Kagome had been having a hell of a time. The rain poured down like a giant's tears smashing against her windshield and making the road ahead invisible. She had gotten on the highway only to end up stuck in traffic that had her in one spot for an hour. To top it all off she had left her cell phone at her office so she had no way to get a hold of someone else to pick up Shippo.
She prayed silently that Shippo had called her mother and that he had been picked up by now.
When she finally got out of traffic and to the school she found the lot vacant. The security guard's house too was vacant which meant the school had been closed for some time.
The message that had been waiting for her had been hit with a strong gust of wind knocking it down onto the wet street. Kagome didn't even notice the disintagrating paper floating down into the drain as she looked into the guard house to find it empty.
Frustrated Kagome turned her car back in the opposite direction to her mother's which was across town. When she finally got there the rain soaked through her clothes as she ran up the old stone stairway to the shrine. She had taken off the heels Jakotsu had loaned her, mourning their demise for only a moment as she walked in her bare feet hopping around puddles gathering in the old stone stairs.
Her knocks were fierce against the door as she calmed herself that Shippo was fine and home with her mother. Cursing her luck and everything else Kagome waited until her mother opened the door, surprise evident on her features.
Her mother's look made her stomach drop. If Shippo were here then she should have been expecting her, so why was she surprised?
"Kagome? What are you doing? Get in out of the rain. Where's Shippo?" Her worst fears confirmed Kagome felt her body go numb with shock. The rain had infiltrated its way to her skin also causing a draft of chills to run through her.
"He's not here? I was stuck in traffic and I left my cell phone at work. I thought he called you to come get him." Her mother's eyes went wide too as she turned towards the phone.
"Souta is on a school trip and I just got back from the doctor's with your grandfather. I'm afraid the storm kept us from getting home early." Both women ran to the phone watching in relief as the red light blinked with the signal that a message had been left.
The first message was some man who was asking about the shrine, her mother hastily skipped it saying she would review it later. The second message was from Shippo as well as a third all asking for his grandma to pick him up since he didn't know where his mother was. When no other message played, Kagome felt her blood run cold.
"Let me call my cell to listen to my messages. Perhaps he left something on there." She called hastily listening to a message from Kouga about the interview and then two messages from Shippo who had been waiting at the school. The last message was from a number Kagome didn't recognize. However, when Shippo's voice came on she breathed out a sigh of relief.
"Hey mama, I don't know where you are but the principal said I couldn't stay any longer. I tried calling grandma, but no one picked up. My friend, Rin, said her dad will take me to their house. His cell number is…" Hurriedly Kagome fetched a piece of paper and wrote down the number thanking the Kami above that her son was safe.
"Thank Kami, he's at a friend's house. Let me just give them a call and I will go pick him up." Taking a few deep breaths, Kagome dialed the number and waited for an answer.
Jaken had just set the table as Sesshomaru and Shippo were finishing his homework. Rin had finished a little earlier but had nevertheless stayed by Shippo to help too. Together they were comparing answers and Shippo for once had a smile on his face as he saw all the answers that were matching with Rin's.
Sesshomaru felt the phone on his belt begin to ring and he looked at the screen seeing an unregistered number. He knew not just anyone had access to his personal line and that it was probably Shippo's mother. He grimaced at the thought of meeting with that woman again, but decided to deal with it. If it meant that Rin had a friend he would be cordial.
"Hello."
"Hi, this is Higurashi Kagome, Shippo's mom. I understand he is at your place. Thank you so much for taking care of him, I was stuck in traffic and left my cell… Anyways, I was wondering if I could have the directions to come pick him up." Her loquacious manner of speaking made him raise a brow. However, when she quieted he calmly gave her directions to his apartment, instructing her that someone would be waiting for her when she arrived.
She thanked him again politely before saying goodbye and hanging up. As Sesshomaru looked at his phone he wondered if the woman had any idea whom she had just spoken to. He guessed not as she did not sound surprised. However, she had not asked for his name.
His assumptions of her when he had first met her seemed accurate. She was still just as forgetful as she had been before, a trait that was unreliable in a business partner.
"Was that mama?" Shippo asked suddenly.
"Yes she will be here in about twenty minutes. Pack up your things and be ready to leave." Rin gave a dejected look suddenly as Shippo brightened and began to put his things away. His backpack seemed a little more organized now that Sesshomaru had nearly had to empty the thing in order to help him with his homework. No wonder the child struggled in school. Without organization and good studying skills he would need a lot more help.
