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chapter 26: Decision and Night Meeting.

Sango woke to the ringing of her cell phone. Not wanting to wake Miroku, She
silently slipped off the bed, glancing at the clock in the process, then
grabbed her purse before walking into the next room, a sort of day room with
a small balcony connected to it.

She sniffed with grogginess before punching the 'on' button.
"Hello?"

It was her mother. "Sango?"

Sango walked to the curtained balcony door and opened it while answering.
"Yeah Momma?"

"Are you still at the hotel?" Her mother sounded worried.

"Yeah, I'm still here with Kagome. We've been here all night. Kagome slept on
the couch and I kinda...." Sango paused with a grimace, worried what her
mother might say, but she didn't ever lie to her mother. "....stayed close
to Miroku all night. He's in pretty bad shape."

"Shouldn't he have gone to the hospital?"

Sango let out a small sigh. "It's complicated, Momma. I don't think he has
the money to go."

Her mother's tone turned serious. "Sango, you know I have always trusted in
your judgment on most matters. This time may be a little different. You
don't know this boy and if he's in some bad trouble...." She trailed off
but Sango knew what she meant.

"Setting a straight posture, Sango made her voice firm. "He's a good
person, Momma. Someone hurt him very badly, and I want to make sure he's
okay. I just need to make sure before I leave. Please, Momma, I know you're
worried, but right now I am in a very expensive hotel on the upper side of
the city, a very safe part of the city. Kagome and I will be alright."

Her Mother sighed. "Okay, baby, I trust you, but you call me before you come
home. What time are you leaving?"

Sango fingered the lightly fluttering lace curtain on the windowed door,
absently gazing at the morning sunlight reflecting off the mirrored windows
of the surrounding skyscrapers. "It's ten thirty now. I guess We'll be
leaving around one or two."

"Okay, Baby. Just call before you leave okay?"

"Okay, Momma. Bye."

"Bye, Sweetie."

Sango pushed the 'off' button on her cell phone while still staring out at the
dawning sunlight. For a long moment, she stood there thinking about
the boy in the bed in the next room. It still puzzled her why such a thing
had happened. Miroku had been beat up very badly, more so than just a mere
mugger would do. Of course, she knew nothing about the big city and how
things happened here, but it still seemed odd to her. Why would someone hurt him like
that? Why would someone beat him to near death? It almost seemed as if
someone had had a grudge on him.

Biting her lower lip, Sango mused. Maybe someone did have a grudge.

She sighed to herself. It was all just speculation on her part. She really
had no idea why someone would have done this to him. But...she wanted to know
the truth. Even though it may be none of her business, Sango wanted to know
and was going to find out.

Just as she turned, Kagome came through the door, yawning and stretching.
"Was that your mother?"

Sango nodded. "Yeah, she was worried."

"I thought you called and explained things last night." Kagome asked while
walking to the balcony door.

"I told her about Miroku and that I was going to try to help him. She's just
worried." Sango replied.

Kagome sighed with a small smile that did not reach her weary brown eyes.

Sango leaned against the wall, wondering. "Kagome, what do you know about
Inuyasha?"

Instantly, Kagome's face flushed and her eyes widened for a split second.
The question had caught her friend off guard. She knew Kagome too well.
Something was up.

Kagome cleared her throat then put on the fakest smile Sango had ever seen while
waving her hand. "Heh..heh...Well, I really don't know him that well.
We just met a few days ago."

Sango eyed Kagome with a serious gleam, telling her friend that she wasn't
about to take any bullshit. "Kagommmeeee."

Kagome's smile faltered then fell as she sighed in defeat and looked away.
"I know some things about him....some bad things." Then she turned to
her with a firm glare. "But if I tell you, you must promise me on our
friendship not to tell a living soul."

This must be serious. Sango frowned. "I promise Kagome."

Kagome swallowed, lowered her gaze, then shifted her sights to the
curtained door. "Inuyasha is a...prostitute. He takes money to..."

Somewhat shocked, Sango cut her off. "I know what they do. How do you know
he is?"

"I...went to Kikyo's house. He was there. When I left, I heard Kikyo yelling
at him, asking him if I paid to...uh...sleep with him too."

If at all possible, Sango was even more shocked. "Kikyo??!!! She paid to...?"
Actually, it was a bit amusing: Kikyo paying for sex. "Well, that's interesting."

"Tell me about it." Kagome affirmed.

For a moment, both girls stood in silence. Sango, taking it all in, and Kagome,
quiet while staring out the window.

Sango chewed on her bottom lip, thinking: Inuyasha and Miroku were friends.
Kagome said they worked together. That meant..... She lightly gasped
under her breath. That meant that Miroku was a...prostitute too. Now
verily shocked by her mental deduction, Sango stared wide eyed. "Then...
Miroku is one too." It was a voiced statement meant more to confirm
her reasoning than to connect the dots in the conversation.

