The flight ride home was excruciatingly awkward. Sesshomaru, who was still mad, had decided they would fly with the mortals in a simple plane, instead of his jet. Yes, they were flying first class, but Kagome noted with a bit of irritation and sadness that he had planned it so they wouldn't be sitting next to each other.

Though it had been decided that Kagome would pick Rin up the following day, an hour after Kagome arrived home, she drove to Miroku and Sango's house in search of someone to talk to. With a quick knock on the door, Sango's face appeared on the other side.

"Kagome?" Sango opened the door with an eyebrow raised. "What are you doing here?"

Kagome could barely keep the brimming tears in her eyes from spilling down. With one look at her, Sango dragged her into the living room. "What's wrong?"

So Kagome told her.

Thirty minutes later, Sango collapsed on her couch, her body going slack. Kagome was sitting on the floor, her cheeks raw with dried tears. She had told her best friend everything. All of the things she'd kept a secret her whole life—about Kikyo, about the shikon miko and Sesshomaru—everything. She rubbed a dry eye and waited for her friend's response.

Sango didn't say anything for minutes. When Kagome couldn't stand the silence any longer, she whispered, "Sango?"

Her best friend's eyes flashed when they met her own. "Would you please talk to me?" Kagome pleaded.

"Talk to you? Now? After all these years?" Sango groaned and covered her face with her arm, "How could you keep this from me?"

Rubbing her lips together, Kagome whimpered. Oh Kami, how it hurt to finally come clean with Sango. Looking back on her life, she wondered how she could have lived with so many secrets each day. Or why she had lived like that.

"I'm sure you feel really sorry now, Kagome." Sango rose from her seat on the couch, her expression displaying her anger. "I understand why Sesshomaru's so angry, though I have more of a right to be than him."

"What?" Kagome could only mumble.

"I mean, think about it!" Sango hissed, "We've known each other since middle school, and you're only telling me about this now?! All those times we swore we had no secrets—you were lying!"

Sango whipped her head around when another thought occurred to her. "How long has Miroku known?"

Kagome's eyes widened with surprise and then shame. "Speaking of Miroku… did he go somewhere with Rin?"

"They went to the amusement park," Sango answered automatically and then frowned. "Don't think you can change the conversation like that! I deserve answers."

"Since we were kids… I don't really remember…" Her gaze dropped to the floor, Kagome spoke softly, "I am so sorry. I really am beyond being sorry, Sango. I shouldn't have kept this from you—or him."

"So then why did you?" Sango snapped back after Kagome's heartfelt apology. She wasn't ready to forgive her friend yet.

She shrugged. "It wasn't my secret to tell."

"Don't give me that bull."

Kagome met her friend's gaze. "It's the truth. Kikyo didn't think it was a good idea for me to tell you when I was younger, and after we stopped talking… I didn't really think about it after that."

"Not even when your father died?" Sango winced inwardly, but didn't back down.

"It wasn't the first thing on my mind, Sango. I'm sure you can understand that." Kagome's tone was fierce, but her heart was breaking.

"What about after?" Sango countered, arms crossed, poised for war. "You just told me Kikyo is ever present next to your soul. It didn't even occur to you once to tell your best friend?" Though she looked as strong as a youkai-slayer, her voice quavered giving away her emotional condition. She was devastated.

"How could you keep this from me...?" Sango whispered, but then resumed her warrior-like stance. The women watched each other warily, both too stubborn to give up.

Until Kagome sighed, and looked away from Sango's glare. She was sorry, and regretted keeping such a big part of her life from Sango, but she didn't want this fight to continue on. She knew a fight now would only make things worse for later, and she loved Sango too much to be willing to give up on their friendship. They'd gotten through tough spots before, and Kagome wouldn't let this be the exception to the rule.

When they were silent for a long time, Sango decided that watching her friend beat herself up over some secret wasn't making her feel any better, she sighed.

"Fine, I get it. I forgive you." Sango walked over to Kagome, who was still sitting on the floor and helped pull her up into a hug. "I've had my own fair share of secrets—And by the way, the boy I said I met in summer camp during tenth grade and dated for three months was a complete lie. I made it up to keep Yuka off my case and never told you the truth!"

"What?!" Kagome shrieked with laughter after a moment of happiness at Sango's ready forgiveness. They walked into the kitchen and started a fresh batch of tea as Kagome's tears dried.

"Yup," Sango laughed, "But I'm not even going to begin on the secrets Miroku and I have kept from you." With a soft touch on Kagome's shoulder, Sango added seriously, "I'm sorry for the Dad comment. That was completely uncalled for and downright cruel of me."

Kagome sighed, a light smile on her face. "Thank you," she breathed, calm and relieved. Maybe there was some hope, after all.

Sango placed cups on the counter, but with a quick look at Kagome, she frowned. "Oh, now don't you start that."

"What?"

Sango rolled her eyes. "You're such a martyr. Don't start acting like this is the world's biggest secret and it can't ever be reconciled. Please, there are so many worse things out there, and one little reincarnated spirit is the least of those problems."

"What?" Kagome repeated, and raised an eyebrow, happy that they had effortlessly returned to their quick banter.

"You've been worried that Sesshomaru's never going to forgive you, right?"

"Well shouldn't I? I mean—"

"Stop right now," Sango pursed her lips; already guessing which track Kagome's mind had gone down. With her friend's stress because of the arranged marriage and the position she now had to fit into in society as an elite wife, she had obviously been suppressing her real personality. That has been changing lately, but she's bounced back to being quiet and completely not herself.

"Don't forget—Sesshomaru has his own explaining to do." Sango make a tsking noise and reached for the tea bags.

Frowning in thought, Kagome remembered what she had told Sango. He said something about changing the plans… "You think that his talk with the other youkai was important?"

"So important," Sango leaned in, "that he couldn't even have you present. He's hiding something, Kagome."

She blinked and then narrowed her eyes with a devilish lift of her eyebrow. "And just because I was hiding something from him… doesn't mean it's okay for him to hide something from me, ne?"

Sango's smirk encouraged her curiosity.

I'd just like to say a special thanks for all the wonderful reviews my story has been getting. I love them all! Hope you enjoyed this chapter ~Gracie

All Characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi.