Disclaimer: I do not own Inu-yasha and company (but I wish I would).
However, I do own Kiken, Koishi, Gin, Aliz, Chaz and Mike that may show up
in this fic (I use them in most of my fanfics).
Symbols are: "talking", 'thoughts', ***new place or time***
Chapter 23 Merry Christmas
Kagome floated down trough the floors to the lowest floor. There she met Inu-yasha's mother back toward her. Her eyes widened and quickly she went to living room. Inu-yasha's mother had the first day off from work before Christmas. Now she had brought all the Christmas stuff out from the closets.
Now when being in the living room Kagome looked around at all the Christmas stuff. She had never seen anything like this. So much Christmas stuff! On the TV was a white angel and before the window were four candles. On the sofa was usually brown pillows, but now there was red ones. There were two bookcases on both sides of the TV and they were full of all kind of Christmas decoration.
The ghost was really amazed by all this. Suddenly she heard her friend Shippo to say something. She went to the doorway of the room and saw Inu- yasha's mom to lift the small kitsune up so that he could place the decorations needed. She smiled.
Inu-yasha had left early in the morning to meet his friends. She couldn't go with him, thought, cause also Kouga and Kikyo was going to be there. She sighed and turned to look at the candles before the window.
"Why must you do this on every Christmas?!" Sesshomaru demanded when getting down with barking Jaken.
Inu-yasha's mother smiled to him. "Christmas is a happy season and we need happy colors in this grey house" she said giving the same answer as she did every year.
When Sesshomaru had been younger he had demanded a lot more clearer answer, but now days he just let it be like this. He looked at the decorations she had. "You are not going to put those!!" he shout pointing on the decorations in a yellow box beside her feet.
"Why not?" she asked lifting up a decoration that was meant to be a lamb, but it looked more like a snowball. "They are so cute." She smiled widely even thought Sesshomaru almost growled. She didn't need to fear him cause even thought he was wicked he didn't want to hurt her.
"You can put all you want of the decorations Inu-yasha have made, but none of mine!" He growled taking the supposed-lamb. "This should already be in the garbage!" he said growling at the supposed-lamb.
Kagome dared to look at them from the living room then. She stared at Sesshomaru who growled at the decoration. She was however surprised when his expression softened and turned into a bit sad one.
She hid herself again when he walked into the living room with the decoration. He sat down on the sofa staring at the decoration. Inu-yasha's mother and Shippo were left behind wondering, but soon they continued on their work.
"This should be in the garbage" he muttered under his breath and threw the decoration on the floor. Jaken wasn't there so the dog didn't attack on the supposed-lamb hoping it to be food. The dog was around Shippo on the moment.
Kagome carefully went to the decoration when Sesshomaru hid his face into his hands. She lifted the supposed-lamb into her hands. She looked at it not really understanding what made Sesshomaru act so. She turned it ones, twice until she noticed writing.
"Merry Christmas, mom! From Sesshomaru."
Kagome lifted her gaze from the ornament. If she had understood everything Inu-yasha and Sesshomaru had only same father. What had happened to Sesshomaru's mom?
She floated toward him letting the ornament to fall on his lap. He lifted his gaze and saw the supposed-lamb. He sighed and looked up where he thought Kagome was. And she was there. "Everyone has their secrets" he said silently to the ghost knowing that she heard. He stood up and left the decoration on the sofa.
***on the evening***
Inu-yasha hadn't come back yet when Kagome followed Sesshomaru to the forbidden floor where she had found the key to her room with Inu-yasha. She followed Sesshomaru who well knew she was there.
Sesshomaru was holding one candle in his hand. Inu-yasha's mother was Christmas shopping so he had good time to do this. What he actually was looking for was concerning the ghost. He wanted to find glues to free her.
Ghost was roaming in the mortal world only if something was still bothering them even in death. He wasn't sure could Kagome even remember of the time when she lived very much, but he actually couldn't really talk with her.
He went carefully forward in the dusty place looking around for anything. He kneeled down to see and fabric on the rotten floor. It was full of flowers decorations. The colors of it were still bright, but considering the place where it had been, it was possible. There didn't get any sunlight here anyway.
Kagome looked around not knowing what he was looking for. She went to the same chest she had checked out back when she had been down here with Inu- yasha. She sighed and sat on the chest.
Sesshomaru kicked on some dusty clothes he found. Then he saw the hole Inu- yasha had made earlier. However he didn't know of that.
Suddenly he saw the light of the candle catch on something in the hole. He went closer and saw something small and shining. He reached with his hand to the hole and into some soft soil. He didn't know how it was there and how it was so warm but he didn't wonder it more when he grabbed on the shining item.
He brought it up before his eyes and opened his hand. It was a small box - golden one. It had beautiful decoration and some red coloring that was faint over the years.
Kagome noticed that Sesshomaru had found something. She went to him and her eyes widened when she saw the little box in his hand.
Sesshomaru's eyes widened when he suddenly saw someone standing beside him. He looked up fearing that Inu-yasha's mother had come back and that she would soon shout at him, but that wouldn't have surprised him as much what he really saw.
She saw a transparent young girl standing there with wide eyes staring at the box in his hand. "Kagome." he whispered not believing it. He was seeing the ghost after so long. Why now?
He stood up staring at Kagome and his movement woke Kagome from her day dreaming. She shook her head slightly and then glanced at Sesshomaru. First she didn't understand why was he staring at her like that.
They both stared each other with out saying a word until they heard something from the upper floor. They both gasped fearing that someone came home. It didn't matter was it Inu-yasha or his mother, but either one might mean trouble.
