Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

Chapter Three: Mu Mu the Cat

Days passed, then weeks, after I saw Sango. I had hopped she'd forgotten about me. I didn't mind, though. Let her forget. It was probably for the best anyway. I settled into the comfort of routine: sleep, eat, work, eat, work, eat, and sleep again. Then it would restart the next day. The hole in my chest that had developed more, grew to full size, now throbbing whenever I saw Inuyasha's face in my mind. I knew it was a sign of things left undone.

After work one day, I went to the store. I needed a few things. I wheeled my cart slowly; I was in no hurry to get anywhere. I looked back on my life recently. It was boring. Suna had called, wanting to know how I was holding up and what Okinawa was like, if I was seeing anyone.

That seemed to be Suna's answer for Naraku's abuse, dating someone else. She was always telling me how her boyfriend Rei had helped her when her parents kicked her out. It's kind of funny, seeing as how she ended up alone in the end anyway. I threw some random stuff into the cart.

But what if Suna was right? What if all I needed was to fall in love and the pain in my chest, as well as the pain of my past, would disappear? Could it really be so simple? I scowled silently. Life wasn't that convenient. I should have learned that. I guess I keep forgetting that life was cruel to me. I sighed, thinking that I was just another unlucky person in the world. Just another nameless face. Purposeless.

Then, it happened, as I feared it would. I was sitting in work, reading as always, when Sango appeared. This time she wasn't alone. Miroku was at her side. They came over to my desk.

"I thought I told you to call me, young lady." Sango said with a playful tone. I didn't like it, regardless how playful it was.

"Sorry," I said. "I guess I've been a little busy."

"Well that's okay." Sango said with a smile. I pretended to look busy.

"How are you, Kagome?" Miroku asked. I noticed that Sango's hand was linked with his; a golden band shone brightly against Miroku's skin on his left ring finger.

"I'm fine." I said. I put some papers I was trying to read back in their respective file, giving up on the whole look busy strategy, running my fingers through my hair. "How are you guys?"

"We're great." Sango and Miroku answered together. They shared a laugh and the hole in my chest started to throb. "We wanted to know if you'd come to lunch with us."

I looked at the clock and cursed silently. It was my lunch time. I knew that if I denied, they'd just be back. The sooner I got it over with, the sooner I could continue my boring, safe life. "Okay. I'll come."

As the three of us walked down the sunny street to a restaurant, Sango and Miroku filled me in on the past five years, but I could sense that they courteously left out anything that might've involved Inuyasha. For that, I was grateful. We walked into the restaurant and picked a table closest to the window. I sat with my elbows on the table, watching Miroku and Sango be a beautiful couple. I looked out the window and watched the busy street in which the restaurant stood.

The ache in my chest pounded something fierce.

I closed my eyes. Sun filtered through the window and it warmed my face. For once, I didn't see Inuyasha's face behind my lids.

"Kagome?" Sango asked.

"Huh?" I replied stupidly.

"There's a house party this Saturday at a friend's house. Want to go?" Sango asked, hopeful. I shrugged but really, what did I have to lose? The whole mess with Hojo had left me a little tense and I probably did need a little break in my strict schedule.

I had agreed, wrote my number on a napkin so Sango could call me with the details. I finished out work and took off early, around three thirty. Before I could blink, I was on the train back to my apartment. When I walked in the door, I had this absurd urge to get a cat. A black cat with green eyes. I had always loved cats.

I walked down the stairs of the apartment to the landlord's apartment. I knocked on the door.

"Excuse me, sir." I said, bowing slightly. "But I was wondering if you allowed pets?"

The landlord's eyes narrowed. "What kind of a pet?"

"Well, I wanted to get a cat, a house cat. You know…one that I could keep in the apartment." I said, my voice trailing off. I sounded like an idiot. The landlord's face softened. He smiled.

"Of course you can get a cat as long as it doesn't disturb everyone else." The landlord said. I bowed again.

