Daddy Dearest – Part One: Little Mi

//thoughts//

EMPHASIS/WRITTEN TEXT

*MORE EMPHASIS*

/'Comment or statement recalled by a character'/

**Time elapses**

~ POV/scene change to someone/somewhere else

 

/'I would be honored if you would bear me a son.'/

Sweet-talking asshole. The worst part about it all was that she had believed him--listened to him and maybe even loved him despite the short time she had known him. A week, maybe less, and he had been gone in a flash.

Miroku had cost her everything, but he would suffer for it. She had spent three years searching for that deceiving, lecherous monk, and now she would finally be able to HIT HIM right in his pretty face for fooling her...for USING her like a tissue and leaving her where she fell.

He had cost this woman her title, her innocence, her family, her wealth and her home, and she planned to make absolutely certain that he knew what he had done. Of course, being the thieving bastard that he was, she was sure that he would either use his charm to apologize falsely and leave her as she was, but she wasn't giving him that chance to embarrass and discard her again. No, she was going to leave a LASTING mark on his life the way he had done to her, whether he liked it or not.

/'I fear I might not live to see your beauty ever again, my lady, so I take my leave, but I swear we will meet again someday.'/

He had taken more than his leave when her father's guards had come to arrest him for lying about a dark shadow demon threatening her room, including a good deal of silverware and her mother's necklace. //You have NO idea how your world-class lying is about to come back and bite you in your unholy ass, Miroku, for as you said, we WILL be meeting again someday--and that day is today!//

~

SMACK!

"If you touch me ONE more time I'll--that does it. AAAAARRRRRRRRRG!!!"

Kagome sighed and shook her head as Miroku bolted out ahead of them from behind with a violet handprint on his face and a fuming Sango hot on his tail, boomerang held high above her head and an angry scowl on her face. "Sango! Miroku!"

"It was an accident!" Miroku bawled as he hurried down the path, hands clasping the back of his head in a lame attempt of defense. "I tripped, I swear it!"

"Liar! You've 'tripped' one time too many, monk! Come BACK here, coward! Face death like a man!"

"If death was as beautiful as you, I would have faced her long ago, but I fear death is an unattractive woman and therefore I RUN!"

"STOP TALKING AND LET ME WHACK YOU!"

Inuyasha smirked. "Feh. You'd think he'd learn not to grope at her after the fourteenth slap."

"Don't forget the three black-eyes and that bloody nose from last night when she lost her sandal in that hole," Shippo cheered, helpfully.

Kagome giggled. "I have to admit, he's persistent."

"He's HORNY, that's what he is," Inuyasha said, archly, as the inevitable, combination SWOOSH-THUMP-"DAMN, I MISSED!" rang out from up ahead. This resulted in Miroku kicking up his speed a notch and going into evasive maneuvers to prevent the demon-exterminator from exterminating HIM. "If he'd stop thinking with his OTHER head long enough to realize that she could really HURT him, maybe we wouldn't have to see this every few hours or so."

"Yeah, but it's funny," Shippo snickered.

Kirara, who was perched on the fox-boy's head, watched as Miroku and Sango pulled a U-turn on the dirt road and came barreling back, the monk spouting endless excuses and apologies.

"I am deeply sorry for hurting your honor, Sango, please! I swear on MY honor!" He turned and rushed past her, ducking the boomerang as it came at him again.

"You HAVE no honor to swear on!" she bellowed as she turned. The pursuit continued.

Suddenly, a voice erupted from the bushes nearby, resulting in Miroku hitting the breaks so fast his sandals almost caught fire. "You are wise to know that, young woman." A mature older woman stepped out into their path, pointing an accusing finger at the monk. "This lecher has misled many a lady with that indomitable ability to weave lies and play others for fools--luckily, you will not fall prey to him."

Sango blinked, then smirked at Miroku, who was completely frozen where he stood. "Looks like you DO travel." Then, her smirk faded as her eyes crossed his face. "Huh?"

Inuyasha paused in mid-step and caught Kagome's arm before she could go and see what was happening and who this woman was. "Wait, I smell something..."

"Probably yourself," Shippo laughed as he rushed past.

The hanyou ignored the annoying little creature. "I mean it--it bugs me. If it isn't her, it's something she has. It smells like something I've caught wind of before."

"An animal, maybe?" Kagome suggested.

"No, that's not it. Better investigate, but stay back. Miroku is expendable and Sango can protect herself, but you're an easy pick-off and I need you to find the Shikon jewel, so stay behind me."

Kagome blinked. It almost sounded as if he was actually trying to protect her, but then again, he needed her to find the shards of the jewel, so that accounted for his sudden aggressive defensiveness. She sighed and followed him.

He strode to the group, where Miroku was stammering uncontrollably. He looked confused and shocked, caught completely off-guard, and Kagome could see why. The young woman there in front of him wasn't remarkably attractive, but the build of her face and shape of her body hinted that she might have possessed amazing looks at one time. It seemed she had gone to seed. Her eyes were pale silver and illuminated by a blaze that Kagome was certain wasn't admiration for Miroku, and her dull brown hair, which was somewhat mussed, was tied back in a messy ponytail that allowed a good amount of it to hang at her shoulders and frame her face. The dark circles under her eyes led one to believe that she had gotten old young, because they were the only marks on her face, excluding the deep frown lines, which were accentuated as she scowled at the monk.