***first floor***
Koishi took his shoes off when he heard some noise from the door taking to the lowest floor that was forbidden by Inu-yasha's parents. He saw Sesshomaru to come out with a candle. He also couldn't miss the relieved sigh Sesshomaru made when seeing him. Well, he feared that his father or Inu-yasha's mother was coming.
"I saw nothing" Koishi said when turning for the kitchen.
Sesshomaru sighed another time of relief. Koishi made clear that Inu- yasha's parents won't hear anything from him. That made Sesshomaru lot calmer, thought he was still bothered.
He lifted his other hand slightly to look at the box he had found. This ghost, who had told her name ones when writing it on a paper, seemed to recognize this box, but that wasn't the main thing in his mind now.
He saw the ghost! Why couldn't he earlier see him? Why couldn't he but Inu- yasha could? Why now?
Sesshomaru placed the candle on a table that was near the door down to the cellar. Then he walked into the kitchen where Koishi was getting some food ready. "What were you looking for?" Koishi asked not turning for Inu- yasha's wicked brother.
"None of your business" Sesshomaru said bluntly.
"Not then" Koishi agreed and willed a bowl with warm soup. Koishi was the only one beside Inu-yasha's mother who didn't eat ramen always when he got a possibility. He sat down by the table opposite from Sesshomaru. "Where is Inu-yasha?"
"With his friends" Sesshomaru said when turning for the window. "Or at least he was."
Koishi looked up out of the window when he saw Inu-yasha walking in the snowy garden. Soon both of them heard how the door opened and whistling Inu- yasha stepped in. The two in the kitchen who were both moodier than Inu- yasha from personality sighed.
Inu-yasha walked to the kitchen and quickly checked on what Koishi had cooked. "No ramen?!" he exclaimed when straightening his back.
"Everyone isn't so dependent on ramen" Koishi answered simply when sipping on his soup. Sesshomaru who was lost in his thoughts just stared out of the window.
Back down there in the cellar he saw the ghost. He saw the girl of the painting he had found days ago. Why couldn't he see her before? He turned to look at the two other at the other side of the table.
Inu-yasha was so hungry and lazy on the moment that he didn't care what he was gonna eat and so he was trying to get Koishi's bowl with little effort when Koishi pulled hard back. However, Sesshomaru's eyes didn't see this when he only saw the ghost before his eyes.
***dining room***
Days went by and so came the Christmas Eve (December 24). Everyone that lived in the haunted mansion was sitting around a huge table. Inu-yasha's father sat at one end of the table when on his other side was sitting his wife and on other side Sesshomaru. Inu-yasha sat beside his mother and Koishi was in front of him on the other side. Shippo that was now like a member of the family was sitting on the table beside Koishi and Inu-yasha.
Their eating was silent if we don't count Shippo's exited exclaims when he found more and more tasty food from the table. The little kitsune jumped over the bowls of food to the other and then back to his place on the table more than often.
Inu-yasha who didn't really 'love' this little demon was getting annoyed and Koishi noticed this.
"Ow!" Inu-yasha exclaimed getting everyone's attention. "What was the big idea?!" he shout at Koishi standing up.
"Inu-yasha! Sit down!" his father ordered and so he sat down. Inu-yasha grumbled something when hissing touched his sour leg. Koishi had kicked him and hard right under his knee. He knew well why. His friend had noticed his fists to tighten up ready to hit the kitsune.
What however made him growl slightly was the way Koishi acted like he had done nothing. Even when he was shouting his friends only ate calmly his food.
"This is too silent to be Christmas" Sesshomaru said with calm voice when eating.
Inu-yasha's mother lifted her head to look at Sesshomaru. "Well. Everyone is in Tokyo. What can we do?"
"We could have gone there for Christmas" Sesshomaru answered matter of factly when laying down his fork.
"Don't you think that we should spend the first Christmas in the new house after moving in?" Inu-yasha's mother asked trying to be calm but somehow she didn't always know what to do with Sesshomaru.
"We shouldn't have moved in the first place!" Sesshomaru shout now standing up.
There was a long comfortable silence. Or at least almost cause Shippo didn't pay attention when getting more food. Inu-yasha's father calmly ate all in his mouth before slowly standing up to get the other's attention.
"Do not shout at your mother in the Christmas table!" he ordered his older son, but this time he saw in Sesshomaru's eyes that it had no effect.
"She's not my mother!" Sesshomaru growled the truth that had been bothering him since this woman before him first stepped into his sights as a step mother.
Inu-yasha stared at his brother waiting for a big fight, but it seemed that Sesshomaru decided to leave the place this time. Inu-yasha knew that Christmas had always been painful time to Sesshomaru, but he never had learned why.
He knew nothing of his brother's mother. All he knew was how she looked like cause of a picture Sesshomaru had. He didn't know was she dead or alive. But in the end he didn't know did he want to find out the truth.
If the truth could make Sesshomaru hate Christmas this much it had to be something terrible. At least that was what he thinks.
Back in Tokyo Sesshomaru was never at home during Christmas. When Inu- yasha's grandparents and cousins came for dinner Sesshomaru was elsewhere and no one knew where. Now when they weren't living in Tokyo it seemed like something made Sesshomaru stay around, but what, he didn't know.
***later in living room***
Everyone living in the house where in the living room where in one corner was a Christmas tree that Koishi and Inu-yasha had earlier bought. Inu- yasha's mother had decorated it with all kind of colourful stuff and Sesshomaru had made sure that none of decorations he had done when young would be hanging in the tree.
Koishi and Inu-yasha sat beside the Christmas tree looking at the presents under it. Sesshomaru was sitting beside the window eating nuts when Inu- yasha's parents were sitting with Shippo on the sofa.
