"Aaaah! This is totally, drastically unfair, you bastard!"

Kagome Higurashi snarled, kicking a very pronounced dent in her 'this-is-the-best-car-in-the-world-you-have-no-freaking-idea' car, bought and recommended by her best friend Sango she might add.

"Yeah right. Stupid piece of junk." Kagome huffed and stalked back inside her cozy one bedroom house irritably and straight to the phone. It took only a couple of rings and she got who she wanted.

"Sango you bitch! You have totally ripped me off on this oh-so wonderful car of yours. Where did you get it, Shitsville?"

Sango laughed on the other line. "Now Kagome be reasonable, that car was in pretty good shape when I first brought it to you."

"Yeah, for about a week. Obviously you've forgotten that anything you buy me, heavy machinery especially, should be tank-proof."

"Well, maybe if you wouldn't abuse the poor thing. How many times have you kicked that dear car?"

Kagome scoffed. "I wouldn't have to if it wasn't such a bastard and would just start up every once in a while without any trouble. And gas! Boy does that canner eat a lot. 'Bout drives me bankrupt."

"Oh shut up and just take it to a mechanic already. Take it to Miroku's; InuYasha's there, like I keep trying to tell you."

Kagome nearly dropped the phone at the sudden drastic turn the conversation had taken, her heart pounding so hard she thought even Sango might hear it through the phone.

"InuYasha…"

She whispered, her heart aching. She clutched at the counter with her free hand, Sango's voice sounding like a far off bell, calling her to attention.

"But…isn't he engaged to that girl?"

"Pssha. Just because the goods are off-limits doesn't mean you can't appreciate them."

Kagome smiled bitterly. Well, maybe in most cases sweetheart, but that most definitely isn't the case in mine. Still though…it's been so long…

"Maybe you're right Sango. Maybe I will."

She caught her bottom lip between her teeth, chewing nervously. She hadn't seen him in…God, so…so long. Sango seemed surprised but she gave her the number. After promising a girls' day out sometime, they disconnected and Kagome paced around the room for what seemed hours, contemplating whether or not to call.

She wanted to, very badly. But…the last time she'd seen him…with that woman…If he had finally found someone besides her that he wanted to be with after 6,000 years then she wouldn't stop him.

But I'll be damned if I let her take him from me without at least letting me see him first. Even if it's only this one time.

She knew that was bullshit; it wouldn't let that happen easily. However, she stopped that train of thought before it could get too far. She wasted a lot of time before she finally decided to call—the longest shower in the history of showers, cleaning her house that she knew couldn't get cleaner, dinner at four when she usually had it at seven—her fingers shaking as she dialed the number.

She almost fainted in relief when Miroku answered the phone. "Hello, this is Miroku at The Tetsusaiga how may I help you this afternoon?"

Thank God. What was I thinking?! I've wasted like three hours trying to avoid calling him and I haven't even thought of what to say when I finally get up the guts to call. This has never been so hard before. And she didn't want to admit it, but she knew that was because she wasn't calling to set up the first step in falling in love with her like all the other times; this time, she had to let him go.

"Um, hello. It's me, Miroku…Kagome." "Ah! Hello Kagome! What's up? I thought I recognized the number."

"Yeah, Sango told me to call."

His voice dropped an octave. "Why, is everything okay?"

"Oh yes…well, no. Quite frankly my car is a piece of shit."

The young man laughed. "I'm afraid I'll have to agree with you. Sango picked a good model but not so good a quality."

Kagome giggled. "You said it." This was why she loved Miroku. He was one of the most lecherous people she knew, but he never failed to make her laugh. Already her anxiety was wearing off, being replaced by the simple happiness of talking to a good friend.

InuYasha…If you kill me, I will die happy knowing that you are happy and will still have the grace of these good people.

She smiled into the phone, sad but content.

Accepting of her fate.