HEY GUYS! BACK AGAIN WITH ANOTHER CHAPTER! HOPE YOU GUYS ENJOY, AND THANKS TO THOSE WHO REVIEWED, SUBSCRIBED, AND ADDED THIS STORY TO THEIR FAVS. I HOPE YOU GUYS CONTINUE TO READ :)

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Chapter 1 : A Chance Meeting

Miroku Ichigawa's purple orbs widened in shock and disbelief as a clawed fist angrily made contact with the side of the carriage he and his companion currently occupied. He couldn't help but to inwardly wince when the hanyou before him removed his hand from the carriage's wall only to reveal an enormous dent and a ruined paint job. 'Sango won't be too happy about this...' At the thought of his wife's reaction, he silently sighed before speaking, a stern look on his handsome face as he turned to the fists owner. "Next time, we take your carriage."

Choosing to ignore his friends comment, InuYasha Takahashi continued on with his mad rant, the reason behind his sudden attack on the wood next to him. "Fuck, Miroku. What the hell am I supposed to do? For the past two years, I've lived with the hope that the courts would grant me access to my wife's funds sooner than allowed, but...but all that has resulted of my unbearable patience is an ongoing amount of debt!" His clawed hand brushed through his thick silver locks then, temporarily removing his bangs from his forhead as he continued. "I can't do this much longer, Miroku. All the stress, the long nights worrying whether or not I'll be forced to sell everything, forced into the world of poverty...What am I supposed to do? The longer I live in limbo, the faster my debt increases!" Once again his fist slammed into the side of his friend's carriage, only causing the already large dent he had previously made to grow bigger in size.

Refraining from allowing his purple orbs to roll in annoyance, Miroku spoke. "Look InuYasha I know you're upset, but the third and last year of waiting for Kagome's reappearance is almost over. Myoga said so himself. Can't you wait until then? You've waited this long already for God's sake." He mumbled the next part to himself, though he knew perfectly well that his friend's demonic hearing would clearly pick up his words. "And taking out your anger on the damned carriage isn't going to help anything but to get me killed."

The annoyed half demon sitting directly before him slouched in his seat, arms folded over his chest. "As if I have a choice but to wait. You know that." A grunt escaped him as his right hand moved to pinch the bridge of his nose, the volume of his voice lowered considerably as he spoke. "I only pray the remaining four months pass by without incident, so that I can be free of this complicated disaster as smoothly as possible."

Nodding in agreement, Miroku pulled aside the pure white curtain blocking his view of the scenery outside. A vast layout of hills and lush greenery played out before him as he spoke. "I am glad you decided to accompany me in picking up Sango from the Shikon Inn. She does so love to pay visit to those friends of hers on a regular basis. The country air might serve to do you some good, I think."

From that point on, their talk turned to other things. However, a majority of InuYasha's mind continued to remain on his financial predicament and on his wife. It was believed she had drowned in the Shimanto River but a body was never found, thus leaving two questions he never learned the answers to: one, how had she managed to leave the reception without the notice of anyone and two, how could it have been that no one had realized she was gone until an hour at best had passed? It just didn't make any sense!

He supposed the answers he sought would always remain a mystery, though it urked him to no end that many wanted to point the finger of accuasation in his direction. He had his widely-known short temper as well as his financial problems to thank for that. However, any idiot would have realized that murdering his bride would not have been in his best interest. An unconsummated marriage meant he could not access his wife's funds, for one! It also meant there may not have been a marriage to begin with in the eyes of the church and should she be declared dead at the end of the three years, it was up to them to decide whether or not the marriage remained valid. The thought angered him deeply. Were that the case, it would mean that these last three years of waiting would have been for nothing. All the worry and stress for nothing. He could have remarried, started a family, and been...happy.

His sigh went unnoticed by Miroku then, and he supposed his friend's reasoning had been right. There was nothing he could do about his situation until the three year waiting period was over. Until Kagome was finally pronounced dead, he could neither access her funds nor remarry a wealthy woman of good social standing. He was...powerless. The feeling etched itself deep into his soul, threatening to drive him mad with rage once more.

