Alright, my FIRST super bowl, his now my last. The last thing I needed was to be flashed by Janet Jackson (four year olds watch the SB, for heaven's sake!) I was just getting into it after we were watching a football game in church one time (it was a catholic retreat, don't get the mental picture of the priest and nuns yelling, "Touchdown!")

Anywayz, this so is going to put Inuyasha on a neutral level with everyone, so they won't hate him, but you won't hate Kikyo, you're going to end up on the same level about both of them, and probably don't know if you should be mad at either of them at first. It's not Inu's fault, it's not Kikyo's fault. Just mutual.

ALSO! I created a MUCH better pic for this story, in case you all thought that other one was tacky (I couldn't look at it without cringing at Kikyo's appearance) I added a couple of more, so PLEASE look! 

What's love got to do with it?

"Is he alright, doctor?"

"Yes, he'll make full recovery. He's awake, you can go in now."

"Thank you doctor."

          Miroku walked over to Sango, who was sitting in a chair in the waiting room, Kagome leaning on her shoulder asleep. "He's ready."

          Sango nodded, shaking Kagome lightly to stir her out of sleep. Kagome opened her eyes slightly, then widened them. "Is Inuyasha alright?"

          "Yeah, we can see him now," Sango replied, getting up. Kagome got up and they walked down the hall to Inuyasha's room.

          "OUUUUUTTTTTTT!!!!!!!" 

A nurse stomped out the room, holding what seemed to be a broken syringe. She huffed off, muttering things about dog-eared a-holes. Miroku, Sango, Kagome looked inside, only to turn back instantly, two blushing madly, one trying not to gouge his eyes out. One thought crossed all of their minds: 'Damn those hospital gowns.'

"Um, Inuyasha?"

"Kagome?"

"Um, hi. We came to see you."

"Well what are you waitin' for, come in!"

"Um, Yash, do you mind closing your gown?" Miroku asked, "we have already seen too much of you already." The hanyou turned around, holding the back of his attire closed, his face red to his roots.

"Well, you seem lively," Sango stated, sitting down in a nearby chair. Inuyasha plopped down on his bed, a scowl on his face.

          "Damn wench of a nurse, a painkiller is NOT supposed to hurt, nor is she supposed to STAB me with it!" 

"Good to see you're back to normal," Miroku stated, before smacking his friend in the back of the head.

          "Hey, what the hell was that for?!"

          "For being so stupid! How could you be so reckless?"

          "Well, hey Yash! Are you feeling better? Oh, I'm fine, thank you for asking!" Inuyasha muttered in a sarcastic voice.

          "Well, anyway, how are you feeling Inuyasha?" Kagome asked.

          "I've been better. A bullet through the shoulder isn't exactly something I want to experience everyday. Hey you guys, do you mind if I talk to Kagome alone?"

          "Sure, we need to get back anyway," Sango said, "we left Shippo in charge, and that's probably not the smartest idea, but he wouldn't leave us alone."

          "He's already costs us half of our glasses, we don't need him to burn down the whole place," Miroku said. Inuyasha looked out the window as they went off. "Can you pass me my cell phone? There's someone I need to call."

          Kagome handed him the phone and he dialed the numbers. "Hello? Is Mrs. Takashi there?… yes, I'll hold… Kikyo… yeah, I'm in the hospital… you're at a meeting… Well I'd like to see my wife every once in a while… alight… okay, fifteen minutes… sure… dinner, okay… bye." He hung up.

          "I should go. Your wife will be here in a few," Kagome said, gathering her things.

          "She's not coming."

          She turned back around. He had said it in an almost depressing tone, his bangs covering his face. "Too busy for that."

          "Inuyasha…"

          "Just leave Kagome. I don't want your sympathy."

          She took a step towards her. "if you didn't want my sympathy, then you wouldn't have told me."

          His eyebrow rose, contemplating on what she had just said. "You make me sound like some wounded puppy that needs comforting."

          "Your words, not mine." Was her distinct reply. "You need a… friend, a friend to lean on sometimes."

          "So you expect me to just pour out my heart and soul to you?"

          "Your words, not mine," she repeated. She walked over and sat next to him. "Now what's wrong?"

          "Wrong? Nothing's wrong."

          "You're lying."

          "How do you know?"

          "Your left ear droops when you're lying. Now please, Inuyasha, talk to me!"

          "About what?!" He jumped up, stomping over the window. "about me and my wife not spending enough time together, about us drifting apart! Nothing's wrong!"

          "Then why are you yelling back?!" she shot back, standing up.

          "Because something is wrong!" He blurted out, his arm folded across his bandaged shoulder.

          An awkward moment of silence was passed. Kagome stared his back, waiting for him to say anything else. Inuyasha looked out the window, staring at nothing in particular, picking at the IV needle taped to his wrist.

          "You can leave if you want to," he said softly, "you don't have to force yourself to come near me."

          He gasped when he felt her head leaned against his back, her arms wrapped around his neck, carefully not to put any of her weight on his shoulder.

          "Inuyasha," she whispered, "I wasn't mad at you because you had lied to me, it was because that lie had almost broken my trust of you. I thought 'if you could lie about something that significant, what could you also lie about?'  I've seen one too many soap operas where the woman his always left, depressed, heartbroken, or pregnant, the victim to a heartless man. I guess you really shouldn't believe everything that's on TV…"

          "Kagome…"  Inuyasha started, resting his hand on her smaller one, "I know we can't go on like this… but… I want to be with you, I don't know why."

          "I want to stay with you, Inuyasha…" she whispered, "I want… to be your friend."

          He turned to face her. "You… ya really mean that? After all of this?"

          She nodded just as the door opened. Two men in trench coats walked into the room. "Hello, Ms. Higurashi, we would like to talk to you concerning the shooting of Mr. Takashi."

          "Can you describe the shooter?" The second man asked.

          Kagome nodded. "Well…"

Meanwhile…**********************************************************

          "Do you think they'll get back together?"

          "It's hard to say. Knowing Inuyasha, he won't know what to do. Kagome was probably the one to set things straight."

          "You're probably right. I just don't want to see my best friend get hurt."

          "Don't worry Sango, Inuyasha may be dense, but he's not heartless. I'm sure he'll pull through."

          "Speaking of which, before we left you had said there was a surprise for me?" She looked up at him expectantly, stepping onto the subway. He smiled down at her, grinning mischievously. Luckily, it wasn't that crowded on the train, and had managed to find a seat.

          "Tell me!" She pleaded, looking at him with her best puppy dog eyes.

          "Alright." He handed her an envelope. Sango opened it cautiously, then gasped.

          "Skiing?! Miroku!" She jumped up, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. A perverted grin grew on his face.

          "Miroku, move your hand."

          "Hmm…"

          "Not back and forth!"  

          **WHAP!**

We have come to terms.

Quote of the Day"

(had one, but forgot it, I want some suggestions for quote/question of the day too!)

Okay, Miroku and Sango's vacation come in the next chapter. I felt guilty about not putting in more M/S romance in here. And in case you are all wondering who the mystery shooter is, you won't find out until somewhere near the end of the story, near the climax, which would be about chapter 18 or 19.

Til next time!

Lil'Lyn713