DISCLAIMER: Me no own. YAY summer!

¤¤ Thick Throaty Molasses ¤¤

¤ By: Telpelindewen ¤

¤¤ recap ¤¤.

"Sango asked me to drop of some food to a friend here." He said and Naraku held out his hand to the boy, "You could always hop in here and I'll drive you the rest of the way." At the boys hasty look back towards his own ranch Naraku chuckled, "Or you could hand it over to me and I'll be sure to give it to the boss." The boy looked more readily to agree with this plan and handed the bag over to the man. He tipped his hat back again and the boy set off on his chestnut horse at a brisk trot.

"See you soon kid." He whispered to himself.

¤ Chapter Twelve ¤

Miroku had moved past sulking and being a pratt to the point of just being non-existent. He was driving everyone, crazy. The dinner table conversations had become so strained that the hands could only breathe with relief when Miroku or Sango left the table.

Kagome was helping stack hay bales from the base of the barn to the top loft area adjacent to where Inuyasha bunked. She had on a pair of working leather gloves, courtesy gift from Inuyasha, and now a pair of brown cowboy boots, hand-me-downs from Rin. She bent over and dropped the bale in the loft and then stood up swiping her hand across her brow. Bankotsu and Sesshoumaru were helping move the few they needed to the loft from the big hay barn. Inuyasha and Kouga were out checking fence lines and the fields. For fun, since it wasn't as hott outside that day, Kohaku and Jakotsu were riding and jumping logs out in one of the nearby neighbor's fields.

Kagome climbed backwards down the stairs and stifled a scream when arms wrapped around her from behind. She saw the fleck of white hair whisp around to her front and felt the rumble of a chuckle in his chest.

"Jesus christ Inuyasha, you scared the crap out of me."

"Well now there's a turn on." She rolled her eyes and playfully slapped him with her gloved hand.

"Did you find out how to help Sango and Miroku? Or anything from Miroku?" She asked hopefully knowing her try with Sango was a bust.

"Feh. I tried. Miroku gave me the coldest look I've ever gotten from him."

Kagome looked over towards the house where Sango had holed herself inside for the past couple hours, away from the questioning looks of her employees and friends.

Kagome felt butterflies in her stomach as Inuyasha's hands lightly played over her stomach and he dropped his chin on her right shoulder.

"I still say we throw them in the grain shed."

"How are you going to convince them to go in there togheter?"

"Got your new cell phone handy?" Kagome checked her pocket.

"Yes?"

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Sango felt the ringing in her jeans back pocket about a half hour later. It was about an hour before dinner time and the hands would be coming back in soon to wash up. She pulled out the simple silver flip phone and flipped it open.

"Kagome? Why are you calling my cell."

"I'm kind of stuck inside the grain shed." Sango laughed at her response.

"You didn't get hurt did you?"

"Well no, but the shelf of the grain bags that have yet to be opened fell over and blocked my way out. I told you this thing is a death trap." Kagome pretended to exasperate over the line.

"Kagome, a grain shed is not a death trap. Only a city gal would get trapped in one." Sango chuckled and said she would be there in a minute.

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"Oi Miroku!" Inuyasha, Bankotsu, and Kouga all rounded the corner, each with a rope in hand.

Miroku was oiling a few saddles off their racks in the barn. He looked up at the three with a cocked eyebrow, a silent retort in question to whatever they wanted.

"You're coming with us."

Miroku didn't even have enough time to get up from his sitting position as the three twisted their wrists and roped them a cowboy. Kouga wrapped some clothe around his head to stuff the angry retorts coming from his mouth. They laughed at Miroku's struggling and very angry muffling sounds.

"Frankly, we're all a little sick of your lovers spat." Miroku's anger must have just tripled because his face had turned so red he looked like a blister ready to pop.

"Stuff it Koua." Bankotsu picked him up and they headed off to the grain shed with the other two in tow. Miroku kicking every possible direction.

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"Kagome?" Sango opened the door to the grain shed. It was a cylindrical looking halo with a rack inside with unopened bags of grain, and then a chute where the grain would be dropped into waiting barrels bellow to take to the barn for feeding, or into huge tubs which was spread into separate tubs for the cattle to eat in the field. There was no light inside the silo, just a little crack near the top where some light filtered in. Sango couldn't see very much in the large room, but for what she could see there wasn't anything wrong. The rack didn't seem to be in any disarray which is what confused Sango most. She turned back around just as the door seemed to shut with a loud resounding smack.

Miroku's eyes had adjusted well enough minutes ago, and had to suffer to watch the whole thing, and what they had been planning. It looked like they had succeeded to get them both where they all wanted them to be. Conniving bastards. Now all he had to do was wait for Sango to stumble over him, or wait to be found by her, and then he knew a secret way out of the silo that no one else did.

