Disclaimer: I do hereby disclaim all rights and responsibilities for the characters in this decadent edition… especially for the one who looks cute in an apron. The Donovans… now, they're all mine. A nod of recognition is bent towards Rumiko Takahashi for her creative prowess.
A Debt of Gratitude: With thanks to mine beta, Fenikkusuken... who's caught most of my nods to canon. Most. ::sly wink::
Mid-December…
Sugar and Spice
When Kagome pulled to a stop in the driveway of a modest rural home with a wide front porch a few miles outside of Westbow, there was no doubt she was at the right place. She'd barely put her car into park when Don made an appearance, exiting the detached garage with an aluminum stepladder hooked under one arm. He waved a gloved hand and altered course to meet the young woman. "Top of the mornin' to ya!" he hailed.
"Hello!" Kagome called back as she retrieved a bag from her back seat. "You're looking very Christmassy today," she commented, nodding towards the man's festive red- and green-striped scarf.
"Tis the season!" he replied with a grin.
Eyeing the ladder, Kagome said, "Gert mentioned you were going to be busy with some kind of project today. What are your plans?"
"We always do up the house with lights—some of those trees and bushes, too. I'm a little behind schedule this year, but I've rounded up some able assistants to help me get the job done."
"Oh?"
Just then, two very familiar figures appeared from around the corner of the house. Shippo was manhandling an extension ladder; Inuyasha's shoulders were looped with coiled extension cords, and he carried a huge cardboard box clearly labeled 'LIGHTS'. "Principal Higurashi!" called the redhead, surprise written across his face. "Don't tell me this old schemer roped you into stringing lights, too!"
Kagome laughed and shook her head. "Gert invited me; I'm supposed to help with cookies." She smiled shyly in Inuyasha's direction and offered a tentative, "Good morning."
"Hey," he replied, his lips quirking upwards in a faint—but genuinely pleased—smile of welcome.
Don made a shooing motion towards the house. "Get in where it's warm, now. You and Gert can do your thing in there, and we'll do our thing out here. If you can stick around, we'll be throwing the switch after dinner—should be quite the spectacle!"
"Thank you; I'd love to stay," Kagome agreed, and with a last smile at the janitors, she hurried towards the house.
Gert met her at the front door, and showed her where to stow her coat and boots; then, Kagome followed the older woman into what was obviously the heart of her home. Although it had obviously undergone some renovations, an attempt had been made to retain the feel of what had once been a farmhouse kitchen, with its large latticed windows, butter-yellow beadboard, and apron sink. An impressive collection of cookbooks occupied shelves set into the end of a central island, and wide windowsills were lined with potted herbs. Everything was bright and cheery in the morning sunlight—much cozier than the world of stainless steel and florescent glare where Gert spent her workdays.
"We used to have a kitchen table in here when the kids were underfoot, but after they left the nest, Don gave me something every cook dreams of," Gert said with a fond smile.
"Double ovens?" Kagome asked, having noted the feature.
"Enough counter space," the lunch lady corrected, smiling broadly. Gert relieved Kagome of her bag of goodies, exclaiming over the gourmet coffee beans. "Oh, this'll be nice. I'm sure Don and the boys will want their coffee break at the usual time, and we'll be ready for them!"
"You didn't tell me Inuyasha and Shippo would be here," Kagome commented, half accusing.
"No? Huh… must have slipped my mind," the older woman casually replied as she opened a box and ran her fingers across the tops of well-thumbed recipe cards. "You don't mind, do you?"
"Don't be silly," Kagome countered, her cheeks turning pink.
"Didn't think so," Gert chuckled, mercifully changing the subject. "Don's getting to the age where I don't like him doing ladder-top acrobatics anymore. A few years back, I bribed Shippo and Inuyasha to come help him with the lights, and it's become an annual thing." The older woman paused thoughtfully before pulling several cooling racks from a drawer and lining them up on the counter. "I don't think either of those boys has family in the city, so it's our way of giving them a bit of Christmas."
"Well, thank you for including me this year."
"Yes, well… no sense in letting Don have all the fun," Gert glibly replied, offering Kagome a holly-sprigged apron. "Now… let's start with the easy stuff."