"What, no charming greeting?" she hissed, the fire in her eyes becoming an inferno. "No poetic excuse or pick-up line?"

"She looks mad," Shippo said, looking up at Miroku, who was still attempting to say something. "Wha'd you do?"

He didn't answer, but finally, something came out of his open mouth. "Do...do I know you from somewhere?"

"No kidding," Sango said, snidely. "She knows you so well, you could have been married to her!"

"Had he been he wouldn't be standing here," the woman hissed, making the monk jump. He looked amazingly fidgety while caught in her fiery stare. "He would be long since dead and buried and my family's honor would still be intact."

Miroku snapped out of his odd daze and immediately went into what Sango called 'weasel mode,' which was easily identified as the gear he put himself in when he was going to beguile or exploit someone. "It seems that we have met before, good lady, and that I may have done you some indignity, but sadly, what I may have done escapes me. If you would please enlighten me--"

"Thanks to you, I'm not a lady anymore, and I'd rather hit you, and don't try using that damn wording of yours to get ANYTHING from me; you're lucky I can't hack you to pieces right here."

Miroku blinked. He was rarely met with such a blunt rebuff, and by the identical looks that crossed Sango and Inuyasha's faces, it was well deserved. Kagome couldn't help but agree; Miroku was a good man when he wasn't thinking about sex, but it was apparent that he had really messed up here. The question was, what had he messed up?

Kagome took over, because no one else looked ready to talk. She blushed, embarrassed by the rudeness of the rest of her band, then quickly stepped forward. "I'm sorry, but it looks like we've started off on the wrong foot." She offered the woman her hand, bowing her head politely. "I'm Kagome. Is there something Miroku has done that perhaps we could help? I'm sure he'd be more than happy to straighten out whatever he's done, ISN'T THAT RIGHT, MIROKU?" She looked back at him, coughing into her hand in an attempt to send him a hint.

He nodded, instantly. He was a pervert, but not an idiot. "Indeed, I would be most obliged to rectify whatever wrong I have done you, dear lady."

She suddenly smirked, darkly, in his direction and he gulped, shifting silently. She took Kagome's hand and bowed her head as well. "A pleasure to meet you, dear. I hope you are not defending him because you are involved with him, for if that is the case, you are in for a world of hurt, Kagome."

She shook her head violently, raising her hands in alarm. "NONONO, that isn't it! He's just a friend." Then, she noticed that Inuyasha was sniffing at the air with a suspicious look on his face and Sango was staring around, looking awkward. "Oh, how rude! These are my other friends, Inuyasha, Sango and Shippo."

A very flat, "Hi," was all the hanyou could manage before he went back to his sniffing.

"How do you do, ma'am," Sango said, politely.

"Hi-ya," Shippo said, grinning up at her. He took the fuzzy little creature whom had settled on his scalp off his head. "This is Kirara."

The woman smiled. "Very nice to meet you all. I am Kiori, once of the Tatsubashi village."

Miroku's expression disappeared and a look of concentration took its place on his face.

"I am surprised that this lying thief has been able to keep in such friendly company so long without sustaining any mortal injuries," Kiori commented, flatly.

"You'd be surprised," Sango hissed, eyeing him. He blinked and gulped again.

Kagome snickered. EVERYONE was after him today!

"So," Shippo said, suddenly, "what did Miroku do to make you so mad at him? Steal your house and sell it?" In response to this, the monk gave him a little nudge from behind with his foot, not hitting him hard enough to hurt him, but with enough force to express his disapproval.

Her fierce expression returned and Inuyasha continued his sniffing, momentarily looking at Miroku, then back at Kiori. He stayed silent, which was amazing. "No, but a good amount of my father's good wares were taken. However, that is not what I am here about. This bastard came to my father's manor claiming that a dark spirit hung over our home, a way of getting him a place to stay for the night, then coaxed me into allowing him to share my bed with his devil tongue. That night, he had his way with me, and when I awoke in the middle of the night, he left with some quick excuse and a few sweet words, taking with him my late mother's priceless jade necklace and a good amount of my father's lesser items.

"When my father found out about what he had done to me and that I had allowed it willingly, stupid as I was then, he was furious, and the lasting affect left upon me completely enraged him. He disowned me and cast me away, and for three years I have searched for this cowardly swindler to make him pay for what he has done."

Every eye was locked on Miroku, and there was not one bit of pity for him in the entire group. Sango, Kagome, Inuyasha and Shippo all leered at him, and even Kirara looked disgusted with the monk, who was still wearing a lame thinking look.

"You're lower than I thought," Inuyasha hissed at him.

"I knew you were a pervert and a coward, but a BASTARD wasn't something I would have pinned on you," Sango added.

Kagome was aghast. "You should be ashamed, Miroku! You cost her all she had!"

"More than that," Kiori snapped. "Now I have come to give him what he deserves--or does not. Had he not been in good company, I would feel the need to stay to make certain he wouldn't injure it or SELL what I have for him, and knowing him, it would not be amazing." She stepped aside and everyone gasped.

