The Hot Springs Near Kaede's Village

SNAP!

"Inu..yasha…" Kagome called out, as she turned in the water towards the shore.

Silence echoed in the woods.

"…Miroku…" stammered Sango, as she looked towards her weapons on the other side of the hot springs.

"Who's there…answer me" shouted Kagome, as she cast a nervous glance at Sango.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" they both scream as ropes drop from the trees, to encircle them. Wrapping them in ropes made of what seemed to be the sharpest of glass, and lifting them into the trees, as the ropes bit into their flesh.

IN THE VILLAGE

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"WHAT WAS THAT!" demanded Miroku.

"KAGOME!" Whispered Inuyasha, before he shot off towards the Hot Springs.

Miroku leapt on to Kelala's back and the followed just behind Inuyasha.

When they reached the Hot Springs, there was no one in sight. Only the heavy scent of Kagome's, and Sango's blood.

"Kagome…" Inuyasha whimpered her name as he picked up her clothes. "I failed you… KKKKKKAAAAAAAGGGGGGGOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMME-EEEEE"

Off to one side, Miroku sat rocking back and forth, holding Sango's armor, as though it was the girl, herself. Looking up at Inuyasha, he said, "lets kill the Bastard that did this…can you track him?"

Inuyasha looked up calmly, and replied, "Yes." But the look in his eyes told a very different story. When we found the one that did this, not only would he die? He would die as painfully as possible. Inuyasha would see to that.

KAGOME AND SANGO

"Kagome…What do you think that they will do to us?" asked Sango, as the healer placed bandages over her wounds.

"K…Kagome…?"

"…Sango…what happened…?" stammered Kagome, as she woke.

"Don't you remember?" asked Sango, as she looked over the arm to the other girl.

"Last I remember we were at the Hot Spring, and we heard a noise…then…OH-MY-GOD…" Whispered Kagome.

Kagome looks at the healer binding her wounds and asks, "Why are we here…why did you take us?"

The healer looks in Kagome's eyes and replies, "You were not loved, and Mikos and woman-warriors are few and far between. If they are unloved by the ones they love in return, we take them and care for them."

"Why…we were happy where we were?" asked Sango.

"Were you really?" she asks.

Kagome and Sango both thought for a moment.'Not really' they both thought.

"Would Yee have been happy knowing that your love would never be returned by the one that you wanted?"

"Well…not really…" stuttered Sango, as she thought of her monk. "He is such a perverted monk…but for some reason, I love him…yet I know he will always be that way. And I could never live knowing that he would sleep with other woman if they were pretty enough…and I would die if that happened."

"AND you child, can you live with him knowing that he would, and has abandon you for the living dead?" asked the healer.

Kagome looked away as her eyes filled with tears, and slowly made their way down her cheeks.

"I would rather live with him, for only 1 more day then to live without him for the rest of my life." She declared.

INUYASHA AND MIROKU

"Well…Are we close yet?" asked Miroku.

"Not far…I can smell them…What the?" whispered Inuyasha.

"What?" asked Miroku.

"Kagome…Sango…I smell them still…They are alive." Declared Inuyasha, as a look of hope entered his eyes.

"HOW DO YOU KNOW INUYASHA?" Demanded Miroku.

"I smell their scents…I smell their sorrow…Why are you sad Kagome?" whispered Inuyasha to himself.

Miroku thought quietly to himself…'Why were they taken? What could have made them stay here…what could have stopped them from escaping.'

KAGOME & SANGO

"Can't we go back to say good-bye, at least?" Sango asked the healer, (the only one that they saw…ever!).

"NO" was her reply.

"Why not." Asked Kagome, as she took her hair down, so she could brush it. It was longer now, just passed her hips.

As Kagome brushed her hair, the healer explained 2 reason of what could happen to them if they left.

"Reason One: The males that you were with, may decide that you must stay with them."

"and Reason Two: You might not come back if you see them again."

"But we didn't want to be here in the first place woman!" Shouted Sango

"SANGO!"

INUYASHA & MIROKU

"But we didn't want to be here in the first place woman!"

