Same disclaimer as before. I own nothing except the plot.

Kagome and Sango were led by Inuyasha into the temple. He quickly scanned the temple for a couple of open seats and found them, off in the corner by the altar. He pointed to the two seats and said, "My apologies, we seem to have a full house today. However, there are two remaining seats over there. Please excuse me, I have to help Miroku finish getting ready." Inuyasha then left the two girls at the back of the temple.

As soon as she was outside, he slumped against the wall and asked himself, "What is it with Kagome? Whenever I am near her, I get the desire to kiss her." He stood back up again and started walking towards the back of the temple as he said, "I think I need to have a long talk with father after services today."

Sango watched him leave then turned to look at her friend who had a slight blush on her face. Sango smirked, then said, "If I didn't know you, I would say you like him."

"He's nice Sango and he is something that most of the guys I meet are not, a gentleman," Kagome replied.

"Maybe I don't know you as well as I thought Kags," Sango said. "Now I know you want to have little kids with cute dog ears!"

Kagome turned to her and scowled at her best friend. Then punched her in the arm before walking off to the front of the temple and taking her seat.

Sango rubbed her arm and watched her friend take her seat. She soon followed her and sat next Kagome. She then pulled her into a sideways hug.

Miroku was looking out at the sanctuary through a curtain and saw Kagome sit down followed by Sango. He then saw Sango pull Kagome into a hug and then he noticed how good Sango looked in Shiori's dress. He always thought Shiori looked good in that dress, but Sango appeared almost angelic in it.

Sango let go of Kagome and turned towards the altar in time to witness Miroku looking directly at her. Their eyes locked for a brief minute before he disappeared behind the curtain. Her heart beat faster in her chest from just a simple glance. She turned away and silently asked herself, "What is wrong with me? I'm normally the type of girl that wouldn't shy away from a hot guy's stare and here I am, getting bothered by a Monk's gaze!" She quickly righted herself and asked herself, "Wait a minute! Do I really think he is hot?"

Miroku was having similar issues behind the curtain. He knew he was a harmless flirt, especially when it came to beautiful members of the opposite sex. However, when he held Sango in is arms earlier, he felt something that he never felt before when he held another woman, content. He was about to leave the altar when he ran into his best friend who also looked vexed by something. Miroku asked, "My brother, something seems to be bothering you, care to tell me what it is?"

"Miroku, I do admit; something is bothering me and I'm not sure what to do about it," Inuyasha answered.

"Your father always said, 'Get it out in the open and you will feel better.' And he was right," Miroku said as he made his way over to his dearest friend. He slapped his right hand on Inuyasha's left shoulder, then said, "You can tell me anything you want and I promise I won't tell a soul."

Inuyasha sighed, then asked, "Why does she make me feel this way?"

"She? By she do you mean Kagome?" Miroku answered with his own question.

"Of course I mean Kagome," Inuyasha replied as he removed Miroku's hand from his shoulder and turned towards a brick wall. He then said, "When I am around Kagaome, I feel different. I feel warm and all I want to do is embrace her just to bring her closer to me." Inuyasha turned his head to his friend and asked, "Do you understand?"

"I believe I do," Miroku said. He looked around to make sure that Sesshoumaru or Touga wasn't anywhere near before he said, "I feel the same way towards her friend. I think we like those girls as more than friends."

Inuyasha turned to his friend and said, "There is no way any youkai or human girl would be interested in being with a lowly hanyou like me! I have learned a long time ago, hanyous are only good for either being doormats or servants! I'm destined to be alone here for the rest of my life!"

"How can you say that Inuyasha!?" Miroku asked. "You are one of the most compassionate and caring souls I have the pleasure of knowing! Remember that day we found Ryoko crying on the steps of the shrine? After you called the police to let them know she was here and she was safe, you went out and searched for her father to tell him his little girl was alright and she though he abandoned her."

"And where did that get me?" Inuyasha asked. "A right hook to the jaw, that's what."

"But you didn't retaliate," Miroku said. "You held back despite waiting to rip that guys head off for not only hitting you, but for throwing his daughter away."

"As much as I wanted to teach that jerk a lesson, I couldn't bring myself to do it," Inuyasha said. "Even though he is a jerk, he is still Ryoko's father and I couldn't live with myself if I made her cry."