It was a little boy, and just looking at him made it perfectly clear who and what he was. Miroku finally had the heir he had begged so many women for, but the sudden paleness of his skin combined with the look of terror that crossed his face clearly projected that he hadn't wanted a son so badly as he had claimed.

However, the boy was adorable, with wide, deep blue eyes and a pale, thin face. His black hair framed it cutely and sat on his shoulders the way Miroku's might have, if he let it down. He was dressed in a tatted, black robe that was oversized and hung off his gaunt frame like a rag off a hanger. His little lips were molded into an uncertain frown-pout combination that made him all the more cute, but all the more pitiful too as he stood there, clutching his mother's skirt and looking up at all of them. Kagome was reminded momentarily of a commercial she had seen on television, the kind where they advertised children from poorer countries in need of help.

The two half-demons, both girls and Kirara all looked back and forth from the shocked countenance of Miroku to the little boy standing there. The resemblance was unmistakable! Every feature, right down to his eyes, matched, excluding his eye-color, which was somewhat lighter than that of the monk. They were almost completely identical.

Kiori didn't look one bit satisfied with the shock on Miroku's face, so she came out and stated what they all knew at a glance. "Miroku," she said without even a hint of a smile, "Meet your son--Mikiro."

"I knew it," Inuyasha muttered.

Kagome looked up at him. "What?"

"When I told you I smelled something and Shippo butted in, I decided to keep it to myself, but I knew the scent had something to do with Miroku, because when I first caught wind of it, I felt suspicious. From the day I met him, his scent always triggered that same exact distrust in me--that's how I identified what I smelled as his scent. When we came over here, and I detected it in two different places, I knew that meant she had a child with her...his child."

She blinked, surprised. She honestly hadn't thought that Inuyasha could be that astute, but of course, it figured. After all, animal cunning was one of his numerous helpful and few winning traits.

Sango's boomerang came around in an arc and cracked into the back of Miroku's skull, knocking him off his feet and onto the ground. "You lowlife BASTARD! How DARE you besmirch her honor, then leave her alone, pregnant with YOUR *CHILD*?!"

The boy ducked back behind his mother at this exclamation.

The dark-haired monk climbed to his knees, ignoring the fact that the back of his head was dented, and stared up at the tiny boy, who was peeking out at him from the shelter of Kiori's legs. Kagome frowned as she realized that he still didn't believe it, though the proof was standing there, looking right at him with his own eyes. "It can't be..." he whispered to himself. It was louder than he thought, though, because everyone else heard it too. "H-he..." He cleared his throat and attempted to strengthen his expression, but it didn't work either. He still looked confused. "He c-cannot be my son," he said, resolutely.

"OH?" Kiori knelt and took the boy's little right hand, pulling him out into the open, then carefully removed the white cotton wrapping from it, revealing a hole the size of a quarter there. It wasn't swollen or bleeding, there was no scarred tissue around it, and he could shift his fingers quite easily, so that meant it hadn't been put there to fool Miroku into believing it. It was his family's curse, and this little boy carried it just as he did. There was no air rip there as of yet, just a hole, but that might have been due to the fact that he was very little. "Do you perhaps have a twin brother with your exact speaking qualities who would so blatantly lie to an innocent GIRL to get into her bed, using your name?"

He almost looked ready to jump at that excuse, but even HE wouldn't stoop so low. He kept his mouth closed; he couldn't find a single eloquent thing to say.

Sango leered down at him, then stepped forward and knelt, smiling at the boy. "Hi there, honey. How are you?"

He didn't answer. He kept close to his mother's chest and looked back and forth between she and Miroku, then away, frowning. He kept a tight hold on her had after she had finished redressing his little palm.

"He probably can't talk, Sango," Inuyasha said, flatly. "Don't scare him."

"ZIP it, dog-boy!"

"Oh, he can talk," Kiori said, nudging him forward. He immediately jumped back into her arms, looking frightened, but she just smiled at him, warmly. This made her real beauty more apparent. Time had done her no injustice, but Miroku's foolishness and her hatred for him had. She was still very lovely, but very well adapted to the cruel world. "Now, now, Little Mi, you mustn't be afraid."

Shippo tugged on Kagome's skirt. "Did she just call him Little Me?"

"His name is MIKIRO," she reminded him, "So Mi stands for his name, not for me as in ME. Probably a nickname."

"Oh."

Miroku had, in the mean time, found his feet again and was presently staring at the boy, who peeked back at him momentarily before his head snapped back toward his mother again. He blinked. Apparently Mikiro didn't like him either!

Kagome looked up at the sky, noting that the sun would be setting soon. She grasped the sleeve of Inuyasha's kimono. "We should set up camp, shouldn't we?"

He nodded. "Yeah, this area isn't familiar, and who knows what's prowling at night. I'll go find a place for us to camp." With that, he turned and leapt into a nearby tree and disappeared from sight.

Kiori smiled. "WELL, it seems your friend is quite the acrobat."

Sango had somehow coaxed Mikiro into looking at her, and now she was talking to him, getting shy nods as responses. It seemed he liked her, and Kiori seemed to as well.

