Author's notes: hi every one! It's been a helluva busy month for me. I'm feeling very sleep-deprived right now, and want nothing more than to drift off into wonderland. But I guess not. I really want to do this—and on to the reviewer responses!

G (you know who you are): Well, about time you got off your lazy butt and reviewed. Ah well, I still love ya anyway! Ya know, I hope it doesn't take as much nagging as it did this time to make you read and review this. I hope. And—yes, Inu-papa is the Hiko type of cool isn't he? That's why I love the eldest of the doggie-poos. And, once again—yes, I did base Lady Izayoi's shopping on my own Mumsie darling's. The resemblance is striking, doncha think? About you saying that Souta-chan's gushing about Inu-chan being like mine—you did hear me gushing about him like that. It was on a bus, on a field trip to…somewhere. I don't quite remember, but I recall saying, "I love Inuyasha!" And then you said, "You know if I saw him everyday, them I probably would love him…but I don't. I stick with Dai-Kun, thanks."

Heather: You know, you're right. Inu-chan had better start planning his tombstone. And yes, he is an idiot.

Shamanic Destiny: I got nothing to say to you except: YOU ROCK! You will not believe how floored I was when you said you were a fan of my story! I LOVE YOU!

Kintora: yes, Inu-chan has the hardest head I've ever seen. And about the giving Kagome a chance thing—he will. But then—oops! Can't give too much away! And, if it makes you feel any better, the villain is NOT Naraku.

Shangxiang10: Thank you for reading my story!

Priestessmykala: I hope this new chapter doesn't disappoint!

Alejandra: Thank you! Here's the next chapter!

Kagome glared at the red wine in her goblet with fiery eyes.

She hated him, hated him, hated him, and—oh, yes, she hated him. What right did he have to call her all of those obscene names, insult her person, and walk out as if it was nothing? The man was a bastard, put plain and simple.

It wasn't as if she asked to resemble this Kikyou person Inuyasha obviously had a thing against, but he could have at least looked first. He seemed to realize she wasn't Kikyou after a minute of observation. Had he spared that minute at the beginning of their little tirade, then all of the resulting chaos and hurt feelings could have been avoided. Completely.

Bastard.

Oh, how she despised him! He had no manners whatsoever, he had to have the worst vocabulary on this side of the universe, and he had the thickest head she had ever hoped to avoid, and the emotional capacity of a teaspoon.

She raised the goblet to her lips with hands that shook with anger and took a tiny sip. She set it down again, and huffed quietly, continuing with her inner rant.

And he'd had the nerve to call her ugly! It wasn't as if she as vain—but seeing as to how radiant she'd felt before descending to the antechamber, being called "weird-ass ugly" was a sore punch in the gut. She wasn't a preening peacock, but she wasn't totally cured of vanity, either. After it all being said and done, she was a girl.

And being denied the satisfaction of seeing him gracelessly tumble onto the floor didn't help either.

Bastard.

She sipped her wine, her graceful and controlled movements betraying the white hot rage licking her insides.

Sango, seated on her right, cleared her throat with a little ahem.

Kagome snapped out of her inner turmoil. She politely turned to Sango, smiling. Embarrassment colored her cheeks. How rude she had been! Half the dinner was gone—and she still had yet to talk to Sango. She had let herself get mercilessly wrapped up in thoughts if Inuyasha.

'Talk about your future hostess,' Kagome thought bitterly. 'I'm likely to start wars.'

Some of what she had been thinking must have shown on her face, because Sango said kindly, "You know, you don't need to worry about being rude. Inuyasha tends to have that affect on people. "

Kagome felt relief wash over her. A warm glow setting in the pit of her stomach, she said, "I suppose. It's the first time anyone's had that sort of effect on me."

Sango laughed a short tinkling laugh. "Oh, I felt the same when I met him." Never mind that she had been trying to kill him.

"Did you?" Kagome asked, her tone sour. "Then I know he's been a good—for—nothing foul—mouthed punk all of him life."

"It wasn't his fault," Sango quickly professed. The nature of this talk was to get the couple to leave to the dancing in a good mood, not hating each other more. "I was the one who attacked him first."

Kagome snorted in a very un-ladylike manner. "Oh, what did you say? Something a little too complicated for his miniscule brain?" She continued to toy with her food with her fork, frowning in thought.

Sango stared down at her plate, trying very hard no to smile and the ludicrousness of the meeting.

"No actually, it was quite different. It was about five years ago. A boy had managed to convince me that Inuyasha had been tormenting my cat."

