Chapter Twelve: Buried In Snow


Kagome was seated in a soft red love seat next to Sesshoumaru, looking around the attractive living room area they were currently situated in. The whole interior of the western style mansion had the colors that would be present in a Tuscan palace. Oranges, light yellows, light beige, soft brown, and other earthy colors were splashed into the walls, ceilings and furniture.

Sitting across from our dynamic duo sat the man responsible for the unusual 'pairing', Taisho Kaido. His beautiful deep silver hair flowed from his head, down his broad shoulders, and across his chest and back. He seriously looked like an older version of Sesshoumaru, only with a different hair color. Within his huge hands, he cradled a large glass of his favorite drink; Diet Coke.

Kaido's warm honey eyes examined the couple in front of him. His face reflected a warm glow, but it was still impossible to determine what he could possibly be thinking. Kagome tried to guess; but still, not idea's appeared.

'Hmm.' Kaido mused mentally. 'Yes, I have come to my conclusion! Their pups will most definitely be the most adorable creatures ever! A mixture of both of their good looks would be absolutely perfect! Oh! I can just imagine a house FILLED with little pups, running around; all of the little Kagome's and Sesshoumaru's! Hopefully more Kagome's than Sesshoumaru's, though; she is an absolutely beautiful looking woman and her personality is much better than Sesshoumaru's. Rin and I must scheme! Scheme, I say! Bwahahaha!'

Kaido's smile widened.

Currently, Rin was outside with her favorite servant, Kyo, and was launching snowballs at him.

The room was quiet.

The only sound was the crackling fire that swayed inside the hearth and the clanging of the ice cubes along the side of the glasses.

Kaido could see Kagome's nervousness and decided to break the ice.

"So, Kagome, what is it you do for a living?" He asked, curiosity and hope ringing in his eyes.

"I-I work at an…interior design company. I-It's a pretty s-small business, but we do pretty well." Kagome stuttered slightly, her nerves loosened fractionally.

"Oh? How many designers are in your company?"

"Oh! It's not my company; it's my friend Jakotsu's company. He started it. There are only three designers; Sango, Jakotsu, and myself. We create our own designs and then we all go out together and install them into our customers' homes."

"Hmm. Pay well?"

Kagome giggled lightly. "Not really."

Kagome let loose a radiant smile. She couldn't help it; she felt like she just HAD to smile around these two men; they always seemed to somehow fork it out of her, even if they didn't realize it.

"You do get by though, right?" Kaido asked, seriously concern about this kind and sweet girl.

"Oh, yes! Please don't worry about me! Please. I hate pity given to those who don't need it and I really don't need it. Trust me, there are people far worse off then me!" Kagome exclaimed, her eyes soft from being worried over and her smile filled with reassurance. "I mean, at least I have jobs! Unlike a lot of other people in Japan!"

"Jobs? You have more than one?" Kaido asked.

Kagome nodded. "When I get off from my design job, I go waitress over at a diner from 5 to midnight, 7 days a week."

Each and every minute Kaido and Sesshoumaru were in this young woman's presence their respect and admiration grew for her. She worked two jobs and never said a word in complaint. Most people looked for sympathy, but this woman wanted none. True, there were people worst off than her, but they couldn't help but feel guilty about being so well off when she was struggling just to get by.

The last thing Kaido wanted to do at this moment was make a potential future daughter uncomfortable and not like him, so he decided to change the subject.

"So, how goes the trial?" He asked taking a large sip from his diet coke.

"It's going. All that has been accomplished is Kagome's board. Last I heard the prosecution was switching lawyers. Apparently Kikyo found Naraku to be less than perfect." Sesshoumaru scoffed.

"Hm. Well this trial will be an easy in – easy out thing. No big deal; it's just your brother blowing off steam again." Kaido responded nonchalantly.

"And money." Sesshoumaru and Kagome said in unison.

Kaido's eyes twinkled.

"So Rin tells me you are engaged to be married." Kaido said as if he was talking about the weather.

Kagome spit out the sip of diet coke she was trying to ingest. Sesshoumaru visibly stiffened.

"W-what?" Kagome sputtered, looking back and forth between the two Taisho men.

"That is far from true, Father." Sesshoumaru responded after recovering from the slight shock.

"Oh." Kaido said disappointedly. "I was hoping for grandchildren."

"You have Rin." Sesshoumaru pointed out.

"But I want more grandchildren!" Kaido whined.