Miroku's voice brought him out of the desire to punch yet another crater into the carriage's wall. "By the way, I had a talk with Sango before her departure to the Shikon Inn this morning. I know she laments your situation as much as I do and has agreed to what I am about to propose..." He removed his gaze from the rolling scenery to his friend, a look of complete sincerity on his face. "InuYasha, if you would let me, I would be more than happy to loan you some mon-"

He was abruptly cut off by his silver haired companion. "No, absolutely not! I appreciate the offer, Miroku, but I can't accept it. I have no need for another debt, especially a debt to a good friend. I would not want to cause you any trouble."

The purple eyed man smiled kindly then, shaking his head. "Nonsense, InuYasha. It is no trouble at all, and Sango and I do it from the goodness of our hearts. Please accept it. I can understand your apprehension, but perhaps loan was the wrong way to put it. Do not think of it as such but as a gift between friends. You yourself have helped me through many financial situations when you were able and I want to repay you in any way that I can."

"No, Miroku. I did not choose to help you then because I wanted you to repay me. You are practically my brother, and so you should know better than anyone else that my pride will not allow me to accept money from someone as close to me as you."

The handsome man insisted. "But InuYasha, if you would jus-"

"No, I can't and won't accept it. My conscience wouldn't allow me to sleep soundly at night knowing that I took money from you, especially a quantity as large as the one I require."

Miroku took a moment to ponder his friend's response before continuing. "In that case, am I right to believe that you only married Miss Higurashi for the wealth? I admit, I had always assumed you had at least cared for her in some way when you decided to propose. You seemed a different man when she was present, after all. Was I wrong in my assumptions of your feelings towards her then? Correct me if I am wrong, but if not, it would only make sense that it should not be hard to accept money from a man you call brother. How could it? How could accepting money from me be any different than taking money from the woman you cared for in that case?"

"It just is!" InuYasha shot back. "Whether or not I cared for her is beside the point! Just drop it..."

An uncomfortable silence suddenly fell over the carriage's occupants as the conversation lost words to continue with. The young half demon knew his friend was correct in his train of thought. It was no lie that he had at first sought to marry Kagome primarily for the wealth that she possessed. However, he also knew that deep down he may have actually at some point grown to care for the beautiful woman throughout the days he had spent by her side. Why or how he was unsure, but in that case, he knew he would not have been able to take a dime of her money. His pride would not have allowed it. He was a man, and a man was supposed to provide. He would then have been forced to find another way to resolve his problems. That is if he had in fact grown to care for Kagome. But that couldn't be true, right? After all, how could he have possibly developed feelings for her in the short time that they had known one another? Things between them had not been perfect. How could they be when you only knew a person for a mere four months at best? Still, Kagome had always played the role of a perfect lady quite beautifully. Throughout their time together, it seemingly appeared to all that she was completely delighted by her engagement to him; like the man she'd always had eyes for had chosen her above all to be his and his alone. She appeared as though she were in love...but he knew better than to believe such things. Her performance may have been enough to fool the naive humans around her, but he could see right through her facade. He knew she did not love him, and at the time, he had not felt as though he loved her either. The realization that he might care for her had not come until the very moment she disappeared from his life, and as time passed, he could not help but to feel as though those supposed feelings were nothing more than the result of a guilty conscience. He knew that she had no desire to be forever bound to him, that much was evident in the aura that surrounded her, but he was at a loss for alternatives. Eventually she would have grown to care for him would she not? In which case, she could not resent him? Those thoughts had always plagued his guilty mind and never dared to resurface from the day he was convinced that she would never be found. That was until today...

One of the horses let out a snort and another mile of traveling passed before InuYasha spoke once more, the awkwardness from their previous conversation still present. "So, does Sango know of your early arrival? You weren't supposed to arrive until tomorrow."

