disclaimer:see ch1

Ok, this chapter I wrote listening to 'Absolutley (Story of a Girl)' by Nine Days, 'Crash and Burn' by Savage Garden, 'Mr. Brightside' by The Killers, and (probably the most effective one) 'Scars' by Papa Roach. They're good songs, really. But they gave me some ideas that I added in.

------------

"Oh my Gods, you're back!" Nuriko squealed. "What are you doing here? We have so much to catch up on!"

"Oh my Gods! Nuriko, when I landed on you I could feel you! Mitsukake, Hotohori, Chiriko, everybody! You're alive!" Miaka was overwhelmed with happiness.

"Well ya landed on me too, in case you didn't notice," Tasuki grumbled, dusting himself off.

"We were all reincarnated yesterday, but what are you doing here?" Mitsukake chimed in.

Still ignoring that question, Miaka asked, "How long has it been here since I left?"

This time Chiriko ran up and hugged her, "It's been 183 days! We missed you so much!"

"183 Days, if you split that up into groups of 30, how ma-"

"6 Groups of thirty, with 3 left over!" Chiriko answered before she even finished the question.

"6 Groups of thirty...that would mean 6 months...that's how much time has passed in my world...which would mean-" Miaka was cut off again by the child genius again.

"That would mean that time is going the same in your world as it is in ours, how strange. I wonder why..."

"I think I know why, has anyone been reading the b-" This time Chichiri was stopped by Chiriko.

"Maybe it's because nobody has been reading the book! If nobody is reading the book, there would be no need for time to go faster, right Chichiri?"

"Uh, yeah, that's what I was gonna say. This kid's smart no da." Chiriko smiled proudly.

"Why don't ya have some breakfast with us," Tasuki said sarcastically to Miaka, who had been stuffing her face ever since Chiriko let go of her.

"Oh, no. It's ok, I just ate," Miaka answered. Everbody laughed and sat back down, except Chichiri, because Miaka had taken his seat. "I'm going fishing, anybody feel like coming no da?"

Miaka put her plate down, "Ooh, I'll come." She wanted to talk to someone who would listen, and she knew Chichiri would probably be the best.

---------------------

The pond they went to was located in a small clearing in the middle of the forest. "Only Tasuki and I know about this place no da," Chichiri pointed out, sitting cross-legged on a patch of grass near the edge of the pond. He handed Miaka a fishing rod and gestured for her to come sit next to him.

She accepted the offer and sat next to him. "Howcome nobody else does?"

"Well, they might find it soon, but mainly because he and I grew pretty close before everybody else was reincarnated no da. He's my best friend now. Not that the others aren't, it's just that he knows as much about me now as Hikou did no da," He explained, not taking his eye off the pond. "Which is alot."

"Why aren't you wearing your mask?" Miaka stared at his scar. She wasn't grossed out by it or anything, it was just so...alluring. She couldn't stop staring, and even if she could, she wouldn't allow herself to.

Chichiri decided to be honest, "I haven't worn it since you and Tamahome left no da."

"Good, you look better with it off," Miaka noted, casting her rod.

"I know, that's why I haven't worn it," Chichiri joked. "And...I was getting sick of everybody telling me to leave it off no da," That was only minimally true. He didn't know exactly why, but ever since Miaka and Tamahome left for Miaka's world, Chichiri just felt wrong with it on-like he had no space. But with it off he felt like he had all the space he needed. "So where is he no da?"

"Who?"

"Tamah-"

"At home," Miaka snapped.

"Hai."

After a few moments of silence, Miaka spoke again softly, "Gomen for snapping at you like that, it just slipped out."

Chichiri dismissed the matter with a wave of his hand. "Nah, don't apologize. We all have our moments no da. But do you mind if I ask why you came back?" He asked, with a margin of hope that she had left Tamahome. He was immediatly ashamed at that thought, and even more ashamed when he found that he was right.

Miaka told him everything that had happened since she first told Tamahome that she was pregnant, including earlier at Yui's house.

"So...you're pregnant? What are you planning to do? You can't just let it live without a father figure, at the least no da," He stated.

"I-I don't know. I guess-I just don't know," Miaka leaned into him and began sobbing violently on his shoulder. The monk patted her on the back, "Daijoubu, it's okay no da."

After a few more moments of silence, all Miaka was doing was sniffing. She slowly lifted her head and looked into her monk friend's red-brown eyes. They just sat there like that for a while.

No. Absolutely not. I can't let myself do this no da, Chichiri scolded himself inwardly, trying to tear his own gaze away from Miaka's tear-filled one, but failing. But...that sad smile...it's like she's expecting me to...NO! I can't allow myself to be her rebound no da. But I haven't been kissed in so long...Chichiri finally managed to turn back to the pond, muttering a distant "Daijoubu." I'm just Chichiri the monk, not Chichiri the rebound, I refuse to be no da. I'm just gonna find a way to get Tamahome and Miaka back together, like they need to be no da.

The Suzaku no Miko and the fourth seishi just sat in silence and fished for the rest of the morning.

--------------

Okay, yet another short chapter. Gomen (Sorry) if they are out of character. I, personally, think that they're not that ooc, but I could be wrong. So whatever. This will probably be my last update on this story for a little while, but I could be wrong about that too. I'm wrong about a lot of stuff.

Oh well.