Inu-yasha felt how the air there was heavy. His family was so unusually silent. Maybe it was cause there was so little of them, but. He felt uncomfortable.
He lifted his gaze up at Sesshomaru who was almost behind him when Koishi reached for a huge present under the tree. Sesshomaru was sipping on coffee like always, but you could see from his unusually tight expression that he was forcing himself to stay in the same room with the others.
"Stop that stupid dog!!!" Inu-yasha turned quickly around to see Koishi trying to pull a smaller present from the wicked dog's mouth. Jaken hadn't been around during eating, but now he was free to move again.
The dog was always around and somewhat part of Christmas unlike Sesshomaru who was, like said, never home during this time. Inu-yasha laughed when neither the dog nor his friend let free and the paper was ripped and the insides of the present flew around the room.
It was full of chocolate and when Jaken realized that nothing could stop him when chocolate flew on the floor. Koishi growled and quickly went after. That present had been his!
Inu-yasha lifted the paper that the two of them left behind. There was a card where he could read that it was from Sango. Sango had made presents to all of them. Even to his wicked brother.
Suddenly Inu-yasha stood up. "I'll come right back" he said before leaving the room for upstairs.
***fourth floor***
"Kagome?" Inu-yasha said silently when finally reaching his floor. "Kagome?" He opened the door to his bed room, but she wasn't there. Sighing he went to the other end of the small corridor and opened the door to her room. "Kagome?"
He didn't see her there. He sighed again. Was the ghost silently in a small corner? She was lonely he knew, but he simply couldn't invite her down there with them.
"What is it?" He jumped high in the air when he heard that simple question he turned quickly around to see Kagome tilting her head in wonder.
"I. uh." Inu-yasha tried to say when scratching his neck, but all his words escaped. He was kinda sorry for leaving her alone. "I. just wanted to know. Are you okay?"
Kagome tilted her head to the other side and smiled sweetly. "Of course I'm okay, worry-head!" she exclaimed. However she hid the truth. There was something bothering her and she knew she had to talk with Sesshomaru about that. Inu-yasha's brother. He could see her.
"I'm sorry, you can't spend a Christmas with us." Inu-yasha whispered wrapping his arms around her. She felt his warm body against her cool one and sighed.
"I still got a present to you" Inu-yasha whispered in her ear and she eagerly jumped out from his hug and waited with wide curious eyes.
"Present?! For me?!" Inu-yasha smiled seeing her so happy. He opened the door to his bedroom and there on a table was a red present with a star in the middle where read Kagome.
The ghost clapped her hands together and with out another thought floated to the present shaking it to find out what there was.
Inu-yasha leaned on the doorway smiling. He loved the way Kagome got childish like this when curious and exited. He loved her beautiful black despite the fact she was transparent. He loved her gentle and warm heart. Damn it! He loved everything in her!!
"Open it" he said when Kagome was almost blowing up of curiosity. Kagome hesitated and glanced at Inu-yasha but he nodded.
It didn't take long before all the red paper was all around the room and the star flew before his feet. She held in her hand a wooden box. She opened it and she found many different color bottles.
"I figured you needed more when all of those you had was empty" Inu-yasha said. He had wanted to give something more dear to her, but anything she could wear would be trouble when she went trough the walls and what did a ghost actually need. However this ghost painted and so these paints would be useful.
Before he even knew she was right before him wrapping her arms around him. "Thank you Inu-yasha!!" she exclaimed and made him happy when hearing that.
After that Inu-yasha smiled the whole evening. Koishi had asked him what made him smile but he just said it was nothing. Sesshomaru however could guess easily who the one was making his brother smile.
Much later on the evening the presents were opened and everyone was investigating on their presents. Inu-yasha's mother had dressed herself into a light dress she had gotten from her husband and now he was dancing around the living room showing it to him.
Koishi was happy to get some manga all the way from America from his sister, Kiken. He wasn't the only one who got gifts so far away. Sesshomaru got an interesting book having many freaky ghost stories when Inu-yasha got a present that exploded into his hands and gave him a black face.
The chocolate Sango had given to everyone had been eaten happily, thought, Koishi had to fight with Jaken over it. Inu-yasha got a nice short from Kikyo and from Miroku. He got a playboy that he quickly hid under all the paper on the floor.
He had blushed furiously when he realized his father had noticed the magazine. Koishi had laughed a long moment back then and Inu-yasha's mother insisted to know what it was about. Inu-yasha's father played dump back then.
Sesshomaru was surprised to get a gift from Miroku and when he opened it all he could see was a lot of ramen in a box. Christmas was a time of forgiveness. Sesshomaru somehow didn't really think it that way.
Jaken was happy if no one else was cause he got a big bone from the whole family and the whole evening he was trying to find a good place to hide it, but Sesshomaru hadn't let him out.
We of course can't forget Shippo who got a fox-dress from Inu-yasha's mother with a hole for his tail. Inu-yasha had laughed at that and the little kitsune got red of anger, but Koishi cooled him of with some water.
The Christmas day was a happy one in Inu-yasha's family even thought it was strange when Sesshomaru was there and he wasn't in the mood at all.
When it was getting silent and Inu-yasha's parents had fallen asleep on the sofa when Inu-yasha and Koishi were playing with Koishi's new cards in the kitchen, Kagome came down to the living room.
She noticed Shippo sleeping in Inu-yasha's mother's arms who was then in the father's arms. She heard Koishi and Inu-yasha from the kitchen and in a corner she heard Jaken who was dreaming and seemingly running after something in his dream - or running away.
Then she noticed Sesshomaru still sitting by the window. She floated silently nearer and heard how calm his breathing was. That told her that he was sleeping. She dared to come nearer.
