing out the door. She didn’t remember if her daughter was going to Dr. Hirohito’s office, the law school, or one of her students’ homes. Gauging by how her backpack had been nearly pulling at the seams she wouldn’t be surprised if it was all three.

For the last couple months she’d been unable to do anything but watch as Kagome regularly worked herself to exhaustion.

It wasn’t that she didn’t understand; she did quite well. While their situations might have more differences than similarities, the apple still didn’t fall far from the tree. After her husband had died she’d constantly been in motion; the more occupied she’d been the less time she’d had to think. If she’d worked herself hard enough her body was sometimes too tired to allow herself to lay awake at night and ache at the empty spot beside her.

So while she understood her daughter’s desire for activity, knew there was nothing she could do to speed her grief along, she was still a mother and worried at the dark circles under her eyes and the way her expression would sometimes vacillate from determined to haggard and back again.

At least she’d dropped the falsely cheerful smile she wore for everyone else. A mother could see through it and she’d told Kagome to not bothering to put up the extra effort in front of her. Her daughter had smiled a real smile then and she knew Kagome was more recovered than she’d allow herself to think.

In any case, she’d efficiently managed to accomplish an amazing amount of things in the past few weeks.

A knock at the door disrupted her musings and, with a smile and a shake of her head, she scolded herself for considering all her worries. Things would progress as they would, and in the meantime there were things to be done. She gave the unprepared food on the kitchen counter a meaningful look before heading toward the door.

“Miroku,” she greeted warmly when he swung into view. Gesturing him inside she added, “So nice of you to come and visit, though I'm sorry to say that Kagome’s not at home.”

He gave her a wry smile. “She rarely is these days, no?”

She exhaled slowly. That was true enough since they’d moved the school into one of the acquired properties. They were working hard on buying a fourth, but they considered themselves lucky to have three houses so far, though none was a direct neighbor. The one to their north was still occupied and the one to the south was stuck in a standoff, since the owner had such a hatred of their work and the hanyou they housed that he flat out refused to sell to the shrine or anyone associated with them, even when they’d been very generous with their offer. She was sure he’d change his tune eventually, however, when no one else would buy the property either – there were few others who’d entertain the notion of moving next door to them, especially at the price he was asking – and he was being crushed under the financial burden of maintaining both it and his new home.

So in the meantime they held classes in the property two houses down while they renovated the one four houses down. The first house they'd managed to get was the furthest away, but that's what they'd dubbed the dormitory. The route to it was straight through the trees and the kids loved traversing it every day. It was only a small taste of nature and wilderness, but it was something.

Kagome’s absence, however, didn’t mean that Miroku’s presence was unwelcome. In fact Mrs. Higurashi was pretty sure she saw more of him than her own daughter. “Feel free to stay however long you like,” she told him, ushering him to the tiny kitchen table. Truth be told she was so used to having a passel of visitors underfoot at all times that now, having moved the majority of their activities elsewhere, she felt somewhat lonely, despite being over there many times a day. A cook was always well loved, after all.

She bade him sit. “Could I interest you in some tea?”

He graced her with a charming smile. “Tea served to me by one of the loveliest women in all of Japan? How could I resist?”

Mrs. Higurashi chortled as she turned to put some water on the stove. Kagome always scolded him for his flirtations. Despite her age she hadn’t lost her woman’s intuition; if anything it was just heightened by being a mother. She knew there was something there between the monk and her daughter’s serious friend Sango. It was also equally obvious, though, that they were in a complete stand off and nothing had come of it. Still, she was an old woman and quite enjoyed having the occasional harmless – and obviously embellished – flattery thrown her way from time to time.

She heard a jingle behind her as Miroku put down his shakujou and looked at him anew, a question in her eyes.

He smiled at her, just enough mischief in his eyes to hint he knew exactly what she was going to ask but was going to be obstinate and refrain from bringing up the topic himself. As if just to prove the point he carefully adjusted the folds in his robe and she sighed in exasperation before chuckling, enjoying the responding twinkle in his eye. The brat.

“Why do you dress as a monk when you come here?”

Ever since he’d moved back into the area – his service at the Bacana Shrine behind him – Miroku had been a constant fixture in their home. Whenever he visited he was always garbed as a monk, but she’d run into him on more than one occasion out of the house, in the market or the subway station, and there he’d worn simple and casual street clothes.