"Now is not the time to be greedy, Father. You will set a bad example for Rin."

"I'm an excellent example for Rin!"

"Hn. And what is this she tells me about you giving her sweets and such?"

"Oh you know toddlers! They fib!" Kaido said nervously, glancing at the exit in case he needed to make a quick get away.

"Are you calling my daughter a liar?"

"N-No!"

"Kaido-sama…" Kagome started, thus gaining both male's attention. "Rin will probably be coming in soon and will want a snack. Do you mind if I use your kitchen and bake some cookies?"

Both men were shocked into silence.

She wanted to do what?

"Kagome, we do have a chef to do those sorts of things." Kaido said cautiously, not wanting to offend the young woman.

He received a warm smile in return.

"I know, Kaido-sama. But I haven't been able to cook or bake anything in a while. I'm sorry if I offended you or imposed anything upon you." Kagome stated.

"Nonsense!" Kaido's face broke out into a large smile. "The kitchen is down the hall and through those swinging doors. Just get Cookie, the chef, to get you anything you need!"

"Thank-you, Kaido-sama."

"No need for formalities, Kagome. You may call me Kaido, or Otou-san, if you please." Kaido said with a wink.

"Um…Kaido will be fine, thank-you."

With that said, Kagome stood up from her seat on the chesterfield and bowed respectfully to the males before departing the room, her glass still in her hand.

"I think she is a wonderful choice for a mate, Sesshoumaru! She's kind, courteous, has good manners, is hard working, obviously adores Rin - "

"Father…"

" – and beautiful! She is absolutely gorgeous! Did you check out those hips? Yaowza!!! Great for birthing all of those beautiful pups you will have! - "

"Father…"

" – I can just imagine all of those beautiful pups! More grandchildren! I can hardly wait! And she can cook, which is great because you can cook as well has a blindfolded hippo - "

"FATHER!"

"Yes?"

"She is not my intended! She is my client! I have no interest in her that way!" Sesshoumaru exclaimed, slightly pink from his father's implications.

"Mhmm." Kaido sighed, unconvinced.

Before Sesshoumaru could come back with a counter statement, Rin came bolting into the common room, soak head to toe. She stopped in front of her father and began to jump up and down, squeaking happily. Kyo entered behind her; his jeans were wet from the knees down, but the rest of him was relatively dry.

"Daddy! Rin all wet!"

"Indeed you are.Go get your bag from the front hall and come back in here." Sesshoumaru said softly to his daughter.

Rin trampled out of the room in search of her big pink bag.

"Kyo, will you please fetch a couple of towels for Rin. Then you may go change." Kaido stated.

"Yes, Taisho-sama." Kaido bowed respectfully before leaving. He came back a minute later with a big, fluffy, yellow towel and handed it to Sesshoumaru, who nodded his thanks. Kyo then took his leave.

Rin scrambled back into the room, heaving her bag behind her.

Sesshoumaru called Rin over to him. Leaving her back pack where it was, she hopped over to her father and attached her wet self to his leg. After a minute or so of detaching the young girl, Sesshoumaru proceeded to disrobe her until she was in nothing but her underwear. Grabbing the towel beside him, he wrapped Rin within its confines before setting her down in front of the fire.

Rin wiggled her toes, feeling them warm up again.

Searching through her bag, Sesshoumaru came across an extra set of clothes. Upon her father's word, Rin got up from the fire and walked over to him, dropping the towel shamelessly on the floor on her way over.

Sesshoumaru and Kaido shook their heads lightly.

After redressing Rin, Sesshoumaru laid out her wet clothes in front of the fire place and moved the bag to an empty spot beside the couch so no one would trip on it.

Once Rin had situated herself beside Sesshoumaru on the love seat, Kagome walked back into the room with a tray filled with hot chocolate chip cookies and four glasses of milk.

Rin and Sesshoumaru's eyes lit up. Chocolate chip cookies, their favorite! The aroma from the cookies caught them in a trance as Kagome set the tray down on the coffee table.

"Help yourself." Kagome offered warmly as she set the cool glasses of milk down own coasters.

Rin hopped off of the coach and reached for a cookie, thanking Kagome in the process. Sesshoumaru also reached for one, brought it to his mouth and bit into the still warm treat.

"These are very good. Thank-you, Kagome." Sesshoumaru praised softly.

Kagome blushed lightly at the compliment.

"It was nothing." She mumbled shyly, causing Sesshoumaru to smirk as he finished inhaling his cookie.

