Chapter 5: Carols and good will towards men

            By the time two o'clock had rolled around, the group was cold and tired but very happy with their purchases.  Shippo turned him and Inuyasha back to heir normal Youkai selves, and the group headed for home. Kagome made some tea when they got back, (Doesn't she ever get sick of that stuff?!) and Sami put in a Christmas CD.  She pulled a bunch of different sized boxes and bags out of her pile of stuff along with some tissue paper, bows, wrapping paper, and told the group to wrap up the gifts they had bought. "So the person you give it to doesn't know what it is until they open it," she told them.

            She was just about to teach the group a Christmas carol when Kagome re-entered the room with a tray of teacups, being careful not to stand under the mistletoe for very long

            "C'mon Kagome! We get to learn Christmas carols!" cried Shippo happily as he ran to get a seat near Sami, "Tell her Sami!"

            "Well I thought I'd teach you a carol or two and that it would be easier if you all learned by ear. So I'll sing a part and you sing it back to me," the blond told the group as she passed out music.

            "Sounds boring. I don' wanna," Inuyasha said. He though he has been very cooperative this week, (especially being transformed by Shippo); but he actually knew what Sami was talking about this time, and he didn't want to try it. What if he couldn't sing? His friends would laugh.

            "Just try it, would ya? You've actually been pretty good-natured this week, so just suck it up for a little while longer," Kagome told him.

            "Why you . . . hey, ya noticed," the hanyo stopped and looked at his feet.

            "Um, yeah. You've been almost sociable this whole time," Kagome started and blushed a bit.

            "Well Inuyasha, if you still don't want to sing," Sami began and started to take away his music . . .

            "No, I'll sing. I never turn down a challenge," he said, showing his last ounce of bravado, "Um, so what are we singing?" He gulped. Everyone face-faults.

            "I think we'll learn 'Angels We Have Heard on High'. It's one of my favorites. Ahem,"

Sami stood and read her music:

"Angels we have heard on high,

Sweetly singing 'ore the plains.

And the mountains in reply,

Echoing their joyous strains."

            "Hence the name," Sango pointed out.

            "I can't sing that high," Miroku said quietly.

            "Then sing the same thing, but lower," the blond suggested.

"Angels we have heard on high," Kagome began.

"Sweetly singing 'ore the plains," Sango followed.

"And the mountains in reply," Shippo added happily.

"Echoing their joyous strains," Miroku finished.

            "Great!" Sami called, "Inuyasha, you do the next part:

                                    Glo-ooooo-ooooo-ooooo-ria,

                                    In exchelsis day-o.

            Then we'll all sing Inuyasha's part together," Sami said and turned to the half demon. 'Here goes nothing,' thought the Hanyo. He moved his ears to a comfortable position and closed his eyes . . .

                                    "Glo-ooooo-ooooo-ooooo-ria,

                                    In exchelsis day-o."

The Hanyo's rich male voice filled the room, hitting every note perfectly. 'This is fun,' he thought quietly.

The room fell deathly silent.

            "He can sing?!" Shippo cried, finally dragging his chin up from the floor. The rest of the group followed, giving their comments.

            "Very nice," Sango said, nodding her head in approval.

            "Didn't know you had it in you," Miroku commented. Kagome was stunned.

            "Wow Inuyasha. I didn't know you could sing." The half-demon, unused to all the praise and attention, snapped,

            "Yeah? Well nether did I okay?" His voice softened to an almost happy tone. "It was fun. Sis I sound okay?"

"Sound okay?!" Sami screamed, "SOUND OKAY?! God, I wish there were just ONE of you in my singing group back home! That was fantastic! You sounded just like the guys on Broad way! I mean, Wow!" The half-demon turned red enough to match his kimono. "Tee Hee. Now let's try the whole thing. You guys sing your parts, thin Inuyasha, and then we'll put it together and repeat his part. Okay, on three. One, two, three!"

"Angels we have heard on high,

Sweetly singing 'ore the plains.

And the mountains in reply,

Echoing their joyous strains.

Glo-ooooo-ooooo-ooooo-ria,

In exchelsis day-o.

Glo-ooooo-ooooo-ooooo-ria,

In exchelsis day-ay-o!"

            "Yeah that was great! Hey, who wants to do another?" Sami asked.

            "Yeah! Lets do another!" the group cried in unison.

Well one 'Jingle Bells', two more angel songs and a 'Deck the Halls' later; the group wasn't as compliant.

            "Kagome! He's singing my paaaart!" Shippo wailed.

            "I am not, you're singing the wrong part!" countered Inuyasha, who was starting to sound like a prima Donna.

            "Give it up already," Sango moaned, rubbing her temples.

            "Okay! That's enough! Everyone! Bed!" Kagome bellowed over them, sending the group grumbling to their rooms. She climbed the stairs, closely followed by Sami, arms full if wrapping paper and bags. The blond dropped the wrappings on the floor and let Kagome wrap her gifts, only turning away from the wall to watch after Kagome had told her that her gift wasn't among the ones being wrapped.

            "Tee Hee. Tomorrow's Christmas! You'll love what I got for you," Sami giggled as she climbed into bed.

            "I wonder what I'll get from everyone else," Kagome said quietly. "Will he get me a present?"

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