Disclaimer: I don't own anything but my fanfics! So stop bothering me about it!

VERY IMPORTANT BABBLE:

Ok, for those who are confused, this is a COMPLETELY REDONE chapter two. It's longer, for one, and also, it goes in a completely different direction. It has the same beginning, but a different middle, flashback, and end. For those wondering what happened to the original chapter two? Well, it's not quite gone, but be sure you'll never see it again. I've scrapped the whole idea and am starting anew.

So, yeah, enjoy.


To say that she was a mess would have been an understatement. She was a wreck, a complete and total wreck. It had been three weeks since she had refused Miroku's proposal and those 27 miserable days had been filled with crying and… more crying.

Her bedroom was littered with used tissues, empty whipped cream cans and ice cream containers. When she wasn't crying, she was eating, and when she wasn't eating, she was watching Jerry Maguire over and over again on her TV.

Miroku… she'd been dating him for so long now… three years was it? And no matter how wary and cautious she had been around him when they first met, she couldn't help but love him.

Yes, he was, or at least had been, a perverted male equivalent of a slut. That was why she had avoided him for so long. But… he was so sweet. And romantic… and spontaneous… and… just so sincere.

Sango banged her head against the wall. 'Don't you dare think about him. Don't you dare…' She told herself for the hundredth time that day. Every thought she had some how connected back to him. Everything she did reminded her of him.

Just being in her APARTMENT reminded her of Miroku. The photographs… the teddy bear he had given her on Valentines Day. The couch he had helped her carry in.

She felt a tear running down her cheek. 'Damn…' she thought, 'I'm crying again…'

She'd never cried this long. Luckily it was in the summer and college was out, because she highly doubted that it would be close to impossible for her to have left the sanctity of her bedroom without breaking down.

When she had started her relationship with Miroku, she had always thought that it would be HIM who would ruin it. Take one look at a pretty girl and just leave like the bastard she thought he was. After all, that was what was expected out of him. To be a cheating, lying, son of a…

Sango stopped herself from going any further. This wasn't his fault. NONE of it was his fault. He had done nothing except been the man that she had fallen in love with, no matter how long she had kept herself from doing so. And what hurt even more was the fact that she was the one who had driven him away.

Sango laughed, a bitter and cruel sound. How ironic, that the one with the commitment problem was her.

If he had just asked a month, or a week, or even a DAY earlier, she would have said yes, and she would've finally been happy. But because Miroku had asked only two hours after HE decided to show up at her door, she had been reminded of every single insecurity that she ever had about loving someone… and being loved back.

HE was her ex-boyfriend and he was still the same inconsiderate jerk he had been the day they had met. Except, back then, he had covered it up with pick-up lines and confidence, the former which used to make her giggle and blush, and the latter which had far surpassed her own. Of course, whenever she thought of all the lines he used to throw at her, it made her sick. Probably the reason her first impression of Miroku was so bad. He had reminded her so much of…

Sango paused, shuddering at the name of the man who had single-handedly destroyed what little self-assurance and faith she had in herself and had filled her with doubt and more potent, fear.

But he had made her feel so special with his whispered praise and secret smiles. However, the value of those had considerably decreased once Sango had learned that she hadn't been the only recipient.

When he had hit her, she found herself convinced that it was her own fault. That she had done something to deserve this. It wasn't his fault. It couldn't be his fault. He said it himself, he had a disorder. She had done something to anger him. He couldn't control his actions.

She had tried again and again to try and change her ways. Maybe… if she was different… he wouldn't be so angry all the time.

But the abuse only got worse as the weeks wore on. Nothing she could do could stop him when his temper flared up. He claimed that he was taking classes, getting help, but going to the meetings just seemed to make him angrier.

He scared her. Being around him was terrifying. But she couldn't break free. She just couldn't. If she left him, he might do something drastic. She didn't want to be responsible causing someone else pain, even if it meant being the one to suffer his blows.

But one night he went too far. He had dared to hit her little brother. That BASTARD had DARED to make Kohaku cry. The details were hazy, but it involved a baseball bat, the police, and a few hours in "custody". Sure, she almost got thrown into juvie and she ended up with a couple of broken ribs, but it was all worth it. Naraku was shipped off to a "rehabilitation center" with a concussion, a broken arm, and a pair of black eyes.

