A/N: WoW! So many reviewers so little time to thank you all! Please don't think that the story's shocking and strange popularity has gone to my head, and I don't want to acknowledge my reviewers, because I wish I could. But lately, my time has been fading into tiny scraps of minutes so I can eat and breathe. Besides, there's nothing like having Biology and Chemistry in the same day to kill all inspiration. So I hope you all know how amazed and how touched I am at the dedication that you guys are displaying! You've all managed to make me smile more than once ^___^ So think of this chapter as being dedicated to you, because without the reviews I would have lost all inspiration months ago!

Enjoy!

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Chapter 11: Safety in Numbers

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"Wild thing…da da da da da da…you make my heart sing…you make everything…groo-vay…."

Sango was torn.

She didn't know whether to roll her eyes and groan, or laugh out loud at Miroku's attempt at singing. It wasn't that his taste in music was bad…it was just that he could probably make a

karaoke bar clear out if he ever brought the microphone near his voice.

She settled instead on keeping her eyes firmly locked on the world outside her window, settling back into the comfortable, plush seats of the young man's expensive SUV. The comfort and luxury that she was surrounded by almost made up for his lousy singing.

Almost.

"Come on Kirara, join in here!" Miroku exclaimed, glancing back at the cat in his rear view mirror. But the cat could only stare at him blankly from her position in the backseat.

Shaking his head, he turned back to the road, waiting for the traffic to begin its snail pace

across the intersection.

"Your cat doesn't like to sing?"

"No, my 'cat' does not like to sing. And she doesn't like to listen to a voice that has no doubt shattered windows in the past."

"Ouch," Miroku placed a hand on his heart in mock-hurt. "Now that was painful. You think I can't sing?"

Sango pried herself away from the fascinating view of boarded up stores and graffiti covered walls. Where exactly were they going anyway? This hardly seemed like a neighbourhood where men who drove hundred-thousand dollar cars hung out.

"I know at least ten different types of monkeys that can probably croak out a tune better than you. And," She continued before he could reply, "I had a teddy-bear that can sing better than that, and he sounded like he had overdosed on a few bottles of helium."

"You with a teddy bear? Now that's an image I'd like to see," Miroku said thoughtfully, fully aware of the eyes burning into the side of his head, but smiling none-the-less. "As for my singing though, I may not be the next Elton John, but I can't possibly be that bad."

He glanced over as he assessed the look she gave him. It would have been enough to make a weak man crumble and admit not only a bad singing voice, but a bad hand-eye coordination in his years in little league as well as a failure as a pianist in his teen years.

"Look on the bright side, at least I haven't broken any eardrums," Miroku cracked, his smile widening.

Sango could only shake her head. The car ride seemed to be taking forever--probably because rushing off into the lunchtime rush hour had not been the smartest thing to do. And so far, she had discovered that it was very easy to relax around Mr. Houshi.

A little too easy, for her liking.

The last thing she needed was to make a friend out of one of her targets. Well, technically, it was ex-target, but that still didn't prove anything. Constantly reminding herself that she was doing this for the money was not helping either, for as soon as she convinced herself to be the stony assassin that everyone knew her for, this Mr. Houshi would go and say or do something that would have made her laugh until her sides hurt. 'Would' being the operative word, for her stony barrier--although nearly on the verge of crumbling--kept her from revealing too much emotion.

It probably didn't help that Kirara had taken a liking to the dark-haired man either. So much, in fact, that she hadn't even hesitated to climb into his car when they had arrived at the garage. Sango had never seen the demon this comfortable with a stranger before.

Usually, it took a few years before she trusted them.

She had trusted Miroku in only a few hours.

Still, Sango could understand why. He was an open man, constantly looking to crack a joke or be funny. He had obviously cared for her friend, taking into account her comfort and keeping her company. Kirara had to rely on him for that one long day for everything, and in depending on him, she had learned to trust him.

The only other person that she had done that with was, well, Sango herself.

Despite her companion's obvious liking of him, the assassin still wasn't sure what to think of him. The incident with his, ahem, wandering hands had not been repeated. Yet she had felt his eyes following her and had sensed that his hands and his head had been in conflict on more than one occasion.

Oh well, she would regard this situation as any other assignment--something that needed to be over and done with, and then left behind in the past. Only when she was safe, putting a down payment on that house in the mountains, would she let her mind wander.

"Where are we going?"

