Disclaimer - I don't own Inuyasha... at all.
A/N (Plz read, I'd appreciate it): Chapter TWENTY! Wow is all I have to say. Well, that and thanks to everyone who's stuck with this story for so long. Even to those of you who just began reading it today. I published A Healed Heart on August 13th in 2005! I didn't really expect the reactions that I got from all of you and I'm so grateful that everyone enjoys reading A Healed Heart. It was the first fic that I began with and I'm am very proud to have written it. I'm sorry to get all sentimental on you guys but, A Healed Heart has been a pleasure to write for you and I'll be sad when it ends (AIN'T HAPPENING ANY TIME SOON! lol). Bet ya I'll even cry... lol. Oh well, like they say, all good things must come to an end.
The concert soon came to an end and everyone formally greeted Kagome.
"Kagome! I'm so glad to see that you decided to join us." Sango said as they all began to walk.
"Hey, look at that. Kagome, you're just in time for us to do your things on the list! You were after Sango." Alexis said, pointing at her chicken scratch writing on the napkin she still had. Kagome smiled slightly. At least she'd get to do the things she'd really wanted to do.
"Well, I'm glad." She said distantly to her friends but they hadn't noticed. Only Inuyasha saw that Kagome was out of sorts. "Um, what were my picks again?" They all stopped and looked to her then at Lexi. Lexi skimmed down to her name once more on the napkin and read her picks aloud.
"You wanted to check out some craft tents and see a fortune teller. Don't you remember?" Lexi asked her and Kagome nodded her head and laughed a little.
"Don't forget that we made that list a while ago, can you really blame me if I forgot what I chose to do?" She smiled at them all. "Didn't think so. Now let's go find a nice craft tent to start at first." She began to walk away from them without another word. Eventually they came to an excellent crafts area that was placed at the fair in a square shape. Many maru bamboo shoji lanterns were lit all around in different colors. Within the small square there were many craft tables and tents.
"Oh look over there!" Sango exclaimed and they all did so to find amazing looking Sensu fans and hand-painted umbrellas. Some were outlined in gold to add to the magnificent designs. Kagome ran over with the other two girls while the guys slowly walked over. Kouga nudged Inuyasha.
"So, you two an item now or what?" He asked while smirking. Miroku came closer to hear his answer.
"Yeah, we really lo.. like each other and I love how she makes me so, I don't know, happy." He answered. The two guys smiled. Miroku then smirked and nudged him slightly. Inuyasha looked at him and wondered why he did that.
"You get mad at her cause she wouldn't well, go as far as you wanted?" He asked. Inuyasha growled.
"No, I wouldn't even expect that from Kagome. I respect her and you two should try that some time." He said to them and, surprisingly, they believed him. Soon they caught up to the girls who were each holding a fan. Each fan seemed to match the girls and who they were on the inside in a way. The girls were laughing and exaggeratingly fanning themselves while Kagome stood aside and examined the one she was holding with expertise scrutiny.
"Hello young ladies, how may I help you?" The girls turned to the kind voice that had asked them that and found a kind, short, old gentleman. His face was wrinkled with past memories and they smiled at him closing their fans in a type of respect to his artwork.
"Sir, did you make all the beautiful fans?" Sango asked him. The man smiled and nodded his head slightly.
"I did make most of them, some were made by my lovely wife. When she had the time, she'd make the best fans I'd ever seen." He was smiling reminiscently then came back to the present time. "Oh, look at that," He pointed to Kagome's fan and smiled. "You, my dear, have one of my wife's fans." He motioned for her to give it to him. Kagome smiled and handed it to him so he could present the fan. "You see how very detailed and fine her designs on this fan are?" His hands delicately moved across the thin paper, creating a slight noise like paper moving against paper. The old man's wife had painted with a fine tip brush. She painted cherry red flowers, thin black (some were gray) tree limbs, and black birds. The fan's ribs were painted a blood red and barely spaced apart. The ribs were carved with flower designs and diamond shapes were carved out. The tip of the fan's paper was painted the same blood red while the rest, besides the designs, was a pure white. It was absolutely gorgeous and Kagome loved it. Sango and Alexis also loved their fans. Sango's fan was a nice purple/pink one with hundreds of small lighter purple/pink, might be considered white, flowers with a dark purple center. The fan's ribs were a mahogany brown and spaced further apart than Kagome's were. Alexis held a cream colored fan with a clear blue lake and white birds painted on it. Its ribs were painted a darker tan and arrow designs were carved this way and that. (Kinda like this > (arrow going up or 6 with the shift down) (arrow going the other way or period with the shift down) then the pattern goes on.)