She looked at his calm face. Sesshomaru was truly cute when sleeping and not having that wicked expression on his face. Kagome hoped she would someday see his smile. That however sounded like an impossible dream.
She sighed and glanced outside. Suddenly she heard him moving and when she turned to look at her he met his opened eyes.
She was surprised but it passed quickly and she gave a smile to him. Sesshomaru brought back his usual expression that wasn't that cute one when he was sleeping soundly. It was that one you could almost call wicked.
"Merry Christmas" Kagome whispered with a smile. She was surprised by what her word did to Sesshomaru.
Sesshomaru's wicked expression changed into a surprised one quickly and it didn't change into the usual one at all. It changed into a calm and some what unemotional. "Merry Christmas."
Kagome's smile widened a lot when he said that and then turned to look at the window. He didn't know why said that, but somewhat it felt like this girl. Was smelting his heart.
***Inu-yasha's bedroom***
Inu-yasha was placing his yesterday's Christmas presents to their places silently being happy when Shippo wasn't hanging around him at all. Still, just to brake his cheerful morning his room's door had to open up and Sesshomaru had to walk in.
"What now?" Inu-yasha asked turning around to look at his brother, but when he did that his eyes widened of surprise when he saw Kagome floating beside a lot taller Sesshomaru.
"Wha.?" he asked before thinking.
"We know how the ghost can be freed" Sesshomaru announced calmly making Inu- yasha's heart beat faster.
What was this? He thought Sesshomaru couldn't see Kagome! He thought Sesshomaru didn't even believe!
"How.?" Inu-yasha asked coming up with nothing else.
Sesshomaru sighed and stepped into the room. He closed silently the door behind him. It was better that Koishi wouldn't came here even by accident. He knew Koishi was best to keep out of this.
"How many know of her?" the older brother asked when Inu-yasha was still staring at him with wide and surprised eyes.
"I.Ah. Miroku. And Sango." Inu-yasha said almost muttering when shaking his head.
"Shippo" Kagome said drawing attention from the brothers. "Inu-yasha, Miroku, Sango, Shippo and Sesshomaru."
That cleared Inu-yasha's thoughts. He needed to hear it to make it sure. "So you know" he said turning for Sesshomaru. "But you couldn't even see her. How?"
Sesshomaru sighed and wrapped his arms. "Is that time for this?!" Sesshomaru asked almost angry.
He sighed glancing at Kagome who sat on Inu-yasha's bed when Inu-yasha was on the floor. "Ghosts are spirits that have some unfinished business in the world of mortals. We have found that something that will bring eternal peace to Kagome."
Inu-yasha's eyes widened from before. If he understood right, this meant that Kagome would leave. The ghost he had learned to care for would leave for ever. He didn't want that and he knew he was selfish in this.
"However" Sesshomaru continued. "It won't be so easy."
A/N: You all might wonder why they opened the Christmas presents on the same evening and not on the next morning. That is cause here in Finland that is the way. I know the way that is used at least in USA, but I wanted to write it like we do in Finland, thought with out Santa Claus.
You see in Finland into families where there is young children the parents might call for a Santa Claus to come to them and "bring" all the presents. That's how my Christmas were when I was little. I never even realized than in the truth my Santa Claus was someone I knew.
Usually when Santa Claus have left and the presents are given to those to whom they belonged everyone opened their own presents. However. I don't know if they do it a little differently in other families but we did like this.
Now days we just have to wait for everyone to drink their coffees before we can even touch the presents under the Christmas tree.
And now when I have told this much about Finnish Christmas I must add these two facts. Santa Claus doesn't live in North Pole but in Finland in Korvatunturi (I have noticed that some people might know this, but I'm not hear to fight so even thought you might be against this I accept you opinion). Second is that Nokia is a Finnish company and not Japanese or American. This is a true fact unlike the Santa Claus thing.
Well. I would have so much else to say here about this stuff but I'm not going to make you bored cause of this.
Then some replies to some reviewers.
Kagome1514: I'll read at least one of your stories when I get the time for that. My inspiration and motivation is lacking on the moment so I have troubles with school and to get myself to do anything useful.
Karen: About making it more exiting. I'm trying to make it more exiting when we get closer to the end. The sequel will have a lot more of stuff in it and I try to make it in some ways a little scarier. However. I'm a person who likes to read and write about peoples relationships and that is why I usually get into them more than in anything else.
Lunatic Pandora1: That was just what I was trying to do with Kikyo. I neither like her, but I don't want to make her a bitch or something. I like to see her as well Kouga (who I neither like so much) as normal persons than anything else. (but don't worry. if someone do differently it doesn't stop me from reading)
Foltina: I have been reading your story, like you know, but I have been busy lately so I'll read more when I get time, okay?
Inuyasha-fan7: You know. I'm not gonna tell you XP It would be no fun.
I must mention Hanyo punk chick and Sweetdeath here cause they were the last ones of those I hadn't mention and that had reviewed after I put the 22 chapter.
This doesn't mean that I wouldn't be grateful to you who have reviewed before. I'm very happy to get your reviews and very thank full for them, but I just decided to start thanking the reviewers if I have time and I decided that I won't go trough all of them. However. No one's review is any lesser!!
You help me whit my inspiration even with one word in the review cause that tells me that someone is reading.
Why I decided to start doing this now? Cause my sister who's also a writer hear was so happy to find out that she was mentioned by a writer in a chapter cause of her long reviews. Seeing how happy she was over it I thought I could mention you too and I hope it gives some good things into your day ^_~
I just realized that this is the longest chapter ever!! Go me!!
I wasn't that inspired in writing about Christmas, but I'm still happy to be able to make this so long.
