He darted across the wooden planked bridge, pausing at the center. His messy as always pony tail flopped droopily behind his head. Shippou turned brilliant forest eyes on the quickly approaching Rin. She stopped a few feet from him and they faced each other. The same idea rang through their minds. After sharing a smile, the two jumped and bounced on the bridge. The thing squeaked under the weight, but this is basically what it was meant for. The bridge was secured on either side to the platform making sure that it wouldn't break. Then there was no bottom support and lay supported solely on the end ties. This caused the bridge to bounce and move as you did. It did swing slightly side-to-side, but not enough to cause alarm.

The two stopped their parade and spotted their parents sitting together on a bench nearby. His mother was facing Rin's dad, but he was just sitting looking forward as if she wasn't right there. Shippou laughed when this seemed to irritate Kagome to no end. That woman hated being ignored and wouldn't put up with it, at least most of the time. Shippou usually could and when she got mad he would just serve up the puppy dog eyes and quivering mouth with fake fear in large eyes and Kagome would always take the bait.

Shippou tugged on the shoulder of Rin's jacket to get her attention. She'd stopped jumping soon after he had and was looking around for what held his focus so aptly. Rin however couldn't see the sitting couple because of a jungle gym tower, in the style like a medieval turret since the jungle gym was fashioned after a castle, was in the way. So, Shippou carefully so as to not scare the timid child took hold of her hand and led her across the bridge. He was somewhat surprised when she simply smiled and skipped along slowly behind him. Rin was a strange girl.

The first time he'd met her, through Kohaku, she seemed to hide behind the older boy's shoulder. Her eyes were cautious and there was a little twinge of fright hidden within the swirls of chocolate like vanilla added to the dark mix. Around her father, she was jubilant, yet reserved in sound and her short explanation was that her Sesshoumaru-san had good hearing. He didn't need her shouting and Shippou had simply shrugged, but now she acted warmly towards him.

Shippou smiled back at her over his shoulder, happy to see her return it. It seemed Rin finally accepted him, but it would still be awhile for her trust him. Shippou was slightly jealous that Kohaku was blessed with such a quick and iron bond with the cheerful girl. She reminded Shippou so much of his okaa that it was almost uncanny. Rin had her differences that made her shine like a star that had freshly fallen from the firmament. But maybe if Shippou could understand the camouflaged pain in Rin's eyes, he could finally have some clue into Kagome's.

Shippou stopped at the top of the turret after climbing the five stairs to the upper platform. There was a ledge with an open area supposedly like a window. Rin stood next to him and their arms had to touch so as to be able to see out at the same time, but Shippou relaxed seeing no tension or anxiety in his friend's face. Rin's eyes lit when she caught sight of what Shippou had seen. She turned to him and giggled.

"They look funny Shippou-chan!"

Shippou warmed and smiled as he shook his head wholly agreeing with Rin's assessment. He could now be allowed to her friend.

"Hai…"
"But...also…"
"Good."
"Hai! Rin thinks so too!"

Brown met green as mischievous gleam streamed through both their orbs. A smile slithered across ruby-tinged cheeks and Rin shook Shippou's hand in silent agreement. All they had to do was begin planning.

"It will be fun!"
"It will be my greatest triumph…" after which Shippou's eyes grew distant.

Rin giggled, but looked back at the arguing couple to notice a lapse in their words, or rather Kagome's rant.

Kagome's face reddened further as the wind whipped her hair forward. As her luck would have it this time she wasn't so fortunate as to be facing against the wind, but rather with it. Meaning her hair pushed violently over her shoulders framing her face with a untamed beauty that Sesshoumaru would have been blind not to notice from his peripheral vision. Her eyes were practically livid and he wanted to laugh. It was one of the few times he had actually ever had the urge to do so and he was taken aback by it. But at this moment he would rather enjoy her anger and fire then consider the reason for his mirth at a later point. So with that the male tucked the tidbit into his neatly structured mind where it was folded peacefully like a silk scarf.