The purple eyed man before him shrugged. "I decided to surprise her. I know she won't mind. Besides," A perverted glint entered Miroku's orbs. "I'm sure the thought of us sharing a bed after a week apart would excite her." His perverse comment caused a small grin to spread across InuYasha's face then. Allowing a small chuckle to escape him, the hanyou shook his head at the look on Miroku's face and allowed himself to relax once again, the level of tension in the air lessened at his friend's humor.

"Honestly, do me a favor and get your head out of the gutter, Miroku. The last thing I need is to be stuck in a carriage with a heated pervert for the next half hour. I seriously doubt I would be able to stomach the stench."

His own comment caused his companion to laugh in turn, all tension in the air gone as they continued on their journey.

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The carriage suddenly bouncing from side to side was the immediate indication that they had finally turned onto the private, stone-covered road the Shikon Inn was located on. The coach eventually came to a halt a couple of yards away from a quaint stone building, its premesis surrounded by a combination of flower beds and trees. Miroku was quick to open the door and step out before allowing InuYasha himself to exit. "I will introduce you to the ladies. I'm sure they, as well as Sango, will be happy to see you."

The dog-eared man simply shook his head and chuckled lightly due to the thought of his best friend trying to set him up. He couldn't help but wonder if this was his way of trying to get the hanyou to forget about his problems at hand. "That won't be necessary, Miroku. It's probably best I take my horse and leave. I only agreed to accompany you to help spare you of your boredom. I had no intention of staying. Besides, the ladies are already comfortable around you and I wouldn't want to be the cause of any awkwardness." Without haste, he made his way to the black stallion chewing on a green patch of grass a few feet from where he stood. Upon his arrival to Miroku's home, he had insisted that his own horse be hitched to the carriage so that he might return to town whenever he liked.

Before InuYasha had the time necessary to ready the tall animal, Miroku placed a friendly hand on his shoulder. "Come now, InuYasha. The poor creature's exhausted. Give it some time to rest before you go back. I'll send for some drinks and take the opportunity to show you the garden out back. I am told it's one of the best around, and not a bad place to smoke a couple of cigars I might add."

Nodding in agreement, the handsome hanyou smiled and gave into the reasoning of his childhood friend. "When you put it that way, how can I possibly refuse? We'll have it your way, but know I don't plan on staying long."

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They now stood in a grand sitting room. The ceiling high and vaulted with intricate moldings throughout. An unlit fireplace sat at the room's head, a shelf above it in which various frames housed numerous photographs. Dark wood floors ran from wall to wall, a white rug placed underneath the cozily situated furnishings. Before he could admire more, Miroku's voice broke through InuYasha's private thoughts. "Wait here. I'll send for drinks and be back shortly."

Once alone, InuYasha carefully made his way to the shelf containing the photographs his eyes had quickly passed over. Perhaps among the dozens of photos, he could manage to place names and faces with the information Miroku had long ago given him about Sango's friends. He slowly reached out and picked up the first frame, careful not to allow his claws to cause a single scratch to the glass. In the picture sat four women, randomly situated on the front yard of the establishment he stood in. His gaze drifted to the woman at the far left of the frame and instantly recognized her as Sango. There was no mistaking her chocolate brown eyes. Her hair was of the same color, naturally straight and held in some sort of up do, her trademark look. His eyes moved onto the next female, a red-head who he knew to be Ayame. He had been told she was of wolf demon origin, though she looked too innocent to live up to their (in his mind) disgusting reputation. One look into those green eyes was enough to make him think so. The next woman in the photograph looked to be the owner of the Shikon Inn, Rin. She was visibly the most carefree of the four, a hint of childish glee visible in her cinnamon brown eyes. She posessed waist length dark brown hair and a girlish smile, he had been told. It suddenly occured to him that she was exactly the type of woman that could possibly get his stoic brother to cut loose and have a bit of fun, if they ever met at least. He'd have to be sure to introduce them later on if and when the opportunity presented itself. Slowly, his golden orbs made their way to the woman at the far right of the frame and a look of confusion appeared across his face. This girl had her eyes averted from the camera, a cloak covering most of her figure from view and the hood up, obscuring her hair as well as casting a small shadow over her features. She seemed so out of place amongst the spring colors and happy smiles. Placing the frame back in its original spot, he quickly scanned the remaining photographs for the woman with the black cloak only to discover that with each picture he examined she appeared exactly as she had been in the first. 'Strange...it's hard to make out her features, but I can't help but feel as though I've seen her somewhere before...' His attention now completely focused on the strange girl, he then took another moment to scan the same photographs over again, hoping to catch something he might have missed that would help him place her face with a name. All that he had been told by Miroku was that there was one woman that lived at the Shikon Inn whom seldom came out of her room, Sakura. Was this her? Apparantly Miroku himself never got the pleasure to meet said woman, and the only information he had managed to get out of Sango was that she was a timid being, afraid to go out in public, and often sick. Perhaps he too would not have the opportunity to meet her this day. In that case, there really was no need to further ponder her existence, right? 'Still...why can't I-?'