Kagome, looking down in serious thought, gave a nod. "Probably."

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Sesshoumaru, who just came though the door and was now checking up on
Miroku, heard the girl's talking in the next room.
He stood silent and frowning while listening to the girl's conversation.
When Kagome's last, almost whispered, word echoed in his ears, he sighed.
So, the girl's knew about his brother and Miroku. Only thing was...they didn't
know the entire truth: that Inuyasha and Miroku's clients were mostly men.

Sesshoumaru's insides knotted at the thought so he directed his mind
away from the subject. Right now, he had to help Miroku and figure out
what he needed to do after Inuyasha, Miroku, and Rin were given to him.

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His throat itched badly. Miroku coughed, waking himself up out of a
heavy sleep. He opened his eyes then blinked several times to clear
the fog. He turned his head to see Sango sitting and watching him with
a soft gaze.

She smiled a small smile. "You awake?"

He nodded while reaching to rub his throat, really wanting some water.

As if hearing his silent request, Sango reached over, took a small glass
from the night stand, then held it to his lips for him to drink. "Here."

Miroku lightly touched the bottom of the glass while getting his fill.

When he finished, Sango placed the glass back on the night stand.
"I'm glad you woke before I had to go."

His heart sunk a little, but he knew it was wishful thing; wanting her to stay.
"Are you...going home?"

Sango nodded, that soft gaze still on him. "I need to get back home before
Momma comes looking for me. I've been gone since yesterday."

He looked away. "Oh...so...when are you leaving?"

"In a few minutes." She replied in a quiet tone.

Sesshoumaru walked up to the side of his bed. "You need to take some more
pills, kid." He said while picking up the bottle and opening it.

Miroku, with the help of Sango, sat up, accepted the two small pills, then
swallowed them with some water.

Settling to lie back again, Miroku chanced a glance at Sango but did not
speak.

She caught his glance. "Miroku."

He looked at her, allowing his weary gaze to meet her soft one. "Yeah?"

"I..." She cut eye contact then looked at the bed covers between them. "I..."

The young woman flushed then took his hand, placing a piece of paper in it.
"It's my cell phone number. Call me later. Okay?"

Miroku looked at the paper in his hand then crunched it safely within his
palm.

She looked at him once more, smiled an almost shy smile, then left, glancing
back once before leaving with Kagome.

When Sango left, Miroku, feeling the pain medication take affect, closed his eyes.
In the falling of sleep, he thought of Sango, hoping he would dream of her.

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Kagome, patiently waiting in the small coffee shop booth, searched the
darkness outside the large glass window. It was nearly nine o'clock.
Inuyasha told her eight but...knowing Kikyo, he might be late. He
even, might not get to come at all. Well, she was going to wait anyway,
all night if she had to. This was an all night diner after all. An almost
empty all night diner. At that last thought, Kagome looked in front of
her to the other side of the coffee shop where two young men in their late
twenties were sitting in a booth, talking and eating. Trying not to get
apprehensive, Kagome took a sip of her water then looked over to see Ayame
making a fresh pot of coffee.

A bell tinkled. Kagome looked at the coffee shop door to see someone
walk in. The person was wearing an old coat, their face shadowed by the hood.
Whoever it was carried a small duffel bag in their right hand. Kagome
leaned forward, trying to see. The hooded figure nodded once to Ayame
before turning down the isle in her direction. As soon as Kagome saw the
black hair and familiar profile, she smiled. It was Inuyasha.

Inuyasha walked to her booth then slid into the seat across from her. He
set his bag on the floor then pulled the hood back, revealing a
very tired smile. "Hi."

Kagome secretly scanned him to make sure he was okay. Her silent observation
was quick, but she immediately noticed the red welts around his wrists and the
weariness in his expression. His purplish hazel eyes were dull, and his movement
retained a bit of sluggishness. In spite of her worry, Kagome smiled back.
"Hi."

He reached both hands across the table to her and she took them.

"Have you eaten?" He asked.

Kagome nodded. "Yeah, I had some fries a couple of hours ago."

Inuyasha lightly squeezed her hands, smiling while his near absent gaze fell,
his attention softening at their touch before accidentally falling on his wrists.
His eyes widened as his smile fell. Quickly, he let go, retracting his hands
and hiding them under the table.

Hunching down a tad, he looked up and gave her a small apologetic smile.

Worried, Kagome frowned, part of her wanting to ask why his wrists were
red, but another part of her knowing it might be embarrassing to him if
she did ask. For the most part, Kagome wasn't completely naive. She had
a good idea why his wrists were red. Kikyo had tied him up. Probably for
some sick bedroom game.

Fighting that spark of anger from surfacing, Kagome breathed evenly.
No. Tonight, they were together, and tonight, Kikyo didn't matter.
Kikyo didn't exsist.

