Disclaimer: No, same as last time.

Chapter Twelve

To Understand...Or Not

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"So you're The Exterminator," said a male voice, "I would have never thought."

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Kagome, Ranko, and Sango looked up and gasped. Sango muttered something angrily to herself. In her hurry to cleanse herself from the battle wounds, she had left the window in her room gaping open.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome exclaimed. Perched on the windowsill was Inuyasha, with a serious frown plastered on his face. On his shoulder was the exact opposite of his mood, Shippo who was blinking innocently at them all. He was smiling and swishing his fox tail like a happy puppy.

The kitsune bounded over into Kagome's always welcome arms.

"Hmm. I almost thought of hunting down the Exterminator sometimes." Inuyasha said smugly.

"Inuyasha!" yelled Kagome.

"What? She would have been a good opponent!"

Sango rolled her eyes. "Even so, I wouldn't fight you. Exterminators only fight demons that cause any trouble."

"Feh." Murmured Inuyasha.

"Besides, we have more important things to take care of right now." Said Kagome.

"We do?" Ranko, Inuyasha, and Shippo asked at the same times while Sango blinked questioningly at Kagome.

Kagome smiled at Sango. "We have to take care of your wounds! You don't want Miroku to know, do you?"

Sango stared at her raven-haired friend. 'True... I don't want Miroku to know.'

'I bet Sango doesn't want Miroku to find out she's The Exterminator. I've heard he would love to meet The Exterminator, but I bet Sango wishes Miroku would like the true side of her, not the demon fighting side. But I think she's too stubborn to admit it...' Kagome contemplated to herself.

From outside, they heard another fit of Miroku's coughing and winced. It sure sounded awfully painful. Akina must have really been choking him hard.

"Let's go to the bathroom," Ranko said, taking Kagome and Sango's arm, "Inuyasha, can you make sure no one comes in? Oh, and Shippo, can you find a first aid kit?"

Ranko led Kagome and Sango into the bathroom while Shippo scurried off, doing hid best to remember what he as told to do. Inuyasha snorted, grumbling to himself about 'women...'

Shippo went to the living room watching Kohaku administer to the bruises on Miroku's neck.

Kohaku turned, noticing Shippo's presence. "Hey Shippo, need anything?"

Shippo scratched his head. "Uh, yeah. Kagome said get the... first aid..."

"Oh, I'll get it." Kohaku said. He walked to the kitchen and opened the pantry door. He pulled out a little white box with a red cross sign on it.

Kohaku smiled as he handed it to Shippo who teetered on his little fox feet then skipped away, singing. "Kagome! Kagome! I got the first aid box thing!!"

Kagome opened the door and took the box from Shippo. "Thanks Shippo." She said, and patted him lovingly on the head before clicking the door shut again.

Sango removed her shirt, revealing bruised and scratched arms that looked just as bad as her legs. Her shoulders were dark from burns and blisters. Kagome cleaned Sango's arms with antiseptic while Ranko cleaned up he legs as well.

Soon, Sango felt as if she was stinging all over from the antiseptic rubbed on her skin. She had many nicks, the larger ones bandaged. Ranko and Kagome each cleansed one singed shoulder, washing the darkened skin with water before putting antibiotic and some ointment, then bandaging it up.

.

Miroku groaned again. Kohaku hopped away, thinking he was going to vomit again. Instead, Miroku spoke up in his cracked voice. "...ugh... I-I gotta go..."

"Uh, go where?" inquired Kohaku.

"I-I've got to go-p...bathroom..."

Kohaku gulped. "Um, I don't think... you should go in right now. The girls..."

"Have to go real bad..." Miroku croaked. He heaved himself off the couch with his elbows with exertion. Kohaku rushed over to his side, supporting him.

'Oh Sango!' Kohaku couldn't do anything to stop Miroku from walking down the hall to the bathroom without injuring him more and dropping him.

"Hey!" Inuyasha yelled to them as Miroku approached the door with Kohaku. Miroku kicked the door with his foot, too tired to use his fist to knock.

The rustling noise inside ceased. "Who is it?" Kagome's voice from the other side of the door.

"Miroku..." Miroku answered, "I have to go..."

Kagome turned to Ranko and Sango. "He has to... you know!" she hissed at them. Ranko frowned. "We can't let him in no matter what."

"You can't come in!" Kagome's voice again.

"But... really need t'go!" Miroku protested in his whining wheezing.

"No!" This time it was Ranko, with annoyance tinting at her voice.

"I have to... really..."

"No! Just hold it!" Ranko said, raising her tone.

"I--" Miroku began.

Ranko's hands curled into fists. That insistent boy would not go away, and she was quickly losing her temper. He was hurt, but it was only his neck while Sango was black, blue, scraped, cut, and burned.