Miroku looked at her, surprised to hear her voice. She hadn't spoken a lot since they had begun, keeping to herself unless it was to retort something. Maybe this was a sign she was coming out of her shell…

"We're going to pick up friends on mine."

"And one of them is Inuyasha, right?"

"The dog-eared boy himself. I just hope we'll be able to fit him and his ego into the car."

Sango didn't quite know how to respond to that one, so she simply moved on. "Then who is the other one?"

Miroku turned a corner, and honked suddenly at a little black car that nearly cut him off. Tokyo drivers would be the death of him. "Her name is Kagome Higurashi, a good friend of mine from university. She's been keeping an eye on Inuyasha for the past little while."

"So I couldn't get to him," Sango stated, realizing that the man next to her did have something occupying the space between his ears. "Smart move, Mr. Houshi. It just goes to show your brain holds more promise than your singing."

"Do my ears deceive me? Did I just hear you make a--a joke?" Miroku gasped. "And here I was thinking that humour was a one-sided thing."

Sango really did roll her eyes this time. "You're just a regular comedian, aren't you?"

"At least I know that I'm funnier than a teddy-bear."

Maybe it was the coffee that she had downed at the garage while details were sorted out, but she suddenly envisioned Miroku dressed in a bear suit singing some stupid song about sharing at the top of his lungs.

It was enough to send her over the edge, but Sango managed with a muffled snort instead.

What had her coffee been laced with to produce images like…like that?

"Are you okay over there?"

"Yeah. Just fine."

The look on his voice proved he was hardly convinced, but he kept his eyes on the road.

Sango once again contented herself with the scenery noting the change from highrises to modest townhouses and apartment buildings. Even the stores here matched the sudden small size of the building, with noodle shops tucked away in every corner.

"We have arrived!" Miroku announced suddenly, turning quickly to claim a vacant space.

The assassin looked up at the sign on the building, and turned to stare at the man next to him in bewilderment.

"What business do we have here?"

"Just wait here a moment, okay? All questions will be answered soon enough."

Sango watched him hurry up to the door, tug at the handle, then stand back as he realized it was locked. He rapped on the door a few times, and suddenly an old woman emerged, carrying a worn brown bag over one shoulder and thoroughly bundled up against the cold. They seemed to exchange a few words, and when Miroku turned back to the car, his face was surprisingly grim.

"Problems?" She asked as his once more entered the car.

Miroku nodded. "Change of location. Hopefully this won't delay us too much."

Sango could only gaze back at the building in confusion as the car swerved back onto the road, wondering if the sign was some sort of typo.

What the hell would he want at Sakura Animal Hospital anyway?

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"Does anything seem to be missing, Miss?"

Kagome slowly shook her head--stunned at the mess that befell her eyes. The police officer tapped his pen against the paper impatiently, but she hardly registered him as she began picking her way through what had once been a moderately tidy apartment.

"Miss, I know this is hard for you, but we need to know if there is anything visibly missing? Perhaps a television, or computer?"

When Kagome didn't answer, the police officer tried again. "Miss, we need--"

"Look, she's been through a lot. Do you mind giving her a second to think?" Inuyasha cut in, a low growl emphasizing his words.

Whatever the hanyou did seemed to work, for the police officer instantly backed off, contenting himself by jotting down a few things. But he still managed to throw a quick glance back at the strange half-human who was standing by the doorway, trying to find the right moment to question the young woman.

Perhaps the best possible way of explaining the state of the apartment in five words or less was utterly and completely trashed. Not a thing had been kept in its place--not a book had been left on a table, nor a picture on the wall. The pillows on the couches had been ripped to shreds and the stuffing was still flying down from the ceiling to land like snowflakes on the ground below.

Kagome felt numb to the bone, any emotional response long since used up on her drive home. Now, all she could do was wade through the bits and pieces of what had once been her home, trying to find anything that had survived.

Meanwhile, Inuyasha had taken a post at the doorway to keep an eye out for any curious onlookers, and to keep away the prying neighbours. The police had theorized the robbers had broken in just before lunch, when everyone was busy in the kitchen. They must have done their deed quietly, for no one noticed them coming or going. It had been Kagome's old bat of a neighbour who had seen the wide open door and alerted the landlady.

Luckily, the landlady had been smart enough to report it at once, and had barricaded the room to anyone, keeping the janitor in front of the scene until the police arrived.

Sometimes, humans did have a brain in their heads.