Kagome looked at the two and realized that they had very little with them--Mikiro had a little satchel and Kiori had nothing at all, and neither of them was really dressed for the cold that was bound to result in nightfall. They probably wouldn't do well alone at night, and besides, she felt that they owed her at least some company after what she had gone through because of Miroku. She nodded. "I'd feel better if you stayed with us tonight," she said, finally. "We have enough food to go around, and that way, we can get to know you two better."

At that, Sango turned her head and leered up at Miroku, who nodded his agreement, his expression showing his discomfort.

Kiori smiled at Kagome, then nodded. "Very kind of you."

****

Inuyasha found them a quiet clearing in the woods near the road to camp at, then built a fire for Kagome to cook on while Sango talked with Kiori while Shippo listened from nearby. Mikiro stayed in her lap the entire time, while Miroku, who had suddenly become an outcast in their band, sat silently beneath a tree, looking thoughtful. Kagome caught him sneaking peeks at the quiet little boy and his mother every once in a while, but whenever Kiori looked up in his direction, he turned hastily away and pretended he hadn't looked at all.

Kagome privately wondered why he was so standoffish. Certainly, the woman was a bit eerie, and she had a good right to be after his blood, but didn't he want to get to know his son? She shrugged to herself and continued stirring the pot of ramen noodles on the fire.

"Is it done yet???"

She jumped, then looked up into a pair of golden eyes framed by a mane of silver hair, peering down into the pot curiously. She sighed, putting a hand to her chest. "Stop DOING that, Inuyasha," she snapped at the hanyou, "and NO, but it'll be done soon. Can't you find something more constructive to do than watch me cook?"

"I'm hungry, and I want food," he said, matter-of-factly, "So I'm waiting until you're done so I can eat."

"Wait over THERE, then," she said, pointing with her stirring spoon. "Go keep Miroku company."

"Feh, not a chance," Inuyasha said, coldly. "I never liked him too much, but now I really can't stand him. It figures that the pervert would have a child, but as far as I'm concerned, he doesn't deserve one. Just goes to show you what an idiot he is."

Kagome sighed and looked up at him. "Inuyasha, don't be so critical," she said, frowning. She didn't like it either, but Miroku was apparently paying for his mistake now, just sitting there, knowing what he'd done with the proof less than ten yards away. "Maybe this will teach him something."

"It's too late for him to learn anything, Kagome!" he exclaimed. He was serious about this! "Now there's another little him with a damned hole in his hand, and if we don't get rid of Naraku and break that stupid curse, that little boy will die!"

She hit him in his shin with the wooden spoon, hard. "HUSH! He'll HEAR you, Inuyasha! You'll scare him!"

He winced and held his leg. "Oww, damn it! I'm not tryin' to, so ya don't have to HIT me!"

"You're lucky I didn't use the 'S' word on you instead," she retorted, smirking.

He scowled, folding his arms. "Just cook the ramen."

~

"How old is Mikiro?" Sango asked. She found that she liked Kiori very well; she was a strong woman with revenge on her mind, but she was still very tender with her son and sociable in good company. She knew first-hand that it wasn't always easy to be nice when you wanted someone to pay, and she admired Kiori's ability to handle herself and her son.

"Three," Kiori replied.

Sango blinked. "I would have thought he was younger...or maybe older." She smiled. "Such a sweet little boy...he looks so well-kept and polite."

"Yes, I made certain his father's personality wasn't hereditary." She frowned a moment, then smiled as Mikiro yawned and leaned back against her chest. "He's a very sweet boy, but he has a habit of being much too shy."

"It still kills me that Miroku has a son," Sango admitted. "He just doesn't seem the type to be a father."

"He isn't, but he will have to be."

"Why?" Shippo asked. This was his first comment in the conversation, though he had been present a good amount of it.

Sango realized that the comment didn't sound right, so she attempted to help clarify the kitsune's thoughts for their new friend. "Are you going to force Miroku to marry you or something? You know, so he'll have to take responsibility?"

Kiori shook her head, a sad look crossing her face. "Even if I did, I am sure I wouldn't be able to sleep without fearing he'd run off with my belongings or worse. I trusted him once, if only for a short while, but now I know his tricks and I know he is not to be trusted at all. However, I will be forcing him to take responsibility."

"How?" Sango asked.

Kiori's sadness seemed to intensify as her eyes shone in the dim firelight. She lowered her voice as she brushed the napping Mikiro's dark bangs from his cute little face. "I am going to the court of a nobleman I have recently met to ask for his assistance in regaining my title, if not my home itself, but I fear I cannot bring him with me, for it may be perilous to him. I can accomplish my mission alone, but I want Mikiro to be safe, and I want Miroku to know what he put me through. He is lazy and a coward unless abating the danger would bring him a profit, so I hope that taking care of Mikiro will bring him some sense and maybe even some maturity. After all, quiet and shy as he is, a three-year-old is not a simple creature to care for."

"You're leaving him here?" Shippo whispered, suddenly. Sango was silent, too amazed to say anything.

Kiori nodded, sadly, her eyes still fixed on her son. "I have no other choice. We cannot continue on living the way we are now, in squander, so I will do what I have to...to ensure his future, happiness and health--no matter the cost to myself."

