Hey everyone! I'm back! *joyous celebration and exploding balls filled with streamers and confetti* Hurray!

So everything's up and running again, I'm now legal to kill people with cars and I'm back on track with the story. Yay!

Random notes and thanks to my reviewers:

Sailorruss: Cool saying! It might actually be a nice title for the book, if I may ask if I can use it or not.

Aelienwen Elentari: Thanks for the birthday wish, and thanks for your suggestions too!

Wizardess Gal: You have a lot of time on your hands, don't you?

Trunks Gal: Yes. Kikyou bitch.

 So now, what I've been unfair and keeping from you, everybody, here's chapter 11!

Disclaimer: Do I look like Rumiko Takahashi to you?

Chapter 11:

Preparation

The dank and gloomy silence of the ancient castle was interrupted few times by noise of the outside world. It's lone occupant sat quietly in his room, deep in thought. He was alone and was not expecting visitors; indeed, he predicted no intrusions for at least another hour or two. So he sat and meditated, pleased at how this was turning out nicely. He had been watching and knew Kagura had failed. Now she'd be taking her time coming back, thinking up excuses, forgetting that The Master sees all, hears all, knows all. He was already compensating for her blunder, it actually working towards his favor. He was still keeping an eye on the objects of his interest, particularly one. He already knew exactly what to do. Now he would just sit and wait for Kagura to return and report her failure, or whatever lie or excuse she threw in it's place. He knew she would return eventually. After all, he always had the failsafe. He was always prepared.

Kagura fidgeted nervously with her fan, wondering whether or not she should return. Naraku was going to be plain pissed about her failure to bring the Reborn back and she'd probably get punished. She could go back and try to lie about it, maybe get that mixed-breed in trouble instead, and she might get off easy. But knowing Naraku he probably already knew about her failure and was just waiting for her to get back so he could punish her. It was a lose-lose situation.

She sighed and tried to relax by torturing a small demon beetle that shared the tree branch with her. She hated demon trees; they were always gnarly, knobby and uncomfortable. She'd have preferred to stay on the mortal existence but Naraku's insect Samiyoshi abounded there. Here she had a lot more privacy.

She watched the beetle scamper away from her fan until she snapped it in front of it. When it turned around she snapped it in front again. She continued this until the beetle was running in frantic circles back and forth, back and forth, unable to go in either direction without running into the other demon's fan.

I'm a lot like this beetle, Kagura thought grimly. I can't go forward and I can't go back. I'm stuck running in whatever direction 'The Master' says I can go. If not… bored of the game she flicked her wrist and the blade of wind sliced the beetle neatly in half, the two halves falling to the ground. She flicked her fan open and closed again, trying to think of a good excuse for coming back alone.

She was taking a chance just sitting here, not only with making Naraku impatient, but also because of where she was at the moment. With exception to his trump card, Naraku couldn't do a thing to her right now, including spy, due to the territory she was in. She was lucky she was even in this land because, whether by chance or unconscious choice, she was sitting on the grounds of the Fourth Lord, the Great Demon of the East. Of all the Lords he was probably the calmest and least territorial but he still would just give her a rough push out the door, figuratively speaking of course. If she was found it was her neck on the line. Not to mention the strange rumors she had been hearing about him of late, who knew what he would do to her.

She stood up and plucked the feather from her neatly done-up hair. She reluctantly threw it into the air and boarded her 'ship' once it transformed. Better the devil she knew then the devil she didn't, she decided. She took to the air and flew off, taking the routes that had been drilled in her head so that Naraku could keep the privacy he tried so hard to maintain.

"Are you sure this will work?"

"Yes, I'm positive. Now we should give them their privacy."

Sango gave Miroku a skeptical look. They were in a small room with two small futon beds and other accessories, including a mini-bar that amused Shippo to no end, despite the fact that he'd never be able to drink it. He just liked the way the door opened and closed by sliding out. The building the room belonged to was a small in with about eight rooms in classical Japanese style, including two hot springs out back. Shippo had been successful in booking a room for a few nights but now the two mortals and two angels were in a spare room for safety purposes more then anything.

When Miroku had brought back Inu-Yasha the atmosphere had immediately turned cold. Inu-Yasha refused to look at Kagome, Kagome refused to talk to Inu-Yasha, and when Miroku and Sango had tried to intervene it had only caused problems. Soon Miroku had decided the odd couple needed some time alone and shoed everybody out. Sango, however, was suspicious that the monk had his own plans while they were giving Inu-Yasha and Kagome 'time to heal'. She kept Kirrara close to her and herself far from the lecherous monk's wandering hands.

"Privacy?" she asked, her voice laden with sarcasm. "Doesn't that mean we don't listen in on their conversations?" She grabbed the monk's ear and pulled him away from the wall.

