A/N: Sorry about the overdue wait ... anyway, here it is! Merry Christmas to all, andGods all bless!

Inuyasha was startled out of his jubilant reverie by the church bells ringing out the lustiest, heartiest peals he'd ever heard.

Running to his window, he threw open the sill – when had it shut? – and stuck out his head. No fog, no mist, no night; clear, bright, stirring, golden day.

"What's today?" he cried, calling downward to a boy in Sunday clothes, who was skipping stones across the paved road.

"Eh?" the boy responded.

"What's today, young man?"

The boy straightened up a bit at being called a 'young man'. "Today! Why, Christmas day!" he called back with authority.

"It's Christmas Day!" Inuyasha repeated with disbelief. "I haven't missed it! Say, young man, do you know the Poulterer's butchery, down the next street by the corner?

The boy drew himself up importantly. "I should hope I did!"

"A remarkable young man! Tell me, do you know whether they've sold the prize turkey that was hanging up there? Not the little prize turkey – the big one?"

"What, the one as big as me?"

"What a pleasure to speak with you! Yes, lad!"

"It's hanging there now."

"Is it? Go and buy it."

The boy stared at him. "You're joking!" he exclaimed.

"No, no, I am in earnest!" Inuyasha insisted. "Go and buy it, and tell 'em to bring it here, that I may deliver it to the place where it is bound! Come back with the man, and I'll give you a shilling. Come back in less than five minutes, and I'll give you half a crown!"

The boy was off like a shot.

"I'll bring it to Sango's!" Inuyasha proclaimed to himself as he hurried to dress warmly. "I shan't say who sent it, only that I was requested to bring it. It's twice the size of Sota! The twin's have never pulled a joke such as this, I'll wager!"

The hand in which he wrote the address was not a steady one, though that was for the best, as he wished to remain unknown as the sender, and Kagome may yet have recognized his handwriting. He raced down the stairs to open the street door, ready for the coming of the butcher's man, promising as he went, "Your hope is not in vain, Kagome!"

It was a turkey! That bird could never have stood upon his legs – he would have snapped them in two like sticks of sealing wax.

Inuyasha threw on his coat and set off through the streets. The people were pouring forth, as he had seen with the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come; and, walking with his hands full of his large, bulky bundle wrapped in brown paper and string, Inuyasha regarded everyone with a delighted smile. He looked so irresistibly pleasant that three or four good-humored fellows said, "Good morning, sir! A merry Christmas to you!" And Inuyasha was warmed by those simple acts of kindness.

After passing through the market place, just to watch people pass by laughing, he turned his steps towards the Higurashi house.

He passed the door a dozen times before he had gathered up his courage enough to knock. But he made a dash, and did it.

Rin opened the door and stared at him. She had heard all of Sango's stories of the Ogre, Inuyasha, and this looked very much like him – but with such a happy, kind face!

"Are your parents at home, my dear?" Inuyasha inquired, for it was now nearly afternoon.

"Yes, sir," Rin replied. No, surely this could not be the nightmare figure her mother ranted about so often!

"Might you bring them here?" he asked, smiling down at her. Nice girl! Very nice child.

She grinned fleetingly at the stranger, and when he grinned back, she turned and called, "Mama! Grandpa! Someone t' see you!"

"Who is it, Rin?" Sango called from the kitchen, entering the hallway. She looked up and saw Inuyasha, and blanched.

He gave her one of his old, miffed looks, or as close to one as he could feign, and held out the giant package. "This is yours," he informed her stiffly. Sango took it automatically, and staggered underneath the weight of it. He continued, "I was asked to deliver this earlier this morning. Now, Sango, we were once friends, so I'll tell you what. I am not going to stand this sort of thing any longer." Sango, already pale with shock, was growing paler, as Rin watched on with interest. "And therefore," he clapped her earnestly on the shoulder, "I'm going to raise your salary!"

Sango's mouth dropped open – Inuyasha thought he heard a small 'thud' as it hit the floor. He beamed at her, as his happiness and cheer could not be held in check any longer. Sango saw before her the young man she had known so many years ago, and the full impact of his proclamation finally hit her.

She would have truly fallen over, then, if Inuyasha had not seized her arm, and assisted her through the hallway. "A merrier Christmas, I hope, than I have given you for many a year," he added as she walked into the kitchen in a bewildered and happy daze.

Kagome, who was in the kitchen working on some pudding for that night, looked up as her mother came in. Her eyes widened at the size of the package her mother was setting upon the table. "Mother what ...? Who was at the door?" She trailed off as Inuyasha walked in hesitantly after Sango.

She stared at him. He seemed so different than before – she dared hope that her dear old friend was looking back at her through those sheepish golden eyes. He grinned when she didn't start yelling at him, and said, "Merry Christmas, Kagome. If ... well, I was wondering, if you'll forgive me ..."

He was cut off from saying any more as she embraced him in a fierce hug. She was laughing happily. "Of course I forgive you, you great lump!" she cried. He smiled happily and hesitantly hugged her back.

The entire Higurashi family seemed to forgive him of his mistakes within that single afternoon. The turkey was accepted enthusiastically, and the whole family speculated on who might have sent it to them, for Inuyasha decided to remain anonymous as their benefactor.

Later on in the evening, Kagome drew Inuyasha off to a corner of the kitchen. She looked up at him and asked him bluntly, "What happened?" She hastened to add, "Not that I mind! I think this is the most wonderful thing ever ... but how did it come about? What changed you back?"

Inuyasha looked down at the floor and thought a moment. After a minute or so, he looked back up and said softly, "I had a lot of help ... a few people took it upon themselves to visit me, and show me where I went wrong ... and how to make it right."

Kagome beamed at him, satisfied. "Well, give whoever they were my eternal thanks," she told him. "Thanks to them, my oldest friend has come back!"

Inuyasha shrugged sheepishly. "I was awful, I know, and stupid, and ..."

"Oh, be quiet!" she cut him off good-naturedly. "Yes, you were all those things – but what matters is that you realized that, and worked to make things better! That's what counts to my family ... and me."

He grinned. "I swear I'll never do that again," he promised her.

She glared at him in mock severity. "You had better not, Master Youkai, or I'll drag those people down to your house and beat sense back into your skull!"

Inuyasha laughed – the first time he had done so in a long, long time. He swore to himself to help the Higurashi family out as much as possible, and more, through any means by his disposal. He also reminded himself to talk with Kaede as soon as possible. Something had to be done about the amount of coal used per day, as well as salaries – both were much too small!

Inuyasha was better than his word. He helped them all, and infinitely more – and, to Sota, who did NOT die, he was like a father. He became as good a friend, as good a master, and, eventually, as good a husband to Kagome, as the good old city knew. It was always said of him, afterwards, that if anyone knew how to keep Christmas well, it was he who did it best! Some people laughed to see the sudden change in him; but his own heart laughed, and that was quite enough for him.

He had no further encounters with the Spirits, but kept their lessons in his heart forever, and passed them on to all he knew. May that be truly said of all of us! And so, as Sota observed, God Bless Us, Every One!

The End.