The other three passed the night with board games, cards, and other such forms of entertainment. They had a wonderful time, even though Inu Yasha was a terrible loser. Soon enough Miroku came in through the door. He was smiling. Sango slapped him across the face for not saying goodbye, or even telling her that he was leaving. Miroku laughed it off with an ease only an extremely positive disposition can give. Inu Yasha was the first to properly speak. "So where is it? Where's the jewel?" he asked urgently. Then in skepticism, "you do have it, right?"

Miroku held up the chain with the Shikon upon it, "Yes," was his simple reply.

"That's great!" Kagome exclaimed.

"There's a catch." Miroku stated bluntly.

Inu looked at Miroku unbelieving, "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I inquired about it, and she said it had been a gift. When I asked why it wasn't complete she said it had broken and she hadn't been able to put it back together. So I told her that, being of a mining family – an alibi, for which I am eternally grateful, lady Kagome – I could get her a new one if she'd lend me the stone. I wanted to get the same type of crystal of course" he smirked, "so now I have to go buy a ball or something."

"That's it?" Inu complained loudly

"Akiko wanted to make sure they were the same kind. So-"

"Say you misplaced it, or forgot it or something! You're damn good enough at that!"

"That's what I am going to do. Can I finish now?" Miroku stated with an icy edge, "The thing is, if she doesn't think the substitute matches, I have to either give the stone back, or pay for it."

"How much?" Kagome asked uneasily. After a moment of thought he looked up blankly, "you know, she didn't say."

Inu Yasha cuffed Miroku over the head. Kagome sighed and said, "it's looks much like a glass marble and those are easy enough to get, but Akiko thinks it's something really special so that might not work…" she shrugged, we have a few days, just say you want to get a really good one or something. We'll figure it out tomorrow."

As she opens the door to her room she sees Sango sitting on her bed expectantly. Kagome hadn't even known she'd left. "So we can go home now?" Sango asked innocently. Kagome shook her head, "no, not yet. We have to get a replacement for Akiko… Is something wrong, Sango?"

"Oh... no, it's nothing." Sango smiled weakly, "just curious." She slid off the bed and onto her bedroll, "good night."

"Good night."

Meanwhile the two boys lay in their own respective bedrolls.

"Miroku, why didn't you just take the jewel? I know you could have if you'd wanted!" Inu Yasha inquired.

"I was the only one near enough to her that I would have been able to take it. She knew that, and she knows where I'm staying. Akiko kept her eye on me the entire time, not just because she..." he searched for the terms Kagome had used, "not just because she has a crush on me." Miroku mentally gave himself a pat on the back, "She also kept checking to make sure she had it on. It's not like in the feudal era where I could take something and run off to who knows where." Inu Yasha thought this over for a while. It made sense.

"I guess I hadn't thought of that." He muttered mainly to himself. Then out loud,

After yet another pause, Miroku broke the silence.

"So what did you three do in my absence?" his voice held certain implications aloft.

If Inu Yasha noticed this, he ignored it, "we played some games Kagome had in her closets." He thought a moment, "board games and card games mainly. What about you and Akiko?"

"We went to a nice place for supper, I dropped her off at her house, and then I came back here." Inu Yasha turned to face him, propping his head up on his elbow.

"Why wouldn't you tell Sango then? She thought…. Something different." Miroku sighed, closing his eyes momentarily, "I don't know. I guess I didn't know that she really liked me… I mean-" he left the rest unsaid. There was a long silence after that.

"Have you told her yet?" Miroku asked out of the blue.

"What?" a startled Inu Yasha responded, he had thought Miroku was asleep, and moreover was completely lost.

"Have you told lady Kagome your feelings? Back in the feudal era you said you would."

"No… not yet…" Inu Yasha turned over and tried to emulate falling asleep though by now his mind was too worked up to rest.