Sango tried very hard to push open the door. She was so confused! She heard the sound on the other side as if people were chatting away. "Um, guys! I'm kind of locked in here." She then remembered her cell phone and pulled it out to dial Kagome's number. She heard the line pick up

"Kagome? I'm kind of locked in the grain shed somehow, but where the heck are you? The rack looks fine."

"Actually it's Inuyasha... and we know you're locked in there. We're kind of the ones who locked you in. But Kagome felt really bad so you can't be mad at her. Don't bother calling anyone 'cause we're all going to give you the same answer: just work it out damnit!" And he clicked it shut. Sango looked at the phone with a puzzeled look. What the FUCK is going on here?

"Inuyasha! LET ME THE FUCK OUT THIS INSTANT." But she couldn't hear anything on the other side and she kicked the door.

She turned around after trying to pry the door open and went to see if there were anything laying around in the grain shed that could help her out. Miroku sighed in his head, she was about four steps in front of him.

Three.

Two.

One.

He rolled his eyes as the inevitable was going to happen.

Trip and fall, and scuffled sounds as Sango tripped over his tied up legs and landed sprawled together her across his bound legs. She looked up in the direction of his face and gasped.

He could see the wheels turning in her head as it all clicked together. And suddenly her face of surprise and wonder turned to one of understanding and anger.

"I'm going to kill them." She got off of his legs and went to take off his mouth guard but froze, "Actually I may like this better considering when you open your mouth lately all you do is snap at me."

Miroku didn't even respond to that. He just sat there and waited, she would do it or she wouldn't. In that case it wouldn't ever go anywhere and nothing would change between them, which means they would be bothered by the hands even more until it was. Oh life.

Sango sighed and untied his leg bindings, and then his arms and hands. She left the mouth guard for last and once his hands were untied he was able to do it himself. He got up to search for something, completely ignoring her. Sango exasperated with the way things were going just plopped on the ground.

Miroku looked back to where Sango was sitting, "Don't you want to get out of here?" Confused as to why she decided to give up suddenly.

"If we leave the shed, does that mean you're not going to say a word to me again once we're outside?"

Miroku silently applauded her bravery at the outspoken statement. He was a dash surprised at her courage but tipped his head in resilience, leaning his weight on his arm which was against the door.

"What do you want from me Sango?" She just turned away looking at anything but him, "I think I spoke enough when we hit the stream last time." He still had his head leaning against his arm having no idea what could begin to persuade this woman to feel the same things he felt for her.

"You threw all your feelings at me at once, Miroku. I can't... I can't make all those steps at once! I can't just tell you how I feel. I can't stand to see what these things do to people! Look at Kagome and look at how..."

"How can you even compare that to Kagome's past? God, Sango I would NEVER hurt you."

"Miroku, you don't have to hit me to hurt me." He looked bitter at that retort.

Miroku turned around and headed towards where Sango was sitting. She sat up a little straighter in alarm. He bent down and sat in front of her. After a few moments of looking into her face he reached into his pocket and held something small in his hand. He looked so tired in his face. Sango felt a stab of pity wondering if it was because of her. He took her hand and placed the small jeweled ring in her grasp.

"I wanted to give this to you the last time when we were at the stream and hot springs. Obviously things didn't work out the way I wanted them to. I told you then and I'll tell you now, my past is my past - I changed - well I mean I'm still a pervert," which Sango snorted at, "But only when it comes to you."

Sango looked down at the small ring in her palm as Miroku stood up.

"That ring was my mothers which she gave to me when I was a small boy. She passed away shortly after that. I've given you my heart, what you choose to do now with it is up to you." He placed his hat back on his head from when the hands had tossed him inside and grabbed the flap of metal near the back which he knew about the whole time, behind some sacks of grain. With a creak of rust and metal he went through and slapped it closed.

Sango just stared at the ring in the dust filtered light and let a single tear slip and closed her hand around the silver jeweled ring.

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Inuyasha and Kagome were sitting on one of the corral fences just sipping some cool water while waiting to see if anything, sounds wise, came from the grain silo about thirty feet away. Kouga had gone to let out some of the mares to graze in the back field, and Kohaku and Jakotsu had just returned to hear the news of the recent events.

Kouga came back up to where the few were laughing. Sesshoumaru and Rin had just turned from the house to see what was going on and joined the few by the fence. Rin noticed how easy Inuyasha seemed to be relaxing in the crowd now with Kagome here. She grinned and looked at her lover who didn't need to read her mind to know what she was thinking. Sesshoumaru just glanced at his brother who seemed happy, finally.

In Kouga's hands were a few dusty beer bottles.

"Kouga, the celebration is for when they make up, not before." Rin said.

