Standard disclaimers apply.

A/N: Thank you for all those reviews! I'm sorry I couldn't reply everyone, but here is chapter 6 to make up for your long wait! I hope you like this upcoming chapter – in this chapter, Kagome found out that Sango has seen Miroku and Asami together, and makes up her mind to confront Asami.

Title: Rewind

Chapter 6: Time Machine

(Kagome's POV)

"Can I have more rice, please?" Sesshoumaru asked, holding out his empty bowl to me. It was dinner time, but Sango was not back yet despite the numerous messages I have sent to her mobile phone. Maybe she was working overtime today.

I smiled and took the bowl with a nod, before leaving my seat and walking to where the rice cooker was. Opening the lid, I spooned two scoops of warm rice into the bowl, inhaling the fresh fragrance of cooked rice.

One scoop for prosperity, one scoop for longevity, I mentally chanted, remembering what my grandmother used to say. She always said that the fragrance of freshly cooked rice was the smell of a cozy home.

"Hai!" I returned to the table, handing my husband the rice, before taking my seat. It was then when the doorbell rang.

Sesshoumaru made a move to get up, but was stopped by me. "I'll get it, you carry on with dinner. It should be Sango."

Wiping my hands on the apron, I hurriedly walked to the door, before opening it. And just as I expected, it was Sango, her face illuminated by the light from the interior of the house.

"Tadaima…"

"Sango-chan!" I greeted, opening the door wider for her to enter. "Okaeri!"

She didn't say another word, and instead, walked past me like a zombie. Her eyes were expressionless; large brown eyes with no trace of emotions or whatsoever.

"Sesshoumaru." She greeted my husband at the dining table, as he nodded in return. From where I was, I could see him casting a quick glance at her facial expressions, or rather, the lack thereof.

My husband obviously thought there was something wrong as well.

"Sango-san, take a seat. Kagome has already prepared your share." He said, his tone soft as he gestured towards the chair in which she usually sat in.

Walking over briskly to pull out the chair for her, I plastered a huge grin on. "Sesshoumaru is right! Hurry and sit down, Sango-chan. You must be tired after a whole day of work! You will definitely like today's dinner…I prepared ika no kenchin mushi-"

"I'm sorry, Kagome-chan." She interrupted softly. "I'm not hungry."

"Eh?" I couldn't help exclaiming. How can she not be hungry after working for the entire day? "But…You should at least eat a little! If you find ika a bit too strong for your tastes, I can prepare something else."

"Sango-san…how about some soup instead?" My husband offered, pushing his chair back to stand up to get to the pot.

"Yes, I added your favorite radish to today's miso soup…you should drink a little, Sango-chan. You cannot go without food!" I added, the feeling that something was terribly amiss rising in my gut.

"No…it's alright, really." She said, shaking her head weakly and forcing a ghost of a smile onto her lips. "Sorry for the trouble…I'll go back to my room first. Please go ahead without me."

And with a very unsettling bow to me and Sesshoumaru, she slowly walked up the stairs to where the guestroom was. Her shoulders were slumped ever so slightly, unlike the Sango I knew.

She looked so…defeated.

As she left, I could only turn to look helplessly at my husband. He would know what to do; he always did in any situation. His eyes were unreadable as he watched her ascend the steps. If I could say, I would say he looked…angry.

"Let's quickly finish dinner…You should go check on her later on."

I nodded in agreement, and we didn't say anything else as we sat down to our dinner, which now tasted exceptionally bland.

"Sango-chan! It's me, Kagome." I called out as I stood outside Sango's room. Trying to balance the bowl of piping hot porridge in a single hand, I reached out to knock after not getting any response for over ten seconds.

"Sango-chan," I knocked on the door twice, before calling out again. "Sango-chan…are you asleep? If not, please open up. Sango-"

The door opened slowly to reveal my friend, who asked in a voice drained of energy. "Yes?"

Trying to pretend as if I wasn't bothered by the state she was in, I raised the bowl of porridge up to chest level. "You didn't eat dinner, so I made you some porridge! Can I come in?"

She nodded with a small smile, before I made my way into the room. It was dark, with all the curtains drawn and the sole light source being the small table lamp.

Setting the bowl down by the table, I switched the main lights on, noticing the way her eyes squinted reflexively in the sudden exposure to strong lighting. From the rumpled sheets on the bed, I quickly concluded that she must have been curling up in the bed in darkness since her return, without washing up or eating first.

And I was right about Sesshoumaru being angry earlier on. As soon as he was done with helping me clear the table, he retrieved his mobile phone from the living room and retreated to the back of the kitchen. I could only hear his first sentence after a few moments after dialing a number.

"What have you done to your wife to affect her so badly?"