Just then, Miroku walked through the arched doorway with two drinks in hand, his voice interrupting InuYasha's private thoughts. "I'm sorry that took longer than expected. I couldn't seem to find the maid and was forced to locate the scotch myself."

His attention once again focused on the mysterious girl in the various frames, InuYasha absentmindedly took the beverage his friend presented him with and took a sip. His awareness, however, was quickly returned to his companion by his next words. "On my way back, one of the maids finally appeared and informed me that all four women are currently situated inside of the Inn's greenhouse. Shall we pay them a visit? It looks like I'll finally have the pleasure of meeting Mrs. Sakura today. You do remember I made mention of her on the ride over don't you?"

A single nod was the half demons only response. This was the perfect opportunity to catch sight of the black-cloaked woman in person and he was not about to let it pass him by. There was but one thing that puzzled him, however. Why he couldn't shake the feeling that he absolutely needed to meet this girl...

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The greenhouse was impressive and large. Many sorts of plant and vegetation grew from within, all ranging anywhere from citrus trees to ferns and from common unrare plants to vines. Even the most exotic of specimen dwelled here. As his eyes absorbed the magnitude of his surroundings, InuYasha's silver locks blew with the small breeze provided by the house's many open windows. "Come. I was told they could be found near the house's end." He heard his companion say.

Careful of the greenery surrounding them, both men silently treked their way to the back of the building. Upon reaching an area of the house in which thick vines grew, the men soon found themselves a few feet from an open section seeming to have been created for the sole purpose of a private sitting area. At the locations center a white bench stood, two beautiful women, Sango and Rin, situated upon it. In front of them, a small table had been conveniently placed with a tea set on its top. Two other women sat on its other side, one known to be Ayame and the other the mysterious black-cloaked woman from the photographs, Sakura.

Miroku cleared his throat, immediately catching Sango's attention. Her chocolate brown eyes widened and a large smile made its way across her face as she stood and approached the two handsome men. "Miroku, what are you two doing here?" She walked into her husband's awaiting arms.

Miroku placed a loving kiss upon her forhead before answering. "I finished handling my affairs sooner than expected and InuYasha was kind enough to accompany me here. It's a long ride and you know how bored I can get."

Said hanyou immediately reached for her hand and placed a small kiss to its back. "As always, it is a pleasure to see you again, Mrs. Sango."

Annoyed, she shook her head and sighed. "Please InuYasha. How many times do I have to repeat myself? It's just Sango. Any friend of Miroku's is a friend of mine."

Knowing better than to cause the woman before him any further annoyance, the handsome demon smiled and inclined his head in acceptance. "As you wish, Sango."

Having gotten her way, the beautiful woman smiled in turn and returned her attention to her husband just as something caught the young hanyou's eye. Whilst Ayame and Rin continued on with their conversation, he watched as the black-cloaked woman's head slowly began to turn in his direction. All that was available for his view was but the slightest profile of her face, her eye hidden due to the shadow the cloak's hood cast over that specific feature. The cloaked head instantly faced forward then, the woman's body completely tense as InuYasha's gaze remained glued to her form. 'Odd...'