By the time the small group had polished off the last of the cookies, they were far to full to eat any dinner.

"Well, I'm sorry to break up this 'family moment', but I have some business matters to attend to for a short time. We can all meet up later for a snack, perhaps." Kaido said, standing up from his seat.

Kagome and Sesshoumaru nodded in assent.

"Snow!" Rin exclaimed.

Before either of them could respond, Rin ran over to the bustling fire place and snatched up her now warm and dry clothes. Hustling back at an impressive speed, she stopped in front of Kagome, giving her puppy dog eyes, asking for assistance. Not being able to refuse, she bent down and dressed the toddler in all of her winter gear, before heading toward the door herself to put on her boots, coat and gloves.

"Daddy!" Rin squeaked as she attempted to pull her father off of the couch by his arm. Standing up reluctantly, he raised his Rin infested arm and gathered her into his arm before proceeding toward the door to gather his items.

Moments later, the trio were outside in the snow, where heavy fluffy flakes were falling rapidly here and there. Rin was speeding around, trying to find the perfect spot to make a snow angel while Kagome looked about admiring the grounds on the Taisho manor. Sesshoumaru kept an evident eye on Rin and a subtle glance on Kagome.

Soon, Rin had dragged Kagome out into the snow to create snow angels. Before Kagome had time to refuse Rin had already pulled her down to her knees and pushed her back.

Kagome growled playfully and pounced on Rin, successfully knocking the toddler to the ground. Instantly, the tickling began mercilessly. Rin squirmed to get out of reach and shot across the yard, trying to find a safe hiding spot. Indeed she found one; behind Sesshoumaru's legs.

Sesshoumaru quirked an eyebrow at his daughter who sought refuge from the lady with the 'happy fingers'. What did she think he was, a fort?

Kagome ran up to Sesshoumaru and stood to face him. Behind the tall man, Kagome could hear giggling and the whisking of a snowsuit.

"Now where did Rin go? I thought she wanted to play! Do you know where she went, Sesshoumaru?" Kagome asked him in an exaggerated voice, her pointer finger placed pensively on her chin.

"Rin? Who's Rin? I do not know of whom you speak. There is no Rin here." Sesshoumaru responded swiftly, eyes glimmering in the evening sun.

"Rin is here!" She screamed as she hastily pried her father's legs open, effectively catching him off guard and causing him to land in a large snow bank. A blunt 'Oomf' erupted from the snow bank with legs.

"Daddy! No sit in snow! Cold and wet!" Rin exclaimed dramatically.

"Okay." The bank of white fluffiness replied.

Kagome walked over to the snow piled and gazed down into the Sesshoumaru sized crater. There, lying in his back was Sesshoumaru. His hair was flung every which way, snow splashed across his sexy leather jacket, and bits of snow was falling and dripping off of his face like sauce.

Kagome giggled at the sight.

"Want a hand, Sesshoumaru?" Kagome asked innocently.

"Indeed."

"Indeed." Kagome mocked in a deep voice.

She extended her right hand to him and he accepted it with his right hand. When Kagome was starting to pull him up, one of his shoes slipped on a patch of ice, thus sliding under Kagome's foot. Kagome shifted a foot backwards to get a better balance when it connected with Sesshoumaru's.

Kagome toppled forward and landed smack dab on Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru grunted when her lightweight collapsed on him, throwing him deeper into the snow.

Kagome lifted her head and stared into his ingot eyes in shock. How did they always manage to end up in these situations? She laughed nervously.

She began to struggle and squirm to try and get off of Sesshoumaru, but with no avail.

A hearty laugh erupted behind Kagome as Kaido admired the scene in front of him.

"No grandchildren, huh, Sesshoumaru?" He teased before gently extracting Kagome from his son. Placing her gently on the ground, he leaned forward and helped up Sesshoumaru. "That is not a very appropriate thing to do in front of your daughter. Now who is the bad influence?"

"Still you." Sesshoumaru said snidely. Sesshoumaru looked down and mentally groaned. He was soaked!

Kaido laughed again.

"Well, you all will be spending the night here tonight. The snow is coming down hard now and it is not safe to be driving in this weather. Kagome, you can borrow some of Sesshoumaru's clothes for tonight while the maids wash the clothes you have on now. Sesshoumaru still has quite a few clothes left upstairs in his room." Kaido said softly, looking at Kagome.

"Thank you, Kaido."

"Don't worry about it."