"SANGO!" Called Miroku.

Inuyasha rushes into the room that the girls were in, with Miroku not far behind.

Kagome squeals and runs and raps her arms around Inuyasha's waist. Miroku runs over and picks Sango up and carries her back to Inuyasha's side, while checking her bandages with his hands.

"…Miroku? Why are you here? You personally" stammers Sango.

"…For you Sango…we thought they killed you both and stole your bodies…We came to get them…"

"Sango…Don't leave me again…k?" asked a pale Miroku.

"Why not?" replies Sango.

"…I can't live with out you…I love you Sango…" Miroku whispers with his head down, as though afraid.

"WHAT!" Yelled Sango, as Miroku leans down and claims her lips in a kiss.

Inuyasha whispers into Kagome's hair, "Kagome are you all right…?"

"Maybe…why are you here?" asks Kagome.

"…KEH…I promised to protect you…didn't I?" stuttered Inuyasha. Afraid that Kagome would hate him if he told her his true feelings.

Kagome lets go of Inuyasha and turns to the healer and says, "You were right. I'll stay."

"WHAT?" Inuyasha said as his eyes go wide, and he goes pale. "You would stay with the ones that kidnapped you?"

"At least they don't hurt me like you do Inuyasha." There were tears in her eyes as she looks up at him.

"WH…What do you mean?" Stammers Inuyasha. "When have I ever hurt you?"

"You just did…" whispered Kagome. "like you always do…I'm sorry…"

"For what?" asked Inuyasha. "Why are you sorry…what have I done that hurts you?"

"I'm sorry for loving you when I know that you don't and can't love me back even a little." Replied Kagome. "You hurt me ever time that YOU go to HER…every time you chose HER over me…I can't live like this anymore."

"…YOU LOVE ME?…Kagome…do you remember the last time that I went to her…?" asked Inuyasha.

"How can I forget…you left me for her again." Replied Kagome.

"When I was there, I realized something…I don't love her anymore…I love someone else…" Inuyasha stated. "would you like to know who it is?"

"…no…because I couldn't compete with the dead…so how am I to compete with someone that is alive?" says Kagome as the tears in her eyes spill over.

"Kagome…that woman is you…I love you…!" stuttered Inuyasha.

"WHAT…you love me? Why didn't you say so?" asked a shocked Kagome demanded.

"…I thought you would say that you didn't love me…and I would have rather lived with you near me, not knowing if you cared, then to know that you hate me…I was afraid that you would hate me…and think me a pervert, for even hoping that you would chose me." Whispered Inuyasha.

"You love me?…you love me…You love me!" Kagome says as she throws herself into Inuyasha's arms.

"KAGOME…would you be my mate? My wife?" stammered a blushing Inuyasha.

"YES" Shouts an overjoyed Kagome from Inuyasha's embrace.

A moment after Miroku gentle touches his lips to Sango's, some thing amazing happens…She starts to kiss him back, and wraps her arms around his neck, bring him closer to her.

"MUMMMMM…" whispered Miroku as he gentle pulls back from the kiss. "Sango…I love you!"

Sango replies, while blushing, by grabbing his hands and placing them on her ass. "Just kiss me Miroku, kiss me and hold me. That is all I want."

"Is that all you want?" asked Miroku, with a blush staining his cheeks. "OR would you mind marrying me?"

"Miroku…Really? YYYEEESSS!" Shouts Sango with joy, as Miroku leans down to claim her lips once more.

THAT EVENING: Kagome & Inuyasha-Private fire pit, Sango & Miroku-Private fire pit.

"Inuyasha…thank you again for coming after me…Could you say it again?" asked Kagome.

"Say what?" at Kagome's glare, Inuyasha begins to laugh. "I love you Kagome, always will."

"How do you know that?" asked Kagome.

"Because I love you for who you are…not for a stupid ideal…by the way, I will never go to Kikio again. I told her and she was happy for me. I think she always knew that I loved you…I was just too stupid to realize it till now…I love you so much Kagome." Replied Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha…will you teach me to kiss?" said Kagome as she started to blush from to her toes to her scalp. "Please?"