Gert was not only a good cook, she was an organized one. Several rolls of homemade slice-and-bake shortbread cookie dough were pulled from the refrigerator, and while Kagome made neat rows on baking sheets, Gert measured out the spices for gingerbread. They quickly settled into a rhythm, with Gert doing the actual mixing and measuring while Kagome kept an eye on the timer and transferred warm cookies onto cooling racks. The woman certainly incorporated an impressive array of ingredients into her holiday treats—nuts, chocolate, candied fruit, dates, lemons, and poppy seeds. When Kagome commented on the variety, the older woman laughed. "This is just the baking, hon. After lunch, we'll do the candy."
"Wow… hard core," Kagome teased.
"Nope… hard crack," Gert quipped back.
By mid-morning, half the counter space was taken up by cooling cookies and bars, and the air was thick with the sweet smell of Christmas. Gert glanced at the clock and announced, "Time to put on the coffee pot, dear. Don'll be in for a break any minute now."
Kagome peered out of the window over the sink but couldn't see any sign of Don or his decorating committee. "How can you tell?"
Gert smiled. "Oh, after forty-odd years of marriage, you get a feel for these kinds of things."
Within minutes, the sound of stamping feet on the front porch was followed by a gust of cold air and a cheerful voice. "Something smells good!" Shippo called.
Don led his assistants into the kitchen and took a deep breath before declaring, "Sugar and spice and everything nice!"
Shippo's nose twitched and he prowled around the perimeter, eyeing the women's handiwork with hungry eyes, but Gert pointed him firmly in the direction of the small table in the breakfast nook. "Aw, come on!" he protested. "Don't you need a taste tester?"
Kagome giggled at the redhead's wheedling ways and glanced in Inuyasha's direction; he still stood in the doorway, eyes closed as he inhaled deeply. Slowly, his violet eyes opened, focused intently on her. Oh… my… her brain stammered before the timer came to her rescue by beeping insistently. She quickly turned towards the oven and pulled oven mitts on with trembling fingers. Well, he's certainly not ignoring me…
Gert sliced cherry pecan bread and lemon squares while Kagome filled coffee cups, and in many ways, it was just the same as any of their morning coffee breaks. Still, the principal couldn't quite shake her self-consciousness, so she didn't take part in the lively conversation as much as she might have. Not that her reticence was terribly noticeable with Don around. He probably would have kept them entertained until lunchtime if Gert hadn't confiscated his coffee cup and announced, "We need to get back to work, and so do you… but before you go, you can pick your cookie cutters."
Shippo grinned, Inuyasha nodded, and Kagome tried not to look as confused as she felt while Gert bustled across the kitchen and pulled a large plastic storage box into view. "Any new ones?" Shippo asked curiously.
"Oh, a fair few," Gert replied smugly.
Noticing Kagome's out-of-the-loop expression, Don said, "My wife has a ridiculously large cookie cutter collection, and she's fond of showing it off."
"I've already pulled the stockings, trees, stars, bells, and such" Gert explained, pointedly ignoring her husband's cheerful jibe. "But, it's more fun if there are some unusual shapes mixed in with the traditional ones. Pick a few—whatever tickles your fancy."
Shippo rummaged eagerly through the bin, inspecting his choices with great care, but Inuyasha simply reached in, fished around, and pulled out three cookie cutters in quick succession. "Hey!" the redhead protested. "You can't do that!"
"Why not? You got something against…" Inuyasha paused to look down at his selections, then continued, "…umbrellas?"
"You didn't even know what you chose!" Shippo spluttered.
"So? It works," the dark-haired man shrugged. "It's not as if my umbrella is any worse than your… what is that?"
Shippo turned the orange plastic cookie cutter around. "It's an ice cream cone!"
Kagome shook her head in amusement and began sifting through Gert's collection, intrigued by the variety. Deciding was difficult, and before she knew it, she had five—a bird, a scalloped shell, a crescent moon, an apple, and a cat. "I guess I have too many," she apologized, ready to put a couple back.
"Nonsense! The more the merrier," Gert declared, shuffling the chosen cookie cutters into a pile. "Though, my kitchen is a tad crowded at the moment. You boys git." Don, Inuyasha, and Shippo accepted their summary dismissal with good humor, and Kagome waited to see what was next on the agenda.
"Let's put those cookie cutters to work. I've already made the dough—that red bowl in the refrigerator."
"Are you sure?" Kagome asked hesitantly.
"Of course, dear. I always use the red bowl for cookie dough."