I'm sorry for any grammar and spelling mistakes but I think the second chapter won't have them.
See ya! Ja ne!
Symbols are: "talking", 'thoughts', ***new place or time***
Chapter 23 Merry Christmas
Kagome floated down trough the floors to the lowest floor. There she met Inu-yasha's mother back toward her. Her eyes widened and quickly she went to living room. Inu-yasha's mother had the first day off from work before Christmas. Now she had brought all the Christmas stuff out from the closets.
Now when being in the living room Kagome looked around at all the Christmas stuff. She had never seen anything like this. So much Christmas stuff! On the TV was a white angel and before the window were four candles. On the sofa was usually brown pillows, but now there was red ones. There were two bookcases on both sides of the TV and they were full of all kind of Christmas decoration.
The ghost was really amazed by all this. Suddenly she heard her friend Shippo to say something. She went to the doorway of the room and saw Inu- yasha's mom to lift the small kitsune up so that he could place the decorations needed. She smiled.
Inu-yasha had left early in the morning to meet his friends. She couldn't go with him, thought, cause also Kouga and Kikyo was going to be there. She sighed and turned to look at the candles before the window.
"Why must you do this on every Christmas?!" Sesshomaru demanded when getting down with barking Jaken.
Inu-yasha's mother smiled to him. "Christmas is a happy season and we need happy colors in this grey house" she said giving the same answer as she did every year.
When Sesshomaru had been younger he had demanded a lot more clearer answer, but now days he just let it be like this. He looked at the decorations she had. "You are not going to put those!!" he shout pointing on the decorations in a yellow box beside her feet.
"Why not?" she asked lifting up a decoration that was meant to be a lamb, but it looked more like a snowball. "They are so cute." She smiled widely even thought Sesshomaru almost growled. She didn't need to fear him cause even thought he was wicked he didn't want to hurt her.
"You can put all you want of the decorations Inu-yasha have made, but none of mine!" He growled taking the supposed-lamb. "This should already be in the garbage!" he said growling at the supposed-lamb.
Kagome dared to look at them from the living room then. She stared at Sesshomaru who growled at the decoration. She was however surprised when his expression softened and turned into a bit sad one.
She hid herself again when he walked into the living room with the decoration. He sat down on the sofa staring at the decoration. Inu-yasha's mother and Shippo were left behind wondering, but soon they continued on their work.
"This should be in the garbage" he muttered under his breath and threw the decoration on the floor. Jaken wasn't there so the dog didn't attack on the supposed-lamb hoping it to be food. The dog was around Shippo on the moment.
Kagome carefully went to the decoration when Sesshomaru hid his face into his hands. She lifted the supposed-lamb into her hands. She looked at it not really understanding what made Sesshomaru act so. She turned it ones, twice until she noticed writing.
"Merry Christmas, mom! From Sesshomaru."
Kagome lifted her gaze from the ornament. If she had understood everything Inu-yasha and Sesshomaru had only same father. What had happened to Sesshomaru's mom?
She floated toward him letting the ornament to fall on his lap. He lifted his gaze and saw the supposed-lamb. He sighed and looked up where he thought Kagome was. And she was there. "Everyone has their secrets" he said silently to the ghost knowing that she heard. He stood up and left the decoration on the sofa.
***on the evening***
Inu-yasha hadn't come back yet when Kagome followed Sesshomaru to the forbidden floor where she had found the key to her room with Inu-yasha. She followed Sesshomaru who well knew she was there.
Sesshomaru was holding one candle in his hand. Inu-yasha's mother was Christmas shopping so he had good time to do this. What he actually was looking for was concerning the ghost. He wanted to find glues to free her.
Ghost was roaming in the mortal world only if something was still bothering them even in death. He wasn't sure could Kagome even remember of the time when she lived very much, but he actually couldn't really talk with her.
He went carefully forward in the dusty place looking around for anything. He kneeled down to see and fabric on the rotten floor. It was full of flowers decorations. The colors of it were still bright, but considering the place where it had been, it was possible. There didn't get any sunlight here anyway.
Kagome looked around not knowing what he was looking for. She went to the same chest she had checked out back when she had been down here with Inu- yasha. She sighed and sat on the chest.
Sesshomaru kicked on some dusty clothes he found. Then he saw the hole Inu- yasha had made earlier. However he didn't know of that.
Suddenly he saw the light of the candle catch on something in the hole. He went closer and saw something small and shining. He reached with his hand to the hole and into some soft soil. He didn't know how it was there and how it was so warm but he didn't wonder it more when he grabbed on the shining item.
He brought it up before his eyes and opened his hand. It was a small box - golden one. It had beautiful decoration and some red coloring that was faint over the years.
Kagome noticed that Sesshomaru had found something. She went to him and her eyes widened when she saw the little box in his hand.
Sesshomaru's eyes widened when he suddenly saw someone standing beside him. He looked up fearing that Inu-yasha's mother had come back and that she would soon shout at him, but that wouldn't have surprised him as much what he really saw.
She saw a transparent young girl standing there with wide eyes staring at the box in his hand. "Kagome." he whispered not believing it. He was seeing the ghost after so long. Why now?
He stood up staring at Kagome and his movement woke Kagome from her day dreaming. She shook her head slightly and then glanced at Sesshomaru. First she didn't understand why was he staring at her like that.
They both stared each other with out saying a word until they heard something from the upper floor. They both gasped fearing that someone came home. It didn't matter was it Inu-yasha or his mother, but either one might mean trouble.
***first floor***
Koishi took his shoes off when he heard some noise from the door taking to the lowest floor that was forbidden by Inu-yasha's parents. He saw Sesshomaru to come out with a candle. He also couldn't miss the relieved sigh Sesshomaru made when seeing him. Well, he feared that his father or Inu-yasha's mother was coming.