A slight tugging of his left hand had him turning to Sango once more. "Come, InuYasha. Let me introduce you to the girls." With his nod of agreement, she slowly began to lead him to the bench.

As the sounds of their approaching footsteps came closer, he could see the mysterious woman's body stiffen with anxiety. Almost immediately, she suddenly stood and turned as if to bolt towards the greenhouse's entrance. For a moment however, she hesitated, as if debating whether or not to run or to remain where she stood. Unfortunately for her, the only way to reach her destination was to pass by the very half demon it seemed put her on edge. Why, he could not be sure. Though something about this woman made it nearly impossible to turn his attention away from her. Why? Did it really matter if he met her or not? What was she to him?

He continued to watch as a delicate, pale hand eased its way out of the cloak and voyaged upwards to clutch the part of the hood beneath her chin. Without warning she took off, causing Sango's eyes to instantly widen at the sight of her fleeing friend. "Sakura, where are you going?" she called out in disbelief.

The girl quickly responded without so much as a backwards glance to her worried friend. "I-I'm off to fetch drinks!" she called out, her voice shaking nervously as she brushed past the confused half demon. In a desperate attempt to shield her face further from his view, her head noticeably drooped as she passed him. His eyes instantly widened as her scent quickly filled the air around him, effectively invading his senses. A flood of memories came rushing back then, memories he had long ago sealed away in an attempt to calm his guilty conscience. Time seemed to slow as the girl in the black cloack continued to flee, every step she took further separating the distance between them and causing an ache that he could not explain to settle in his chest. Suddenly, with a speed undetectable to the human eye, InuYasha turned on his heel and reached for the cloacked girl in an attempt to cease her departure, but she was too far gone. Panic setting in, he did the only thing he could think to do in that moment.

"Stop!" The walls around them trembled with the volume of his voice and the fleeing woman instantly froze. All eyes belonging to the room's remaining occupants looked to the hanyou who had shouted the command and watched as he made his way over to the still girl, his gaze never faultering from her turned form.

"InuYasha, wha-?" Miroku's question ceased to exist as his friend spoke, too distracted with the woman to pay any sort of attention to the question he was about to ask.

"Look at me." he demanded sternly.

When the girl made no attempt to obey his command, a deep growl left his form as he roughly turned her so that they were face to face. He watched in angst as the hand that remained clutched to her cloak tightened, her head bowed so that he could not lay eyes upon her face. 'It can't be...can it?...I know of only one woman who bears this scent...but it just couldn't be her! I would have, should have noticed her scent as soon as I came within miles of this place!...Why couldn't I notice it sooner?' He continued to silently berate himself until a thought hit him. It was this place! So much plant life and so many scents of every sort of flower filled and surrounded this place to the point that his nose could not hope to function properly in such an environment. Had it not been for her closeness in that second that she had ran, he most likely would have never caught wind of her scent to begin with!

His thoughts were put to an abrupt halt as the woman before him daringly tried to make another run for the door. Instincts kicking in, he reached out and took a firm hold of her arm, causing her to stay in place. "Let me go!" she demanded instantly.

"No. Not before I see your face." He made a swift grab for her hood and pulled it back. His captive immediately angled her body away from him and his face hardened in aggravation. 'Damn this woman is stubborn! Why won't she let me see her face...? Could it be that I am just imagining things and it really isn't-no it must be! Every movement of her body, the sound of her voice, the way she tries to run, it all gives me reason to believe that my intuition is correct! And then there's that scent...How could I mistake it?!'

All thought left him then as she spoke once more. "Please, release me..." The desperation in her voice had his face soften for a brief moment before a masculine hand was placed upon his shoulder and his attention was turned over to Miroku as he spoke. "InuYasha, what do you think you're doing? Can't you see the poor girl's frightened? Let her go."