She hadn't heard from him in six years and it had taken all 2,190 days for her to rebuild herself emotionally. She was basically a mess after her "encounter" with him, but quality time with the school counselor and a few other therapists here and there had helped. When her family had died, that had been a gigantic setback, but with Miroku there for her, she slowly patched up her emotional wall.

Her life sans him was so wonderful, especially with Miroku always there, but then he came back. And he brought with him everything she had tried so hard to escape.

"I hate you Naraku." She screamed into her pillow before breaking into fresh sobs. It was disgusting how much control he had on her emotions, even after six years. It was because of him that she had said no to Miroku's proposal. He had denied her last chance at happiness, just by showing up.

Flashback

Sango was just finishing up her lunch when the doorbell rang. Thinking it was probably Miroku showing up a few hours early like he liked to do (I like to surprise you, he'd always say) she opened the door without peeking through the eyehole.

Swinging open her door, she expected to see her boy-friend, but instead, she was greeted with the face of someone she had tried to forget since the day they parted.

"Naraku." She whispered, the word sounding more like an accusation than as a greeting.

"Sango darling," he purred in his signature tone of voice, "I've missed you so."

Sango's first reaction was to slam the door, which she immediately acted upon.

"Dear, I know you're upset. But trust me, I've changed. I'm a better man now." Begged his voice, muffled by three inches of wood.

Sango refused to reply, but the longer he stayed, the more questions that were threatening to fly out of her mouth came.

"Why was he here?" "What did he want?" "Why wouldn't he just leave her alone?"

"Please, Sango, you know you want to let me in." He continued on, undeterred by the silence that followed his pleads.

'Go away… go away…' Sango screamed in her mind, involuntary sliding downwards, her back against the door before she collapsed in a heap on the floor.

"Sango, really, this is getting tiring. Just open the door so we can discuss this like adults."

When the door stayed close, Naraku sighed and raked his hand through his hair. The center that he went to had instructed him to take deep breaths and count to 10 in order to stabilize his anger, but this was almost too much. He felt his fists clench and it was all he could do to stop himself from doing something he'd regret. Not that he really cared particularly about hurting someone, but he was on probation and there was no way he was going back to that hellhole.

Muttering to himself, he allowed himself a kick or two at the door before stalking off.

Sango wrapped herself even tighter in her arms, panic beginning to set in. She realized quickly the familiar feeling that was occurring. Fear. Fear that Naraku was back, fear that Naraku would hurt her, and even more powerful, the fear that Naraku would hurt someone that she cared about.

The phone rang suddenly and Sango made no move to answer it. After six rings, the answering machine clicked on.

"Hey, it's um, Miroku. Just calling to make sure you haven't forgotten our date tonight. Wear something um, comfortable. Yeah, okay, see you tonight."

Hearing her boyfriend's voice, Sango teared up again. What if Naraku hurt Miroku? She'd never be able to get over that. He meant too much to her. The only way to protect him was to end their relationship, no matter how precious it was to her. She was going to have to break up with him tonight. For both their sakes…

End Flashback

Looking back on it, Sango saw all the signs that Miroku was going to propose, or at least do something equally drastic. For one, his usual perverted comments were missing. Not one single word about any part of her anatomy… or his for that matter. Also, his voice sounded nervous, almost anxious and the message sounded… almost rehearsed.

How devastating it would have been for Miroku if she had broken up with him on the day he had planned to propose. But Sango had been too cowardly to initiate it. All throughout the date, the words "we need to talk" swirled around in her head, but each time she opened her mouth to say them, he'd do something so utterly charming that her vocal cords had trouble working.

Then the "golden" opportunity arrived.

Seeing Miroku kneel down and give his little monologue, Sango knew that this was her last chance before she was in too deep. And when she saw him pull out the box, she knew this was it. But the more she thought about it, the more painful it was to realize that this was it.

As soon as it dawned on her, Sango began to cry. And through her blurred vision, she saw Miroku's expression change from hope to confusion.

And with that one word, Sango realized that she had willingly signed away her happiness. Seeing Miroku stand up, shove the box back into his pocket, then run off with an aura of hurt and anger surrounding his being, she knew.