"No, actually, I just found these over by the mare's field fence. They were lying by the roadside near the brush. The thick brush which blocks the road from the field. I climbed around to the roadside and there were the usual truck tracks and trailer tracks so nothing unusual I guess. Maybe some of the local boys just needing a place to cruise." He held up a few keystone light bottles.

Kagome paused and tensed looking at the bottles. Inuyasha's smile ceased immediately feeling the picked up heart rate of Kagome's in her wrist and feeling her stiffness. He turned to her, "Whats wrong?"

"Noth..."

But before she could answer they all turned towards the sound of metal creaking from the silo. They all looked in shock as Miroku came out from the backside and strutted out towards them...without Sango.

"Ut oh." Kohaku, Kouga, and Jakotsu booked it from the others.

"Chicken shits!" Yelled Rin. Sesshoumaru sweat dropped at his girls foul mouth.

"Now, why, would those three have a reason to run away?" Miroku asked stepping up to the corral.

"Maybe because three of his supposed good friends tied him up like a calf? Ring any bells?" Miroku asked taking his rope and knotting the middle. Inuyasha suddenly eyed the rope wondering what Miroku had planned. He held on Kagome for protection who laughed at their antics.

"Better run boys." Miroku was swining that lasso round and round, the boys could hear it whistling above his head. Bankotsu and Inuyasha took one look at each other seriously, and then broke into grins. Inuyasha pecked Kagome on the cheek really quick, so quick she might have missed it if she hadn't felt her heart flutter. And they were off. Miroku didn't waste a moment to jot after them.

Sesshoumaru raised his eyebrow at Inuyasha's p.d.a (public display of affection). Kikyo would have never allowed it. "Shouldn't you go see what happened to Sango?" Sesshoumaru didn't even miss a beat. He turned, grabbing his love, and carried her off giggling.

Kagome walked over to the grain shed concerned. When she opened the door and looked around inside it was empty and her footfalls echoed. She crossed her arms and noticed the back metal flap open and swaying in the breeze. They must have missed her sneaky escape. It was about an hour past the time they usually convened for dinner, she knew Sango couldn't avoid the meal forever.

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Everyone sat down to dinner. Kagome switched her spot from usual so she could be sitting closer to Inuyasha. No one had commented the first time she made the change, they all pretended like it didn't happen, except for Miroku who had given her winks about the whole thing. Sango was taking her time coming down to dinner. Kagome had changed into a pale blue dress to match with the cool summer evening. Everyone else had just enough time to wash up before the bisquits and white mashed potatoes were ready and served. The gravy was passed around the table when Kaede walked in with the delicious aroma of the roast beef came wafting in wherever she walked from the kitchen. She placed it on the center of the table and smacked away Kouga's hand when he tried to sneak a piece before the meat was cut.

Hojou came in following with condiments and side dishes, such as corn and peas, and macaroni and cheese - everyone's favorite side dish. The hands started to pass food and plates around, filling up glasses with ice and water when Sango finally came into the room. Most the hands nodded their hands, unsure of what the atmosphere would be like tonight at dinner. The grain shed apparently hadn't worked, and the two weren't being social since that earlier event.

Sango blushed when Kohaku commented on her hair being unusually nice that night, and earning a light smack at the 'unusually' part. She took place at her usual seat and gave a short glance to Miroku who ignored the glances given.

Sango looked away and began to cut the beef situated in front of her. Something glittered out of the corner of Kagome's eye. She looked to find the source and saw a silver ring etched with little green stones around the outside of it. The ring was on her ring finger of her right hand, and Kagome smiled.

Sango came around serving some of the hands the cut beef she had just sliced. She stood to the left of Miroku serving Kohaku a nice chunk when he exclaimed, "Whoa Sango! Where'd you get the bling?" Her hand paused at the same time Miroku did fork posed into mouth and all.

"I gave my heart away for this ring." Sango said and waited to see what the man to her right would do.

Miroku stood upright very fast. His chair slide back and he looked at her face, which she just blushed and turned her head away. In one swift move he grabbed her and tore it like hell into the kitchen. The hands stood there slack jawed and Houjo and Kaede were kicked soundly out of the swinging kitchen door and into the dinning room with the rest of them. Jakotsu was ignorantly chomping away on his lettuce, peas, and corn.

"What the HELL just happened?"

"Ugh, I have a headache." Bankotsu sighed.

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In the brush with his hunter green truck, in stealth mode. Naraku took another sip of his favorite beer. The farm he was working for luckily made him the errand boy, so he was constantly able to stop by the neighbors for a little 'visit' to stalk his 'love'. He dropped the empy keystone light bottle outside his window and put the truck into gear once all the people in site had gone into the house.

The next competition was in a week. It fell just around the date when they had just started dating. He couldn't wait to wish her happy anniversary.