It's official that I'm allergic to everything in the state of Ohio.

Houshi Lover - Yeah, he's taken a real emotional beating, hasn't he? You can love him up as much as you want. All of Sango's mysterious reasons will be revealed in time! I'm glad you're so eager to see what happens. :)

Klutz82 - I seem to be going every three days, which works for me. I'm so glad you like it and that you're spreading the love. Mmm, love.

Vilja - Sango is upset because he WILL die if he loses. The curse will kill him sooner rather than later unless he wins this game. If he loses, they'll have no money and Sango will be left with their child, alone. So that's why she's a bit pissed. Her other reasons will become clearer. :) And uh...maybe she did take a train? I dunno, she might have talked herself onto a plane..in any case, no more flashbacks. Enjoy!

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11- Viva Las Vegas

"You can set up all the plays in the world, you can play perfectly on a hand, and you can still lose. And there's nothing that you can do about it." - T.J. Cloutier

No more stories.

No more segues.

I blinked and suddenly I'm seated at table 36 of Spiderwebs World Poker Series.

The air is alive with cigarettes, microphones, the buzz of monitors and video cameras, the clicking of chips and the slapping of cards, talking and cheering and chanting and prayers.

More than five hundred people paid ten grand to get into the tournament this morning.

Kagome and InuYasha are sitting somewhere in the crowd of spectators.

Kouga and Ayame are playing their own matches.

Kohaku is everywhere in the room talking to everyone.

Kagura is flipping and burning and dealing.

And somewhere out there, gently running her fingers over the swell of our child as she thinks, is my good luck charm, my poker goddess, my everything.

I've forsaken all my banners today. I have nothing. I have no wife, I try to tell myself. This isn't about her, it's about me. It's about making it to the end. I'm all I need. I got here on my own, I can finish on my own.

The King of Diamonds was always a loner, but he'll sleep with Lady Luck if he needs to.

Just get me to the end.

The cards are fast and flashing, my hands are amazing, I'm throwing in everything because I have nothing to lose, and I am unstoppable.

I see two red jacks, and the table blesses me with king, jack, eight. I'm all-in. I'm taking this. In a normal game, on a normal day, I'd think about it more, especially when "Xellas" across the way gives me a look and says "Call" in a way that suggests she has two kings.

But no, she has the 9 and 10 of clubs! And fifth street shows her no mercy.

If you don't have something to prove, you don't get in McHoushi's way.

$35,000 and miles to go before I sleep.

Demons don't necessarily need rest, so the game becomes as much of a physical endurance test as a mental one. People have food delivered, the wait-staff is constantly bringing drinks, the light is smoky and there's the ever-present odor of coffee.

If I was thinking about my wife - which I'm not- I'd worry about what this is doing to her. She's amazing under stress, but these are long hours, and she gets tired easily now. It can't help her to be breathing all of this, and I'm afraid she's sitting on a full bladder and can't do anything about it.

I mean, I'm not afraid.

I have no wife.

$94,600.

Dinner break.

Kouga is out. Ayame is soothing his battered ego with a number of beers.

Every fry I chew hits with a bang, and I wonder when I'll ever want to eat again.

InuYasha informs me that both Kagome and Sango have retreated upstairs for power naps, and I tell him I don't care.

Because I don't care.

I don't care.

I don't want to be up there with her, stroking her hair, spooning behind her.

I don't want to so much it could shatter my heart.

But I don't have my heart anymore.

At 5 in the morning, or something that feels like it, Bankotsu and I are back at each other's throats, and I have started to make mistakes. People and demons are starting to droop and fade now, the piles of chips are building up, and I have had eight cups of coffee.

The cards are a blur, time has no meaning, and eventually look down: my hand is the King of Hearts, Ace of Diamonds. My strategy books are full of the dangers on this hand, but I can barely remember any word from any book I've ever read in my life. The jackass across the table is staring me down.

"I see your wife did come, McHoushi. Big surprise, huh?"

"I guess you could say that." Mind on the logistics of the cards you hold, not on Sango.

"She's pretty big, isn't she. Aren't you worried she might drop the kid any minute?"

"Less talking, unless to check or raise." Bless Kagura, who has been switched to our table. Kohaku made a good choice. And she has a nice ass.

The flop is deuce of clubs, five of hearts, four of diamonds.

"Check." I say, but before it's completely out of my throat, Bankotsu pushes several stacks of pink chips forward.

"Two hundred thousand."

I freeze. This is bad. This is very bad. There is no reason on earth I should consider calling this. It's a given fact that I shouldn't call it.

And then my hand pulses.

Once.

And again.

I don't have time. I don't have time to think about the odds of this working out. I don't have time to wait for better cards, for a better hand, I can't wait one more day.

"Call."

InuYasha has a mini fit in the bleachers. Kohaku jerks out of a doze, suddenly scribbling down notes in case this works out, in case miracles really do happen.

Fourth street is the seven of diamonds.

What does that mean? Does it help? Does it hurt?

Another pulse.

"All-in."

I hate you, Bankotsu. "I call."

He lays down an ace of spades and a nine of clubs, and lay down my own ace and king.

Yea, though I walk in the valley of the shadow of death, Sango is my shepherd, I shall not want anything but the removal of this curse...

Fifth street is the jack of clubs, and I am saved.

Hallelujah, $866,000, more money than I've ever had in my life.

Bankotsu is out, and I am just about to thank my poker goddess, she's still watching over me, something's still right, I could forgive her, she could forgive me...

When she sits down across from me.

Suddenly I scan the room. This is the only table left.

I look down at my watch.

It isn't 5 am, it's nearly noon.

And there are four other people who don't have that same last name at the table, but the only one that matters is the one right across from me, the one I've held and kissed, the one who lives in my house, the one who's carrying my child.

I do have a wife, and her name is Sango.

And in her eyes, there's nothing.