"Ow!" Miroku pulled his ear out of Sango's grasp. He rubbed it, looking hurt. "Well it's not like they're doing anything anyway."

"What do you expect them to do?" Sango asked, then decided she'd rather not know what was going on in the monk's head. She backed up a bit some more.

Miroku shrugged. "I expected Kagome-sama and Inu-Yasha would at least fight, but it's silent as a tomb in there. Maybe leaving them alone wasn't such a good thing after all…" He sighed wistfully.

"Houshi-sama, you don't honestly expect this plan to work, do you?" The girl beside him asked. "After all, Kagome seemed pretty upset and I don't think leaving them alone is going to help much."

Miroku thought about this for a moment. "You're right, she needs a shoulder to cry on." He stood up and started going through the wall when Sango grabbed the hem of his robe and pulled him back down into a sitting position again. "You're not going anywhere near that girl, you pervert." She scolded him.

"I'm being considerate." Miroku pouted.

"Like when you asked her to bear your child?"

"I'm sorry but that is what I ask all the girls." Miroku defended, wondering why he always got the rap.

Sango was getting exasperated with him and his antics. "You've never asked me." She grumbled then paused, and wondered why in the world she had said that.  She didn't actually want him to ask her, did she?

She didn't have much time to think about it. As if realizing a crucial mistake (which to him it probably was) Miroku grabbed her hands and held him them, looking at her in shock. "Sango-chan, please find it in your heart to forgive me! I was just never given the opportunity to ask you, but now I shall – "

Smack!

Sango zoomed on the other side of the room, clutching Kirrara tightly and blinking in shock. Miroku was frozen, then rubbed the handprint on his cheek and sighed. He'll never understand women.

"Myuuu!" a tiny form latched itself onto Miroku's shoulder. "Miroku-sama! What is wrong?"

"Myouga-ji-san?" Shippo hopped over from where he finally stopped playing with the mini-bar. "What's going on?"

"That's what I'd like to know." Myouga huffed. "Inu-Yasha-sama and Kagome-sama have been sitting in that room for ages and you have been here. What did I miss?"

Miroku explained.

Myouga sat there and rubbed his whiskers thoughtfully after hearing the story. "Hmm… Sounds as if Inu-Yasha-sama has learned an important lesson. It's something I've been trying to teach his father for years and years!" He tapped himself on the head and sighed. "Children never listen to their elders."

"You have to admit, it's pretty hard to listen to someone who runs away often." Miroku said dryly and Sango agreed with him. Myouga sweatdropped. He coughed and quickly tried to change the subject. "Well, what exactly is going on between those two?"

"Nothing." Miroku sighed, with a glance at the wall separate them and the dysfunctional pair. "They haven't moved, as far as I can tell, for the past hour."

"Hmm…" Myouga thought. "Perhaps we should leave them alone and let them come to their own decisions."

Miroku nodded with agreement. "Good idea." He said, as both he and Myouga leaned against the wall to listen in. Sango sighed. She'll never understand men.

Kagome fiddled with her skirt for the three-billionth time that hour and wondered if she should say something. Miroku had come back with Inu-Yasha and her guardian had refused to meet her eyes. She didn't really want to talk to Inu-Yasha; she was still angry with him for breaking their trust and keeping such a drastic secret from her.

What am I getting all worked up for, she wondered. Kikyou's dead. Well, sorta. I guess I'm Kikyou now, since I'm her Reborn. Does that mean… Does Inu-Yasha still… what am I thinking? She shook her head quickly. Get out, stupid wandering thoughts. She sighed inwardly. Maybe I should just apologize for being so judgmental. I mean, if the situation were reversed I'd probably have kept the secret from Inu-Yasha. Not that there are any secrets I can keep from him. He's been with me my entire life, knows me even better then my own mother does. Probably just thinks of me as a little sister, nothing more. I'm just a little baby sister that gets in the way too much and doesn't know when to quit.

She stole a glance over at her guardian, who was still sitting cross-armed and staring at the wall. He seemed to feel Kagome's eyes on him because he glanced over. She quickly turned and twiddled with her skirt again. When she glanced back for a second time he was back to staring at the wall, as if she weren't there. Well girl, she thought, it's now or never.

"I-Inu-Yasha…"

"What?"

Well that certainly changed everything. Kagome frowned at the curt, and rather rude, reply from her guardian, not impressed in the slightest. "Nothing. Never mind." She muttered. He was such a jerk sometimes – scratch that, he was a jerk all the time. Okay, maybe not all the time, but most of the time. Still, he was a jerk! And a man-whore too, she thought, trying to cheer herself up. He was just a dirty, foul-mouthed, dog-eared jerk and a man-whore to boot. And he was an angel! It was like she was stuck in backwards land or something crappy like that. Kami, she was even starting to sound like him…

"Keh girl, what's your problem? You can never seem to just talk to people right out, you just always whimper around and hope they'll get what you're trying to say. Can't you speak up for yourself once in your afterlife?" Inu-Yasha snorted. Kagome fumed.