She huffed, he wasn't even paying attention! The guy was just looking ahead even though she could see the lean in his vision and the light movement of his eye. She knew he was really paying close attention to her, yet acted like he wasn't. It was a little irritating and was very rude. Her head felt it was going to explode and he just sat there like it was a picnic. Why was she so angry? Why did he get to her so easily? He was possibly just trying to prove a point, but still she said she was fine. And so she was, besides it was only a little bruise, there wasn't much to be done, but let time heal it as it does all wounds. She sighed, knowing from experience that the expression wasn't correct in all instances. Though now that Kagome thought about it, she'd forgotten why it was she was so angry in the first place.

-Oh yeah! He poked me...on purpose!-

Kagome moved on the bench scooting away from him and pouted. Her hands were clasped in her lap and her fingers fiddled in her gloves. Kagome looked around for the two children and her mouth opened when she saw them leaning on the jungle gym window watching her. There were large smiles on each face and though she was happy that the barrier keeping Rin was letting Shippou be her friend, she could only be suspicious of why they were looking at her like that. Shippou always smiled at her in this way when it meant, 'I'm up to something and it includes you, but I'll never tell you.' Every year he planned a trick on her and it was also genius. It took him all year and he always did one. It was always perfect and he always managed to put her in a potentially dangerous situation, but Kagome always came out unscathed. The last smile she received from him was approximately a month ago and the very next day she was ambushed. Dozens of water balloon traps had been set up in the boarding house parking lot. Since there weren't any cars ever there, they were all kids there

-Well with the exception of…anyways…-

Kagome always parked in the same spot and so it was easy for the little fink to set her up. There were all hooked on springs and as he lured her towards then released the first rubber band. This created a change reaction and she took off after his trailing tail more and more shot at her, drenching her to the bone. However it did give him a hilarious speech to give about one of his best experiences for English class. Shippou had explained the dynamics and mechanics for how to trap a Kagome bird. No one got what he meant until he explained it and they realized he was referencing Peter Pan. They had figured it was either some species they hadn't heard of or a quote from some literary author as he was almost famous for doing during his class assignments.

Sesshoumaru pulled his eyes off her resting form to see her face was set in a suspicious glance her eyes looking ahead, but slightly up. A golden gaze followed her line of sight to catch Rin's wave. The little boy was standing there with her on the jungle gym and both were smiling largely, even for Rin.

"They're planning something."

Kagome's suddenly calm, soft voice was something he had only experienced once, during her introduction in the park. The short conversation at the hospital the tone was concerned and almost breathless from her rush to catch him. This almost tender tone was womanly and managed to awaken his heart to a make a slight stir. The tiniest twist in his lips reacted to the urge to sigh. A soft exhale of air left slowly from his lungs.

"Hai. That isn't the question."
"Hai, the question is what…what are they planning?"

Kagome counted slowly in her head to ten. She made sure to take a steady deep breath before she had answered. She did her best not to grit her teeth when she spoke, but the effort put strain on her vocal cords. This caused Sesshoumaru to smirk because so easily he could get under her skin.

"It involves us both." His voice was steady.

Kagome's eyes bugged at the shock that he was actually getting close to conversing with her. She was starting to think she was talking to herself…or a wooden log, basically the same thing. Kagome giggled, covering her mouth with her hand. Just picturing a cut round log with silver tufts of hair and a crooked smile came to mind and she truthfully couldn't help it.

-Blockhead! …Nice Kagome…way to be immature.-

Even with the after thought she still cracked up. Sesshoumaru turned fully to her for the first time in a half hour at least and tilted his head to the side. This seemed to only increase her laughter as it tumbled from her peachy lips. The sound was neither harsh on his ears or like any he'd ever heard. Many were a hissing sound, a wheezing, or a sharp cackle that bit into his ear drums like thunder. The woman threw her head back tossing her long tresses to be caught in the wind and be dragged back behind the bench's back by the wind's snaking tug.

"Ka-chan!"
"Sesshoumaru-san!"

The two hailed persons lifted their heads to watch their adoptive kids running towards them. They were breathing heavily and Kagome could still see that glint in Shippou's eye. She narrowed her own in response as she looked him over. Kagome still had a slight unease when around water balloons, but it was too cold for that…right?

"Ka-chan, I'm hungry!"
"Hai, Rin's hungry too!"