The younger woman giggled and tried again. "I meant… I've never done much baking, and I don't want to ruin your Christmas cookies."
"Pfft. You just need a little practice, and this'll give you plenty." Offering Kagome the rolling pin, Gert added, "You're a smart cookie. You'll catch on."
The first couple of reindeer were a little wobbly around the edges, and she had to start over when one ball of dough was rolled too thin… but she got the hang of it. Kagome hardly noticed that Gert was now on oven mitt detail; she was too engrossed in the shapes she was lifting from the counter and lining up in tidy rows on baking sheets. Snowmen, angels, and holly leaves were joined by trucks, dinosaurs, and daisies… and it was fun.
"You're a natural," Gert chuckled as she shuffled the last pan to the oven, and Kagome blinked in surprise. "We'll let them cool, and later this afternoon, we'll decorate them."
Kagome glanced at the clock, amazed to see that it was nearly noon. While she'd been playing with cookie dough, Gert had puttered in the background. The dishes were done, and a pan of homemade vegetable soup was warming on the stove. "Is there anything I can do?" she asked, somewhat awed by the older woman's efficiency.
"Usually I serve this with fresh bread, but we'll make due with crackers today. I'll slice some cheese, and you quarter those apples," Gert directed. "It's nothing fancy, but they should be grateful for anything on a baking day."
Before long, a clamoring at the front door alerted them to the outdoor crew's arrival, and they were all gathered around the table for a quick meal. The conversation was dominated by the guys, who turned their break into a strategy session. Apparently, they'd run up against a thorny problem with their increasingly elaborate light display, so they were discussing the best way to reach one of the house's as-yet-unadorned gables without harming any of Gert's precious climbing roses. "Maybe if we have Shippo hang by his ankles from the gutter, he can get close enough to secure a few hooks," Don joked.
The redhead nodded thoughtfully as he held out his bowl for seconds. "Yeah, that might work."
Inuyasha elbowed him and rolled his eyes. "I think we can manage without testing Shippo's gravity-defying skills." Addressing Don, he continued, "Any chance you have access to another stepladder? We could makeshift some scaffolding."
Once Don and Inuyasha had a plan of attack hammered out, they were anxious to get back to work and excused themselves. Shippo shoveled the last few spoonfuls of soup into his mouth before leaving the table. "Good stuff, Gert," he complimented, then asked, "We in charge of supper again this year?"
"Only if you want to eat," Gert chirped.
"Excellent!" grinned Shippo, snagging a gingerbread man on his way out the door.
Kagome's eyebrows shot up during the exchange, and once the redhead was out the door, she turned to Gert. "They're cooking?"
"They're dialing," Gert replied with a chuckle. "On baking days, Don gives me a break by ordering takeout. I hope you like Chinese food."
"Sure."
"Good! But, first things first," the older woman announced, eyeing her list. "Peanut brittle, peppermint bark, and fudge are next… oh, and the icing for those cookies."
Inuyasha kicked snow from his boots before crouching to loosen his laces. Three-thirty. They'd put in as full a day as if they were at the school, but he didn't mind. This kind of outdoor work was relaxing, and the perks more than made up for the little bit of effort. Spending the day with these two was always interesting, and this year… Kagome. Don had failed to mention that she would be here… not that he was complaining.
The minute the front door opened, the smell of popcorn, browned sugar, toasted nuts, and vanilla wafted in their faces. "I love it here," Shippo sighed. He quickly dumped his work boots in the corner and followed his twitching nose towards the kitchen, padding along in stocking feet.
"Gert, we're done," Don called, giving his wife fair warning that Shippo was on the prowl. He lingered in the doorway, though… waiting for Inuyasha.
Inuyasha took his time hanging up his jacket. Shippo's right. This place is… nice. To be honest, both of them had jumped at the chance to spend the day with the Donovans, and it wasn't just because Don was such a card and Gert was such a good cook. Those two were happy together, and their home overflowed with evidence of a love that had deepened and mellowed with time. For two misfits who'd left their families behind, it meant the world to be treated like long-lost sons.