"Oh, I was hoping you could stay for dinner and then we could play in my room." Rin became quiet and Sesshomaru honestly felt a tug at his heart at seeing her so upset. She had literally glowed when he had allowed Shippo to come over from school and he realized how much of the mundane she missed due to his privacy.
"Rin why don't you take him to play for a little while right now. Dinner can wait." Rin immediately changed attitudes yelping out of joy. Before Shippo could agree, she had dragged him back to her room, shutting the door behind her.
Sesshomaru watched, his eyes widening before turning to Jaken.
"In fifteen minutes you are to go down to the garage. A Higurashi Kagome will be arriving shortly. You are to bring her up here to retrieve her son." The older man nodded and began his plethora of praises for his master as Sesshomaru walked off to his room. He took of his tie and unbuttoned his shirt a little to provide more comfort. Then he went to wash his face in preparation for dealing with the woman who had irked him since he first met her.
Kagome looked down at the paper and pulled up to the apartment building with the specified name. She had followed the directions exactly making her way through flooding roads and stalled vehicles. She prayed through every puddle that her car would not stall as the rain continued to pour.
Her red dress from earlier was still soaked having only enough time to grab a towel to sit on during the drive. Her towel too had soaked through as well and she was shivering from the cold. She didn't even want to think of the dry cleaning bill for the dress, but she figured when she got home she could change into whatever. Thoughts of a warm bath and warm clothes circled her head as she imagined how scared Shippo must be.
As she pulled into the parking garage of the apartments, she followed the directions to a small inlet where a short bald man was standing. Guessing she was in the right place she stopped her car and crawled out to greet him.
"Higurashi?' The man grumbled under his breath. He looked upset to have been waiting so long and Kagome felt bad for her delay.
"Yes, I'm sorry for the delay, some of the roads are flooded." The man snorted and led her into a door that looked normal on the outside. However once he opened it, the passage led into a small foyer with a single elevator at the end. The short man pulled out a key and opened the elevator beckoning her to follow.
"It was really kind of you to pick up my son. I was so worried…"
"Give your thanks to the master. I am but a lowly servant." Frowning Kagome shut her mouth as she scrutinized the old man. The man had sounded cordial but curt over the phone, but the way his servant was acting made Kagome think that this man believed himself all important. Grinding her teeth she threw away her thoughts as she remembered that he had done a great favor for her in picking up Shippo.
The elevator dinged and Kagome had enough time to see that they had reached the top floor. The elevator opened into a small hall with a single door. Again the bald man produced a key, opening the door after a moment.
The door opened and he side stepped to allow Kagome through.
For a moment Kagome was stunned at the grandeur of the apartment. It was nothing like Kaede's and had a very distinct manly and modern décor. The furniture was all a dark leather upholstered brand with high end glass tables and furniture accents. Only the traditional artwork of past eras lined the walls bringing the apartment into an unusual balance of new and old.
The large flat screen television that was mounted to the wall was on, playing the news. Delicious aromas filled her nostrils as she looked to the side to see a meal cooked, but not yet laid out on the table. She instantly regretted upsetting their dinner time, having had no time to even think about food during her long night.
The bald man had gone to the door to the right of the living space and knocked. He cleared his throat as if what he had to say was of the utmost importance.
"Master, the Higurashi woman has finally arrived." The man instantly left to a hall with some rooms to the left and knocked on a door. From the distance Kagome could make out a bright room and a little girl who answered the door.
Kagome was about to call for Shippo, guessing that he was playing when the door the old man had knocked on opened.
Her eyes went wide as she saw a very distinct figure of Taisho Sesshomaru step forward. Unlike their previous encounters he seemed far more relaxed in his natural environment. His tie and suit jacket had been discarded leaving the top button of his collar open. The sleeves of his shirt were wrinkled and he was missing his shoes, preferring to walk around in slippers.
Looking down Kagome realized she had neglected to take off her shoes and hurriedly slipped them off. Too late did she notice the puddle of water that had begun to form beneath her from her dripping clothes.
"I'm sorry, I must have the wrong apartment. I didn't mean to interrupt, I was looking for my son…" She bowed low, hating the way her face boiled with embarrassment. Her once curled hair dripped over in front of her hopefully hiding her shame.
"Mama!" Her babbling was interrupted as Shippo came bounding out from the bright room with his backpack in hand. A little girl followed after, her cheeks rosy from smiling. Shippo ran to hug her immediately stepping back after he felt her damp skin.
"You're all wet!" He exclaimed looking at his hands as he rubbed off the water. Kagome gave a nervous laugh as Sesshomaru stood behind Rin who was barely a yard away.