Oh, and I suppose Kikyou was a great talker? She thought angrily. That's all he probably ever did during her life, just sit there and go 'oh look, here's another trait that's not like Kikyou'. I wonder just how much I am like her. Kami, it's only been a few hours that I've even known of her existence and already I'm starting to hate her. She was probably a slut, just like Inu-Yasha's a man-whore. I'm the reincarnation of a man-whore angel's slut. Sign me up for Jerry Springer.

She contemplated saying 'sit' when another, just as evil, idea popped in her head, courtesy of her 'man-whore' comments. She remembered the first night she and Inu-Yasha had met and the way she acted. He got embarrassed really easy, now that she remembered it, and it was almost cute if she wasn't so angry at him. We'll just see how much of a man-whore he really is, she thought while getting up. Besides, this would probably shut him up over the whole argument and the last thing she wanted was to spend another few days arguing with a tenacious angel with demon blood.

"Inu-Yasha?" The angel looked up as his task came and sat right beside him. He blinked a few times. She wasn't going to say 'sit'? He was positive that would be her reaction. Instead she was sitting there with that face she always had when she was getting her way. She had sat down right beside him and now she inched over so that she was pressed right up against his side. He stiffened, unsure what to do. Had Kagome finally snapped?

"What is it?" he muttered, looking away. Kagome almost giggled. Boys will be boys and Inu-Yasha was especially cute and naïve, no matter what he'd say. She rested her head on his shoulder and felt him jump, like he wanted to run away but was afraid to. She smiled; served him right.

"I just want to say I'm sorry for everything." She said quietly. Come to think of it, she was kind of tired and with the kimono it made his shoulder rather soft. She closed her eyes and relaxed a bit. You know, if I wasn't so mad at him I could actually sleep like this, she thought. She decided to keep apologizing, unconsciously leaning into his warmth. It reminded her a lot of the first night on the building roof on top of the light, before they started sleeping in hotels. "And I'm sorry for running away again. Every time I run away it just causes problems and get kidnapped or attacked or something like that. I'll try to stay close to you from now on." She drifted off, relaxing a bit more. He was actually really comfortable…

Inu-Yasha looked down at his task, unsure what to do. His task, Kagome, the girl he would have swore would have 'sit' him to the other side of the world, was instead leaning on his shoulder, a gentle smile on her face. What in the twelve hells was wrong with her? One minute she's angry with him the next she's treating him like a pillow. His ears twitched as he caught her gentle breathing. Now she was asleep. He wondered where Sango, Kirrara, Miroku and that gaki ran off to, and hoped to everything they wouldn't come back right now. He relaxed a bit and, after a moment's hesitation, put his arm around her waist and pulled her a little closer.

"You're a little late, Kagura." The demon clenched her fist at her side, but otherwise made no movement. She stood outside the door of her master's room, trying hard not to think about ways to kill him. For all she knew he had made another detachment that could read minds and with her points system right now she'd be in a good deal of shit. Instead she kept her mind a careful blank and waited to see what else Naraku would say.

There were a few moments of silence, then Naraku spoke again. "Don't worry, you may come in. Your elder sister is already here." Kagura hissed under her breath. So he did know, watching with Kanna's mirror. She was going to get it now. Darkly, she turned around and entered the room as the door entered, trying to look as if nothing was the matter.

Inside the room were Naraku and a completely white demon that looked like a young child with soulless eyes. She was kneeling in front of The Master with a small, round mirror held in her hands. Naraku seemed to be watching the inside of the mirror, but glanced up briefly as Kagura entered. His gaze flickered back to the mirror.

"You've failed, Kagura." He said. Kagura didn't move or speak. Naraku continued. "I have given you a simple task to retrieve one mortal girl and you could not complete it."

"I was attacked by the three-blood." She said by ways of an explanation. Naraku didn't seem to accept it and his eyes narrowed, "How many chances must I give you?" he said darkly. Kagura swallowed nervously and bowed. "Please master, it won't happen again. Just give me another chance."

"Kagura." She looked up at the sound of her name and found Naraku looking at her coldly. "Since I have died you and your elder sister Kanna have stayed and awaited my return."

It's not like we had a choice, Kagura thought but wisely kept those thoughts to herself. Naraku continued, oblivious to his minion's thoughts. "You have been my longest living servants, and for that I give you some leniency. However, I cannot give you any special cases; you must not fail me again."

"I understand." She said, bowing again, hoping to the Lords she wouldn't throw up. She hated this castle, hated the smell, the sounds, the sight, everything. But there was nothing she hated more about this castle then it's occupant. Cold, evil, cruel and powerful, Naraku was everything a demon could hope to become. He was too malicious to be a Lord, but in Kagura's opinion that was a good thing. But now he lived only to bring living hell to all three realms and was using her to do it. She dimly wondered when the last time Naraku ever did his own dirty work was.