In the kitchen, Inuyasha gazed around in idle amusement. Gert always cooked enough for an army, but this was crazy. Every surface was covered—cookies, cakes, tarts, candy, and a small mountain of popcorn balls. The lady of the house was smoothing chocolate over a pan of toffee-colored… oh, right… toffee. Kagome stood in front of the stove with her back to him, patiently stirring something in a large pot. When she'd arrived this morning, he'd noticed that her hair had been pulled up into a sleek ponytail, but throughout the day, tendrils had escaped, and they curled distractingly against the nape of her neck. Inuyasha inhaled deeply, taking covert pleasure in sifting her scent from the other sweet smells that filled the room. She's making fudge, he realized. A Christmassy apron was tied around her trim waist, and the pert bow drew his eyes to the small of her back… the swell of her hips… the curve of her…
"Looks good, huh?" Don inquired, dropping a hand onto his shoulder and snapping him out of his reverie.
Inuyasha met twinkling blue eyes with an uncharacteristically abashed expression. "Yeah. Yeah, it does," he muttered.
"Come and sit. You've earned a rest, and it might as well come with a view." Don gave him a push towards the table in the breakfast nook, and when he joined the dark-haired man at the table, he offered him a tall glass of water.
Gert caught Inuyasha's eye, and seeing that he already had something to drink, she nodded appreciatively towards her husband. "Would you like a popcorn ball? We just finished those."
"No thanks; they stick in my teeth," Inuyasha replied bluntly.
"That's what makes 'em so good," Shippo argued, discreetly using the tip of his claw to pry caramel from his molars.
"Keh," Inuyasha grunted, helping himself to shortbread. He slouched in his chair, stretching his legs under the table and casting covert glances in Kagome's direction while he munched.
"All ready to throw the switch later?" Gert asked as she sprinkled nuts over the chocolate she'd just finished spreading.
"We have tested every cord and checked every connection!" Don solemnly pronounced. "Everything is in readiness."
"Good to hear," Gert replied as she moved to check on Kagome. "You boys can help decorate cookies until it's time for dinner, then. Here, Kagome. Let me take over the stirring; you clear the center island so we have space to work."
Kagome relinquished her spoon and stepped back, wiping her hands on her apron. "Sure, Gert. Where should I put these pans?"
"Dining room table, hon. Just through there," she explained, nodding towards the wide archway leading into the formal dining area. Shippo hopped up to help with the ferrying… and to nibble… as pans and platters were whisked into the adjoining room.
The whole while, Don watching their coming and going like a hawk, and Inuyasha realized he must have been waiting for the opportune moment when he sang out, "Ho, ho, ho! Someone's under the mistletoe!"
Shippo and Kagome looked up, and the redhead rubbed the back of his neck. "Well… would you look at that," he said with a nervous glance in Inuyasha's direction.
"You're caught now!" Gert chuckled as she poured fudge into a buttered pan.
"Say… does that mean I owe a kiss to that fruitcake I just carried through?" the redhead asked hopefully.
Don snorted. "Stop your dawdling, and make with the tradition!"
With a last, longing glance towards the fruitcake, Shippo bravely faced Kagome. Placing his hand over his heart, he said, "Principal Higurashi, ma'am, may I bestow a kiss?"
"Aw, such a gentleman," Gert cooed.
"Turn him down!" heckled Don.
Kagome's embarrassment quickly melted into amusement, and she smiled up into green eyes that sparkled with mischief. "Since it's tradition," she graciously acquiesced. Then holding up a finger, she added, "Just this once," in her best 'principal' voice.
Don hooted with laughter. "That's a girl! Put that young scallywag in his place!"
Shippo rolled his eyes and muttered, "Trust me… I know my place." Kagome caught his words and tilted her head curiously, but Shippo only shook his head and whispered, "Never mind, ma'am." Leaning forward, he gave her cheek a bashful peck before saying, "You're a good sport, Principal Higurashi."
She waved the compliment aside, saying, "Don't you think it's about time you started calling me 'Kagome', Shippo?"
The redhead beamed. "Yeah... okay, Kagome… ma'am."
Kagome giggled and shook her head. "I think you need practice."
"Well, I don't kiss many girls…" Shippo replied with calculated abashment. "Should I try it again?"
"No!" Inuyasha growled, but his protest was drowned out by Don's laughter.
"Doesn't kiss many girls!" the old fellow wheezed. "Oh, that's a good one!"
Gert clucked her tongue and plunked a bowl of icing onto the table. "Kagome, would you bring those sprinkles over? We've got some decorating to do."