"Look, Miss, I've got at least a hundred other cases I have to tackle," The policeman said, trying to ignore Inuyasha's plaintive glare. "I'll leave the papers here, and you can fill them out later on. We need them by the end of the week."

"Is there a chance you can catch them?" Inuyasha asked as the policeman moved past him.

"Unless they stole something of value that we can keep an eye out for, then we've got a pretty weak case. Between the two of you, your insurance should cover the damages."

Inuyasha was about to remark that they didn't share the apartment, but the policeman was already disappearing down the stairs.

He took a step into the room, tried to shut the door and realized that the door wouldn't shut. Confused, he looked down and discovered the lock was just as mangled as the room.

With a sigh, the hanyou grabbed a chair off of the ground and propped it under the doorknob in a vain attempt at keeping the place closed off.

"They destroyed everything."

Surprised, Inuyasha looked up to find Kagome standing in amidst the mess of a room, her eyes still wandering over her now useless furniture. "They destroyed everything, but took nothing."

"They were probably some drunken, shit-for-brains teenagers looking for some fun," Inuyasha said, trying to give her something to believe, someone to blame. Frankly, he had a completely different opinion of who did this, and it shook him to the core.

Each room reeked of Sesshomaru's doing, of his little cronies that he liked to hire for dirty deeds. But he wasn't about to involve Kagome any more than she already was. This act was only the beginning, and if she came to know too much, then there would be more damage done. And not necessarily to her apartment either.

Miroku had better come soon, or else he would be forced to take drastic measures. There was no way he was going to hang around here. It would mean risking Kagome's life and his own, since it was rather obvious his lovely brother knew he was here.

Maybe I should leave tonight, with or without Miroku, Inuyasha began to think. That way both Kagome and his wayward friend would be spared any more torment from his brother.

They would both be protected, they would both be safe from the trouble that was dogging his every move.

"They even broke my bell. What could I possibly have in a bell that was of value?" Kagome asked to no one in particular, two pieces of an old bronze bell cradled in her hands. Her eyes were lifeless, and the hanyou recognized a numbed mind when he saw one.

Suddenly, his escape plan was the last thing on his mind. Grabbing another chair from the floor, he gestured for the young woman to sit, maybe get her bearings.

"Here, just rest a bit while I go check the other rooms. Did you have anything in your room that might have been taken? A T.V. or a computer?"

"I had a computer," Kagome said quietly, still holding the bell. "And a CD player."

Inuyasha had to watch carefully to keep from tripping over various items that had been tossed down the hall, and had barely made it to her room when he heard someone tugging at the door.

It took only an instant before the hanyou was back in the living room, holding Kagome back as the doorknob twisted and squeaked.

"Kagome? Are you there?" A muffled voice called out.

Inuyasha breathed a sigh of relief, and removed the chair to let Miroku in.

But the relief quickly dissipated as not only Miroku, but a familiar female face entered into the room.

"What the hell is she doing here?" Inuyasha sputtered, pointing an accusing finger at the woman who had tried to kill him juts nights before. "If this is some sort of trap, Miroku, I won't hesitate to hurt someone."

"Relax, Inuyasha. Just stay back," Miroku said as he moved in front of Sango. He had known his half-demon friend wouldn't take this well, and was prepared for some interesting scenarios. "Let me explain--"

"Explain why you have an assassin--the same damned one that was after my throat-- hiding behind you?!"

"I am not hiding behind him!" Sango retorted, stepping out from Miroku's protective stance. "I can fight for myself, hanyou."

"And I could kill you in a second, bitch," Inuyasha snarled, his hands balling into fists as he tensed.

"What, no weapons? Are you trying to make this easier for me?"

"I don't need weapons to get you."

"ENOUGH!"

Hanyou and humans alike turned in sudden shock to see Kagome standing before them, her hands on her hips and a dangerous gleam in her eyes.

"I. Want. An. Explanation." She demanded, word by word forced out through gritted teeth.

"I don't care if you decide to kill each other tomorrow, next week, or this evening. I want a damn explanation now, and you're all going to help each other out in giving me a good idea as to what the hell is going on."

Miroku was the first one to collect himself, and the first one to speak, breaking the stunned silence.

"Kagome, I'd love to tell you the entire story, but right now there are some evil men after Inuyasha and Sango here--" he pointed the dark-haired woman behind him "--and they seem to have since discovered you.

