Scene:2- The Happy Home

(InuYasha and Miroku step through the door of a brightly lit hut on the outskirts of the village, a hut oddly shaped and fairly bigger than the others, with Miroku in the lead. He casts his staff in the corner with a grin.)

M: Girls! Oh Sango! We're home my little cherry blossom!

(An elated Sango peeps her scarfed head around the corner, then half-runs half-hops to greet Miroku.)

S: Oh, thank the gods, Miroku, what on earth took you two so long? The girls were starting to fuss and they've almost eaten all the dinner! (throws her arms around Miroku in a loving embrace… naturally, he grabs her ass.) Uh, honeydumpling, grow up will you! Not around- (gestures to InuYasha, who couldn't care less- his mind is on still on food)

I: (genuinely nervous) Wait, it-it's not REALLY all gone, right? You were kidding, right Sango?... right??

S: (rolls her eyes) Don't worry, there's plenty left for you. Kagome made darn sure everything was perfect for you… (totally deadpan) speaking of which, you have talked to her today, haven't you, InuYasha?

I: …

S: …soo- you haven't then, have you?

M: InuYasha!

I: What! Wait, I- (falls silent, fidgeting)

S: Y'know, sometimes I just don't get you! How… How! How can you do that to her? It's been a MONTH since it happened- She LOVES you, for Chrissake, how can you be so CRUEL-

M: (interrupts) -WHAT I think my Sango is trying to say, InuYasha, is something more like- WHATTHEHELLISWRONGWITHYOUYOUSTUCKUPCOLDBLOODEDSELFRIGHTEOUSPIG??!!!

I: (Blinks and an ear twitches in shock)

S: (folds her arms triumphantly) Exactly! Thank you, Miroku.

M: Anytime. (puts his arm lovingly around her back… and/or buttocks)

(Two identical little girls, AI & AINE, enter. One is rubbing her eye sleepily.)

Ai: Mommyyy, what's all the noise?

Aine: I'm sleepy.

Ai: I'm bored. Is Daddy home yet?

Aine: DADDY!!!

Ai: Dad-? Daddy!!

A&A: (both run and embrace Miroku, whose face lit up at the sight of them. He scoops them up together and throws one over each shoulder, laughing. The girls screech happily. Ai yells to be put down, but laughs all the same. Sango beams.)

K: (Kagome emerges slowly, her face blush from smiling and her clothes- a feudal era ensemble oddly matched by fluorescent pink sneakers- are lightly soiled from housework and cooking.) Hey there! Now where have my two favorite nieces got to-

A&A: (from Miroku's shoulders) Here we are Aunt Kagome!

K: There you- (stops suddenly, still smiling. Accidently makes eye-contact with InuYasha. Horrified, she immediately lowers her eyes and turns her attention back to A&A, who Miroku has finally put down.) All right, you little goofballs, who's ready for some nice leek and mushroom soup?

A&A: Ew! We had that three times already!

Aine: Come on Auntie! Can't we PLEEEASE have some Ramen??

Ai: -PLEEEASE!-

Aine: PRETTY PLEEEASE!!

A&A: We'll be really good!! (they make large puppy eyes at Kagome. She smiles and sighs, about to give in, but Sango interrupts her.)

S: Ohhhh no you don't. You girls know the rules. You can have the Ramen once a week and once a week only. You know how hard it is for Auntie and Uncle to go all the way back to the warrior-food market under the well.

K: (Meekly) –but I really don't mind Sango. I-

S: (ignores her) Why we're lucky to have soup at all, so you're both just going to have to sit and be grateful for what you have. (A&A start to whine) NO BUTS. (she shoots a poisonous glare. They hush up immediately.)

M: Well then, that settled- wait- where's InuYasha?

(all look around nervously. There's a loud crash from a neighboring room followed by a pained yell.)

S: (annoyed) I bet I know where he is.

SH: (Shippo, grown much taller and leaner but otherwise unchanged, comes panicking around the corner. A female fox and three little ones are beside him.) QUICK EVERYBODY!- we gotta get to the kitchen before the fool devours everything!!

M: Why that greedy-

(All run in unison to the kitchen where, sure enough, there is InuYasha, his hand red and throbbing, rice soup everywhere. An enormous black cauldron lays partially tipped beside the cooking fire.)

K: InuYasha! (genuinely worried, she rushes over with a wet cloth for his hand)

S: …You really tried to grab the hot pan right off the stove again, didn't you?

I: …mnmfuhm…

SH: Idiot.

Aine: Mommy, how come Uncle Doggy is crying like that?

S: Because his brain is Ramen, children.

A&A: o-Oh.

M: Sango! Don't tell them that.

S: What? It's true.

I: (whimpers in pain as Kagome treats his hand) mehheh… soo…hungryyy… OW!

K: Sorry, hold still!

SH: (cheerily as always) So, now that that's over, how's about we eat?

heh... sorry about the bold. I know it looks kind of funny, but the 'tabs' just don't work with the format. Comments please!