Author's Note:
Since I haven't managed to scan any of my sketches till now, I am giving you a link to other people's sites with pictures. The first of the URLs is given at the end of the chapter. It has many pictures, believe me, and based on a lot of anime as well.

Hmm, it did take me three days, ne? Heh-heh! Argh, stupid exams...

Chapter 17
Aces of Spades and Queens of Hearts...

"Hang on, Miroku. It won't take us long" Kagome gave the houshi an encouraging smile, then snuggled close to Inuyasha, the two leaving for the rest of the group.

The buddhist monk was alone once again. Closing his eyes to concentrate, he went through their plan one more time before acting out his own part. 'I must get near the spot which Sango will be occupying when Shippo comes to inform me of it... By that time they will try to leave her almost alone until I come, when they will actually guard the two of us.' Miroku smiled good naturedly at his friends caution and dedication. 'You are the best friends I've ever had... If I ever had any other true friends.'

With that thought in his mind, he looked up in the sky. The bright azure that met his eyes mae him feel good, just as everything that reminds us of life's beauty does...

He could not see the sinister clouds that where gathering once more above the general area west of the village...

Inuyasha stopped just outside the glade where their three companions had set up camp a quarter after they left the monk behind. Sango was looking at the ground, right next to her where Shippo was trying to open a cup of ramen without spilling them all over him. This, of course, was very difficult, since the triangular piece of aluminum foil on its outer rim had been torn.

The taijiya hadn't realise they had come back till the elder priestess spoke up to the couple. "How had thy expedition been, my lords?" Realising what she said and noticing the strange looks they were giving her, she blushed a little, then went on. "If my eye deceives me not, thou hafth not found Houshi-sama." Sango could not hold the heavy, weary sigh that escaped her lips when Inuyasha shook his head. "We have to postpone the search since this storm on the west is getting heavier. We should check it out. In the meantime, I suggest we camp here: the weather is getting worce." Kagome replied.

Sango looked at the kitsune that stood before her. "Would you like me to give you a hand?" The little kit nodded vigorously. She reached out and patted Shippo lightly on the head, then took the cup out of his hands. Drawing a long, slender knife out of a sheath on her belt, she cut a cemicircle on the foil in one fluid, circular motion of her wrist and gave it back to him. When she drew the knife to sheathe it, her glance fell on the glistening surface of the blade and stood there gazing at it. She looked at her reflection, wondering if she was the least pretty or deserved Miroku. 'Maybe he was right to leave; I could never talk to him they way I long to.' Sighing once more, she put the dagger back where she took it from.

The young woman almost immediately turned around. 'I thought I heard bushes rustling...' Looking up to the hanyou, she asked the questio that came to her mind. "Tell me, Inuyasha, are there any people around? Any kind."

Inuyasha lifted his nose theatrically up and sniffed at the air, and Shippo followed suit. "Not a man, Sango. Now relax, ne?" As he turned around he winked at Shippo who was about to protest. 'Why would Inuyasha want Sango not know that Miroku is near?' Kagome eyed the hesitant boy. "All right, Shippo-chan, will you come with me? We do need some wood for the evening fire." As it would be expected, the little fox youkai followed her excitedly; not that he could carry a lot of wood anyway, but...

As the two departed, Inuyasha spoke up, looking at Kaede with a honey-dripping fachade. "Kaede-bachan, can I talk to you for a moment? Personally." The elder miko eyed him curiously, but nodded her head, thinking no ill could come out of such an action. "Hai, Inuyasha-sama." She got up from the rock she sat on and walked along with the white-haired hanyou farther than the edge of the clearing.

When Sango was sure everyone had left, she allowed the tears she had held bac all this time to flow freely.

Shippo was startled at what Kagome had told him. "You mean you planned this? I would have never thought of you as tricky as you prove to be, Kagome-chan!" The younger miko giggled at the Inuyasha-like way he crossed his arms. "Well, you should better go find Houshi-sama now... I will go find the rest."

"All right... See you in minute!" End then they jumped at opposite directions, Kagome trying to find Kaede and her husband, while Shippo would run up to Miroku.

A few moments later, Kagome had reached the other two members of their group. "Sorry for the trick, Kaede-bachan, but we had to give the two a chance to get together!" Kaede shook her head. "Thou hafth to apologise not; thou made the right thing...Now, are we waiting for Shippo to find the two?"

Inuyasha nodded once. "Shippo should be running back to catch up with the rest of us, while Miroku will go to the glade. What we have to do from that point on is protect the two while they have their talk."