He expected an exclamation of amazement, perhaps even fear. And--in the worst case scenarios--a few unidentifiable flying objects lobbed at his head. What he didn't expect was…well, laughter.

But that was exactly what Dr. Kagome Higurashi was doing. It wasn't just laughter, it was all out, side-splitting hilarity that even brought tears to her eyes.

"What did I say?" The young man asked, glancing at Inuyasha for some kind of answer as to why his favourite--and only--female friend found their dangerous, life-threatening situation so dang funny.

Inuyasha only shrugged. "She's had a long day."

Perplexed, the young businessman turned back to the vet, trying to decide upon a safe route. If she really was going insane, he didn't really want to be in the middle of it.

"Uh…Kagome? You okay over there?"

She waved a hand, wiping at the drops pooling in her eyes, trying hard to regain her breath. Man oh man, did her lungs ever hurt!

"Evil men, Miroku?" Kagome finally managed to choke out. "Evil men? What are we in? Some kind of bizarre Disney movie? Is that the best you could possibly do?"

Shaking her head, she straightened and began to pick her way over the debris towards her room. "Look, once you decide to come up with a better answer, then come and talk to me. Until then, I have an apartment I have to put back together."

Miroku could only glance back at Inuyasha, who appeared just as bewildered as he felt.

"It was a really long day," Inuyasha tried to explain helplessly. What else could possibly explain her behaviour?

"I think there will be some explaining for both sides," Miroku commented offhandedly, but he couldn't help but wonder if Inuyasha had anything to do with the 'interesting' portion of the day.

"I suggest you start with why that bitch is here."

Rolling his eyes, the young businessman shot one arm out to catch Sango in her tracks. "Don't waste your effort trying to kill him. Don't worry though, I'll let you two go at each other once we're out of here."

"What do you mean by 'we'?" Inuyasha demanded, his eyes narrowed into golden slits. "What are you planning, Houshi?"

"Nothing elaborate. Just an escape route, that's all."

"And who's going to be using this escape route?"

"All of us."

Inuyasha noted with interest that Miroku glanced back at the assassin as he said this. If she hadn't been after his blood, if she hadn't been used by his brother, then the hanyou might have found the little force of attraction between the two quite entertaining.

But things were different now, and it was no more entertaining than watching Kagome try not to cry over that dog's lifeless body.

"Why bring along her? She's a traitor to my brother. What makes you think she'll be any more loyal to us? After all, she was holding a sword to my throat just a few days ago."

The venom dripped from his fangs into his words, enough that even Sango had to hide her flinch. She suspected a good dose of wounded pride was making him act this way, but now was not the time for commentary. Miroku had explained the plan to her, and she had sensed the urgency in which he wanted to get on the move.

"I may be a traitor, half-breed, but I only turn on those who pay in dirty money. And your brother held the slimiest money I've ever had the experience of coming across. Believe me, I've seen a lot of it too."

Inuyasha's cold eyes perused her stone face, as if trying to gauge how deep her sincerity truly ran. Sango stood her ground, chin up, hoping that he would get his stubborn ass in gear and agree to get going.

"Like I've said before, you'll have plenty of time to go for each other's throats once we get a move on," Miroku stressed, breaking the icy silence that had befallen the group. "Right now I need someone to go get Kagome and get her bags packed as quickly as possible. We're running out of time."

"I can go get her, if you want," Sango offered, hoping to get away from the two men for a while. Besides, there was something familiar about this Kagome person, and she wanted to get a better look. It had been bugging her ever since she had seen the photo of her from Sesshomaru's files, and it would keep on bugging her until she discovered what it was that made Kagome's face stand out.

"If you think I'll let you be in the same room with her, then you're wrong," Inuyasha snarled, then turned to face the dark-haired man that was vainly trying to keep the two warring people apart. "Miroku, I don't what you're planning, but I expect a full run through of it in the next few hours. Now I'm going to help Kagome get her things so keep an eye out for anything--or anybody--suspicious."

Miroku glanced at Sango as Inuyasha stormed off, noting the rigidity in her form and the hungering for revenge in her steely eyes, and let out a sigh. This was going to be one heck of a trip.

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Inuyasha picked his way over broken chairs and piles of random items that had been thrown together as the burglars had dug through the veterinarian's things. He tried his hardest to avoid stepping on anything, but once in a while, a muffled crack echoed up from where his feet had fallen onto something delicate. Luckily though, he had managed to salvage a small figurine of a horse, and another little dinky charm that had no doubt come from those cheap touristy shops near the temples.

