Whoo! Sorry an update for this story took so long. I've been quite the bust bee with prom coming up and all. I don't go for the expreience.....I just like to make trouble while i'm there....heehee......plus, the date i got is spiffy.....VERY spiffy.......so SailorInu1.....get that mob ready.....

What is and What Could've Been : Bonding Time

Sango sat upright and stared at the priest in front of her. She could've sworn that the monk had lost his heartbeat when she fell upon his body. But here he was, alive and well. Sango blinked a couple of times and then proceeded to rub her eyes it. This was too good to be true. The monk held out his hand to help up the demon slayer. She scanned the area around them. It seemed like they were in another dimension of some sort, but she couldn't be sure of it. For all she knew, this could just be a horrible spell draped on her mind. Miroku rested his arms on top of his head, probably wondering where they were also. Sango felt tears stinging at her eyes. This had to be an illusion, it just had to be. Miroku noticed her teary eyes and stepped towards her.
"Sango? What ails you? Why are you crying so?" Sango bit her lower lip and flung herself into Miroku's open arms. He was indeed alive. His heart still beat within him and warmth still radiated from his body.
"I thought.....I thought you were...." She couldn't bear to say anymore. Just the thought of life without her newly found companion sent chills down her spine. At one time, she could've survived alone in the world. But she had discovered friendship and had become accustomed to it. She wouldn't lose anyone now or ever. Miroku patted her raven hair. Somehow, it had managed to to become unbound by the ribbon that usually held it in a loose ponytail.
"I thought you were dead too, Sango. But you're here now, safe with me." Miroku bit his tounge at the last remark. The nightmare brought on had given the illusion of Sango being safe with him. That is, until his air rip had opened up and swallowed the poor girl. He lightly shoved the slayer away from him and and let his back face her. Sango brushed her tears away and balled up her fists. THIS again?! Her eyebrow twitched as anger flooded the sadness. She and Miroku may very little time on Earth of the battle with Naraku didn't go as planned and she didn't intend on wasting any of it.
"Enough Miroku." The muscles in his back tenses as she spoke boldly. "I know that you fear your curse. But I don't." He turned slightly towards her, his eyes still hiding underneath his bangs.
"No, you fear family, not curses." He instantly regretted the stinging remark. Sango flinched under the verbal poison. She didn't know the priest held that kind of venom, and it hurt.
"You idiot." Miroku's eyes widened at the deep voice resounding throughout the realm. Miroku gawked as an ebony haired, blue eyed man stood infront of him. His smirk was michievious and boyish. The two men stared at each other. The onyl difference between the two was the fact that the stranger had longer hair then Miroku and was clothed in silver armor and blue cotton rather than a monk's costume. Miroku opened his mouth to speak. "Don't bother mortal. She can't see or hear me. What were you thinking back there?"
"Who are you?" The man crossed his arms over his chest before smiling even wider.
"Oh. I get it. You want formal introductions before I call you a moron. Alright. They call me Aidan."
"I see. What is it that you want?" A large hand swamped Miroku's head in a heated wallop.
"What do you think you halfwit?! You just let a very loving, very gorgeous..very curvacious..."
"I get the point."
"...girl get out of your reach. For someone searching for a woman to bear his children, you sure don't let them get close to consumate..."
"How dare you even think Lady Sango would even consider such a horrid thing!"
"Has it ever occured to you that maybe she would be willing if you let her get closer than what you are now?"
"It's not fair to Sango."
"You're damn straight it's not. This whole time she had stayed by your side and is willing to die for you or even with you if that's what it meant to stay with you forever. The girl is obviously smitten for you and all you can do is think of yourself and that curse."
"It could kill her one day!!!"
"That doesn't matter to her!!! She's willing to take that chance with you! Damn, do you know how rare that is?" Miroku lowered his head as the vision of the man called Aidan disappeared.
"I killed him." Miroku finally faced Sango, a questioning look penned upon his face.
"What?" Sango's eyes were closed, as if debating whether she should be confessing the following. But she followed through with it, needing to get it off her chest.
"In my vision, I killed Kohaku. Because of you. He killed you so I killed him. I no longer feared the consequences of my actions. I've faced my fears, now you can face your own."

Tsuni winced when she saw Aidan force his way into her spell. Damn him. He always managed to do something like this. She left her perch on a boulder alongside a mountain. As she neared a cavern, she figured it best to hide there while her plan crashed and burned. She was defeated.

Miroku let Sango's words sink in deep before facing her completely and lifting her up in his arms. He lovingly embraced her the way she had always wanted to be embraced and finally laid his lips on hers, finalizing their own fate.

Inuyasha watched Kagome wipe a few strands of hair away from Sango's face. The couple still hadn't awakened, although there seemed to be a change in Miroku's twisted expression. Kagome gasped as Sango weakly reached for her hand. A calm smile spread over her face as her friends face came into view. It was no longer a blur now, she was awake. Inuyasha immediatly raced over to Kagome and Sango's side.
"Well good morning sunshine." Sango tried her best to stand, only to feel her knees quiver from lack of energy. Kagome braced the youkai exterminator with her body.
"You shouldn't stand Sango. It's too soon."
"Miroku.....how is he?" A loud groan answered everyone's question of the monk. He was obviously awake and judging by the rumbles emitted from his stomach, he was quite hungry too.

Bella paced within the small hut. The spell had been broken but Tsuni was nowhere in sight. This worried Bella. She knew Tsuni didn't take defeat well. When it came to losing, Tsuni was like an infected thumb. She would keep spreading her bitterness until everything was dead. Bella collapsed against the door, her long locks engulfing her petite frame. A blue glow brought her out of her state of confusion. She stood, careful of the origin of the blue phosphoresence. She braced herself with the wall and shielded her eyes from the blinding light. A soft hand was placed against her own hand, pushing it away from her face.
"Aidan?!" His smile was simple, a bit of a half smirk. But it was genuine. Bella fell to her knees and stared a the beauty standing before her. She was not worthy of such a presence. She had failed to keep him safe from Tsuni's rage and he had suffered the consequences because of her imcompetence. Aidan also crashed to the floor, grasping Bella's fair cheek. His touch was still warm even though life had not pulsated through him for some time. Tears cascaded down her cheeks, only to be wiped away by Aidan's thumb.
"Why are you crying?" Bella sniffled once before replying.
"I thought i'd never see you again, but here you are, touching me and smiling at me like the last day we were together." She plunged into his arms, crying out of joy. "I've missed you so much." She felt like a child seeing a parent on Christmas morning. It was as if Aidan was a present she had refused to open all this time.
"Well i'm here now. So let's make the most of it." She gripped onto the cloth, her nails penetrating his skin.
"I'll never let you leave me again." Aidan could feel his own vision blur by salty tears. The droplets fell upon Bella's hair.
"I never left you in the first place." She peered up at the man who had stolen her heart and wouldn't give it back. She placed her lips on his and invited him into a fond embrace.

Sorry so short!! Next chapter: All good things must come to an end....