"We'll take them!" Sango said placing hers on the table in front of him. Kagome smiled sadly, as did Alexis.
"I have no money." Alexis said. Kagome nodded her head.
"I only have a few dollars." Kagome spoke. Sango took a finger to her chin and thought.
Then, with an, "Ah ha!" She walked over to the boys. They all looked at her with suspicion in their eyes. She smirked slightly and put her big brown eyes to work. They boys began shaking their heads with a 'no' look on their faces before she even said a word.
"Guys, we need some money. Just a few dollars, we'll pay ya back." She said with a begging tone.
They shook their heads even more and Miroku began a chant of, "No, no, no."
"Oh come on! Inuyasha, Kagome really wants that Sensu fan. Kouga, Lexi would love it if you bought her fan for her. Miroku..." She began but the three guys were already buying the fans for the girls. She smiled slyly to herself and walked over to the others.
"Thank you for buying your new folding fans!" The old man said to them as they all walked away. Everyone turned to wave goodbye smiling, and he did the same. Kagome hugged Inuyasha and he placed a hand around her waste while she leaned into him, Lexi hugged her brother than let him go and walked beside him, Sango quietly thanked Miroku and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. Miroku stopped walking with the others for a second and pressed a hand to his heart with slight smile on his face. Sango laughed at his foolishness while he began to laugh with her then grabbed her in a bear hug and placed kisses all over her face while she giggled sweetly. He eventually let her, seeing as they were stopping the crowd with their little 'Notebook' (the movie... think about it... lol now ya got it) moment. They held hands loosely and walked along happily with the others. Alexis giggled slightly and started to jog. Kouga decided to as well and soon everyone was.
"Guys, random question but," Sango breathed, "Why are we running?" They'd picked their pace up and started running when Sango decided her legs were starting to get a little, no more like really, tired. Everyone laughed and decided that walking would be fine.
"So, how's everyone's night been so far?" Alexis asked, in a hyper kind of way. Kagome sighed slightly.
"I'd say that my night's gone swell." Kouga said sarcastically, though meaning it. Miroku laughed at his friend.
"Eh, mine's gone pretty nicely. I mean, now I'm with the lovely Sango." Miroku smirked as Sango playfully slapped him on the arm.
"Yeah, it's nice to finally actually have someone who I think I can really depend on. Thanks Miroku," Sango gave Miroku's hand a tight squeeze. He smiled to himself as her hand fell loosely in his.
"Hmm... My night's gone from hot," He smirked, glancing quickly at Kagome, "To cold, to just right." Kagome smiled a small smile and went into his arms once more.
"Hey, how's your night been Kaggy?" Miroku asked her, grinning at the two. She shivered as her father's cold eyes came into her mind.
"It's been... eventful." She said, choosing her words wisely. He smiled while nodding his head, not really sure if that was a good answer. "Lexi, how about you?" Kagome smiled, "How's your night been?" She asked her. Alexis laughed, happy someone had asked her.
"Well, it's gone... perfectly. Thanks for letting me tag along for the ride." She said in a farewell tone. That was when Kouga jumped in front of them all and grinned crazily.
"HEY!" He yelled at them, they all stopped. "The night is young! We still got plentya time to say our goodbyes." He told them and Kagome decided that she'd put off telling them about her father just one more night.
Ahh! I'm so sorry for that, I know you wanted all the drama of her telling them about her father to happen in this chapter but I want to hold it off just a little while longer. It seems everything's going waaay too fast so, I wanna slow it down a bit. Thanks for readin! Now plz review, lol.