Her admiration for this woman was only increasing by the moment. She had been outcast and saddled with a fatherless son, raised him and cared for him, and now she was willing to trust the one person she hated the most with her most prized possession for the sake of the boy himself. //She is so strong through the worst, and always hopeful...// she thought, smiling. Then, her smile waned. //Miroku did this to her...but I wonder if it was really a terrible mistake on his part or an unseen blessing...// Things were so difficult to understand sometimes, but everything happened for a reason, and maybe that reason would be found someday.

"Miss Sango," Kiori said, suddenly. "I would be very much obliged if you would help the fool along while our son is in his care."

She blinked. "Me? But why me, Lady Kiori?"

The woman shook her head, sighing. "Because you seem to have experience with Miroku and his games, and Mikiro seems to be fond of you. As for the former of the two, I do not like him, and I do not want to trust him, as I said before, but I do have a little faith in the fool. However, this is not enough to allow me to willingly leave Mikiro alone with him, but up until this point, I didn't think I had a choice, which is why I am so glad to find that you and your friends will be with him. I was going to stay myself and teach him all he had to know--after breaking his nose, among other things--but now that I see you are here, I have a feeling he will be in good hands."

Sango nodded, smiling. "I will do my best. I haven't taken care of anyone young in ages, but I think I still have some skills with little boys."

"I can help too!" Shippo exclaimed in a soft but excited voice. "I'm a boy too!"

Kiori nodded. "Yes, I believe you could be a fabulous influence on Mikiro." The kitsune grinned at this compliment.

Mikiro shifted against Kiori's chest and yawned, then sighed in his sleep. He was quite a sweet little boy, and honestly, Sango could hardly believe he had anything to do with Miroku because of that fact. Certainly, he was a good man most of the time, but his perverted mind and habit of lying to others to get what he wanted took away from his appeal. Still, he was easy enough to get along with--as long as his hands were somewhere away from her bottom and his mouth was shut.

"Don't tell Miroku just yet," Kiori said. "I want to see the look on his face when he finds out that he will be getting a crash-course in fatherhood."

Sango nodded. "You have my word."

"And you, little one?" she asked Shippo.

He nodded. "Won't tell anybody."

"Dinner's ready!" Kagome called to them. "Would you like some, Miss Kiori?"

She shook her head. "No, thank you."

Sango looked back at her, then smirked as Inuyasha made a grab for the pot, only to get a crack on the hand with her wooden spoon.

"I TOLD you to wait! Guests always eat first!"

"Damn it, who cares?! Her kid's asleep and she's not hungry, but I AM, so let me have some ramen, wench!"

Suddenly, a sly look crossed Kagome's face and she looked at him. "You want me to give it to you, huh?"

"YEAH!"

"Fine, you'll get it all right. Sit, boy!"

"ACK!" THUMP. Inuyasha hit the ground, face-down.

Kiori laughed. "I wish they had had collars for young men when I was her age!"

"Unfortunately, they still don't. That's a special order he's wearing," Sango said, smirking as the angered hanyou got up, only to sit down again and silently wait his turn while muttering under his breath.

Kagome quickly served up a few bowls of ramen and brought them over, insisting that Kiori take one and handing the other two to Sango and Shippo. She set an extra down near them. "That's for Mikiro, just in case he wakes up. He looks like he could use a little ramen."

"You are very kind, Miss Kagome."

She blushed, waving a hand shyly. "Oh, no, please, no compliments! I don't take them well!"

Sango smiled. "Thank you, Kagome."

Shippo had already started stuffing his face, but he managed a quick, "FANKS!" through the mouthful of noodles.

Kagome smiled and nodded, then turned back to the pot and dished out another bowl, turning to the angry dog-boy sitting cross-legged with his arms folded nearby. She offered it to him, keeping it somewhat out of his reach. "You still hungry after that mouthful of turf you just chowed down on?"

Inuyasha muttered something incomprehensible that bore an amazing resemblance to 'stupid girl.'

"What was that, now?"

"*YES*, KAGOME, I am hungry."

She smiled, shaking the chopsticks at him. "What do we say?"

"May I PLEASE have some RAMEN now?"

She nodded, then held the bowl and chopsticks out to him. He snatched them and started eating like a hog, leering at her over the rim of the bowl. "What do we say now?"

"I'm eating," he said with a thick gulp, "Go away."

She scowled. "I better hear a thank you or you'll be exchanging ramen for dirt in about FIVE SECONDS!"

"Thanks."

"That's better."

Kiori smiled. "I believe I sense some tension between those two. They are together?"

Sango shook her head. "No, but a good amount of the time it's hard to tell that they're not married."

"He likes her," Shippo said, licking his lips. "Good ramen, Kagome!"

"Thank you, Shippo," she called back. She leered down at Inuyasha, who had gone back to his bowl very quickly. "At least ONE half-youkai is polite!"

He lowered his bowl long enough to let out a noodle-dammed "Feh," before beginning to stuff his face again. He was finished in an instant and he gave the bowl back. "You drive me nuts, but your ramen's good, so I deal with it."

Kagome sighed. "That, and you don't have a choice, but I'll take that as a compliment, I guess."

Kiori smiled. "I believe I foresee a strong union between them someday," she said.

//Yeah, when Sesshomaru kisses Inuyasha's ass and all the other youkai say "aww",// she thought, smirking. They hated each other, but she had to admit, in the slight chance that it would happen, they made a perfect married couple. They already had the fighting mastered!