Miroku took a quick look at his watch and noticed it was almost time to start the sermon. He lowered his arm to his side and asked, "Care to help me with the sermon? I saw Kagome in the front row. So, if you help me out there today, you might impress her."

Upon hearing Kagome's name, Inuyasha smirked and he stood a little taller. He went over to his friend, latched his left arm around Miroku's neck, and said, "Let's go, we don't want to keep the visitors waiting."

Sango was about to say something to Kagome when the curtain parted and Miroku and Inuyasha stepped out from behind the curtain. Miroku turned to his right and took his place behind the altar. He quickly scanned the crowd and his eyes fell on Sango before giving her a wink.

As if on cue, the everyone in the temple took their seats and faced the altar.

Miroku took in a deep breath and started the service with a prayer.

Sango heard the first words leave Miroku's mouth and she became transfixed on him, hanging on every word that left his mouth.

Miroku finished the prayer and said, "Good morning." He waited for a reply before he continued, "Today, we celebrate the New Year and with that celebration, we not only wish for a healthy and prosperous year to come, but also a year of new beginnings. In order to start this new year off right, please offer your neighbor your well wishes."

Everyone on the temple turned towards the other members and wished them well for the coming year.

A little boy that was sitting behind Kagome and Sango went over to them and said, "I wish you both a happy new year."

Both Sango and Kagome were not expecting a young boy to so casually come up to them and wish them. But for some reason they felt compelled to not only return the boy's gesture, but to embrace the child as well while they offered their own well wishes to the boy.

Inuyasha watched from the side of the altar as Kagome hugged the young boy and he thought, 'Now I know there is something more to this girl than what she shows to the world. I definitely have to get to know her better.'

Miroku was having similar thoughts. But he lifted his head and caught Touga's eye and realized he needed to keep things moving. He cleared his throat and said, "Please take your seats again and open your prayer books to page 162."

Everyone took their seats again and opened their books to the page he mentioned.

Miroku closed his eyes and remembered what he heard on the recording and started to mimic the chant just as he heard it earlier.

Touga listened to the chant in its entirety before he left the rear of the temple to find his wife and help her with the post sermon preparations. He then said, "That boy is going to make a fine monk when he gets older. My son couldn't have found a better person to call his best friend."

He found Izayoi walking away from the building they used to teach the children in with a large smile on her face. After he got closer to her, he asked, "What has my wife so happy, she is smiling?"

Izayoi embraced her husband and replied, "I think we have a new staff member of the shrine."

"Oh? What did my wife do?" Touga asked.

"Me? Nothing at all," Izayoi answered. "Well, almost nothing. I sort of gave our eldest son and a certain Wind youkai a little push and let the Kami do the rest."

Touga shook his head and then said, "My lovely wife is playing Match Maker again. Remember when you tried to get our daughter to date the boy down the street? They got along well at first, but then he got a little grabby with Shiori and she didn't like it. Well, after he put his hand on her one too many times, she lashed out and almost killed him. Personally, if I caught him touching my daughter that way, there wouldn't be enough of him left to bury!"

"Touga, you talk tough but I have known you long enough to know you would never kill anyone," Izayoi said.

"You're right dear, I normally wouldn't kill anyone unless they hurt my family! Then all bets are off," Touga said.

"In that case, would by big, bad husband care to help his wife in the kitchen preparing the afternoon snacks?" Izayoi asked.

Touga could never refuse a request from Izayoi no matter how hard he tried. The only thing he had to do was to look into her eyes and he would follow her around like the dog he was. He reached out and pulled her to him, then said, "I would love to. Just as long as you feed me too, my dear."

Izayoi kissed his left cheek then said, "How could I let any of my dogs go hungry. Of course I will feed you and later after everyone leaves, maybe we can spend some time in the springs behind the shrine, just the two of us?"

Touga lifted her up and cradled her in his arms and started walking off towards the kitchen. He then said, "My wife has a dirty mind. However, I will do as she wishes."

Sesshoumaru and Kagura pulled back from their first kiss and rested their foreheads against the others, breathing quite heavily.

Kagura looked into Sesshoumaru's golden eyes and said, "I have never been kissed like that before." She ran her right hand's fingers through his long silver locks, then said, "I could very easily be persuaded to stay here if you keep kissing me like that."