They seemed worthless to him, but seeing Kagome's face when she held that bell made the hanyou realize that he and the young woman had different ideas about the values of objects.

"Kagome? Everything all right?"

"You really know the perfect moments to ask stupid questions, don't you?"

Well, it sounded like the bitter, cynical Kagome was back in business. Inuyasha felt a wave of hidden relief at knowing she was emerging from that shell-shocked state. There was nothing worse than seeing someone so full of life drained of that passion, even to a world-weary hanyou like himself

"Geez, aiming to shoot a man when he's only trying to help. That's not very nice of you."

"Nice isn't in my vocabulary right now."

Inuyasha rounded the doorframe and found Kagome sitting on the edge of a mangled mattress, feathers dusting her feet and all sorts of things piled up around her. In her lap lay what appeared to be some sort of book.

And judging by the way she cradled it, it was something that was loved. Just like that stupid bell.

"Here, I found this on the floor before I stepped on it."

He deposited the two things on a nearby side table, and proceeded closer, wary of her mood at the moment. There was no telling what she would do as her sanity rested on a thin, thin line. Especially if he managed to provoke her. One of his many skills.

"Why are you still here?" Kagome demanded suddenly, her eyes drifting upwards from the book to rest on his overshadowing figure. "Miroku's here, no doubt to steal you away somewhere else from whatever's been on your tail. Shouldn't you be getting a move on?"

It unnerved him the way she could simply stare, never glancing away or shying back. She simply sat there, as if she could see through him into his most dark thoughts, and darker secrets.

Warding off a sudden chill, Inuyasha merely glared back. Someone had to win this battle, and for once he wanted it to be him.

"Miroku's not just here for me. He needs you to come along too."

"Oh, so now the almighty Miroku wants to drag me along on some other stupid venture. Does he actually expect me to agree to something that idiotic after all of this?" Kagome clenched her hands around the book as frustrations mounted. "Well, there's no way he can make me do anything. I want him out of my house, and I want his little female friend out too. And you too, Inuyasha."

"What did I do?"

"You're just…just standing there! Taking up my clinic and my room and my apartment! Ever since I had to deal with you, I've had nothing but bad luck. I don't want to have bad luck any more. Now get out of my space!" With a huff, she picked up the book in her lap, and with one mighty toss, managed to hit the wall with an deafening splat.

Kagome's scent had slowly changed from irritated to all out, building rage, and Inuyasha knew the warning signs of a female on the hunt when he smelled one. But instead of doing the smart thing and running away, his stubborn genes finally kicked in.

Standing his ground before the tempest that was about to throttle his neck, Inuyasha reached out and grabbed her arms as gently as he could.

Of course, Kagome just had to struggle, but as she tried her hardest to get away, the realization dawned on her that Inuyasha's hold was not only get stronger, but it was getting tighter as well. Just like those Chinese finger traps her brother had used on her when she was young.

"Damn it, Inuyasha, let me go!"

"Not until you settle down and look at this reasonably." Man, he never thought he'd be the one to say those words. Gods and spirits, he was starting to sound like his father. Heaven forbid that ever happen.

"I know a lot has happened to you in these last few days, and believe me when I say I wish it had never happened. But things like your destroyed apartment weren't just coincidence, and as Miroku liked to put it, there are some pretty evil men after me. And now, because I know you, they're after you too."

Kagome's eyes narrowed. "I knew there was something up with you, and now I know why you were always so suspicious of the outside world. Well you know what? I won't be dragged down any longer. Tell Miroku I refuse to go."

"Well, Miroku won't take no for an answer."

Inuyasha and Kagome jumped at the interruption. Golden and dark eyes turned from each other to stare at the newcomer.

Gold soon turned to ice as the speaker was recognized.

"You," Inuyasha spat, bringing the struggling vet closer to him. That assassin was not going to come in touching range to this particular friend.

Later, the hanyou would puzzle and grumble over why he had called Kagome a friend. Now though, was not the time for that kind of in depth thought.

"Before you go snapping at my heels, I brought something for your lady friend here that might help."

Trying hard to ignore Kagome's scent that wafted around him, the hanyou sniffed, hoping to detect a whiff of something that would spell danger. But all he could really smell besides fruit and flowers was--

"Chocolate!!!"