Then, Sango noticed that Kiori was wearing a pendant on a thin, golden chain, made of some beautiful red stone. She hadn't seen it before, probably due to the fact that her words were more attention-worthy than her ragged outfit was. "Oh, that's pretty! Where did you get it?"

Kiori smirked and took the gem in her hand. "A gift from a friend," she sighed. "It's a charm."

"What does it do?"

Her smirk became a dark sneer and she looked up at Inuyasha and Kagome. "Well...I assume I could demonstrate..."

~

Kagome brought a bowl of ramen to Miroku under the tree and waved a hand in front of his dull eyes in an attempt to get his attention. "HELLOOO? Anybody home?"

He looked up and offered a weak smile, then accepted the bowl and set it down in the grass nearby, sighing. "Thank you, Kagome."

"Not hungry?" she asked, curiously.

He shook his head, sighing deeply. For once, there were no poetic words of wisdom or comments about anything perverted. Something was definitely troubling Miroku, but before she could ask to help, he gave her the chance. "Kagome, may I talk to you about something?"

She knelt down on the grass in front of the monk, examining his forlorn expression. "Sure, Miroku, but can I ask you a question first?" He nodded. "Why are you sitting here all by yourself? Don't you want to see your son?"

He instantly shut his eyes, wincing the moment that final word came out, then covered his face. "I can't," he sighed. "You couldn't possibly understand my fear of him."

She blinked. "Fear?" She peeked back at the little boy in his tattered robes, sitting in his mother's lap as he ate. "Sorry if I sound like a total ditz, but what's to fear from a little boy like him? He's only three or so--what harm can he do?"

"That is just it," Miroku sighed. "My fear is not of the harm he himself can cause, but of what he represents and, in a sense, the harm I have caused. It hurts me to see him sitting there, so small and innocent, afraid of the slightest shifting of the grass. Though I do not remember ever knowing or...using...a woman by the name of Kiori, there is no doubt in my mind now that this small boy is of my own blood...I know this now."

She nodded. He wasn't making much sense as of yet, but she privately hoped he would begin to. "Yeah, kinda hard to deny it when he's sitting right there with that hole in his hand just like yours..." Then, she jumped and covered her mouth. "Oh, that was rude! I'm sorry!"

"No, no," he sighed, wearily. Kagome noticed at that instant how old he suddenly looked. Sure, he had always looked older than he really was thanks to his intelligence, but not like this. He was starting to bear a slight resemblance to Kiori, with her tired eyes and furrowed brow. He shook his head, resting his chin in the palm of his hand. "Though that is certainly proof that he has a curse in his blood like my own, that is not what forced me to see the truth. I know he is my son by the expression he wears...so mild and helplessly terrified of everything without real comfort but his mother..."

She looked back at Mikiro again. Yes, that definitely described his expression.

"I grew up seeing that expression so often, every day almost, back when that young visage was my own and I had to bear its reflection staring back at me so meekly."

She watched as Miroku looked past her at the boy, who looked up from his bowl of ramen and jumped, his cornflower-blue eyes widening. He quickly cuddled closer to his mother, and Kagome watched as that same lost look crossed the monk's face. //Oh, it must hurt so badly to know his son is afraid of him!// she thought. She put a comforting hand on his slumped shoulder and gave it a squeeze in hopes of reassuring him, but he simply sighed and lowered his eyes again without even looking at her. This was not like him at all.

It seemed to her that the externally mature young man was now becoming an adult mentally as well.

Shippo shuffled over and sat down next to Kagome, looking both angry and sympathetic. He looked at Miroku. "If she's telling the truth, she really has a good reason to hate you."

The dark-haired man sighed, aggravatedly. "I am certain that I would hate MYSELF, could I recall what I did to her and when."

"Probably three years ago," Shippo said. "Since Mikiro is three, it had to be three years ago. Can you think back that far?"

He shook his head. "No, I've traveled so far, I cannot remember a single place for long, let alone one from so long ago."

"She said something about the Tatsubashi village," Kagome recalled. "Does THAT ring a bell?"

"No...I can't remember anything about that place...not even the name is familiar..."

She sighed. "Well, whatever, happened, you're a father now."

"And she wants to make you sorry for it, too," Shippo said. Then, he blinked. "Did I say that out-loud?"

"Yes," Miroku said, leaning forward. He looked somewhat eager, but more fearful. "Did she tell you anything?"

"NONONO!" They both stared at him and he paused, blushing. "I-I mean of course not...heh, heh?"

Kagome pinned the little fox with a penetrating stare. "Shippo..."

"I promised not to tell!" he exclaimed. Another pause. "OOH, that's it, too much! I'm not talking anymore! Not a word!"

"You promise?" Inuyasha hissed as he strode up. He leaned against the tree Miroku sat in front of and looked down at him. "So, let's hear YOUR side of this. You ashamed or PROUD of what you did?"

Kagome watched as Miroku's sad but calm expression melted and he buried his face in his hands. She growled up at the hanyou. "Sit!"

THUMP.

"Miroku, ignore him," she said, grasping his shoulders, which were lightly shuddering. He was crying! She looked at Inuyasha just as he stood. "Sit, boy! Sit! SIT! *SIT*!"