Sesshoumaru took her hand in his and kissed the back of it before he said, "There is more than enough room for you here Kagura, not that I want to push you into doing something that you are not ready for. The last thing I ever want to do is to make you feel obligated to stay here and be part of the shrine."

Kagura blushed ever so slightly before she slowly took her hand back and placed it in her lap. She then said, "Lady Izayoi has contacted me on more than one occasion, asking me to become a integral member of the shrine and to assist with the teachings. However, I always refused. Now that I have seen for myself what occurs on these grounds and all of the good that happens here, I'm not sure if my excuse for not accepting her proposal is valid anymore. Having Ryoko pull me into the fray and seeing how the children loved listening to you and how you interacted with them, broke my resolve to let the wind dictate where I go next. Now, I'm not sure if I want to leave this place, or leave you Sesshoumaru."

"Take your time and think about it Kagura," Sesshoumaru replied. "The shrine will always be here, and so will I."

"I will," Kagura said as she ran her fingers through her hair and turned away from him for a second. As she looked at the door, she asked, "Shall we see what my friends are up to?"

He let her go and after she stood, he rose as well and took her right hand in his before leading her out of the room and towards the temple. All the while they walked, he thought, 'I have never acted like this before when I was around a beautiful woman or demoness. Why did I kiss her back there and more importantly, why did she kiss me back?' He looked to his left and down at Kagura's face which had a light smile on it. He also felt real good holding her hand in his which brought a light smile to his face as well.

They ended up at the front door of the temple and heard Miroku start to give the closing player. Sesshoumaru held the door open so Kagura could enter and stand in the back of the temple.

She slid past him and took a position along the back wall and once Sesshoumaru let the door close ever so softly, he stood next to her and took her hand in his again.

Miroku lifted his head just in the nick of time to see Sesshoumaru take hold of Kagura's hand. As he finished the prayer he was saying, he thought, 'My older brother seemed to win a spot in Kagura's heart. Heck, if he can do it, then I have a decent shot of getting to know the lovely Sango better.' He closed the book in front of him and said, "That concludes this morning's sermon, for those who wish, Lord Touga and Lady Izayoi have a light snack prepared in the rectory. Please feel free to go over there and partake in the cooking that I have learned I can't live without. Go in peace." Miroku left the altar and stood next to Inuyasha who was very busy watching Kagome. He lightly elbowed him in the ribs then said, "Go and see if she would like an escort to the rectory brother."

Inuyasha snapped out of the spell he was under and said, "She is out of my league Miroku. There is no way she would want me anywhere around her."

"Why are you so hard on yourself?" Miroku asked. "Give it a go and let her tell you that for herself and not you making the choice for her. Trust me on this Inuyasha, I think you will be pleasantly surprised."

Inuyasha sighed, then said, "Alright, I'll go and ask her. But if she turns me down or calls me a lowly hanyou, I'm going to come after you, got it?" He then left the stage and went to stand next to Kagome.

Miroku followed behind him and stood next to Sango. He then asked her, "How did you like the sermon?"

Sango turned to him and answered, "I have never experienced a sermon being given like that before. It felt like I was part of the story and not just being told the tale."

"Ah, that is because I make sure go deeper in detail than what the books say. I guess you can say, I put my own spin on the prayers and sermons," Miroku said.

"You definitely did a great job," Sango said. "I never would expect that from such a young monk."

"I'm not a monk quite yet Sango," Miroku said. "Although someday I hope to be one. Allow me to change into something more appropriate and I will take a look at your bike for you."

"That would be great and thank you," Sango said.

Miroku took her hand in his and led her out of the temple and towards the residence.

Kagome watched her friend leave with Miroku, then Inuyasha asked, "What would you like to do Kagome?"

Kagome turned around to face him then asked in response," What do you mean?"

"We can either go with Miroku and Sango to fix her bike, head over to the rectory and have a snack with my parents, or there is something on the other side of the shrine's grounds that I think you will like."

Kagome thought about it for a minute and her curiosity got the better of her. She answered, "Let's go and see this something that you mentioned and I will determine if I like it or not."

Inuyasha extended his right hand to her which she took. As he closed his fingers around her smaller hand and felt the warmth radiating from it, he suddenly felt not only warm, but he also felt like his hand belonged intertwined with hers. After he ever so slightly blushed, he said, "I promise you will like what I am about to show you. There is not another spot within the city limits that is as breathtaking."