With that, everyone entered the mansion and sought out towels and clean clothes.

Kagome was up in Sesshoumaru's old room changing while everyone else was downstairs in the sitting room.

His room in the Taisho manor was virtually identical to the room in his mansion.

'Some boys never grow up.' Kagome thought as she pulled on a pair of black silk boxers to go with the oversized black button down shirt she had on.

Throwing her blow-dried hair over her shoulder, she wandered back down stairs to where everyone else was.

Sesshoumaru was sitting cross-legged, with his back to the fire, with a half asleep Rin in his lap. Her back was to him as he braided her dark brown hair into a thick braid down her back.

Sesshoumaru was wearing a pair of black and gray flannel plaid pajama pants and a black button down shirt that had the top buttons open.

Kagome gazed at the loving scene affectionately. What she wouldn't give for that kind of life.

When Rin noticed Kagome walked in, she scrambled off of her fathers lap, once he was done his work, and sleepily trotted over to Kagome and attached herself to one of her shapely legs.

"Mmm. Tired." Rin moaned, rubbing one eye with the back of her hand.

"Then go to be, Hime." Kagome cooed softly.

"No." She yawned out.

With a light sigh, Kagome scooped Rin up and walked over to the fire, grabbing a fuzzy blanket on the way over. Sitting down cross-legged, facing the fire, Kagome cradled the little girl in her lap and swaddled her in the big blanket. Rin sighed contently.

Sesshoumaru spun around to face the fire as well. The couple sat close together, enough so that their knees touched.

Kagome's heart rate sped up and she tried to subtly squash the gasp threatening to spill from her lips.

Sesshoumaru was not much better off. He fought of the desire to pull her into his arms and coddle her like he does Rin.

Rin mumbled something, knocking both of them out of their divot of self-concern.

"Daddy, Rin want sister." She said, her eyes were still closed and her head was rested on Kagome's knee.

"Maybe someday, Tenshii." Sesshoumaru replied quietly, stroking his child's head softly.

Kagome scooted closer to him so he didn't have to reach to far. Soon, Rin fell asleep, leaving the adults to their own business.

A comfortable silence blanketed the room as the pair gazed into the cackling fire.

Kagome broke the silence.

"She is so precious." She breathed, not wanted to wake the sleeping girl. She laid her hand on her shoulder and rubbed her shoulder blade with her thumb lightly.

"She truly is." Sesshoumaru agreed, glancing affectionately at his baby girl. "Do you want them?"

"Hm?"

"Children, I mean."

Kagome blushed lightly at his question, but answered nonetheless.

"Oh, yes. I would love to have kids."

"Hm. How many?"

"Oh, I don't know. A whole house full." Kagome stared at the fire, imagining a house rampaged with children. How she would love to live in that reality. Kagome turned her attention to Sesshoumaru. "What about you?"

"Mm. I wouldn't mind to have a couple more."

"How many?"

"Five or six."

Kagome giggled.

"That's not really a couple more."

"It is to me."

"Oh? And why is that?"

"Because I come from a family with 8 brothers and 1 sister."

"Wow! Your parents had to take care of 10 kids? Talk about Super Mom and Captain Dad!" Kagome mused.

"Indeed."

"So, where are you on the list of children?"

"Second youngest."

"Inuyasha is the youngest?"

"No. I don't count him in the list of my siblings. When I mean siblings I mean 100 blood related. Inuyasha is the only one that stands out. No, my sister is the youngest. She's 16"

"Does she not live here at the manor?"

"She does, but she is in Switzerland right now with my mother visiting an aunt."

"Ah."

"Hn. You shall receive the 'pleasure' of meeting my older brothers. They are all coming in tomorrow. My sister and mother should arrive home late tomorrow evening or the day after."

"Okay."

Sesshoumaru turned his gaze to Kagome briefly and noticed she was shivering slightly. Stretching out to his right, Sesshoumaru snatched up a knitted blanket. Grabbing Kagome lightly around the waist, he pulled her close and draped the blanket over both of their shoulders.

Kagome sighed contently and instinctively put her head on Sesshoumaru's broad shoulder. Sesshoumaru, in turn, tilted his head so it rested on hers. Under the blanket, Sesshoumaru held onto Kagome's hand lightly and stroked her knuckles with his thumb.

They both continued to watch the fire as if nothing was happening.

Little did they know, a dark figure, known as Taisho Kaido, was looming in the doorframe, his golden eyes glistening in happiness. He was going to get another daughter!