"Anytime Kagome, Anytime." Replied Inuyasha as he bent down and slanted his lips over hers.

"Sango…I have a question…" whispered Miroku.

"Yes?" Sango asked quietly.

"Can I make love to you?" asked a blushing Miroku.

"Will it hurt?"

"depends, probably at first. But only then."

"Will I enjoy it?"

"OOOHHH-Yeah, you will…I will see to that." Replied Miroku.

"OK…how do we start…?" asked Sango, looking sheepish.

Miroku got up and walked over to Sango, helped her up. Then made a nest out of their blankets. He then turns to Sango and takes her into his arms and kisses her senseless. He then laid down on his back and pulled her on top of him while continuing the kiss.

Sango snuggled into his chest, and returned his kiss with equal passion.

Kagome wraps her arms around Inuyasha, as he jumps into the tree that he had been leaning against.

Inuyasha licked her lips in attempt to deepen the kiss. Kagome gasped as Inuyasha's tongue touched her lips.

Kagome's gasp opened her mouth just enough for Inuyasha to slip his tongue inside her mouth. Stroking his tongue along hers, made her press tighter against his groin.

"…OH-MY-GOD!" stammered Inuyasha as he presses his nose to her throat. "Kagome…I don't think I can last much longer…Please tell me to stop…please!"

"…NO…Make love to me Inuyasha…please make love to me Inuyasha."

They quickly striped each other of their clothes, before reaching for each other.

AFTER THE FACT-BOTH COUPLES

"So guys…why did you come after us?…" Kagome asked as she leaned away from Inuyasha.

Inuyasha pulls her back against his chest and answers, "I came to get you…even if you were dead. I would have wanted you near me…because I couldn't imagine life with out you…"

Kagome snuggles into him, as he places a kiss on her head. "ummm…Inuyasha…I have to go home soon…"

Inuyasha looked down at Kagome, "Will you come back?"

"Do you want me to come back" asked Kagome as she looked up at him.

"If you don't wanna come back…I could stay with you in the future…if you wanted me to…Either way, I want to stay with you…until you can't love me anymore."

"Ooh…Inuyasha I will always love you…I'm just afriad you will grow tired with me…forgive me?"

"Always Koishi" replied Inuyasha. "I will LOVE YOU FOREVER"

"AND I YOU, MY LOVE" said Kagome as she pulled Inuyasha's head down to nuzzel his lips and rub his ears, (which made him pull her to him tighter and begin to purr).

"Miroku?…" whispered Sango.

"You already know why I came for you Sango…so what do you wish to know?" replied Miroku.

Sango looked up at him and said, "Nothing, I just wanted to say thank you for coming after me." As she leaned up and stole a kiss, then snuggled back into his arms. "And I hope that Inuyasha knows what he might have lost today…"

"Oh-he knows." Replied a grinning Miroku. "I love you Sango…and I hope you will forgive me for all the perverted things I have done…When I thought you didn't even care for me… by the way…if you loved me, why did you always hit me?" asked a very concerned Miroku.

"…cause I thought you only did it cause I was female…cause you hit on all cute girls…" answered Sango truthfully.

"but you where always so distant, as though you hated me…?" replied Miroku.

"I'm sorry…I guess I was just jealous…" said Sango.

"Jealous…what did you have to be jealous about?" asked a very confused Hoshi.

"…well…you were always groping someone…everyone but me…and I guess I was jealous that you almost never even tried anymore…as though I had the plague or something…"

"Oh Sango…I though you hated me…so I tried not to tease myself with the knowledge of your body,that would never be mine."

"But you never seemed to want to be in the same room alone…?" replied a very confused Sango.

"I didn't…"

"WHAT!"

"Listen…I didn't want to because I didn't think that I could control myself" Miroku declared honestly.

"What a fool I have been…" Sango declared.

"No my love, for if you have been a fool, then I, am an idiot." Answered Miroku.

"I love you Miroku," "I love you more Sango," The couple said as the wrapped their arms around each other and proceeded to show the other exactly what they meant.

THE END

Word count: 2,187