Part Two - Merry and Bright

Kagome sat in the reception area; her foot tapping out a nervous staccato. The walls were beige and decorated with generic artwork of landscapes and flowers. Canned music played over the speaker system and the receptionist looked positively miserable in her holiday cheer and blinking sweater.

Setting the phone back in the cradle, she called Kagome over. "I'm sorry miss, Mr. Sato is unable to meet with you today. The earliest he can see you is after the holidays are over," she said.

Kagome sighed. "I only have one question, is there anyway to have just 5 minutes?" she asked. The elevator dinged and the doors opened to several workers in red shirts bringing in boxes of Christmas decorations. One stepped up next to Kagome and set his box down in front of the desk. "We're with the party coordinators, and we're here to set up for your company Christmas gathering tomorrow night," he said, pulling a clipboard out of his hand and fishing a pen out of his front pocket.

The receptionist turned her attention to the stacks of boxes being unloaded from the elevator, and Kagome backed up against the wall to get away from the growing pile. Coming out from behind the desk, the portly receptionist fumbled with opening the first box only to let out a disgruntled sigh. "We ordered red decorations, not silver," she said.

As she waited for the mess to be straightened out, Kagome was hit with sudden inspiration. Taking note of the uniform of the party company, she quietly stole out of the office and headed to the mall.

. . .

With her new red shirt and black pants, Kagome blended into the throng of caterers and coordinators with little notice. Her insides began to tingle, wondering if Taisho Hishashi would make an appearance tonight - and if he would be someone she happened to know.

She pushed her way through the crowded kitchen full of steam and shouts and sounds of pans clanking and food sizzling. To her left she spotted a tray of drinks ready to be served, so she grabbed it and made her way out of the kitchen doors.

Classic Christmas tunes floated over the noise of the crowd as masses of people milled around with drinks in their hands. Her stomach tingled again. Not with nervous anticipation this time, but at the jyaki she sensed; it was subdued yet powerful.

Her eyes scanned the dimly lit room, searching for anyone she knew. Someone ancient. Someone familiar.

Someone reached across her to grab the last full drink of her tray, causing it to off balance in her hands and go tumbling to the floor.

Before it could hit, a pale and graceful hand caught the edge - managing to prevent a very loud and very embarrassing scene. Kagome raised her eyes up the length of the hand - a hand so very familiar, a hand that had once dealt her death, yet also saved her life. Shoulder length silver hair flowed over a black jacket. She held her breath.

Kagome tilted her face up to see the one person she never expected to see again. Sesshoumaru. His eyes widened in surprise momentarily before settling into his normal stoic mask. Both stood there staring at each other in silence, broken by stanzas of Bing Crosby. 'I'm dreaming of a white Christmas...'

She finally found her voice to speak. "Sesshoumaru?"

He nodded once in acknowledgment. "Kagome."

"You look exactly the same," she said, taking the tray back from his extended hand.

"So do you," he said. 'Just like the ones I used to know...'

Awkward silence lay between them. She was opening her mouth to ask him what he was doing here when a large and burly man with meaty hands came up behind him and clapped Sesshoumaru on the shoulder. "Taisho Hishashi! By the Gods, I never expected you to show up to this thing," he said.

Sesshoumaru kept Kagome's gaze as he answered. "Something in the air told me I should show up tonight," he said. 'Where treetops glisten, and children listen to hear sleigh bells in the snow...'

The large man began to rattle on about books and profits and awards as she continued to stare into familiar golden eyes, softer in the dim glow of holiday cheer. He shouldn't be here like this - not dressed in white with a sadness in his eyes - a shell of who he once had been. 'I'm dreaming of a white Christmas...'

"You're Taisho Hishashi?" she mouthed silently, clutching the edge of the tray into her ribs. He closed his eyes and gave an imperceptible nod. 'With every Christmas card I write...'

Kagome's eyes flicked over to the annoying drone emanating from the man beside Sesshoumaru before finding his eyes again. "Can we talk alone?" she mouthed again. 'May your days be merry and bright...'

Without a word he turned abruptly, disappearing into the crowd of people. She stood frozen, watching the silver hair blend into the shadows. A loud burst of laughter brought her attention back to the party. "Ha! That old dog is still the same," the man said. "Never one to stand on politeness." With a puff of his strong cigar the man turned and left, leaving Kagome alone in the middle of the party.

'And may all your Christmases be white...'

. . .

Later Kagome sat at the window of her small apartment and looked out at the first few snowflakes beginning to settle on the ground.

Tucking her slipper clad feet under her, she took a sip of her hot chocolate before pulling out a volume of collected works by Taisho Hishashi. She began to read.

Homework would wait. Preparations to go back to the Feudal era could wait.

This could not.

Visions of the sadness beneath his eyes ran through his mind, and she had to know what had happened to him.