The dichotomy was beyond her understanding, and now she stared at him impatiently as she waited for her answer.

“Simple: I wear my robes here because I am a monk,” he replied disingenuously.  

She rolled her eyes at him then and he had to wonder if she had any idea how much she looked like her daughter in that moment. “That’s all well and good, young man,” she admonished primly, “but if you don’t want to give me the reason simply tell me instead of spinning one of your half-truths.”

Miroku blinked, then laughed. “Most women appreciate a bit of mystery.”

She sniffed. “In case you haven’t noticed, no one in this house is exactly what you’d call ‘most people’.”

“True enough,” he allowed, rubbing his chin. After a pause he said, “I though it wouldn’t hurt for another holy man to be seen here.”

Brow scrunched, Mrs. Higurashi tried to follow. “You mean to tell me you dress up in those robes – even during that absurd heat wave a couple of weeks ago– for our sake?”

“Well that and to impress the ladies,” he added slyly, waggling his eyebrows.

Mrs. Higurashi huffed. The man never could stay serious for more than a few seconds.

“By that I take it you mean Sango?” she wheedled.

“I don’t deny that she is a lovely woman. Still, I am far too generous a man to tie myself to one woman and deprive the rest of the world of my magnificent, manifold charms.”

Mrs. Higurashi deflated. She was so good at getting information out of her children and so many of the others who hung around her house. Being so pleasant and affable all the time certainly had its advantages, aside from just providing a more enjoyable life. With Miroku, though, she seemed to hit a wall every time. It seemed most everyone did. At times she felt she hardly knew him better than she had at their meeting, despite the amount of time he spent at her house.

Shrugging it off she returned to the kitchen. If he wanted to make an enigma of himself she’d hardly be the first he chose to reveal himself to. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Miroku leisurely sipping his tea and swiftly prepared another one for him, plus one for herself to sip on while she worked. Setting it on the table she wiped her hands on her apron, saying, “I’m sorry to be such bad company but I do need to work on tonight’s dinner.”

When he looked surreptitiously at the clock, which read only slightly after noon, she chuckled. “You don’t cook often, do you?”

“No, at least not for large groups,” he admitted graciously.

“Well, I’ll have you know that hanyou and youkai adolescents are even worse than human boys with how much food they can pack away.” She smiled apologetically as she turned once again into the kitchen. “I’m just sorry there’s no one else here to keep you company. You’re welcome to wander over to the school though, if you’d like. Or did you just have a message you wanted me to convey to Kagome?”

“Don’t fret over me!” he assured her. “I am still a monk and sometimes I like to just bask in the energy of a holy place – especially one that doesn’t require any other services of me,” he added in a self-effacing tone.

She wasn’t sure whether to cluck her tongue or laugh at that, but when he smiled at her confusion she took her cue from the gesture.

“Besides, I knew Kagome wasn’t going to be here today. She’d mentioned she was going to be putting up fliers about the upcoming rally.”

Mrs. Higurashi stiffened slightly at this. Most everyone agreed that nothing would change until the public woke up to the plight of hanyou and therefore they needed not only to get the public’s attention but get them involved as well. Kagome held that rallies were what began most movements’ forward momentum and that it would be a good starting place for them as well.

If anyone came.

“I’m not sure I’m entirely comfortable with this,” Mrs. Higurashi admitted quietly.

Miroku mused on this a moment before replying, “But you’ve been comfortable with everything else that has happened up to this point?”

Chagrined, she managed a wry grin. “I suppose not, but everything worked out in the end. Still, Kagome will always be my baby girl so I can’t help but worry.”

“Didn’t she promise to always have one of the youkai with her on any of her flier-hanging expeditions?” They were all fully aware that there were plenty of ningen and youkai alike who outright loathed or even feared hanyou and would no doubt see whoever was hanging the notices as a threat to their status quo.

“Yes, she did,” Mrs. Higurashi conceded. “But, well, you know my daughter. She’ll probably always have plenty of extras in her bag and will hang them up or hand them out wherever she’s at, any time she has a free moment.”

Miroku sat back. That certainly did sound like Kagome.