They left the temple and went around the rectory to a densely wooded area. After traveling down a narrow path for about ten minutes, they both heard the sounds of water lapping over rocks. They traveled for another minute and walked into a clearing and saw what appeared to be a hot spring that was being fed by a small stream. To their right was a pair of small wooden benches that were placed right alongside the spring.

Kagome never thought that such a place could exist within the city and she was definitely impressed. She let go of Inuyasha's hand and went over to the edge of the water and crouched down to dip her fingers into the warm water.

Inuyasha stood there and watched her very fluid movements and asked, "Do you like it?"

"To be honest, I love it," Kagome replied as a few tiny koi swam through her fingers.

Inuyasha came up to her, crouched down to her level, and put his right arm over her shoulders. He said as he watched the koi, "I have been told, this spring has been flowing through here for centuries and according to my father, this is also the place where he and my mother told each other for the first time that they loved each other."

Kagome turned her head to the left and looked at his face. She noticed that he had a glow about him that he didn't have before. She also liked his arm on her and for the first time with a man, she felt safe and secure. Kagome then said, "That is so romantic Inuyasha. One day, I hope to find a man that will tell me that."

Without removing his gaze from her hand in the water, he said, "Someday you will." As soon as he finished speaking, he stood up and said, "Miroku has probably figured out what is wrong with your friend's bike by now. Shall we head over and see what they are up to?"

Kagome went to stand but she slipped and almost fell backwards into the water. However, Inuyasha was quicker and caught her in his strong arms before she fell. He stood cradling her in his arms and Kagome instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck. Their faces were inches apart and moving closer on their own accord. Just before their lips met, Kagome and Inuyasha realized what they were doing and very reluctantly pulled away and turned their heads so they could not see the other blush.

'What the hell is wrong with me?' Kagome asked herself. 'I'm not the type of girl that he would be interested in at all. He seems the type of guy to go after someone like his mother and not a girl who runs around in tight leather and drinks and parties until the morning. In other words, not me! So why did I almost kiss him and let him kiss me?'

Inuyasha was having very similar thoughts running through his head. 'How stupid of me to try to kiss her! This girl is way out of my league and here I go and try to kiss her!' He turned his head to look at her for a brief second, before thinking, 'I do have to admit though, kissing her would probably feel very good.' He finally said, "I'm sorry Kagome, I should have not tried to kiss you just now. Please forgive me."

Kagome turned her head to face him and said, "It's alright, you weren't the only one who was caught up in the moment. But just to get it out of our systems, can you kiss me?"

Inuyasha did't have to think twice, as he leaned forward, he replied, "Certainly."

Their lips met for the first time and they closed their eyes as they let their first kiss take over.

Kagome gripped his neck tighter as she kissed him harder, almost begging him to let her take over and move things to the next level.

Inuyasha was lost too. His mind was telling him to pull away but his heart and body was telling him to let go and let her do what she wants. He then felt her tongue tap his lips and he opened his mouth to let her in and taste him.

Kagome slipped her tongue into his mouth and slid it across his while her right hand fisted his hair and felt the silky threads as she thought, 'I like this more than I thought I would. I have been chasing after the wrong type of guy, this is where I belong.'

Inuyasha was falling fast for Kagome. Even though having a girl that was not related actually kiss him was a completely new experience, he liked, no, loved the feeling he was experiencing. He honestly didn't want this feeling to ever end.

Eventually they pulled back from their first kiss and rested their foreheads against the others. They looked into each other's eyes and Inuyasha breathlessly said, "Wow. I have never been kissed like that before." He gently kissed her forehead then asked, "Would you consider going on a date with me?"

Kagome lifted her head to look into his golden eyes and stroked his right cheek before she answered, "On one condition, you and your brothers will have to go clubbing with us tonight. We have seen what happens on the shrine's grounds and we know how you three behave when you are here. Now I want to know, how does my future potential boyfriend act when he is playing in one of my playgrounds."

Inuyasha heard the term 'boyfriend' leave Kagome's mouth and he could not help but to smirk since he was given an opportunity to not only get to know her better, but to be able to call her his girlfriend. He then said, "It's a date!" He extended his right elbow to her foot her to slip her arm through, that is if she wanted to and asked, "Shall we go and see what our friends are up to?"