"Thank you, sir." I turned and he shut the door. I was suddenly excited to get a cat. I grabbed keys and my wallet, heading out the door. There was a pet shop not far from where I lived.

I walked down the street, then around the corner. The pet shop stood between a bookstore and a tea house on a busy street. I walked through the door and a tiny bell rang, betraying my presence in the store. The bell had a gently but sharp jingle.

"Welcome to Keade's Pets. Can I help you with something?" a short, old woman with an eye patch asked, looking up at me. She had a kind face, a gentle face. Her hair was long and in a loose pony tail.

"Yes, I was looking for a cat. A black cat, specifically." I said. My voice sounded small and weak. Why did my voice have to be so timid all the time? The old woman smiled.

"Follow me." the old woman said, turning around and walking. "I was wondering when someone would come looking for a cat. A black one, specifically."

I could hear the smile in her voice as she spoke, leading me to the back of the store and into a small room. She turned the light on and I suppressed my gasp, the old woman ushered me in and shut the door.

There were a lot of kittens playing around on the floor, stepping all over each other, biting each other's ears. I noticed that there was a black cat curled up in the far right corner of the room, all alone.

"My heart aches for that lonely black kitten. No one wants her because she's not social. She doesn't play with the rest of the kittens." The old woman's voice had a small twang of pain in it. I watched the black cat, its sad eyes looking out on the rest of the kittens. "I found her in the rain one day, cowering in an overturned garbage can."

I kneeled and looked at the cat. It looked so sad, so out of place. I felt a sharp pain in my chest, my tongue growing thick, my throat aching. I could relate to the poor thing. Her eyes were grey, not green, but grey suited her better. Her eyes were focused on mine; she never lifted her head. I put my hand out and clicked my tongue softly.

"Come here, girl. It's okay, I won't hurt you." I said softly, almost a whisper. The meow's of the cats were like white noise to me. I was focused solely on the little black kitten.

Hesitantly, she uncurled herself and stood up. She made her way through the other kittens, her walk was wobbly as if she was just learning. She was so small and timid. When she got to my hand, she mewed softly and rubbed her face against my palm. I was instantly hooked. I carefully picked her up and held her in my arms. She curled up in my arms and looked up at me.

I slowly rubbed my fingers and she purred. I could feel her purr through my arms. She mewed again.

I looked up at the old woman. "How much is she?"

The old woman merely smiled. "A good home is all I ask."

I smiled back. "I can do that."

I left Keade's Pets with the black kitten and a bag of supplies. I picked out a deep purple collar with a place to put a name tag and a bag of cat food. I could already feel myself bonding deeply with the cat that sat in my arms, looking out at everyone we passed on the street, occasionally licking her paw. I couldn't help but smile. For the first time in a long time, I felt like I had a purpose.

The ache in my chest seemed to dim greatly as I walked home genuinely happy. When I got back to my room, I set the bag down on the counter.

"Welcome home." I said softly to the kitten. I set her down in the middle of the living room, sitting a little ways away from her to give her some space. The kitten looked around. "You need a name."

As if she knew she was being addressed, she looked up at me.

"Hm…how about you go explore and I'll think of a name for you, okay?" I asked her. She mewed once and looked around. I motioned around the place. "You're my new roommate so this is as much yours as it is mine."

The cat got up and walked around, smelling things. She disappeared into the bathroom. I sat on the floor, listening, a smile on my face. I heard the cat hiss and I got up, going to the bathroom.

My bottle of conditioner was on the floor next to the tub. It was a generic brand called Mu Mu Farm. It had a picture of a cow on it and the kitten was hissing and clawing at the bottle.

"Don't like cows?" I asked as the kitten pushed the bottle over. The sound it made when it fell scared the cat and she backed away a few feet, bumping into my legs. She got up on her hind legs and sank her claws into the shin of my jeans, hanging on. I bent over and unhooked her claws from my jeans, picking her up.

As I left the bathroom, I asked, "How's Mu Mu sound for a name?"

Mu Mu just mewed and licked her paw.