A/N: *SOB* I have the best readers and reviewers in the face of the planet! (okay fine, I'm

biased!) Thank you all so much for supporting this fic although sadly, it's drawing to a close. I'm

still not sure if the next part will be the conclusion so please keep the reviews coming, it really

keeps me focused. ^_^ Anyway, I'm still not done with school stuff, I just couldn't bear to leave

everyone hanging after my last installment that I had to write this one just to tide everyone's

expectation. I'm also trying to finish a newspaper, a 3x5 sized billboard, and a direct mail ad, I

hope this story's still good-- I'm really quite exhausted these days. Anyway, please read and

review.

In response to everyone's question/comments/reviews. Okay, first off, quite a lot of people said

that it was too early for Sango to know she was pregnant-- this part would hopefully provide all

the answers to everyone's questions.

Anima, isn't Let Me Be The One great? I've seen Jimmy Bondoc so many times at my radio

station (where I'm currently training) and he's a cutie! ^_^

White Witch, you can catch that song in WAVE 89.1 most of the time. You've been really sweet

even from the beginning, thanks. ^_^

Big thanks to readers whose names I can recall because they've been really encouraging and

sweet, Bonesassan, HikariNoMiko, Shadow Priestess, Coherentidot, Prophecy Girl, Warrior

GL, Nuklear Firefly, and SylverAngel for being so sweet and understanding. Thanks so much, I

really appreciate the reviews. Btw, the cliffhanger thingie-- er, sadly, this part ends with another

one. I don't know why I do it-- lack of time maybe? But really, I have no plans of torturing

readers... yet. ^_^ (evil laughter)

Happy readings!

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"Sango--- are you pregnant?" asked Miroku, his voice hoarse and shaking as he felt his world fall beneath his feet.

Sango saw RED. But it was more than that blazing, consuming color-- for in Sango's eyes, a red fire had ignited and in her mind, she cooked the shaking houshi over a spit complete with an apple in his mouth. She forgot the pain in her abdomen as she stiffened her spine and gave Miroku a death glare. Her voice came out calmly but with each word, the monk flinched.

"PREGNANT? ME? ARE YOU INSANE?" asked Sango crisply, her voice as sharp as a knife with each word. With murder in her eyes she stepped forward and very swiftly, socked Miroku on the jaw who promptly went down. She towered over him, a virago in her rage. "YOU IDIOT!" she finally shrieked, making the flowers bend with the strength of her voice.

"But--" began Miroku, his gloved hand nursing his sore jaw. Kirara looked uncomfortable and the cat youkai gave a whimpering meow before bounding away from the couple. Neither Sango nor Miroku noticed the feline's departure.

"The signs---" feebly said Miroku, stars still spinning around his head.

"Pregnant?! Hah! What in the world gave you that idea? Why, are you a psychic? What makes you such an expert on women? Are you a woman? I don't see how a pervert like you can know about issues such as pregnancy. Besides-- why in the world would I be pregnant?" ranted Sango as the cowering Miroku began to realize that the taijiya was quite hysterical.

Miroku softened his voice, considering Sango's delicate condition. "Because I know what we did three nights ago," he answered, as the angry color in Sango's face got leached out and was replaced by gray.

Sango suddenly remembered her aching abdomen and with a moan of pain and at the same time mortification, she fell down and lay in a fetal position, clutching her stomach. "Idiot, idiot," she muttered as Miroku hurriedly picked her up in his arms.

Scared nearly witless and knowing that the taijiya was in obvious pain, Miroku ignored Sango's attempts to break free from his grip. He merely tightened his hold on her and cuddled her in his arms closer. He walked a few feet away and stopped under a tree near the small bubbling brook. He sat down and placed Sango on his lap. He sighed as he tried to sort through the ramifications of being a father in the very near future.

"Mikomi," he said aloud, a small smile on his face. (Mikomi=Hope)

"Hmm?" asked Sango, the pain eased strangely with Miroku's arms wrapped around her securely. She tried not to enjoy the feeling too much but she found herself leaning closer to Miroku's warm and tender touch.

"I'd like to name our first child Mikomi," replied Miroku, an almost idiotic grin spreading on his face.

Sango's jaw dropped as she reared back and gazed at Miroku in incredulity. "I'm not pregnant," she said.

Miroku quirked an eyebrow at her. "You really don't have to lie you know. I'm not clueless and neither am I stupid or amnesiac. Marry me Sango," he said solemnly.

"I. Am. Not. Pregnant," said Sango, her voice rising a pitch higher as she enunciated each word.

Miroku looked stubborn and clearly disbelieving Sango's words. Sango shot Miroku an exasperated expression that bordered on laughter.

"I know you probably felt a contraction," began Miroku and was cut off by Sango's shriek of laughter.

Sango was laughing so hard that tears began to pour down her eyes. Maybe those tears weren't just those of laughter but nevertheless, her shoulders were shaking in mirth.

Noticing Miroku's growing annoyance, Sango swallowed her laughter and spoke, "IT was not a contraction," as she looked into his earnest blue-violet eyes.

Sango noticed a crack in Miroku's confidence and pressed her point further. "When I was clutching my stomach earlier-- " she began as red began to creep up her cheeks.

She looked away and finished, "It was a menstrual cramp."

Miroku opened and closed his mouth so many times he looked like a fish gasping for air on land. The bewildered expression on his face slowly turned to extreme chagrin. His voice cracked as he confirmed, "So you're not with child?"

Sango looked away and answered almost flatly, "Yes. You can breathe now, you're not responsible for whatever condition I'm in." She moved away from Miroku's arms who was still too stunned to do anything but watch her move away. She sat down beside the monk instead and said softly, "So now you know..."

Miroku said nothing, merely stared off in space.

Sango slowly stood up and was silent for a minute. She bit her lip, trying not to say anything more but impulse overcame logic. "I guess you don't want to marry me anymore right?" asked Sango.

When Miroku still didn't reply, she gave a sad sigh. A bittersweet smile graced her face. "It's all right, you really don't have to feel responsible for what happened-- I mean, if you really know what occurred between us that night..." Sango gave a slight pause before she continued, "It's my fault I guess." She shuffled her feet and finally turned her back.

"Sango?" murmured Miroku as he slowly stood up.

Sango turned back warily, her brown eyes shadowed. "What?" asked Sango.

Miroku took a deep breath and he stepped forward, closing the space between him and Sango. The sun was just setting and created a flaming halo over their heads. The air was turning cool and the sweet fragrance of the meadow flowers drifted towards them, locking them together in a timeless place.

Deep blue-violet eyes glanced tenderly into warm brown eyes.

A gloved hand reaching for a strong yet feminine hand and catching hold of it in a firm grip.

A distance crossed with simple words, a great void completed with honesty.

"Sango?" asked Miroku, his eyes dark and solemn.

Sango could only stare at him, her heart aching with so much love. She knew that it reflected in her eyes. "What?" she asked knowing it was too late for her to try and conceal her feelings.

"I still want you to marry me," said Miroku with a disarmingly boyish grin on his face.

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Crucify My Love

An Inuyasha Fanfiction by Jo-chan

Part 10- Closing the Distance