"I can't..."

His childhood friend's face held a look of confusion then. "What do you mean you ca-?"

"I can't! She won't run from me a second time, Miroku! I won't allow it! I...I need answers..." His words were now directed at the woman in his grasp. "Why did you leave? Was the thought of living by my side really so unbearable that you would throw everything away? Why? Tell me, Kagome, did I give you reason to leave?"

All faces went from looks of shock to looks of confusion then, all with the exception of InuYasha's, his captive's, and Miroku's who had been confused from long ago. "What is he talking abo-?"

Sango was abruptly cut off as InuYasha gently took a hold of her friend's chin and turned her head, obviously trying to get a better look at her face. Her nose was thin and dainty, her lips full and pink. "Open your eyes. Look at me." he urged and watched in amazement as her thick lashes parted to reveal beautifully defiant blue-gray eyes. Mesmerized, he slowly reached for the back of her head and tugged at the ribbon that held her thick hair in a fashion similar to Sango's. Its support gone, the length of her hair fell freely and moved to frame her heart-shaped face, the raven color of her wavy locks complimenting her eyes in a way that made it impossible for him to look away. A few seconds of silence ensued before he finally spoke once again, his words relatively calm and nearly inaudable to everyone except for the woman in his hold. "Who could have known that I would find you after all this time?"

Complete silence filled the room once again for no one dared to make a sound. InuYasha could only continue to stare at the woman in front of him, his mind going numb as the emotions he once thought he felt for her crawled back to the surface. Was it true? Were these feelings real? How could they be? He hadn't known her for very long!

Deciding to brush those thoughts aside he hardened his gaze on his wife, his eyes conveying the message that he would not tolerate another struggle. He then spoke, this time loud enough for everyone to hear without problem. "So, this is where you were hiding? Why, what reason could you have possibly had to run away? Everyone thought you were dead..." He felt a surge of anger hit him full force as the words left his lips. "For God's sake, Kagome, I thought you were dead!" He was well aware that he was no longer calm and that the volume of his voice had risen to unbelievable heights, but at this point he could not stop the anger he felt from taking over. He needed answers and he would be damned if she did not respond! He had spent nearly three years in hell because of her actions!

Without a second thought, he roughly pulled his wife closer, leaving her no manner to pull away before continuing. The volume of his voice was once again at a normal level, though the harshness still remained. "Now that I've found you there's no escape, Kagome. Do you understand that? Unless your goal is to make me angry, don't even think about running. Should you choose to do so, I'll have no choice but to hunt you down, and this time, I promise you won't get away so easily."

A look of fear crossed his wife's face then, all of the defiance her eyes had shown completely vanishing at his words. What had caused this change, he was not sure. Though he felt it had something to do with the way he knew most men dealt with their wives when they disobeyed. Had his threat caused that thought to cross her mind? If so, he was at an advantage, though he knew he would never dare to lay a hand on her in such a way. 'But she doesn't need to know that...' he thought. As the look of fear continued to reside in Kagome's eyes, he sighed. Perhaps it was best that he distance himself from the girl for the time being. His head was beginning to ache due to the days events, and he knew that she would want to spend the little time she had left in this place with her friends.

Slowly, he turned on his heel and headed for the greenhouse's entrance. There was no need to worry for he knew she would not run. The fear in her eyes told him such. Besides, now that he knew she was alive there was no way she could possibly hope to escape a second time. She was stubborn, not stupid.

Never ceasing in his departure, the occupants of the room dared only to stare at his retreating form as he conveyed one last message before disappearing from view. "Be sure to have your things ready the next time I call on you, Kagome. We leave in an hours time, no exceptions."

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HEY GUYS! WELL THERE GOES THE END OF THE FIRST CHAPTER! I HOPE YOU GUYS ENJOYED! SORRY IF THERE WERE ANY SPELLING OR GRAMMAR ERRORS! I DON'T HAVE SPELL CHECK!

LOTS OF LOVE, AnimeGal2009