Kagome's attention was caught. "Oh? Then what?"

Sango sipped her soup nonchalantly. "I stole a few knives from the kitchen and hurled them at him. He yelled a few choice words and I yelled right back." Sango glanced at Kagome and grinned. "I told him to give Kirara back. He called me a crazy idiot and told me he didn't have her. I called him liar, and just then, Kirara decides to show up. Imagine my embarrassment."

Sango sighed and smiled at Kagome again. "He still torments me about it, you know."

"He should!" Kagome said, laughing. "You must have nearly killed him with those knives!"

"Not nearly. My aim wasn't as god back then."

As good? Sango's aim was better now?

"What do you mean that your aim was not as good back then?"

Surprise flitted across Sango's face. "Oh, you don't know?"

Kagome's brows met. "Know what?"

Sango beamed proudly. "My entire family and I are demon exterminators."

Kagome opened her mouth to ask why Sango was working for a demon family when she exterminated them, but Sango, obviously expecting the inquiry, beat her to the punch. Kagome grinned.

"Before you ask why I work for and live with the ruling demon family in these parts…" Sango shrugged her shoulders. "We're indebted to the Lord Inu no Taisho. He saved our village once, from one mass attack of demons."

Kagome opened her moth once again to ask the circumstances of the attack, but, once again, Sango beat her to it. This time, Kagome blushed guiltily for being so nosy. She said as much.

"Oh, shush," Sango admonished, dabbing her mouth with a handkerchief, "nothing to be ashamed about. Well, anyway, so the demons attack. I mean, were experts, but even we couldn't fight off the masses. So, Inu no Taisho comes along, takes out his sword. I don't remember much of it, but I do remember seeing lots of light. And then, the demons were gone."

"Amazing," Kagome breathed, eyes wide. Demons, demon exterminators, and gory, bloody battles for one's life…she'd heard about them, of course, but had never really connected them in her mind. They were always far off things, things she'd never have to concern herself with. And now she was engaged to a half—demon, daughter—in—law to a full fledged demon and human, and well on her way to becoming friends with a demon exterminator.

"Looks like I'm not quite adaptable as I thought…'

Kagome smiled at Sango and said, "So tell me more—your skills, your weaponry, your people's history, your exploits—everything!"

Sango grinned back, "Aren't you being nosy?"

Kagome waved a finger at Sango self—importantly. "Now, you yourself told me that asking questions was nothing to be ashamed about."

"True, true. I regret my words."

"Yes, dearie! They will be the end of you."

"Oh, how clearly I can see it. Anyway, my main weapon is called Hiraikotsu—or boomerang bone. It's made out of the jawbone of a giant centipede demon, and incredibly hard to break. It's coated in demon fat and poison—most of our weaponry and equipment is—so it can stand up to demon attacks…."

Kagome listened, mesmerized. Sango had a small smile on her face, and twinkle in her eye. She obviously enjoyed telling her family history. And Kagome's attention held fast. She absorbed the information, thoroughly enjoying herself. All thoughts of Inuyasha dissipated, like smoke.

However, unlike smoke, it wouldn't be long before he plagued her thoughts again.

Inuyasha, seated across the hall from her, wasn't faring so well. He drank a goblet after goblet of the red wine being served. Nobody really cared; it took a hell of a lot of alcohol to get any person with demon blood plastered. Either that or those really strong stuff apothecaries kept whenever an ointment that stung particularly viciously needed to be applied. Yeah, that stuff could get just about anybody riding on waves as high as the moon with one sip.

Anyway, back to Inuyasha. He drowned another large gulp of wine and gestured for the servant to pour more in his cup. Eyes lashed with fire, he scanned the hall for the umpteenth time and laid eyes on her again. She was talking to Sango, smiling and laughing. He growled.

Kagome. That was her name. He remembered how angry she'd been, how her scent had flared with a dark edge to it that told him that this girl had miko powers—even if she didn't know it yet. He remembered how she had called him an idiot—deserved—how she had told him that he had a thick head—deserved—and how she had told him he had bad eyes. Now that was totally uncalled for.

Bitch.

He growled under his breath at her, called her words that would make even a sailor pale. How dare she? How dare she just waltz into his life like that? Reopen all of the wounds he had been trying for months to close? Didn't she realize that just looking at her made him want to kill everyone and save everyone and scream and yell in a rage and curl up into a ball and cry? Didn't she realize that whenever her stormy grey eyes settled on him, a deep ache started in his chest and wormed its way throughout his body? Didn't she know that being in the same room with her made him want to rip her throat out and feed her to the centipede demons that ran wild on some parts of the western territories?