"And here I am!" By the time the three had turned their eyes, Shippo had come up. "I found him! He's going to see her now!" They nodded their heads, and discussed the last issues of Kagome's plan. After that they set for their designated areas.

Miroku eyed her nervously from behind a cluster of tall trees with tick trunks. He bowed his head, feeling sorry for every small sob that left her shaking form, every tear she had spilled... He knew though that all of this would end soon after he spoke with her. Cocking his head to look straight at her, he started walking.

Sango was crying as silently as a human being could ever manage to. She of course would not like her friends worrying about her, so she tried her best to avoid them seeing her like that. Everyone in her current state would be shocked it they felt a hand on their shoulder. Not turning around lest someone saw her weeping, she said: "Would you please leave me alone? I am not in the mood for this; not right now..."

The young monk winced at the sound of her voice. 'Have I depressed her so? Baka yaro!' He held his hand though on her shoulder. 'If I speak to her now, I may manage to make up for her...' Taking a deep breath, he spoke up. "I don't think I can do as you ask me to, Sango-chan..."

The youkai exterminator looked suddenly behind her, as if she was afraid she was having hallucinations. Or was she afraid the man that spoke to her would vanish before she could rest her eyes on his image once more? "Miroku-chan?" The houshi nodded, a weak, yet sweet smile covering his features.

"Miroku-chan!" Sango said, jumping up to him. Miroku felt the air be knocked out of him as the taijiya hugged him tight, not wanting to let him go and crying. "It's all right, Sango, shh, don't cry. I am here now..." After a while, when he managed to calm her down, she spoke to him. "But Kagome and Inuyasha told me that they could not find you!"

Miroku held back the smirk that threatened to show up. "They found me few minutes ago. I asked them to stay outside the clearing so that we could talk alone."

"Oh." Sango hesitated, and Miroku knew it. "Tell me, why have you left? Was there something that troubled you?" She obviously had not noticed the uncoscious change in the way the talked to each other.

Miroku turned his gase elsewhere; he didn't feel very comfortable when it finally came to that. "Hai. There was something. And there still is." Looking back at Sango, he noticed she was getting sad again. 'Go on, do not stop.' Gulping down the knot that had formed on its own inside his throat, he bit his lower lip. The coppery taste of blood made him begin again.

"I... I mean, there is a problem we have to talk about."

'What does he mean by that?' Sango was startled. "What problem exactly, Miroku-chan? I really don't know!"

"It's... Sango, have you ever felt not worthy of something? As if you were not meant to be?"

Sango rested her head on his chest, right above his heart, looking down on the ground. She noticed it was racing. 'But why?' Locking her curiosity deep in her own heart, she talked back. "Hai... I still don't feel that well... about my people. My brother... They were all killed. Could I save them not?" Sango hushed him as he was about to protest. "I did feel not worthy of being a taijiya. But now... all of you have helped me get over it! It's a disease, not believing in yourself." She took a clever smile only for an instant. "As is getting overconfident..."

"I see. But I was talking more of myself..." Sango gased him in surprise. "Well, do you think of me worthy..." Miroku blushed a deep crimson during his pause; he bowed his head on her left shoulder, hugging her tighter, hiding his shut eyes with the moist corners and his flushing cheeks with his long strands of black hair. "...of you?"

Sango was too shocked too talk at first, but after a few seconds she held him even more securely, wrinkling his robes with clutching fists and bathing them in tears of joy and merriment finally found. It was not too long before the monk moved her off his chest, raising her chin so that she would look up at him. "Aishiteru, Miroku." Houshi-sama leaned closer and closer, breathing this words heavilly against her pink lips in a whispering voice: "Aishiteru, Sango-chan..."

The two soon found bliss in each other's warm embrace and the sweet kiss they shared.

Needless to say that a particualr couple was very glad with what they have achieved.

"Finally! After all these months, too!" Kagome looked excitedly at her mate. "I wonder how they stood this for so long..."

Shippo could not hold his tongue back at this comment. "Well, if you two don't know, then none of us does!"

Needless to say that a particular hanyou was not very glad at such a well-put remark.

Remember the URL I've told you about? Well, here it is: http://www.fayevalentine.net/! I think you will like this a lot, even if there isn't any Inuyasha material on it. You can also find some links to other sites...

As for the title... haven't you noticed that the original makes Inuyasha and Miroku look a little bad in way, while the two girls are mostly good? Now, which cards represent something good (and female) and which something terrible (and male)? 0v0