"I saw nothing" Koishi said when turning for the kitchen.
Sesshomaru sighed another time of relief. Koishi made clear that Inu- yasha's parents won't hear anything from him. That made Sesshomaru lot calmer, thought he was still bothered.
He lifted his other hand slightly to look at the box he had found. This ghost, who had told her name ones when writing it on a paper, seemed to recognize this box, but that wasn't the main thing in his mind now.
He saw the ghost! Why couldn't he earlier see him? Why couldn't he but Inu- yasha could? Why now?
Sesshomaru placed the candle on a table that was near the door down to the cellar. Then he walked into the kitchen where Koishi was getting some food ready. "What were you looking for?" Koishi asked not turning for Inu- yasha's wicked brother.
"None of your business" Sesshomaru said bluntly.
"Not then" Koishi agreed and willed a bowl with warm soup. Koishi was the only one beside Inu-yasha's mother who didn't eat ramen always when he got a possibility. He sat down by the table opposite from Sesshomaru. "Where is Inu-yasha?"
"With his friends" Sesshomaru said when turning for the window. "Or at least he was."
Koishi looked up out of the window when he saw Inu-yasha walking in the snowy garden. Soon both of them heard how the door opened and whistling Inu- yasha stepped in. The two in the kitchen who were both moodier than Inu- yasha from personality sighed.
Inu-yasha walked to the kitchen and quickly checked on what Koishi had cooked. "No ramen?!" he exclaimed when straightening his back.
"Everyone isn't so dependent on ramen" Koishi answered simply when sipping on his soup. Sesshomaru who was lost in his thoughts just stared out of the window.
Back down there in the cellar he saw the ghost. He saw the girl of the painting he had found days ago. Why couldn't he see her before? He turned to look at the two other at the other side of the table.
Inu-yasha was so hungry and lazy on the moment that he didn't care what he was gonna eat and so he was trying to get Koishi's bowl with little effort when Koishi pulled hard back. However, Sesshomaru's eyes didn't see this when he only saw the ghost before his eyes.
***dining room***
Days went by and so came the Christmas Eve (December 24). Everyone that lived in the haunted mansion was sitting around a huge table. Inu-yasha's father sat at one end of the table when on his other side was sitting his wife and on other side Sesshomaru. Inu-yasha sat beside his mother and Koishi was in front of him on the other side. Shippo that was now like a member of the family was sitting on the table beside Koishi and Inu-yasha.
Their eating was silent if we don't count Shippo's exited exclaims when he found more and more tasty food from the table. The little kitsune jumped over the bowls of food to the other and then back to his place on the table more than often.
Inu-yasha who didn't really 'love' this little demon was getting annoyed and Koishi noticed this.
"Ow!" Inu-yasha exclaimed getting everyone's attention. "What was the big idea?!" he shout at Koishi standing up.
"Inu-yasha! Sit down!" his father ordered and so he sat down. Inu-yasha grumbled something when hissing touched his sour leg. Koishi had kicked him and hard right under his knee. He knew well why. His friend had noticed his fists to tighten up ready to hit the kitsune.
What however made him growl slightly was the way Koishi acted like he had done nothing. Even when he was shouting his friends only ate calmly his food.
"This is too silent to be Christmas" Sesshomaru said with calm voice when eating.
Inu-yasha's mother lifted her head to look at Sesshomaru. "Well. Everyone is in Tokyo. What can we do?"
"We could have gone there for Christmas" Sesshomaru answered matter of factly when laying down his fork.
"Don't you think that we should spend the first Christmas in the new house after moving in?" Inu-yasha's mother asked trying to be calm but somehow she didn't always know what to do with Sesshomaru.
"We shouldn't have moved in the first place!" Sesshomaru shout now standing up.
There was a long comfortable silence. Or at least almost cause Shippo didn't pay attention when getting more food. Inu-yasha's father calmly ate all in his mouth before slowly standing up to get the other's attention.
"Do not shout at your mother in the Christmas table!" he ordered his older son, but this time he saw in Sesshomaru's eyes that it had no effect.
"She's not my mother!" Sesshomaru growled the truth that had been bothering him since this woman before him first stepped into his sights as a step mother.
Inu-yasha stared at his brother waiting for a big fight, but it seemed that Sesshomaru decided to leave the place this time. Inu-yasha knew that Christmas had always been painful time to Sesshomaru, but he never had learned why.
He knew nothing of his brother's mother. All he knew was how she looked like cause of a picture Sesshomaru had. He didn't know was she dead or alive. But in the end he didn't know did he want to find out the truth.
If the truth could make Sesshomaru hate Christmas this much it had to be something terrible. At least that was what he thinks.
Back in Tokyo Sesshomaru was never at home during Christmas. When Inu- yasha's grandparents and cousins came for dinner Sesshomaru was elsewhere and no one knew where. Now when they weren't living in Tokyo it seemed like something made Sesshomaru stay around, but what, he didn't know.
***later in living room***
Everyone living in the house where in the living room where in one corner was a Christmas tree that Koishi and Inu-yasha had earlier bought. Inu- yasha's mother had decorated it with all kind of colourful stuff and Sesshomaru had made sure that none of decorations he had done when young would be hanging in the tree.
Koishi and Inu-yasha sat beside the Christmas tree looking at the presents under it. Sesshomaru was sitting beside the window eating nuts when Inu- yasha's parents were sitting with Shippo on the sofa.
Inu-yasha felt how the air there was heavy. His family was so unusually silent. Maybe it was cause there was so little of them, but. He felt uncomfortable.