He flew to the ground again and his face hit it several times in a row before finally allowing him to get up again, his cheeks red, and not from the impact, either. "What was that for?!"

She leered up at him, then jerked her head toward Miroku, who was silently weeping into his hands. The shaking of his shoulders told anyone near that this was true. Inuyasha noticed this and quickly looked awkward. He frowned, his brows knitting, then decided to shut up. Satisfied, she turned her attention back to the monk. "Don't listen to Inuyasha. He doesn't know anything."

The silver-haired boy opened his mouth to object, but she looked at him and he closed his mouth. The expression she wore shrieked, 'Say anything and I'll sit you so hard your children will be born with flat faces and skinned knees!' He stayed quiet.

"Please..." Miroku whispered, standing hastily and wiping his face on the sleeve of his robe. He brushed her hand off and grabbed his staff from the ground nearby, then turned away. "I...I would rather be alone for now...pardon me." He disappeared into the forest, then, without another word.

As soon as he was out of sight, Inuyasha finally spoke. "Serves him right."

Kagome scowled and opened her mouth. "That's it!" She shoved him into the woods nearby, where a musty swamp was located, Shippo skipping along behind to watch as she forced him to dunk himself in it.

He jumped, his eyes widening "ACK! NOT THAT!"

She gave him a hard shove and prepped herself to say it. "S--"

However, before she could finish the command, he spun and bore down on her, grabbing her by her shoulders and making her pause. They stood that way for what felt like forever, and it was as if the word had been completely erased from her mind, because, try as she may, she couldn't get it to come out as long as his golden eyes were locked on hers.

Then, he made a move that she hadn't expected. He kissed her, right there in front of Shippo, and Kagome felt her hair stand on end at the gentle but amazingly powerful connection he had made with her.

//Oh my God!// she thought, stunned. //He's KISSING me!//

Just as she thought this, he released her and stepped back a pace, blinking in surprise.

It was silent from then on, but Shippo just had to comment. "Wow, that was gross. Good way to make her not sit you, though."

Inuyasha jumped. "What?! SHIPPO!"

All at once the daze was gone and Kagome felt a swell of anger toward the sneaky hanyou. She grabbed him by his broad shoulders and turned him around, then gave him a hard shove. "SIT!"

SPLASH! He flew right into the swamp and went under.

She scowled, then cupped her hands around her mouth. "That should teach you to kiss ME!"

After a moment, he surfaced, sopping wet and sputtering, weeds and algae resting in his hair. "STUPID GIRL! THAT'S NOT WHY I DID IT!"

"Then WHY?!" She wanted to hear this.

He paused as he trudged out of the swamp. "I did it because...I..." he paused. "What the hell, I don't KNOW why!"

That was bull. "That was lame, even for you! I should flatten you again right now!"

"I'm not lying!" he exclaimed, pulling a lily-pad from the space between his ears. "I really haven't got a clue! I mean, why would I wanna kiss a wench like YOU?"

Shippo grinned. "Better hold your breath."

"Oops."

"SIT, SIT, SIT, SIT, SSSSSIIIIIIIIIIITTTT!!!"

SPLASH!

~

Sango snickered to herself, then looked back at Kiori, who was still sitting with Mikiro, holding her pendant in her hand. "Did YOU do that?" she asked, amazed.

She nodded. "Yes."

"What's it do, make people kiss other people?"

"Not precisely," she sighed. "My charm sends out a magical vibration to any particular person in the vicinity of one they either love or have the possibility of loving that induces urges to express themselves. In other words, once activated, it made your demon friend come to terms with his hidden or possibly future love for Miss Kagome by urging him to kiss her at the exact moment he was thinking strongly of her."

Sango blinked. "That is amazing! So Inuyasha kissed her because he either does or might soon love Kagome?"

Kiori nodded. "Yes, however, the unfortunate part of it is that my charm only works once in every cycle of the moon, or once every month, so I cannot use its powers again until the next new moon reimburses the magic I spent."

"Oh...were you going to use it for someone?"

She sighed, her grip on the gem tightening. "I had planned to use it against Miroku."

Sango suddenly fathomed the idea, and being that the subject of this new conversation had disappeared somewhere when she hadn't been paying attention, she felt perfectly safe asking. "To test and see if he felt anything for you?"

She nodded. "Yes. You see, he hurt me by betraying me and stealing my father's things, but the part of his lie that hurt the most came in the form of three words he uttered in a heated moment. The fact that he had lied about something so sacred as that after taking my virginity, my honor and, in a way, my freedom, is what fuels my hatred for him. I had planned to use the charm before I left, in order to prove to my foolish mind that he did lie to me, for if I were to use its power against him and he did not react, it would serve as evidence that he had told me falsely. It would finally clear my mind and affirm that he really is the awful creature I know him to be."

The demon exterminator quickly went to her side, kneeling. "You say you must prove it to your mind," she said, softly.

Kiori nodded. "Yes. The little girl in me still believes his passionate words and adores the exterior of what he is, and refuses to believe that he deceived me to get what he wanted from me. Though I myself know the truth, that small part of me wants proof, and it was going to be obtained in the morning."