"Ya, it's really coming down out there. Some of the roads were flooded, but I managed to get here. Do you have everything Shippo?" Kagome helped take hold of his backpack as he continued to stare at her.
"Thank you so much for picking him up. Believe me when I say that this doesn't happen ever. Today was just a really bad day for me." Kagome tried to laugh it off as her nails dug into Shippo's shoulders. Her anxiety heightened she didn't notice Shippo try to squirm his way out from her grip.
"You seem to have a lot of bad days, Higurashi." Sesshomaru responded coolly, getting more and more annoyed at every second the woman remained.
Kagome immediately became serious at Sesshomaru's jibe. Her eyes locked on the business tycoon. She missed the look Rin and Shippo passed to each other as they slipped away towards the living room.
"Look I'm only human. It's not like I want this stuff to happen to me. It just does. That's life for ya." She retorted.
"When something reoccurs there is often a source to be blamed. In this case I would recommend organizing your life." Kagome took a deep breath feeling her temper rise. Had she not been shivering from her wet clothes she would have felt hot to the touch. Instead she looked sharply at Shippo who had been backtracking to Rin's room to get in some more play time.
"I may not be perfect, but I get by with what I have. So don't you dare criticize me. Come on Shippo, let's go find somewhere where people have a lot more manners and compassion." Shippo's heart sunk realizing his fears were true. His mom was not going to get along with Rin's dad which meant that she couldn't be his friend.
"Mama! Don't be mad, Rin's dad was nice to me. He helped me with my homework." That made Kagome stop in her tracks. Every night was like a fight with Shippo to do his homework. She was often so exhausted after fighting and then struggling with him that she went to bed late and slept poorly. His teacher had only been able to offer tutoring after school for a little bit which didn't seem to help enough.
Staring down at Shippo she turned to make eye contact with Sesshomaru again. She was about to say something when she heard the news alarm go off.
Together as one, everyone turned to the television and made their way to view it better.
"Let me repeat. A typhoon alert is in effect. Citizens are instructed to stay indoors or risk injury to themselves and others who attempt to venture outside. I repeat…"
Kagome dropped on to the couch hardly noticing when her wet clothes slapped against the leather cushions. Her head dropped into her hands as she moved some hair out of her eyes.
"Daddy-sama. Shippo and Higurashi-san can't go outside in the typhoon. They could get hurt!" Rin buried her face into Sesshomaru's pant leg hiding her tears from him. He regarded her for a moment or two before sighing. Turning to Kagome and Shippo he tried to bite back the words he was going to say.
"You are welcome to stay here until the storm lifts. I will have Jaken bring you some clothes and show you to the guest room. Dinner will be served in ten minutes." Kagome looked up startled as the small bald man scuttled to her side, tsking at the way she had drenched the couch.
"Oh no, that's alright. We'll just find somewhere else to stay. I couldn't possibly stay here." What she meant to say was she couldn't possibly stand to stay there. Being stuck with Sesshomaru for a whole night was too much.
"I'm afraid I will have to insist. It would cause Rin to worry if I allowed you to leave when there is a possible typhoon. Rin help Higurashi-san to her room and find her something to wear." The little girl nodded wiping away her tears as she went to grab Kagome's hand.
Kagome numbly allowed herself to be led to the small hallway to the left of the living space. However they did not go towards Rin's bright room but instead went in through another door. Rin opened it revealing a room with soft colors, a simple bed, and dresser. It was probably the most feminine place in the apartment. Rin went in to a door on the opposite side of the room where Kagome could see a bathroom. She pulled out a towel and handed it to Kagome.
"I'll go see if I can find any clothes. For now just put them on the floor and I'll make sure Jaken washes them." She smiled happily as she hummed to herself and left the room. For a moment Kagome stood dumbfounded staring at the door she left from and then went to look around the room. Another flat screen hang against the wall, this one far smaller than the one in the living room.
She turned it on as she began to wrap the towel around her hair. Making her way to the bathroom she looked at herself in the mirror and blushed as she saw the outline of her bra clearly visible through the dress she had been wearing. Smacking her face into the towel she took deep even breaths to calm down her beating heart.
A knock sounded on the door and she jumped up sprinting to the door that led into her room and opened it slowly just a crack.
Rin was smiling up at her with some clothes folded.
"Rin found some clothes. These should fit you." She handed them to Kagome who nodded and smiled. As Kagome closed the door behind Rin she stared at the clothes recognizing a t-shirt and a pair of dark boxers. Her face flushed as she realized they must be Sesshomaru's clothes and sat down to think about what she should do.