He lifted his gaze up at Sesshomaru who was almost behind him when Koishi reached for a huge present under the tree. Sesshomaru was sipping on coffee like always, but you could see from his unusually tight expression that he was forcing himself to stay in the same room with the others.
"Stop that stupid dog!!!" Inu-yasha turned quickly around to see Koishi trying to pull a smaller present from the wicked dog's mouth. Jaken hadn't been around during eating, but now he was free to move again.
The dog was always around and somewhat part of Christmas unlike Sesshomaru who was, like said, never home during this time. Inu-yasha laughed when neither the dog nor his friend let free and the paper was ripped and the insides of the present flew around the room.
It was full of chocolate and when Jaken realized that nothing could stop him when chocolate flew on the floor. Koishi growled and quickly went after. That present had been his!
Inu-yasha lifted the paper that the two of them left behind. There was a card where he could read that it was from Sango. Sango had made presents to all of them. Even to his wicked brother.
Suddenly Inu-yasha stood up. "I'll come right back" he said before leaving the room for upstairs.
***fourth floor***
"Kagome?" Inu-yasha said silently when finally reaching his floor. "Kagome?" He opened the door to his bed room, but she wasn't there. Sighing he went to the other end of the small corridor and opened the door to her room. "Kagome?"
He didn't see her there. He sighed again. Was the ghost silently in a small corner? She was lonely he knew, but he simply couldn't invite her down there with them.
"What is it?" He jumped high in the air when he heard that simple question he turned quickly around to see Kagome tilting her head in wonder.
"I. uh." Inu-yasha tried to say when scratching his neck, but all his words escaped. He was kinda sorry for leaving her alone. "I. just wanted to know. Are you okay?"
Kagome tilted her head to the other side and smiled sweetly. "Of course I'm okay, worry-head!" she exclaimed. However she hid the truth. There was something bothering her and she knew she had to talk with Sesshomaru about that. Inu-yasha's brother. He could see her.
"I'm sorry, you can't spend a Christmas with us." Inu-yasha whispered wrapping his arms around her. She felt his warm body against her cool one and sighed.
"I still got a present to you" Inu-yasha whispered in her ear and she eagerly jumped out from his hug and waited with wide curious eyes.
"Present?! For me?!" Inu-yasha smiled seeing her so happy. He opened the door to his bedroom and there on a table was a red present with a star in the middle where read Kagome.
The ghost clapped her hands together and with out another thought floated to the present shaking it to find out what there was.
Inu-yasha leaned on the doorway smiling. He loved the way Kagome got childish like this when curious and exited. He loved her beautiful black despite the fact she was transparent. He loved her gentle and warm heart. Damn it! He loved everything in her!!
"Open it" he said when Kagome was almost blowing up of curiosity. Kagome hesitated and glanced at Inu-yasha but he nodded.
It didn't take long before all the red paper was all around the room and the star flew before his feet. She held in her hand a wooden box. She opened it and she found many different color bottles.
"I figured you needed more when all of those you had was empty" Inu-yasha said. He had wanted to give something more dear to her, but anything she could wear would be trouble when she went trough the walls and what did a ghost actually need. However this ghost painted and so these paints would be useful.
Before he even knew she was right before him wrapping her arms around him. "Thank you Inu-yasha!!" she exclaimed and made him happy when hearing that.
After that Inu-yasha smiled the whole evening. Koishi had asked him what made him smile but he just said it was nothing. Sesshomaru however could guess easily who the one was making his brother smile.
Much later on the evening the presents were opened and everyone was investigating on their presents. Inu-yasha's mother had dressed herself into a light dress she had gotten from her husband and now he was dancing around the living room showing it to him.
Koishi was happy to get some manga all the way from America from his sister, Kiken. He wasn't the only one who got gifts so far away. Sesshomaru got an interesting book having many freaky ghost stories when Inu-yasha got a present that exploded into his hands and gave him a black face.
The chocolate Sango had given to everyone had been eaten happily, thought, Koishi had to fight with Jaken over it. Inu-yasha got a nice short from Kikyo and from Miroku. He got a playboy that he quickly hid under all the paper on the floor.
He had blushed furiously when he realized his father had noticed the magazine. Koishi had laughed a long moment back then and Inu-yasha's mother insisted to know what it was about. Inu-yasha's father played dump back then.
Sesshomaru was surprised to get a gift from Miroku and when he opened it all he could see was a lot of ramen in a box. Christmas was a time of forgiveness. Sesshomaru somehow didn't really think it that way.
Jaken was happy if no one else was cause he got a big bone from the whole family and the whole evening he was trying to find a good place to hide it, but Sesshomaru hadn't let him out.
We of course can't forget Shippo who got a fox-dress from Inu-yasha's mother with a hole for his tail. Inu-yasha had laughed at that and the little kitsune got red of anger, but Koishi cooled him of with some water.
The Christmas day was a happy one in Inu-yasha's family even thought it was strange when Sesshomaru was there and he wasn't in the mood at all.
When it was getting silent and Inu-yasha's parents had fallen asleep on the sofa when Inu-yasha and Koishi were playing with Koishi's new cards in the kitchen, Kagome came down to the living room.
She noticed Shippo sleeping in Inu-yasha's mother's arms who was then in the father's arms. She heard Koishi and Inu-yasha from the kitchen and in a corner she heard Jaken who was dreaming and seemingly running after something in his dream - or running away.
Then she noticed Sesshomaru still sitting by the window. She floated silently nearer and heard how calm his breathing was. That told her that he was sleeping. She dared to come nearer.
She looked at his calm face. Sesshomaru was truly cute when sleeping and not having that wicked expression on his face. Kagome hoped she would someday see his smile. That however sounded like an impossible dream.