“I’m sure she’ll at least try to be discreet about it,” he tried to assure her.

It was a nice thought but he wasn’t sure either of them believed it. Sure, she’d be careful about actually posting them up, but she’d also try to verbally recruit any passersby – or classmates, or anyone really – who seemed even remotely interested.

"I know at some point I just have to let go and trust her, but I'll always be her mother. On the other hand, I'm grateful that at the very least it's given her something to be excited about again."

"'Again'?" Miroku repeated, eyebrows raised in question. "You don't think the students have been enough of an emotional investment for her? Or the other properties enough of a logistical nightmare to keep her mentally stimulated?"

"That's not what I meant. Of course she's attached to everyone who comes here; only a fool wouldn't be able to see that."

Miroku's lips twitched. "Are you implying that I'm a fool?"

She shook her head. "I think we both know you're wiser than you like to let on."

He smiled noncommittally. When he didn't offer anything further, she elaborated.

"What I mean is that, before, it still felt like she was grieving, to an extent. She was happy enough when around everyone else, but always once the crowd was gone, she'd return to her melancholy, to blaming herself, or Inuyasha, or the world, and just generally lamenting the state of affairs. I didn't know whether to try to shake her out of it, or hold her, or just leave her be, and believe me I tried all three, and more, but, well, I'm only human, and as much as I want to I can't fix my baby's broken heart, or bring Inuyasha back. Truthfully I'm not sure I would if I could."

"Really?" he asked, intrigued. "Why is that?"

She huffed, slightly irritated she'd spilled more than she'd intended. "First, he broke my baby's heart, so I'm not feeling terribly amenable right now." She sniffed primly and Miroku scoffed at her answer because he knew that was hardly the heart of the matter, given how often she still called Ryu to see if there'd been any news he hadn't had the chance to report to them yet.

"But primarily," she continued, "just because I'd have no right. I've never seen his living conditions at the Bacana Shrine, like you and Kagome have, but I've heard enough to make me have nightmares. I love the boy like a son, even without his connection to Kagome, so if he has made his way to freedom, how selfish would it be for me to bring him back only for the happiness of me and those around me?"

"An interesting hypothesis. You really think Inuyasha's happiness wouldn't be increased by residing here as well?"

Exhaling on a long and heavy sigh, she favored Miroku with a beleaguered look. "This is one conversation Kagome and I have had many times over: a cage made of love is still a cage. After a while he might come to feel stifled here just as he did at the Bacana Shrine."

"Or maybe he wouldn't have."

"Or maybe he wouldn't have," she agreed. "That doesn't seem to be the stronger argument though, considering he ran away from us all, instead of using us as a refuge. Then again, considering he's the only one with the answers, we may never truly know."

The quiet crept in on them as they sat in contemplation a moment, sipping their tea and considering the likelihood of all the associated scenarios.

"Anyhow," Mrs. Higurashi said into the silence, "I'm sorry to have gotten us so far off track. Back to what I was saying earlier. About Kagome, she has always been something of a spitfire. Naturally it took her a while to get over the initial shock of the news, but even when she got back into the swing of things, even when she's buried herself under her workload and given herself almost no time to be still when she could find herself having to actually think about it, there's been something...lacking from her usual effervescence.

"It's not uncommon by any means; it takes time to bounce back from any kind of separation, whether it be the break-up of a one-sided crush to the death of a spouse, and here's Kagome stuck in some kind of odd in-between space.

"But now, now she finally has that spring back in her step. I have no idea why this of all things is what breathed life back into her." She shook her head. "Maybe she just likes the dangerous edge to it. Maybe she just likes that it's driving me crazy. Who knows."

Miroku scrutinized the tea leaves in the bottom of his cup a moment, tapping his fingers lightly against the tabletop. "Perhaps she sees this as an opportunity to correct everything she failed to do for Inuyasha."

Mrs. Higurashi straightened instantly before putting down her knife and walking back out to the kitchen table. "What do you mean by that?"

"She's finally found a way to be proactive about the situation, even if it isn't for herself in particular. The root of the problem, the whole issue between Inuyasha and everyone - the Bacana Shrine, society, and even this wonderful family and Kagome - boils down to equality. She wasn't able to achieve that for him before he had to flee, but now she can at least attempt to bring notice to it for others before they're put in the same scenarios and crippled by the same prejudices. She has purpose and a definite, achievable goal, even if it might not be achievable in her lifetime, and that is most certainly something to be excited about."

