Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or The Decemberists.

A/N: So I'm trying to update as often as possible…to make up for the fact that I didn't update for a year. guilty look But thank you to all who reviewed! :D

The Barrow Boy

Chapter 10-What friends are For

Bi Polar

"Miroku and Sango…" Kagome mumbled. She had heard those names before…but where? And then it hit her. Her visit with Madame Kaede when she had explained her song and the memory flooded her mind.

"His name was Miroku. He came from a wealthy family to say the least. They lived in that huge house by the moors, on the cliffs.

"Her name was Sango; a very kind hearted girl with a pretty face. Only a year before he had moved here her house and farm had burnt down, leaving her without a family, a home, or money. She worked hard after that.

"Anyway, Miroku found Sango extremely intriguing in spite of how much she pushed him back. And without either one knowing it they had fallen in love."

"Oh but Miroku's parents were strict in the way they raised their boy, he wasn't going to go off gallivanting with some 'working whore' as they called her. You should of seen these two. They were in love; anyone with eyes could see that. So they devised a plan where they could be happy."

"If they couldn't be together in the real world then they promised one another they would be with one another in the afterlife."

Kagome jumped up and pointed a finger towards the couple in front of her. "Sango and Miroku!! But you two are supposed to be dead!" She shouted before Inuyasha gave her a glare that said: Didn't you just say to be quiet. She instantly reddened and slinked behind Inuyasha embarrassedly.

"Isn't he?" Sango said pointing a finger at Inuyasha.

Inuyasha faltered and looked away, unable to counter what she had just brought into light.

Kagome, however, refused to step down. "Well…true. I'll give you that but he's got a mission to complete. I thought you both died willingly." She said quietly.

Sango gave a knowing smile and held a hand to her mouth to suppress a giggle. Miroku glanced down at her before replying nonchalantly. "Who said we died?"

Kagome and Inuyasha stared for quite sometime. "What?!" Inuyasha roared before immediately silencing himself, he didn't want to get another scolding glare from Kagome.

"Well we know everyone thinks we're dead but…we planned all of it." Sango answered wryly.

"Pl—planned it?" Kagome stuttered staring at the couple before her with wide eyes.

Sango nodded as the man spoke up. "Yeah…we planned our own deaths." He chuckled a little. "Well…our would-be deaths."

Kagome shook her head and Inuyasha just stared wide-eyed. "I don't understand." The raven haired girl said quietly.

"How did you survive the jump?" Inuyasha asked, his eyes still the size of saucers.

"Ah, you see, that's where you are mistaken." Miroku said with a cocky grin. "We never jumped."

Kagome felt like she wanted to sit down. It was enough having to help a ghost find his dead love's grave, but this! The tragic lovers of Irvington still alive! She was getting dizzy, probably from confusion. Kagome leaned against Inuyasha for support, holding a hand against her head. Inuyasha didn't mind at all, he wrapped his protectively around her waist as she leaned against him, enjoying the warmth radiating from her body.

Sango smiled lightly. "It was the only way we could be together." She spoke barely above a whisper and she blushed, looking up at the man besides her.

Despite being puzzled Kagome felt tears pricking at her eyes as the other woman said this. She said it with such…love. It was sweet. She took a deep breath and spoke quietly. "How did you do it?"

The two broke out in grins. "It took a lot of planning. Why don't we go back to the pub, out of the cold?"

Kagome nodded and followed them back to the tavern, Inuyasha in tow. Almost everyone had left; the few who were still hanging around were getting ready to go, helping each other off the bar stools and talking in drunken murmurs. The four of them sat down at a small table, Inuyasha and Kagome on one side and Miroku and Sango across from them.

"Barkeep! Four pints if you please!" Miroku called out. Kagome didn't feel like another drink but was too polite to decline; besides she wanted to get to the point about the story. Inuyasha, however, took the pint greedily; it wasn't everyday the young man got to savor real drink and food…not that he needed it.

Sango took a sip of her drink and cleared her throat. "Back to the point then."

Miroku blushed before giving Kagome and Inuyasha a guilty smirk. "Oh yeah. Back to the story then. Kaede's probably told you a bit about our tale already, knowing her."

Kagome nodded. "She said your parents didn't want you two to be together so you jumped off your veranda to be with one another in the afterlife." She stated matter-of-factly.

The young girl sitting across from her nodded and smiled. "Seems about right, 'cept the last part of course. Yes, Miroku's parents didn't like me too much." She chuckled a little as her husband put his arm around her shoulders lovingly.

"They weren't going to let us be together, you see…so something had to be done. And fast too, because they were going to send me to London." Miroku added quietly as he held his wife close to his chest. "So…we concocted a plan to fake our own deaths in hope that they wouldn't search for our bodies, that way we could live peacefully." He spoke barely above a whisper.

"But what happened? Kaede said she saw you two jump." Inuyasha asked gruffly with an ugly scowl on his flawless face. Kagome could only guess that he had heard this story as well.