"Oh," Sango cooed, sadly, "I'm sorry! I made you use up your magic to show me what it did! If I'd known how important that was, I would have never--"

"Now, now, Miss Sango, that's fine. Besides," she paused a moment, lowering her eyes, "That part of me that still cares for that bastard doesn't want to know the truth. That tiny bit of useless hope will keep some happiness in my heart after I leave, minuscule as it is. Once I put my son in his arms, I will need all hope I can get in order to keep going."

"You're coming back for him, aren't you?"

Kiori sighed, lowering her eyes. "I hope to..."

Sango decided not to ask, though she was tempted to. She felt such an admiration for and a connection with this poor woman that she was even tempted to escort her to her destination to assure her safety, but she knew that was unfeasible. She still had her mission to obliterate Naraku, and besides, someone had to take care of Mikiro if and when Miroku failed to do so correctly. She bowed her head. "I respect your strength, Lady Kiori."

"You must remember that I have not been a lady for a very long time."

"You are still very much a lady," Sango insisted with a smile.

Kiori smiled back, wearily, then looked down at her son, who had gone back to sleep shortly after eating. She sighed. "I will miss him...but I had better expend all of this grief before tomorrow. I want to be able to ream Miroku without guilt, fear or sorrow interfering. I've waited too long for this."

She smiled. "Understandable, but you should sleep. The need for revenge can really take it out of you, I'm one to know, and you'll need all the strength you can muster tomorrow to break his nose before you hand him Mikiro."

Kiori laughed. "Now I see why I like you so. You are like I was, once upon a time." She sighed. "I feel so old, though I am most likely younger than the monk is as of now. I have no idea how old he was when I conceived Mikiro, but I know he is older than I. I know I've turned into an old maid over the years...I feel as if thirty years have passed instead of just three..."

"Anguish can do that to you," Sango agreed, dully. She put a hand on Kiori's shoulder. "You should rest now."

Kiori nodded, then leaned back against the fallen log she sat in front of and embraced the tiny boy sleeping in her lap. With a sigh, she smiled once more. "Thank you, Sango."

She stood and stretched, then nodded. "It's no problem, and nothing worth thanks. Good night."

****

After throwing up several times and weeping between intervals of hitting his head against a thick tree-trunk, Miroku was pretty spent, having nothing left to hurl or cry and too many bumps to continue the abuse of his skull. He was sore enough from being whacked with Sango's boomerang, but now he hurt worse, and it still wasn't enough. He felt terrible all over now, inside and out, and he was exhausted.

He still couldn't recall ever being in a village by the name of Tatsubashi, nor engaging in intercourse with the daughter of any nobleman, but the proof was unmistakable: he had a son. The fact that he had ruined some woman's life by having sex with, impregnating and leaving her combined with the fact that he couldn't remember a MOMENT of the entire ordeal troubled him extensively. His unexplained loss of memory was the worst of it. Had he the ability to remember, he might have been able to fathom how much he owed to her and what kind of damage he had done before departing, but nothing came to him.

As he finally reached the campsite, he was relieved to see that everyone was already asleep. Kagome lay near the fire with Shippo leaning against her, while Inuyasha sat crouched against the side of a tree near her, and Sango was unconscious near the Lady Kiori.

The sight of she and her...HIS...little boy made him feel terrible once again. He walked silently across the site and knelt in front of the sleeping Kiori, his eyes fixed on her face as he strained his mind once again to remember her. He drew a blank. Her face, her name, her village...none of it was even slightly familiar to him. He just couldn't recall it!

Of course, if the boy was three, then Miroku himself had been somewhere around the age of sixteen. At that age, no young man really thought of much besides sex. Often times, he still maintained that mentality, but after being faced with this dire consequence of his foolishness, all perverted urges had left his mind, and were still somewhat reluctant to return.

He allowed his eyes to drift down to the boy himself. What was his name again? Mikiro, wasn't it? That made sense, once he thought about it. The first two syllables of his name split by the first syllable of the boy's mother's made up his title: Miro with Ki in the middle, or Mikiro.

He sighed to himself as he beheld the sleeping child he had created out of lust and idiocy. Seeing the precious boy made him feel all the more guilty, and recalling his shy reactions to every glance he spotted only intensified that guilt. He was so pale, but so beautiful, and yet so small and afraid, malnourished because of his situation, which would not have come about had Miroku not been such a fool.

Come to think of it, he never would have existed at all had he not been such a fool!

The boy shifted slightly and sighed softly in his sleep, and Miroku felt new tears fill his eyes again. He had thought he couldn't cry anymore, but now he knew that he had just begun to feel regret. //A little...a little me...a bastard child with a bastard for a father...gods, what have I done...//

****

To Be Continued

Xandra: FYI, I came up with the name Mikiro a long time ago, when I was planning on writing an extensive novel for kids, but I changed my mind, and when I realized how much Mikiro resembled Miroku, I thought it was perfect. Kiori is actually a name I took from Sailor Moon (some bad-guy called the Kiori Knight or something) because it was pretty. So, wha'da ya think so far? Review, even if it's just a word or two, because I need/love reviews! (Oh, and just to help some people who have problems with Japanese names, they are pronounced Meh-KEER-Oh and Key-OR-ee.) Thanx for reading, and if you like, I have more chapters--just request them! ^_^