It must be Miroku on the other side. That was all I could hear before I returned to washing the cutlery and utensils, and preparing some porridge for Sango. My husband sounded unusually icy, like how he was before marriage, evidence of his anger. I made a mental note to ask him about the conversation later. For now, my main concern is Sango.

"So…were you sleeping earlier on?" I asked casually, picking the bowl up and placing it in her hands as she sat down at the edge of the bed.

"No…" She answered, before picking the spoon up weakly and raising it to her lips. She ate lethargically, mechanically swallowing the porridge as if it was more of a chore than an enjoyment to eat.

"Sango-chan..." I took a deep breath as I looked down into my hands in my lap. "You're not telling me something. There's something affecting you very badly, and if you don't say anything, I wouldn't know."

I looked up, just in time to see Sango shaking her head, absentmindedly stirring the porridge.

"We are supposed to be best friends. A decade of friendship. I've known you for a longer period of time than I've known Sesshoumaru. You shouldn't hide anything from me," I said, looking at her intently. I needed an answer; I needed to know if she was alright. And so I persisted.

"Unless you're trying to tell me that you no longer want me as a best friend. Unless you do not trust me enough to share your worries-"

"I saw him today." She said, her voice tight as she set the spoon down.

"Eh?"

"Miroku. I saw them at the hospital in the afternoon."

"With that woman?"

She nodded resignedly, looking away at the baby blue walls. "She's called Asami."

"And was she…was she…" I couldn't go on; the topic was too sensitive for me to breach.

"She is pregnant, Kagome-chan."

I exhaled audibly, mentally counting down from ten to prevent myself from grabbing the nearest telephone and calling Miroku up to curse him to hell. No wonder Sango was so upset.

"You didn't talk to him?" I asked, although it sounded more like a statement than a question.

"Barely." She shook her head. The porridge sat forgotten in her hands. "What's the point? It…it wouldn't change anything at all."

"But-"

"I know you're worried, Kagome-chan. But I lose all my thoughts the moment I saw them. I don't even know what I'd do if I don't refrain myself from confronting her. You have no idea how badly I want to talk to her, to demand explanations." Sango said wistfully, smiling cynically at her own words. "As I said, what's the point? The fact remains that she is pregnant…and I am not."

"But the husband is yours! Rightfully yours!" I could feel agitation creeping into my voice. "You can't just let the woman snatch him away from you like that! People can't do that, Sango-chan! Miroku is your legal husband!"

"He will not be for long, Kagome-chan." She shook her head again, the smile still lingering on her lips like a curse. "It doesn't matter anymore…From the moment the baby was brought into the picture, I have been fighting a losing battle."

I didn't say a word to that.

I knew she was right, but I was too indignant to admit that.

"I've been losing to her, him and myself."

"Sango-chan…" I whispered, my heart filled with pain at my best friend's sadness. It felt so melancholic. For her, I would confront the woman. If she couldn't do it, then I'd do it for her. I'd demand the explanations she wanted and deserved.

She turned to look at me, giving me a sincere smile. "Not that it matters anymore. Thank you so much, Kagome-chan. And Sesshoumaru too…I have brought the two of you so much trouble."

"No…please don't say that. We will always be here for you."

"I know, and that is why I feel bad. I can see you and Sesshoumaru are sincerely worried for me, despite me having done nothing but ruin your life routines. I feel terrible for hogging your guestroom and imposing-"

"You are our friend, Sango-chan…how can you say that? As you said it yourself…it is the guestroom. You will stay here for as long as you like! Sesshoumaru said he felt bad for not being able to offer you a better room in such short notice…"

"He is a good man, Kagome-chan. You are a lucky girl. You've managed to find a real gem hidden among the men we meet out there."

I smiled, nodding gently in agreement. I wished I could say the same for my best friend, but to such a statement in such a situation, it seemed wrong to say anything. We sat in comfortable silence for a few moments. Momentarily, it felt as if we returned to our days in the college hostel, where we were happy and had nothing to scar our hearts. The silence was soothing; like the calm after a storm.

"Kagome-chan, you know what?" Sango broke the silence, picking the spoon in the bowl up. "I wish I had a time machine."

She didn't elaborate, but I knew.

And I didn't ask anymore.

To be continued…

A/N: Kagome will confront Asami in the next chapter – keep looking out for updates! And I love how Sesshoumaru contacted Miroku when he saw how upset Sango is, and how he takes the lead in dealing with problems involving Kagome. I am trying to portray him as a loving and caring husband and friend under a nonchalant exterior.

Please review…and see you guys in the next update!

Glossary:

Hai – Yes

Tadaima – I'm back

Okaeri – Welcome back

Ika no kenchin mushi – Steamed stuffed squid rolls

Ika – Squid

Miso – fermented bean paste