"GET OUTTA HERE YOU BUM! YOU CAN'T COME IN AND THAT'S FINAL SO YOU CAN GO PISS AND TAKE A DUMP IN THE BUSHES FOR ALL I FREAKIN' CARE!!!!"

Inuyasha, Kohaku, and Shippo flinched at the volume of the outrageous shriek that shook the whole entire complex. Miroku sighed, escaped from Kohaku's clutches and crawled away, holding it in.

Sango and Kagome, their hair finally fluttering down from Ranko's outburst stared at her, ears reverberating with a high pitched piercing ringing.

"Wow." Kagome said breathlessly.

"You can scream very loud." Sango said matter-of-factly.

Ranko returned her gaze back to them with a wide grin. "I can do louder. Want to hear?'

Sango and Kagome nervously laughed, waving their hands in front of them. "Ehehehehe... That's okay Ranko, our imaginations already have given us a good idea what it's like."

^^^

Sango's glued eyes opened slowly as a rogue beam of light filtered in from the window. She yawned and sighed from a good night's rest without Ranko's wake up call for once.

She undressed from her pajamas, putting on long sleeves and pants despite the weather to conceal her gradually healing wounds.

Leaving her room, Sango walked down the hallway and saw Miroku sitting in the kitchen, slouched over the counter with a cup of coffee.

"Sango... can we talk?" he asked in a soft voice. His throat wasn't as painful and when he talked in quiet tones, it did not hurt.

Sango's heart skipped a beat. 'D-did Kagome and Ranko tell him that I'm-- '

"Whu-what do you want to talk about?" Sango stuttered. Miroku motioned to the couch, indicating that they should sit there.

"About last night..." Miroku began, "Kagome and Ranko told me you went to call for help, but..." Miroku stopped. He wanted to know why Sango hadn't been there on the rooftop on that frightful evening. Perhaps she really didn't give a damn... "Why weren't you there?"

Sango frowned. "I-I was trying to get you some help."

"Still, why weren't you there?" he repeated. He saw anger flash through her eyes.

'Damnit Miroku, I was there!' she thought to herself, 'I was there the whole time! And I saved you!! But you don't know that do you?! You only like the Exterminator side of me...' That last thought snapped Sango.

"I was there for you, though you didn't see me." 'You didn't see me for who I truly was. You only saw The Exterminator in your eyes.' "Miroku, I was trying to help you. You don't seem to understand!"

"What don't I understand?!" Miroku said louder, feeling his vocal cords strain.

"Nothing! You understand nothing at all. You just don't get it!! Miroku, you don't know, and if you never will know!" Sango screamed. Unbidden tears welled up in her eyes and ran rivers down her cheeks.

"Sango..." whispered Miroku, reaching up to her with one hand outstretched.

~~~~ flashback ~~~

She turned to look at Miroku. His neck was bruised where Akina's fingers had clasped. His eyes were different than before, something Sango had never seen. They were deep, filled with sadness, yet joy at the same time and she did not understand. He lifted a hand to reach out to her, struggling to stand.

Sango turned as a tear glided down her face and off her gas mask, falling as a perfect crystal onto the roof.

~~~ end flash back ~~~

Anger flushed out from her eyes, filling with sadness. 'He's reaching out to me... just like last night...' She sniffed, then ran away from him, trying to stifle the huge tears threatening to spill even more.

'No... Sango...' Miroku saw her door slam shut, but he never heard it, all he heard were her sobs replaying in his ears.

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Noooo! There's no Inuyasha and Rurouni Kenshin. I hate you cartoon network!!!! Oh yah, does anyone know how to do italics?

Sorry I couldn't update yesterday!! I couldn't get on to ff.net yesterday. Baka computer!!!

Reviews:

Kyebaka: It had to be tbc because I haven't done lotsa cliffies! Bwaha!

~Babygirl~: Gah! Don't give me puppy eyes!!! See, I updated!! Hehe, I'm so evil leaving you all there. ^_^

Lil-strange-person: Haha! It's neither. ^___^ I did Inuyasha because I doubted anyone could guess it. ^_^

Tomboy: OK, OK stop begging! ^____^

Sango's-Friend: Hahahaha! You guessed the same as Lil-strange-person! Sorry, but it's Inuyasha. I just wanted to do something no one would guess...

Kitai Matsuru: Thanks, you're so nice!! My teachers were grumpy...

Moon Prynces: Hi again!! I like your name too. Yeah, I update fast cuz I get all happy when I write this. Bwuha! I will boil Akina! Now to just find a pot big enough for her...

Little Sango-Chan: Hey, don't hurt your butt by sitting there all day waiting!!! So what's with the Kouga's girl? Not that I'm saying Kouga's not cool, he's awesome!! ^___^

Until next time!! ^_____^