Inuyasha nodded. "Yeah, Ayame, get me a cheeseburger, fries, and a coke,
along with a chocolate milkshake.

Ayame smiled. "You sure are hungry tonight, kid. The special it is."
Ayame glanced at her. "Want anything else?"

Kagome shook her head. "I'm okay."

When Ayame left, Kagome leaned forward, catching his attention. "Want to
talk?"

He simply nodded, his features flushing.

She grinned. "Well, you have to talk to conversate. What do you want to talk
about?"

Inuyasha opened his mouth, paused, then shut it again before shrugging his
shoulders.

Kagome set her right elbow on the table then rested her right cheek in her
open palm. "Tell you what: Ask me anything and I will tell you the absolute
truth. Whatever you want to know."

His eyes sparkled before he set a dark bluish gaze on her. "Anything?"

"Anything."

Inuyasha cleared his throat. "I...just want to know...everything about you."

Kagome raised a brow. "Everything? You want to know everything about me?"

"Yeah."

Giving him a warmer smile, Kagome began.

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Inuyasha thought he was in heaven as he listened to Kagome. She told him
where she lived and all about her family and friends, what kind of food she
liked and disliked, books she liked to read, and things she liked to do.
She even told him about her cat, Buyo, who was always sharpening his
claws on her grandfather's recliner.

He smiled at Kagome's happy memories. It was almost as if
he had lived and shared them with her.

His food came, and he ate while paying attention.
Every now and then he would comment or laugh at her stories.

He even noticed when she absently took a french fry from his plate.

An hour passed but Inuyasha had not noticed. Too engrossed in Kagome,
he didn't even notice when someone walked up behind him.
"You working tonight, dude?"

Inuyasha, knowing who is was by the voice, bowed his head and closed his
eyes in rising shame. Why? Why here? Why now?

Not even risking a glance at Kagome to see her expression, Inuyasha looked up to
see one of his regular johns standing by the table.

Inuyasha shook his head. "No. Not tonight."

The guy wilted. "Crap. I was hoping you were. My friend wanted to try you
out also. We got cash."

Face burning, Inuyasha wished the guy would leave. "My night off. Sorry."

The guy seemed to take the hint then walked back down the isle to the other
side of the coffee shop where he rejoined his friend in a booth.

Inuyasha, heart pounding, turned a fearful gaze back to Kagome.

What he saw made him want to crawl under a rock: Kagome was staring at
the table, silent, eyes shadowed by her black bangs, and cheeks flushed
a patchy red.

He wanted to say something, anything, but his lips wouldn't move for his
heart had sunk to his stomach. Somehow, he knew...she knew.

For a long moment, Kagome didn't say anything, just stared at the table.

Inuyasha lowered his gaze to the table. He had been hoping it wouldn't end
so soon, but it had been wishful thinking on his part. Deep inside,
he always knew it was just a dream, one that would soon end when Kagome
learned the truth about him. He just wished he had had more time with
her. At least he had a wonderful memory of the last two days with her
to hold on to. Drowning in the sinking feeling, Inuyasha frowned and closed his
eyes to wait for her to leave.

"Inuyasha." Her voice was whispery soft and cracked with suppressed emotion.

He opened his eyes but did not look at her. "Yeah?"

"We are friends."

His heart thumped yet he still did not dare to look at her.

"Friends talk to each other."

Inuyasha forced himself to look up.

Kagome was looking at him with
sad brown eyes. "The other day, when I left Kikyo's house, I heard her
yelling at you, asking if you knew me and if I paid to...uh..." Her gaze
fell to the table between them. "I knew Kikyo paid for you to be with
her but...I didn't know...."

His insides twisted.

Kagome sighed. "I didn't know that uh...men...paid too."

Inuyasha felt like throwing up but swallowed the knot in his throat.
"Kagome...I..." He wilted in defeat. "I'm no kind of person to be
friends with. I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I should have but...I just...
I just wanted....to be around you a little more. Sorry...."

He moved to get up, knowing he had overstayed his welcome concerning
Kagome. There was no point in continuing their friendship. She was decent
and he was dirt.

Kagome's light touch made him pause. "Where are you going?"

Inuyasha shrugged his shoulders. "Got to go."

"Why?"

Why was a good question. Why was she hanging on to trash? "I need
to get back and get some sleep."

"Where?"

Inuyasha fiddled with the broken zipper on his coat. "Back to the
place I crash at. It will take me about an hour or two to get there."

"Want a ride?"

He shook his head. "I can make it on my own."

"Inuyasha."

Inuyasha looked at the sad eyed girl sitting across from him.

She gave him a small, weak smile, one that almost met her
eyes. "Let me take you."

He couldn't say no to that smile. "Okay."