She knew that this was the end. And whether it was for the better or the worse, there was nothing she could do to wipe away the incident.

After all, life didn't come with erasers.

Yes, yes, I know, that was so cliched it burns. I just can't write angst. I'm so switching back to humor as soon as I finish up this fic, if I even do.

Anyways, hope that this chapter didn't cause you do rip out your eyeballs, but if it did, I sincerely apologize.

Oh, before I forget, it's time to...

THANK THE REVIEWERS (from chapter 1):

lovers quarrel: Miroku? A stalking, crazed boyfriend? NEVER! Miroku will always be a perfect knight in shining armor! J/k. But no, I'm not going to have Miroku be some sort of stalker intent on getting Sango to marry him. This IS a romance after all! How romantic is tying up the girl of your dreams and forcing her to marry you? I hope you enjoyed this chapter and thanks so much for reviewing!

Aamalie: SQUEAL YOU ARE ONE OF MY FAV. INUYASHA AUTHORS! I can't believe that I, a lowly first-time M/S writer is deemed worthy of your time! Thanks so much for reviewing and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Angellgoddess: Aw, thanks! You make me feel so wanted! Thanks for the extra boost to my self-esteem ! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and thanks so much for reviewing!

BaByXbOoX143: You really think so? Thanks so much! I'm really glad Miroku fits his character. I do hate OOC characters. They freak me out! Thanks so much for reviewing and I really hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Iggy04: I love your username. Sorry, but I have a teddy bear named Iggy (don't ask, I'm weird).Since it's not a one-shot, I think I will explain why Sango said no. I had a reason, but it seemed pretty petty, so I guess they're will just have multiple reasons . You're right though, Miroku hasn't flirted with another girl since he started dating Sango! Which might be slightly OOC, but I'm a true romantic at heart!

Midnight Aurelia: I'm so glad you liked this story. Hope you enjoyed reading this chapter and thanks for reviewing!

asylum100: THANKS! I'm glad you thought it was good. Hope you liked this chapter too and many thanks for the review!

You-Know-Who: Miroku, a bastard, NEVER! J/k. Thanks so much and I'm real glad you liked it. You somehow managed to force me to tell you my username, but I'm glad you liked it Igor! How's Iggy btw? Still homicidal?

Fred the Mutant Pickle: Of course it's not a one-shot. Who'd be THAT evil? Well, this chapter doesn't really explain WHY she said no, cuz even she doesn't know, but be sure that you WILL learn why! You don't read AU! What a deprived human being you are!

Lily Thorne: Ooh! I LOVE your stories, especially Checkmate, a personal fav! I'm so glad you liked this fic! IC? Am not familiar with that abbreviation, you'll have to explain it to me. Anyways, I hoope you enjoyed this story and thanks so much for reviewing!

THANK THE REVIEWERS (from the original chapter 2):

Lily Thorne: Well, hopefully this newly renovated chapter gives you more of a clue. And why wouldn't I like Checkmate, it's a masterpiece.

AngellGoddess: Ah, well, there's no hinting of Inuyasha/Kagome here, so hopefully that'll be more pleasing for you eyes (if you haven't already ripped them out by now).

Igor #2 3/4: Totally from Hitch. Same with the Jerry Maguire.You nitpicker, always nitpicking (for lack of a better word) at my mistakes. Hmph. And it's Rurouni KENSHIN, not Tenshin. mutters Moron.

Aamalie: Alright, alright, I'll try and curb my enthusiasm . Anways, is Sango still being stupid? I'm not quite sure. I'm more of a fan of Miroku anyways. Don't I wish Inuyasha would get run over, that'd be a funny (if not macabre) image. I should put that in later...

Fred the Mutant Pickle: Evil one-shots should burn in hell... Anyways, good, good, AU is chicken soup for the soul !

Sarah, aka too lazy to sign in: Oh yeah, sixteen candles, I watched that on AMC. It was really boring, 'cept for "The Donger". A total asian stereotype, but very funny. sweatdrops I doubt Kagome chainsawed Inuyasha to pieces... but I guess anything is possible, eh? And my inner ghetto? He's in rehab. He'll be out in a few months. Good thing to. He was really burning a hole in my pocket with his "dealings".