With one mighty shove, Kagome was free of Inuyasha's hold and burying her nose in the thick, creamy scent of the hot cocoa that Sango handed over to her.

"Mmmm…I never knew how much I love chocolate until now. Where did you find it?"

Sango shrugged, carefully studying the veterinarian's face as she tried to ease the itching in the back of her mind. But nothing seemed to come up, and the assassin felt her frustrations growing. Who could she be?

"Miroku went scrounging around in the kitchen and managed to find some, as well as a few intact mugs. He has some for us all, if you're interested."

The last comment, directed at Inuyasha, bounced off the barricade he had erected and fell on deaf ears. Instead, she could distinctly hear a muttered comment, said softly enough that the actual words avoided detection.

Sango had a feeling it wasn't praising her gift of cocoa.

"Well, tell Miroku that he's my new best friend," Kagome said, happily surrounded by chocolate fumes. She took one long gulp of the sweet liquid, savouring it's taste.

"And another thing, you can tell him that I'm not going on this little trip of his, nor am I going to follow along with his stupid plans." Kagome blinked once, twice as she felt her head get a little fuzzy. "I'm a…a working woman…and…"

Blinking rapidly now, the vet fought back the clouds that were engulfing her mind. Since when did hot chocolate make her so sleepy?

She barely heard Inuyasha take a step forward, breaking a mirror in his wake. Things were getting fuzzy…no not fuzzy…more like…like fluffy…like white clouds…yeah…white clouds on a summer's day…

"Kagome? Kagome, what's wrong?"

"Nothing's…wrong…leave me…alone…Inu…Inu…"

Oh, something was definitely wrong alright, and the hanyou had a good idea about the person who started it.

With one quick leap, Inuyasha had a half-conscious Kagome in his arms, ignoring her feeble protests that were rapidly making no sense. Gently laying her down on the mangled mattress, he stood and in three strides was ready to pounce on the one person who had made his life miserable, and who was responsible for all of this.

"You'll pay for what you've done to her, bitch," He growled, eyes intent on Sango's throat.

Sango readied herself for the oncoming fight, a darker side of her hoping that Inuyasha wouldn't go down too easily. She needed an outlet to vent unknown frustrations that seemed to well up as he continued to glare at her.

"Inuyasha! STAY AWAY FROM HER!"

THWAP!

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT FOR?" The silver-haired hanyou exclaimed angrily as he gingerly rubbed his aching forehead. Who knew books could hurt so bloody much? Or more importantly, who knew Miroku had such good aim?

"You were going after Sango here," Miroku explained as he emerged from the hallway, rolling a shoulder. Geez, he really had to start working out. One throw shouldn't have pulled a muscle. "I can't let you do that, Inuyasha. She's in just as much trouble as you are, so before you go killing her off, I hope you can realize that you two have more in common than you think."

"Now about Kagome--"

"What did she do to her?"

The 'she' in question merely stared daggers at the obstinate hanyou, hoping that the lump on his forehead would keep him in pain for days to come.

"I had nothing to do with it, half-breed. It was Miroku's idea, and his sleeping pills. He used the same ones on my cat too."

Suddenly, the seemingly heroic Miroku found two sets of eyes on him yet again. Man, if looks could kill, I would have been a pile of cinders by now.

"Look, it was the only way I thought of getting her to come along short of hog-tying her and hauling her into the trunk. The sleeping pills are harmless enough, and they'll wear off in about an hour, which gives us plenty of time to be on the move." To make his point, Miroku glanced at his watch. "Since we've already lost a fair chunk of this time, we need to move. Inuyasha, take Kagome down to the car and put her in the back. Sango, pack her a bag that would last someone about a week, maybe longer."

"You're going to let that bitch pack the bags?" Inuyasha protested, feeling a little insulted by Miroku's commanding tone. Trust the jerk to take control of any situation.

"Yes, I'm going to let Sango pack the bags. What do you know about women's clothing anyway?"

Well, that stopped that argument. Inuyasha grumbled, but he picked up the now sleeping Kagome, and began making his way down the precarious Hallway of Doom, while Sango began rummaging through piles of clothes.

Miroku let out a pent-up breath. He had escaped the confrontation with all of the important bits of his body still intact. And not only that, he was being accompanied by a beautiful woman, and a hanyou who was took mixed up about a certain human to think straight.

Heck, maybe this trip wouldn't be so bad after all.

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Chapter 12 is just getting started…