As she kept shivering in her wet clothes she realized there was no other alternative and so slowly changed out of her wet clothes which she hung on the shower to dry. She stripped down naked and put on the boxer shorts and the t-shirt over it. Her hair was beginning to frizz and looked a complete mess.
Luckily she had a hair tie in her purse and so quickly she retrieved it and locked her damp curls in a ponytail to tame it a little.
She looked at herself in the mirror feeling the softness of the shirt and feeling embarrassed that she had to wear her competitor's underwear.
Fully humiliated she decided there was nothing to be done about it. She could stay and sulk about her problems or face them. Deciding on the latter she took a deep breath before leaving the sanctuary of her room.
She looked hastily outside the door and when finding no one she ventured out in the living room.
There she heard voices and as she turned saw everyone waiting for her at the dinner table.
Sesshomaru was the first to look up his eyes widening in surprise at her attire. Shippo and Rin turned next, smiling innocently.
"Mama, come sit, we're waiting for you!" Kagome walked quickly over and sat in the available chair. She did this more to cover up her indecent clothing than anything. Her arms curled in front of her as she tried to give herself the support a dry bra would have.
"Thank you for the dinner and the clothes." She whispered in a squeak. Sesshomaru stared at her for a moment until he finally nodded and reached for some food to put on Rin's plate. Kagome mirrored his actions asking Shippo softly what he wanted to eat. He pointed at a few things taking Rin's advice on more than one item.
"It seems I owe you more thanks this evening. Shippo told me you helped him with his homework. You don't know how frustrating it is at home to do it." Kagome began gathering some food for her own plate picking a little of everything so she wouldn't seem rude.
"I'm sure his public school is certainly not of the caliber Tokyo prep is. So it is understandable that he is struggling to catch up. Despite that Kikyo-sensei is a strict teacher. Rin sometimes has difficulty as well." At first Kagome had been a little taken aback at how he had nearly chided her on her choice of public education however he had somehow remediated it. At a loss of words Kagome filled her mouth with food so she would not have to respond.
Shippo watched curiously as Rin looked at her father with sharp eyes. Her lips in a frown she made sure she caught his gaze. He stared at her for a moment longer before finally giving in to whatever mental tortures she had put him under.
"Are you enjoying the food, Higurashi-san?" Catching her attention, Kagome had to wait until she swallowed the food in her mouth before she could respond.
"Yes, it's really good. You made it?" He nodded and the dinner was once more silent. Normally Sesshomaru and Rin ate together and she rattled on about her day with hardly any instigation from him. However, Rin was quiet on this occasion too. A roar of thunder interrupted their dinner, Rin whimpering and turning closer to her father. Sesshomaru allowed her to curl up next to him before she finally peaked out from under his arms.
Shippo too seemed obviously shaken but he did not want to seem like a baby and so instead of running to Kagome he sat in his chair. Kagome noticed how stiff he was and she put her hand on his shoulder for comfort.
"Daddy I'm scared. What if the typhoon gets me?" Sesshomaru urged her to finish eating as she hesitantly went back to her spot.
"The storm will not get you in here." He said softly, his voice so uncharacteristic from al the other timbres that had been addressed towards Kagome.
The dinner was finished mostly in silence when everyone had eaten all they needed. None of them were truly full as Rin and Shippo were still uneasy with the storm. Instead they finished what they could and asked to be excused.
As they left Sesshomaru stood and picked up the plates, Kagome watching him curiously as she finished the last of what was on her plate.
"Here let me wash the dishes. You already spent your time cooking." She started collecting dishes before he could respond and he eyed her dangerously.
"Check on the children." The softness was gone from his voice, his cruel baritone returning with a sharp resonance. She frowned at his command, but as a guest she wasn't going to quarrel with him. So walking towards Rin's room she knocked and waited to enter.
Shippo and Rin had pulled out her dolls and Shippo was trying really hard to seem interested.
"Higurashi-san, Shippo won't play with me." Rin pointed and looked upset as Shippo frowned.
"Well I don't know if he wants to play dolls, maybe there is something else you two can play that you both like. What about hide and seek?" Kagome suggested. Although Rin seemed a little put out at the idea of not playing with her dolls she grew excited as Shippo did. It was rare that she was able to play with other children and so she was not going to waste the opportunity. Besides, Shippo's mom seemed so friendly.
"Okay Shippo, you count and Rin and I will hide." As Shippo turned he began to count and Kagome led Rin out by the hand. Once they were outside of Rin's room they parted ways with Kagome going to hide behind the large curtains against the windows.
Within a few minutes she was discovered after Rin had been found hiding behind a door. She scooped Shippo up in her arms and dropped him on to the couch.