"We asked her to tell everyone of our suicide…though we really just climbed down the cliff side where we had a little boat waiting." Sango said quietly. "We needed everyone to believe that we had really died so they wouldn't look for us and Kaede was well respected among the community…so when she told them that we had died they believed her without a second thought." She covered her mouth with her hand to cover a small chuckle. "In fact, Kaede helped us plan the whole thing. She's a wonderful friend." Miroku nodded in agreement.

Kagome remained silent trying to take it all in. Kaede was some person. She seemed to lie for everyone—for Inuyasha, for Sango and Miroku; she could only wonder how many of her other songs were lies.

And then quite suddenly Inuyasha started laughing a loud boisterous laugh. He leaned back in his seat and grabbed his pint to take another swig before he let out a sigh and nodded to the bewildered crowd. "Oh…um…I just found it interesting. That seems like something Kaede would do. She did that for me and Kikyou too. She did that kind of thing for a lot of people." When he said this, his face turned into a rather serious expression and Kagome gaped at him, it had been the first time he had spoken willingly about Kikyou. She wouldn't push it, after all it was the one day he had off from being a ghost.

Miroku smiled slightly and stared straight into Inuyasha's golden eyes. "Well in the sphere of oddities…you're quite the specimen. Am I right…Eli?"

Inuyasha stared straight back and grinned one of his cocky smiles. "I suppose you could say something like that." He leaned back against the seat and took another sip of beer, never once breaking the gaze with the musician.

"I do believe that I'd like to be involved with your quest Inuyasha." Miroku said slyly.

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow. "Why?" Kagome and Sango watched intently not quite understanding what was going on.

"I feel sympathy for you. And I know what it feels like to be torn between two worlds. Perhaps not literally… but emotionally." He grinned a little, taking a quick glance at Sango who reached down to hold his hand.

Inuyasha stared but nodded his head. "Do what you want…" A response that Kagome rolled her eyes to, he would always be a stubborn arse.

Sango grinned. "Alright then it's settled! We'll be helping you out! What's this thing about a quest? And how come you know so much about it, my dear?" Sango asked curiously, turning to Miroku.

Her dear husband chortled. "When I was a child I had an interest in the supernatural. You can learn a lot when you're cooped up inside with nothing better to do than read." He winked and Sango turned away with a blush. Kagome smiled inwardly, even after all this time of being married they were still embarrassed by each other.

Inuyasha, with help from Kagome, went about explaining the place of limbo and the job he was given to complete. Sango and Miroku, in turn, vowed to help search for Kikyou's body. Inuyasha smiled at the two of them and nodded taking the last sip from his glass before getting up. "Well it'll be daylight soon and I should get Kagome back home. But…thank you." He said this in all seriousness which caught not only Kagome off guard but also the two musicians. "Let's go Kagome." He held out his hand for her to take.

The raven-haired girl stared up at him before grabbing hold of his hand and helping herself out of the chair. "We'll see you guys later, here tomorrow after dark?" She questioned. Miroku and Sango nodded, getting up to put their instruments away.

Kagome walked hand and hand with Inuyasha silently back to her house. Once or twice he would squeeze her hand affectionately (though never once looking at her when she gave him a questioning glance) and although Kagome enjoyed his presence immensely she couldn't get over how horribly cold his hands were.

When they finally reached Kagome's house it was early morning and the blue eyed beauty let out a long yawn. He let go and part of Kagome missed the feeling of his hand (cold or not) wrapped around hers. "I'm sorry to have kept you out so long." Inuyasha said quietly.

Kagome smiled; somehow he was gentler than he usually was; his actions, his voice, his whole character. Was he like this before he was brutally murdered? "It's not your fault. I wanted to take you out." She grinned and turned to face him as they reached the doorstep of her grandfather's home.

Inuyasha bit his bottom lip and for some reason he looked nervous. His gaze averted hers and he took a deep breath. Before Kagome could ask what was wrong Inuyasha blurted out what was on his mind. "Thank you Kagome! I know I don't say it enough…but I really appreciate all you've done for me. And…I'm sorry for being arse…and…just…thank you."

If he had any color in his face Kagome was sure he'd be blushing by now. And that's when she leaned forward and gave Inuyasha's frozen cheek a small peck. "What are friends for?" She whispered in his ear.

Inuyasha let out a sigh and she could feel him shiver slightly. She pulled away but not before Inuyasha pulled her into him, embracing her with all his might. She felt him stroke her long black hair and even though she was cold against his frame, she felt warm at the same time. She felt safe and protected and deep inside her…even if he didn't say it aloud, she felt wanted. But most of all…she felt content.

After what seemed like forever he pulled away, looked around nervously and cleared his throat. "Well I should really get going. It's almost day light." He waved at her and turned to leave and Kagome grinned at his disappearing form as the sun came up over the horizon. Even though his time limit was near approaching and there'd be a chance that he would forever be stuck in purgatory she knew, somehow, everything would turn out alright.

A/N: Thank you to all of you who wrote comments…I seriously feel so loved! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I seriously can't believe how much support I got. :D

And thank you to all of you who wished me well. I'm making a slow recovery but soon I'll be up and around! :D