"I have been watching the mortals and angels," Naraku was saying, breaking Kagura out of her thoughts. She looked up to see her master watching through Kanna's mirror again, where the small but clear figures of the dead monk and takijin, as well as their angels, sat and were talking. "They appear to have a plan of some sort, perhaps for a party to cheer each other up." Naraku smiled maliciously. "A party we will have to crash."

"Hai." Kagura nodded. Naraku didn't look at her as he spoke. "Don't screw up again Kagura." He said calmly. "I won't be so generous next time. Now here is what you must do."

Sango looked from Miroku to Shippo to Kirrara and then to the roof. She checked the clock on the far wall, then glanced over at Miroku and Shippo again, who were carefully watching the wall that connected the empty room and the room they were actually supposed to be staying in. After a few more moments a tiny form hopped through the wall and onto Shippo's shoulder.

"Well ji-san?" Miroku asked, picking up Shippo and thus Myouga in the process, ignoring the kitsune angel's protests. Myouga smiled warmly, quite a feat for a flea, even if he was a demon.

"Fast asleep, both of them." He said. "For once in his life it looks like Inu-Yasha-sama hasn't screwed up."

"Once in his life." Miroku agreed. "Does that mean it's safe to go in now?"

Sango peeked through the wall then turned back to the monk, demon and angels and nodded. "What I think we should do is go in there quietly, take our stuff and then go get something to eat and come back." She smiled. "They look peaceful like that. Give them some rest."

Miroku nodded whole-heartedly. "And you and I, Sango-chan," He said, grabbing the girl's hands. "We can go to dinner and a movie or something nice and romantic like that."

Sango looked from his hands clasping hers to his face, to the hands to his face, back and forth, back and forth, getting redder each time. Finally she snatched her hands away and turned around to hide her still reddening face. "I'm not going on a date with you." She said firmly and quickly, while Kirrara watched her, slightly amused.

"Does that mean you don't wish to go somewhere with me?" Miroku asked dejectedly. Sango blushed even further.

"N-n-no, not that!" She stammered, glaring at Kirrara who pretended not to notice by beginning to groom her tails. Sango fisted her hands at her sides, hoping maybe either the world would blow up or everyone would suddenly fall asleep and wake up forgetting about this so that she wouldn't have to deal with it. "Besides, there's that festival we're going to on Saturday, remember? I'm going there with you… I guess…"

"Ah, you're right." Miroku nodded. Before he had gone to collect Inu-Yasha, he, Shippo, Sango and Kirrara had found a few hints, such as a set up crew, hundreds of booths and ads everywhere, that a spring festival was happening the following night, Saturday. All four had agreed it would be a perfect place to unwind and forget their problems for a while, and it was close to shrines anyway, so any problems wouldn't be that bad. After the whole problem with Kagome and Inu-Yasha, it only strengthened their belief that the festival would help them all get a bit of tension out. However, from how Kagome and Inu-Yasha got along, tomorrow could forebode either a very happy Inu-Yasha (and a happy Miroku, if luck was on his side) or a disaster so horrible even the living mortals would notice. Miroku really, really wished for the former, for Inu-Yasha's sake of course. He smiled and walked up to Sango, putting his arm around her waist. "Yes, and I'm sure tomorrow at the festival will be a most wonderful time, don't you agree?" he asked, slipping his hand downwards a little more.

SMACK!

Sango stormed away in a huff, leaving Miroku with Shippo, Myouga and a red hand mark. Shippo and Myouga eyed each other, both thinking that the monk wasn't careful he might get one that was permanent some day. Miroku just sighed and rubbed the handprint absently. He couldn't help but smile though.

"I think she likes me."

End Chapter 11

Well everybody, that's it for the chapter! (Kami, fluff is harder then it looks to write!) There are only two more chapters and the first book is finished! Woot! Then it's just two more books to go! (for those that don't understand, see ending comments of Chap. 10)

And the contest is still rolling along, for the title of the first book. Careful, you only have two days left for your chance to be in Chapter 12!

For the few who don't know, the contest is that my muse is mean and won't give me a satisfactory title for the first book (books in novels always have to have titles). So I decided, since reader interaction is always a good thing, to see what you guys think would be a good title for the first book of Guardian Angel. I've been getting some really good suggestions, so keep them coming! The deadline is 8:00pm Wednesday, November 27th. Hope to read even more good suggestions!

Well, I've posted the story, thanked more of my reviewers and posted up the final details of the 'Book Title' contest. Looks like my work here is done.

Until Wednesday!

~Ama

("It seems that Sango's in love with Miroku-sama, don't you think?"

  "How? Sango always hates it when Miroku touches her butt."

   - Kagome & Inu-Yasha)