She shook her head with a small laugh. "You know, houshi-sama," affecting the title she normally didn't use, "sometimes I think I don't like you very much."

He caught the dry mirth in her tone so he took no offense. Instead he decided to play right back. "Why, is that because I am so devastatingly handsome that I cause you to question your decision to stay loyal to your husband, even after so many years alone?"

She snorted. "Your ego really does have no bounds, does it." She didn't even bother to phrase it as a question.

Smiling unrepentantly, he replied, "Would you prefer I be unsuitably humble? No, that wouldn't do at all."

"Just what is it you're trying to hide behind all that charm?"

He spread out his hands as if to say, Who, me? "What makes you think I'm doing anything of the sort?"

She snorted. "You happen to be just about the most opaque personage of my acquaintance, I think. You speak more while saying less than just about anyone I know, but that's okay. It's fine to keep your secrets.

"Anyhow, how is it that you're able to so easily dissect a situation, getting down to the core of it?" She shook her head, letting him know that, thankfully, it was a rhetorical question. "You just make me feel silly for not seeing it earlier. Of course Kagome sees this as a second chance. I only hope she keeps her vision realistic and that she doesn't let any desperation for redemption or hopes for the future cloud her judgment."

The words dangled a few moments in the air before Miroku ventured, "You do know this is Kagome we're speaking of, right?"

Sighing, Mrs. Higurashi still smiled. "Yes."

"It's a good thing that we're here then, to help her keep her feet on the ground when need be.""Yes, there is that then. Thank you for being such a friend to Kagome, and to all of us really."

"What can I say? Without that girl wandering around with her head in the clouds none of this would have happened. Even the most ignoble of men would enjoy the show, the changes she's able to produce."

"And someone who isn't the most ignoble of men?" she asked.

"Ah, you honor me." He smiled widely. "But even someone like me can appreciate being part of such a change. She's started something, no matter how large it becomes or how long it takes, something is going to happen. I can certainly think of worse ways to spend my time, and worse people to spend them around."

"Curiosity?" she prodded, knowing that was hardly the core of it.

He sighed dramatically but his smile shrank until it became something more intimate. "If I can be there to help the people I've come to care for, those who care so much more for others than for themselves, then that's enough for me."

She couldn't help herself, not with the tinge of sadness she saw in his face. Impulsively she leaned down and hugged him, before hurriedly wiping her eyes and heading back to the kitchen. "I'm glad we have someone like you, Miroku."

"I think it's actually the other way around," he whispered at her retreating back, but too softly for anyone to hear.

~ ~ ~

He was running. Again. It seemed it was all he did these days. While at the beginning it had been exhilarating, that was when he’d still thought he was running for its own sake. These days he knew his life depended on it.

The wild life had been growing continually scarcer as a chill settled into the land, the herald of quickly approaching winter. He’d been famished and the young calf had been too good to pass up, grazing as far out as it was.

He’d made a near-fatal mistake, though, in underestimating a farmer’s protectiveness of his livestock. The desiccated animal was found long before sunset, making Inuyasha glad he’d taken the time to gather together the remaining pieces of meat he’d been unable to force into his overstuffed stomach, as there would be no going back for seconds now.

Since there was still plenty of light, the farmer and his neighbors had launched an immediate search for the ‘wild beast’, determined to eradicate it before it got its claws in any more farm animals.

The resulting chase had left him exhausted and possibly even more ravenous than he’d been before his kill. He had speed on his side, but they had numbers and a much deeper knowledge of the surrounding countryside, the extensive land that was essentially their back yard.

His stealth had been honed by necessity over the few months prior and he’d never been more grateful for it. On more than one occasion it was only through sheer luck that he’d snuck by them, though of course he’d never admit it.

Since then he’d managed to pilfer a few crops but most were only in their seedling stages so the ripened fruits were few and far between.

Not knowing what else to do, he headed south, hoping for warmer climes and more open land, though he doubted he’d find either.

If this was what ‘freedom’ was, he wasn’t sure it was all it was cracked up to be.

~ ~ ~