As he hoped, Kagome slipped her left arm though his and leaned her head on his shoulder and said, "Lead on."

Miroku had removed the oil tank from Sango's baby, despite her protests and threatening to decapitate him if he so much as scratched the paint. As he examined the cross threaded oil plug and threads on the tank, he knew he would have to replace the plug and run a tap through the threads on the tank to reform the threads. He turned to Sango and said, "I can fix your oil tank without a problem. But I am going to have to completely clean out the tank when I am done to make sure there is no metal shavings left that could damage the engine. I fear you might have to leave your bike here for a few hours to let the tank completely dry. I don't think you want any water left in the tank after the cleaning process."

Sango was watching over every little move Miroku made like a overly protective mother and when he removed the oil tank and accidentally dropped the wrench, her heart skipped a beat. She watched as her baby's life's blood was drained out of the tank, then the tank was flipped over so Miroku could examine the threads that accepted the oil plug. After she put the pry bar she had clenched in her left hand down, she responded, "My father taught me a lot about this bike as he and I built it. Although I never grasped the mechanical aspects as we put it together from boxes of parts." Sango walked over to the bike, ran her left hand over the pleated black leather seat, and said, "This is all that I have left of my father and I want nothing but the best for it." Sango turned her head towards Miroku with a small tear in her eye from remembering the times she spent with her father working on the bike, despite her mother stating, she should be learning how to be a wife and not turning wrenches in a greasy garage. "Do what you have to do Miroku," Sango said before she broke down and leaned forward against the handlebars.

Miroku got up, wiped his hands on a red shop towel, and went over to her. He put a supportive hand on her right shoulder. He then said, "I'm sorry for your loss Sango. I hear in your voice how much you loved your father. I promise, I will do my best to make sure your father's legacy will be around for your child to ride her."

Sango lifted her head, wiped her tears away, and asked, "You would do this for me, why?"

"There is one thing the Taisho's taught me was to put others before yourself," Miroku said. "This is something that only the Taisho's know and I have never told this to anyone else. When my own parents were going through a bout of alcohol addiction, they would beat me just for being in the wrong place. After the tenth time, I ran away from home and ended up at the base of this shrine. Mr. Taisho found me at the base of the stairs, beaten and broken. He helped me up the stairs, got me cleaned up, and gave me a place to stay. After I ate and thanked his family for their hospitality, I told him what was happening at my house and I didn't feel safe to go home. He offered me a place to stay at the shrine for as long as I wanted and that was when I became friends with Inuyasha. He and I became inseparable and he helped me through my trauma. I became a member of the family and when the opportunity arose for me to repay them for everything they did for me, I rose to the occasion and started giving sermons and apparently, I was quite good at it. My sermons quickly grew in size as well as a tithes to the shrine. I never will forget what the Taishos did for me I my time of need and I vowed to never turn my back on another."

Sango let go of her bike and hugged Miroku. She said, "You went through so much Miroku, more than I have."

Miroku brought his arms around her back but didn't embrace. After a few seconds of apprehension, his arms found purchase on her back and said, "I might have been though a lot Sango. But with the help and guidance I have here, I persevered." He lowered his head to her shoulder and smelled the lingering scent of her shampoo in her raven locks. The longer he rested his head on her shoulder, his desire to kiss her increased dramatically. After a few minutes, he lifted his head, looked into her eyes, and slowly lowered his face to hers, as he said, "Sango, please forgive me for what I am about to do."

Sango closed her eyes and tilted her head. She then said as she closed her eyes, "You are forgiven."

Just before their lips met, Inuyasha and Kagome entered and she snickered when she saw her friend almost sucking face with the resident monk.

Sango turned her head towards her friend and opened her eyes just enough to show her displeasure. She let go of Miroku, started walking towards Kagome, and said, "Dear sister, when I get my hands on you!"

"You have to catch me first!" Kagome said before she took of running.

Miroku and Inuyasha watched as Sango ran after her friend, then Inuyasha asked, "Do you really think you can handle a girl like her Miroku?"

"I'm not 100% sure my friend but I will find out," Miroku answered before he turned to Inuyasha and asked, "Care to help me get her bike back together once I chase the threads on her oil tank?"

"Sure," Inuyasha responded. "Just tell me what I have to do."

End of Chapter