She sighed and glanced outside. Suddenly she heard him moving and when she turned to look at her he met his opened eyes.
She was surprised but it passed quickly and she gave a smile to him. Sesshomaru brought back his usual expression that wasn't that cute one when he was sleeping soundly. It was that one you could almost call wicked.
"Merry Christmas" Kagome whispered with a smile. She was surprised by what her word did to Sesshomaru.
Sesshomaru's wicked expression changed into a surprised one quickly and it didn't change into the usual one at all. It changed into a calm and some what unemotional. "Merry Christmas."
Kagome's smile widened a lot when he said that and then turned to look at the window. He didn't know why said that, but somewhat it felt like this girl. Was smelting his heart.
***Inu-yasha's bedroom***
Inu-yasha was placing his yesterday's Christmas presents to their places silently being happy when Shippo wasn't hanging around him at all. Still, just to brake his cheerful morning his room's door had to open up and Sesshomaru had to walk in.
"What now?" Inu-yasha asked turning around to look at his brother, but when he did that his eyes widened of surprise when he saw Kagome floating beside a lot taller Sesshomaru.
"Wha.?" he asked before thinking.
"We know how the ghost can be freed" Sesshomaru announced calmly making Inu- yasha's heart beat faster.
What was this? He thought Sesshomaru couldn't see Kagome! He thought Sesshomaru didn't even believe!
"How.?" Inu-yasha asked coming up with nothing else.
Sesshomaru sighed and stepped into the room. He closed silently the door behind him. It was better that Koishi wouldn't came here even by accident. He knew Koishi was best to keep out of this.
"How many know of her?" the older brother asked when Inu-yasha was still staring at him with wide and surprised eyes.
"I.Ah. Miroku. And Sango." Inu-yasha said almost muttering when shaking his head.
"Shippo" Kagome said drawing attention from the brothers. "Inu-yasha, Miroku, Sango, Shippo and Sesshomaru."
That cleared Inu-yasha's thoughts. He needed to hear it to make it sure. "So you know" he said turning for Sesshomaru. "But you couldn't even see her. How?"
Sesshomaru sighed and wrapped his arms. "Is that time for this?!" Sesshomaru asked almost angry.
He sighed glancing at Kagome who sat on Inu-yasha's bed when Inu-yasha was on the floor. "Ghosts are spirits that have some unfinished business in the world of mortals. We have found that something that will bring eternal peace to Kagome."
Inu-yasha's eyes widened from before. If he understood right, this meant that Kagome would leave. The ghost he had learned to care for would leave for ever. He didn't want that and he knew he was selfish in this.
"However" Sesshomaru continued. "It won't be so easy."
A/N: You all might wonder why they opened the Christmas presents on the same evening and not on the next morning. That is cause here in Finland that is the way. I know the way that is used at least in USA, but I wanted to write it like we do in Finland, thought with out Santa Claus.
You see in Finland into families where there is young children the parents might call for a Santa Claus to come to them and "bring" all the presents. That's how my Christmas were when I was little. I never even realized than in the truth my Santa Claus was someone I knew.
Usually when Santa Claus have left and the presents are given to those to whom they belonged everyone opened their own presents. However. I don't know if they do it a little differently in other families but we did like this.
Now days we just have to wait for everyone to drink their coffees before we can even touch the presents under the Christmas tree.
And now when I have told this much about Finnish Christmas I must add these two facts. Santa Claus doesn't live in North Pole but in Finland in Korvatunturi (I have noticed that some people might know this, but I'm not hear to fight so even thought you might be against this I accept you opinion). Second is that Nokia is a Finnish company and not Japanese or American. This is a true fact unlike the Santa Claus thing.
Well. I would have so much else to say here about this stuff but I'm not going to make you bored cause of this.
Then some replies to some reviewers.
Kagome1514: I'll read at least one of your stories when I get the time for that. My inspiration and motivation is lacking on the moment so I have troubles with school and to get myself to do anything useful.
Karen: About making it more exiting. I'm trying to make it more exiting when we get closer to the end. The sequel will have a lot more of stuff in it and I try to make it in some ways a little scarier. However. I'm a person who likes to read and write about peoples relationships and that is why I usually get into them more than in anything else.
Lunatic Pandora1: That was just what I was trying to do with Kikyo. I neither like her, but I don't want to make her a bitch or something. I like to see her as well Kouga (who I neither like so much) as normal persons than anything else. (but don't worry. if someone do differently it doesn't stop me from reading)
Foltina: I have been reading your story, like you know, but I have been busy lately so I'll read more when I get time, okay?
Inuyasha-fan7: You know. I'm not gonna tell you XP It would be no fun.
I must mention Hanyo punk chick and Sweetdeath here cause they were the last ones of those I hadn't mention and that had reviewed after I put the 22 chapter.
This doesn't mean that I wouldn't be grateful to you who have reviewed before. I'm very happy to get your reviews and very thank full for them, but I just decided to start thanking the reviewers if I have time and I decided that I won't go trough all of them. However. No one's review is any lesser!!
You help me whit my inspiration even with one word in the review cause that tells me that someone is reading.
Why I decided to start doing this now? Cause my sister who's also a writer hear was so happy to find out that she was mentioned by a writer in a chapter cause of her long reviews. Seeing how happy she was over it I thought I could mention you too and I hope it gives some good things into your day ^_~
I just realized that this is the longest chapter ever!! Go me!!
I wasn't that inspired in writing about Christmas, but I'm still happy to be able to make this so long.
I'm sorry for any grammar and spelling mistakes but I think the second chapter won't have them.
See ya! Ja ne!