Kagome was silently relieved. No balloons were always a good sign. Kagome scolded herself; seriously she now had a fear of balloons. What kind of phobia is that? Her mind of course disagreed because technically a phobia is something so strong that it disrupts your life. She was silently proud that she wasn't that far gone…keyword- yet.

Sesshoumaru stood his intent now focused on the stomach of his ward that he could hear grumbling in discontent per usual. But he could tell Rin wanted to ask something of him, probably something he wouldn't particular agree with. That is judging by her shifty feet and gaze flickered landing everywhere, but him, or rather his face. His little girl seemed to find his shoes quite intriguing seeing as how she had stared at them for the past two minutes.

"Rin, speak your mind."

Sesshoumaru's smooth, deep voice touched her ears in a silken caress in the same moment the wind picked up to swirl around the cleared park. Kagome felt a quake in her knees. Of course, Kagome merely played it off as a shiver from the weather and wrapped her arms around herself. Her somewhat cynical, rather sarcastic, mind only held onto the blessed idea of a personal heater to keep warmth with during this winter.

Cerulean eyes then slid over to the silver-clad male still next to her, but standing a few feet away. Kagome winced at the sight of his hair, but one look into his eyes told her the difference. There was no longing for her there, that longing that always shown in his eyes, except that it wasn't for Kagome. That love and need was for someone he'd thought was gone from his life forever. Why would he give up someone offering themselves willingly that just so happened to be so similar to his lost love?

-Least to say…he wouldn't refuse me. He couldn't…baka.-

Kagome chastised herself for even thinking of Inuyasha. It only served to remind her that she wasn't good enough to keep him. Also that she was just a twin copy of Kikyo to him and nothing more. Kagome had promised after the last recede into depression she had, that she wouldn't criticize herself this way. Sometimes it was difficult no matter how pathetic that may seem.

-When it's all you know…it's hard not to do it.-

Kagome straightened her posture and brought herself back to the conversation.

"…eat with Kagome-san."

-What….?-

Sesshoumaru looked at her oddly, his ears still on his ward. It seems the woman…Kagome, had been caught within her own thoughts once again.

-She recedes often from the present. What occupies her mind?-

"Is that okay Ka-chan, if we go out to eat all together?"
"Uh sure, did you have some place in mind?"

She silently thanked her soon-to-be son for clueing her in. He must have noticed her drift off.

-I really have to quit that…this…-

Kagome inwardly groaned, she was doing it again, but this time the little girl's words sunk in.

"Um…um…"
"A restaurant has opened on the corner of Ainame and Rindou."

Sesshoumaru interrupted, but knew that unless he didn't Rin would have them go to a sushi stand or the small dinners she seemed attached to. So he suggested a four-star restaurant that had just opened. He normally would go no where less than five stars, or if it was Rin's wish, but this group just wasn't dressed for it. Plus he knew that it was centered on a moving wheel so that the seats moved in a rotation. Sesshoumaru suspected Rin would enjoy it and had planned to take her there, but he never found the chance. This was as good as any, even though his preference was to depart with only one companion…he would invite the other two because it was the honorable thing to do and Rin gave him that lip twitch signaling she was going to cry. Now Rin would never embarrass Sesshoumaru that way in public as to cry if she didn't get her way and Rin would, in reality, accept any decision he thought best. But she was adorable like that…and she hadn't eaten out with anyone other than him in a long while. It would be good for her, perhaps help her to be more assertive in front of others.

-Not that I mind the shyness, but should she be successful Rin will need to stand up for herself. It would not do for her to be meek. Like this one if not slightly more subdued…-

Sesshoumaru eyed Kagome, her temper was outrageous, but it set her apart.

"Oh! I heard about that it supposed to be really good!"

Kagome exclaimed as she turned to look Sesshoumaru full in his eyes. Bright blue eyes merged with green as at least highlights caught the iris from the sun behind Sesshoumaru's back.

"Really? Let's go there then!" The children chimed in together.

The street names are weird I know and for sure probably aren't real. I'm having fun with it, as stupid as that sounds. Ok- since I made you wait for Sessh/Kag interaction, I'm dragging this out. Happy? Thanks to all reviewers as well as opinions and comments.

Words to know:
Ainame: greenling (like a fish)
Rindou- path through forest