"I want to do an ice cream cone!" Shippo called, hurrying to the table. As he slid into the seat beside Inuyasha, he leaned over and whispered, "I kissed her first!"
"Shut up," the hanyou grumbled.
Gert gave each of the sugar cookies Kagome had cut out earlier a thick layer of butter icing, then passed them along for the rest of them to decorate. Inuyasha watched as Kagome took her time, using chocolate jimmies to give one of her cats a set of whiskers on either side of its little pink nose. He held his breath the entire time she worked, simply because the tip of her tongue was peeping out. The moment she smiled at the results of her efforts and set it aside, he was able to return to less interesting things, like dusting stars with blue sugar.
Quips and barbs darted back and forth over the table, and Inuyasha was glad to see that Kagome seemed more relaxed than she had been that morning. Seeing her at ease made him more relaxed. It was so good to have her near, yet so frustrating. He knew he should at least try to talk to her… but words escaped him. His eyes clouded over at the thought that she might not wait around long enough for him to find the courage to speak.
"Inuyasha?"
"Huh?"
"Pass me the blue sugar?" Kagome asked, holding out her hand.
"Uh, yeah… sorry," he answered, and with a lopsided smile of apology, he passed her the shaker.
"You must really be in a blue mood today," she quietly observed. The hanyou straightened, self-conscious over the fact that she'd noticed, but she dimpled sweetly and pointed to the cookies in front of him.
He glanced down at the table in front of him and realized what she meant. So far he'd 'decorated' a blue star, a blue bell, a blue Christmas tree, a blue cow, and a blue umbrella. Oh, great… I look like such an idiot.
"Here, Inuyasha," Shippo interjected, sliding a crescent-shaped cookie in front of his friend. "Moons can be blue, too… right?" he asked innocently, earning a glare.
"Indeed, they can!" Don cheerfully supplied before breaking into song. "Blue moon, you saw me standing alone... without a dream in my heart, without a love of my own…"
"If you're going to sing, you could at least sing a Christmas carol," Gert commented exasperatedly.
Don cut off mid-croon, considering his options, then took a deep breath and bellowed out, "On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…!" Everyone groaned.
By the time the last cookie was beautified and transferred to the center island to dry, the sun was setting and Gert announced, "You boys had best be seeing to dinner!" Don made the fateful call, and the menfolk trooped out to fetch supper.
By the time they returned, the sun had already set, and the tree in the Donovan's front room was lit up. Gert held the door for them, clucking over the drop in temperatures and exclaiming over the rich smells that wafted from their sizeable haul. Kagome hovered nearby, ready to help, and Inuyasha caught her eye and passed his bags along so he could untie his boots. In the kitchen, he noticed that nearly all of the day's baking had been tucked away into a collection of brightly-hued tins—much to Shippo's dismay—and the little table in the nook was set for five.
There was a festive atmosphere as the contents of the various bags and boxes were unpacked and crowded onto the table—appetizers, entrées, rice, sauce packets, and the ubiquitous fortune cookies. Don had even thrown in several sets of chopsticks. While Gert stuck serving spoons into cartons of spicy noodles and tempura chicken, Inuyasha maneuvered around so that he was standing right next to Kagome. "Sit here," he invited, pulling out a chair for her, then quickly claiming the one beside it. Feeling like an idiot for letting something so small matter so much, he pulled a lidded bowl from his bag and placed it in front of her. "You should try this," he said as casually as he could. "It's good."
Withdrawing an identical carton from the bag, he grabbed a set of chopsticks and lifted the lid, releasing a billow of steam. Kagome followed suit, and he carefully watched for her reaction. "You want anything to go with that ramen, Inuyasha?" Shippo asked, a trace of amusement in his voice. Wordlessly, the dark-haired janitor pulled two more cartons of ramen from his bag and lined them up in front of his place. "Thought not," the redhead grinned. Catching Kagome's eye, he added, "That's his favorite food—hands down."
"Oh," she breathed, considering Shippo's words before offering Inuyasha a pleased smile. Reaching for another set of chopsticks, Kagome began to eat.
She finished every drop of the ramen before tasting anything else on the table. Inuyasha knew because he watched. I might not have said much, but I still shared something. It was a miniscule accomplishment, but it still felt like progress.