He gulped his wine again. Bitch.

He would kill her before the night was over—then cause a civil war between the humans and the demons. That's right, Inuyasha, a voice said in his mind. Just kill her and get it all over and done with. Then you can go destroy everything in your path—and have a solid reason for it.

The clawed fingers laced loosely about his cup tightened, slightly bending the metal.

Oh, Inuyasha was angry—very angry—but not all of it was directed at her—that her, not the other one. The one who told him that she loved him, and trusted him, and would always stay by his side—and threw all of those promises out the window when her told her that there was no way he could become human. The other bit of anger was directed at the other her, the one sitting across the hall, looking for al the world that nothing was bothering her. And he hated her all the more for taking it all with a smile—okay, so maybe not a smile—and a grain of salt, and making him appear like a petulant child on the verge of a tantrum. And he felt angry at himself—for being himself. For showing the world that he had not yet let go of Kikyou's memory, for making himself weak.

Bitches. Both of 'em.

He raised his goblet to his lips again and scowled when he discovered that it was empty. He had it refilled and commenced chugging it down.

There came a tap on his shoulder. Miroku in all of his finely robed glory slid into the chair beside him.

"So, Inuyasha, how go things?" Miroku asked blandly.

"Royally fucked up or brilliantly blissful. You pick," Inuyasha snarled.

Miroku sighed dramatically. "You do realize, Inuyasha that this match was made for you to open up? As in, not collapse into yourself even more than you already have?"

"Hell if I know, monk," Inuyasha said, grabbing his fork and knife. He brought them both to his plate and speared a piece of beef. "As far as I'm concerned, I don't want her to exist."

"And why is that?" Miroku asked calmly, eyes questioning. "She's a wonderful girl. Great figure as well."

Inuyasha snorted. "Have you asked her the question yet? Sango'll kill you. You know that right?"

Miroku sighed, flicking a nonexistent piece of lint off of his robes. "Not quite yet. Whenever I do ask her though, it will be where Sango cannot find out."

"With complete disregard to the fact that she's my would-be wife."

"Yes, complete disregard."

Inuyasha snorted again, and went on eating the food on his plate.

'Leave it to Miroku to come and lighten things up.'

"So, Monkey Boy, how're things going with you and Sango?" Inuyasha casually asked—and winced. Attempting to lead the conversation away from Kagome, he had brought it right back to that point again.

"Ah my friend," Miroku said, "the better question would be, 'What will go on between you and Lady Kagome in the next few days?" He ginned wickedly.

Inuyasha snorted and said, "If you mean sex, buddy boy—not happenin'."

"Tut, tut, Inuyasha. Do you think that lowly of me?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Do you really want me to answer that?"

Miroku thought for a moment. "Yes…on second thought, no. I'd rather you keep your peace. However, back to the topic—you and Lady Kagome. Let me give you the 411—and it's not pretty. You two basically hate each other, and are out to get each others guts. This would not normally be a problem, because you seem to hate everyone. However, the plot thickens when we reveal that she is your betrothed."

Inuyasha cocked and eyebrow. "And I should be caring why…?"

Miroku sighed dramatically. "Must I spell everything out for you, Inuyasha? Wait, don't answer that either."

"Enlighten me," Inuyasha said, munching away on a bit of rice and chicken.

"She'll be your wife in three days. You also have to attend every party and ball she's going to, and spend three hours' daytime with her for the next six moths. You tell me Inuyasha—how in all of the worlds are you two going to survive it—or at least come out unscathed—if you hate each others' guts?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "Who says she's gonna survive it?"

If Miroku hadn't seen the wicked grin on Inuyasha's face, he would have told Kagome to run away very, very fast.

"You enjoy getting a rise out of me, don't you?" Miroku asked. "However, you've found I have the patience of Buddha."

"Yeah, you're the fat guy with that huge stomach. The laughing monk man."

"And even that has its limits." Miroku smiled sourly.

Inuyasha grinned back, and looked about the hall. His eyes inadvertently landed on Kagome and he once again felt his vision redden with rage.

"You know, Inuyasha," Miroku said. "She may look like Lady Kikyou, but her soul is very different."

"The hell," Inuyasha muttered.

"Give her a chance," Miroku said firmly.

Inuyasha would have said no, but that would be acting like a petulant child.

"Fine," he muttered

Not that he meant it.