Sango opened her eyes. She felt awful, but only physically. She was terribly sick, and her back ached. It had been like this for a day or two now, she couldn't remember quite how long, really. She sat up with a groan to find InuYasha sleeping in the corner. Miroku's staff was leaning against the wall near a soft-ish pile of blankets. She opened and closed her mouth once or twice. It tasted like vomit.

"Hey." Said InuYasha, waking from his light sleep. Sango waved vaguely. "That bad, eh?" He said, getting up to help her stand. Sango nodded.

"I feel worse than you did, I betcha…"

"I find that hard to believe." Said InuYasha with a carefully calculated, encouraging smile.

…

Kaede waited patently. She didn't want to have to be the one to tell Sango, or InuYasha… Miroku was the only one she was at all willing to tell, lest she be maimed. The Monk would be here soon. She tested out some ways of telling him in her mind, but all of them seemed ridiculous. The straight, boring way was best, she decided. The bamboo curtain moved aside after a while.

"Kaede-Sama, you called me?" Said Miroku. Kaede motioned for him to sit down, and he did so. What is this about? It something wrong with Sango?"

"Houshi-Sama, you will not want to hear what I have to say." She said. "But you'll want to know it more than not." She sighed. Miroku's face was creased with worry, and it looked like he was going to break out into a sweat any moment. She took a deep, long breath before speaking again. "There is a deep darkness filling Sango." She said. "I don't know how, or what's caused it, but it's there, and it's feeding off her to get stronger." Said Kaede. Miroku looked terrified.

"You mean, some sort of a parasite?" He asked. Kaede looked thoughtful.

"Well, I suppose ye could call it that, yes…" She coughed. "But by that logic you used to be a parasite too. And InuYasha, and me." She said. The expression that was now on Miroku's face nearly made her burst out laughing, but she was worried as well.

"What do you mean, Kaede-Sama?"

"Sango is…"

…

Sango felt dizzy, and she was glad InuYasha was being so willing to have her lean on him. She shivered. She was aware that she was paler than usual, and she was also aware that it wasn't that cold out. InuYasha was a source of heat, and she was glad of that. She was wrapped tightly in his haori, and InuYasha was carrying her easily. Odd thoughts filled her head, and she was sure they were not hers.

I could really raise a child with a guy like this…Said one voice. Her normal voice filtered back in.

Yeah, if I loved him. In that case I'm going to be selfish, and I'm going to love who I love!

Fine, but what if you loved him?

There'd be only one thing standing in the way, and that would be my feelings for Miroku.

Why do you love that blob of pointless flesh?

Another voice said: Hey! That's unacceptable! Be nice!

Sango shook off those thoughts. That wasn't like her. She was clearly not well at all. She looked up at InuYasha. He wasn't smiling, instead he looked a little worried. He set her down on her little futon.

"InuYasha?" She asked. InuYasha looked at her, ready to answer.

"Yeah?"

"Am I the reason you don't love Kagome?" She asked. InuYasha hesitated. He didn't really want to answer, but he would.

"No. At least, I don't think so." He said. Sango closed her eyes. They waited in silence. After a while Miroku came in to talk to InuYasha.

…

Sango woke up. She felt way better. She was about to get up when she heard whispering.

"Miroku, are you sure? I mean, how?"

"Well it wasn't me, if that's what you're saying, but that's what Kaede-Sama says it is."

"But… How?"

"I don't know, InuYasha. I wish I did. Kaede-Sama says something evil is behind it."

"What kind of evil thing would do that?"

"One who wants a one-way ticket to here."
Sango tried, in her daze, to remember what the term 'one-way ticket' meant for a little while. She got up.

"Whacha talkin' 'bout?" She asked groggily. Both men jumped and turned to face her. They looked to each other desperately, as if there was something they really, really didn't wanna tell her. Sango sobered up instantly. "What's going on? What's wrong?" She asked. She was really starting to worry now. Miroku spoke first.

"A demon is making you sick, we're sure of it." Said Miroku. If Sango'd been on top of her game she'd have realized this was a lie, but as it was, she was still dazed.

"Oh, is that all?" She asked, walking away to get something to eat. InuYasha and Miroku waited till she was out of sight. InuYasha turned to Miroku with a glare. He saw Miroku flinch.

"Well, it's sort of true." Said Miroku. InuYasha glowered.

"Never lie to her."

…

Sango was rather unnerved when several of the gossipers of the village kept coming up to ask her thing like: "So, who's the lucky guy?" And "Boy, he sure don't wait around, do he?" Sango didn't give any of them answers. She wondered why they'd thought she could pick so easily. Sango went over to Kaede's home and pulled aside the curtain.

"Miko-Sama?" She asked. Kaede looked up at her.

"Did Miroku tell you?" She asked. Sango nodded.

"Yeah, he told me." She said in a kind of light tone. Kaede raised an eyebrow at her. Sango shrugged dismissively. "S'not the end of the world." Said Sango.

"Care for a drink?" Kaede asked.

"Um, I think I'd like a Sake." Said Sango. Kaede dropped her arms to her sides.

"What did Miroku tell you?" Asked Kaede.

"That a Demon was making me sick." She replied. "No biggie in my mind, we find it, we kill it, yay. May I please have a Sake?" Kaede glowered at her feet.

"Sango, you're not sick." She said. Sango was confused. "You're with child."

End Chapter Eleven

DUN DUN DUH!

Heehee. Well, I'm happy. My trip was fun, I'm back now, and I've written this fine chapter. I hope you all enjoyed it, I'll write another one tomorrow.

I'll give a hug to anyone who can tell me who Sango's pregnant with! (I'm gonna be giving a lot of hugs, I think…)