Once the leftovers were packed away in the refrigerator, it was time to throw the switch, so everyone bundled up and moved out into the front yard. Shippo led the way to what had been declared the best vantage point, and once everyone declared themselves ready, Don made the connection. "Oh! It's beautiful!" Gert sighed.
They'd outlined the roofline and windows on both the house and the garage, and the front was lined with a multi-colored swag that created a scalloped edge along the veranda. Oohs and aahs were raised as various details were noticed. Lights twinkled merrily from every bush and shrub in the landscaping; even a birdfeeder had been wrapped with alternating red and white strands, making it look like a candy cane. They'd also taken the time to painstakingly wrap every single limb of the crabapple tree in the front yard with blue lights.
"Foxfire," Kagome whispered with a pleased smile.
As Shippo's head snapped around, Inuyasha carefully asked, "What did you say?"
"That's what Grandpa always calls it when something is lit with blue lights," she explained with a shrug. "I'm not exactly sure why. I think it was from a Japanese fairy tale or something. I should ask Miroku-sensei."
"Sensei? Who's he?" Shippo nonchalantly inquired.
"One of Souta's professors; he's visiting from Japan."
"Did you notice the mailbox?" Don asked, bringing the focus back to the light display.
When every feature had been pointed out and complimented, they were ready to go back in where it was warm. "One last cookie for the road?" Gert invited.
With a whoop, Shippo took off across the yard with great, bounding leaps. "Me first!" he called over his shoulder.
"Now, see here!" Don shouted after him. "Don't touch my fruitcake, you bottomless pit!"
On the porch, Inuyasha toed out of the boots he hadn't bothered to tie and followed Kagome into the house. Immediately, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up and he narrowed his eyes. Where in the hell is Shippo? The kitsune was quite capable of masking his presence, even from him, and the fact that he was playing hide-and-seek at the moment could only mean one thing. He's up to something. You learned to be cautious when you lived with a natural-born prankster.
Inuyasha strained his ears towards the dining room, wondering if Don's fears for his fruitcake had just been realized. When Kagome stopped suddenly in front of him, he nearly bumped into her. Immediately, a voice from overhead sang out, "Ho, ho, ho!" Every eye lifted to where Shippo suddenly revealed himself on the stairway, half-hanging over the banister and playfully dangling… Oh, no… no, no, no! He wouldn't… shit, he would!
"Someone's under the mistletoe!" Shippo grinned.
Kagome simply stared at the redhead in disbelief, but Gert chuckled and said, "So that's what you were up to."
Inuyasha glared at Shippo for all he was worth, but Don piped up with some good-natured prodding. "Oh, go on, boy. Kiss the girl before she starts to think you don't find her kissable." The dark-haired janitor looked incredulously at the older man, whose eyes were dancing. "She already let that scallywag kiss the one cheek. Balance her off and kiss the other," he urged.
"You don't have to, if you don't want to," Kagome quietly assured him.
"No!" Inuyasha retorted, then said more softly, "No… that isn't… I don't mind, okay? After all, it's tradition… right?"
"Mm-hmm," she hummed and helpfully tilted her head, presenting her unkissed cheek.
Inuyasha swallowed hard and jammed his hands deep into the pockets of his jeans so they wouldn't be tempted to pull Kagome into his arms.
"He who hesitates is lost," Don goaded.
With a frustrated growl, Inuyasha bent down and let his cheek brush against hers. Closing his eyes, he let the rest of the world fade into the background as he focused on Kagome—her warmth, her heartbeat, her scent, her breathing. Smiles could be false, but he trusted his senses. Very gently, he laid a kiss on her cheek, lingering as long as he dared in order to gauge her response. Her breath caught, which was promising. Her heart fluttered, which was even better. Then, her scent underwent a shift, and the sultry little surge made his eyes cross.
Inuyasha pulled back slowly and stared in wonder as Kagome opened her eyes with a tremulous little sigh… and smiled with an honesty that set him back on his heels. He could kill Shippo later, but at the moment he was simply awed by the fact that doctor or no doctor, he had a fighting chance. Ignoring the cheering in the background, he returned Kagome's smile… and vowed to himself that the next time he kissed her, it wouldn't be in front of an audience.
End Notes: Posted on January 27, 2009. 4,820 words.
I have Unexpected FanArt to share! Please follow the links on my profile to see "Unexpected" by Quirkyslayer and "The Janitor" by Purple Rebecca.