As Sesshomaru finished washing the dishes he looked on at Rin and Shippo. Once Shippo was laughing too hard from tickling she grabbed Rin up and did the same thing to her. He was shocked to see Rin get along with the woman so quickly and a part of him wondered if this was what having a real family would be like. When his eyes went back to the Higurashi woman he mentally sighed thinking she was the only thing wrong with the picture.
Right as he was about to bring order back to the house, the lights began to flicker and went out causing Rin to scream and latch on to Kagome. Shippo moved closer to his mother as Sesshomaru fetched a flashlight.
As he walked over to the two kids and the woman on the couch he saw her gently hushing Rin and stroking her hair. Together the two of them could easily be mistaken for mother and child with their dark hair and fair skin.
Sitting on the other side of Shippo, Sesshomaru tried to bring logic back into the house.
"The storm probably made the lights go out. We will wait a little while and see if they go back on. If not I have a generator that we can use to turn on a light, a fan, and the news. It should keep the refrigerator cool but it doesn't have enough power to light the whole apartment for too long so we will need to conserve energy." He said this sternly, but Kagome appreciated the calm in his voice. When the adults were calm, the children usually calmed too.
"Will it be dark forever?" Rin whimpered against Kagome's chest as the woman hushed her even more.
"No Rin. The sun always comes out. Remember that." Kagome spoke softly and her eyes looked up to meet Sesshomaru's for a second before they darted back down to the kids.
"I know! How about we pretend we are camping. We can make a bed and fort in the living room, if that's alright with your dad that is?" Kagome looked up questioning Sesshomaru, fearful to meet his gaze. His eyes were hard for a moment before Rin leaped into his arms and he was enveloped in warmth.
"Can we please daddy-sama? We've never made a fort before. Maybe it will keep us safe from the typhoon." Kagome looked surprised at Rin's use of an honorific for his name and immediately narrowed her eyes in judgment. He seemed to notice her surprise and he sighed, more out of annoyance than anything.
Rin was pushing his buttons tonight but he knew if he denied her this time she would be sad. It was true that she had never had a friend over and to have one her age and adult who was almost as childlike as she was a dream come true. He would indulge her this once if it kept her from being scared all night.
"Very well." He relented.
"Yes!" Rin shouted as she jumped down from the couch.
"C'mon Shippo, we will go get the extra sheets and covers to make the fort. And pillows! Lots of pillows!" Grabbing the boy's hand, Rin went traipsing through the house. She returned a second later to borrow Sesshomaru's flashlight.
As soon as she was gone, Sesshomaru and Kagome were left alone until he made the excuse to go turn on the generator.
"Taisho-sama. I promise to clean up the mess before I go." When Kagome called to him he stopped dead in his tracks refusing to turn back around.
"Hn." Since she couldn't see his head nod in the dark she had to believe that was a yes. He left the apartment to go into a closet out in the foyer of his suite. With a key he was able to wade through the dark, his eyes adjusting easily.
With a few buttons the generator whirred to life and he was able to turn on a light to see that there was plenty of fuel in a few containers nearby in case they ran out. Turning off the light he went back into the apartment and began turning off unnecessary lights. The only one he left on was the living room light and the refrigerator to keep the food stored cold.
As he made his way back to the living room he could hear the children chattering off in the distance. Rin must be really excited to be speaking so quickly and with such enthusiasm.
"Rin is very sweet. Shippo said she is adopted as well. How long have you two been together?" Kagome hated silence and she wanted more than anything to try and resolve things between her and the Taisho gentleman. Learning he even had a kid was surprise enough as she thought him to be too cold and unloving, but seeing his brief interaction with Rin she could tell the girl was not spoiled but definitely doted upon.
"Five years." Sesshomaru responded curtly. Kagome bit her lip as she felt her temper rise but she tried to keep her cool. If she didn't allow him to bother her then he wouldn't. She hoped?
"Shippo and I have been together only two years." Kagome responded quietly. She wanted to know more about him if only to understand her better, but in the end they were competitors.
"Here we brought lots of blankets and pillows. Higurashi-san, can you help us set up the fort? What else do we need?" Kagome was happy from the distraction as Shippo and Rin came stumbling towards them carrying mountains of sheets and covers.
"Rin, call me Kagome. Here let's see if we can get some chairs. We will need something heavy to put on them to keep the blankets up. Lay those down on the floor." She began instructing them in a sweet voice that for once Sesshomaru did not find distasteful. As he watched her move he could see Rin was excited, practically glowing with happiness.