Disclaimer: The characters of Inuyasha and Ranma 1/2 are all owned by Rumiko Takahashi, but this story (and Hikari) belongs to me.

Adventures in Babysitting

Dear Hikari,

Leaving you with a babysitter is one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. And that includes my mathematics final exams in school. And those gave me nightmares!

I feel guilty for leaving you. Scared something might happen when your father and I aren't there to protect you. Paranoid that I'm going to miss some important milestone in your life. The list of feelings of guilt, fear, and paranoia is long, but you get the picture.

My brave little girl... Don't forget that even if we have to leave you for short periods of time, you will always be in our thoughts and our hearts.

Your Loving Mama

"I'm not sure about this, Inuyasha..."

"She'll be fine."

"She'll cry for us."

"The book says it's normal."

Kagome stomped her foot angrily. "Ooooooh! I told you to ignore that book! Hikari is special and no book has a chapter on how to raise a little girl like her!"

"The book says..."

"Inuyashaaaaaa!"

Inuyasha sighed and put his hands on her shoulders. "We have to get her used to being on her own. She's going to start school soon, and I'd rather gradually get her used to it then have her suddenly feel like she was abandoned and alone in the world. You're the one who wanted her to go to school. I'm the one who said you were smart enough to teach her anything she needed to know."

Kagome's mouth closed and smothered her next complaint. Her husband rarely talked about it, but his own childhood haunted him. She sighed. She had to give him a break about the book. After all, who did he have to go to for tips on how to be a good father? At least she had her mother that she could ask questions and get advice from.

"You are being suspiciously mature about this," she grumbled.

Inuyasha sighed and took her hand and started walking towards the well. Hikari was already racing that direction with Shippo. The fox kit was already casting his illusion spell to hide his tail and ears, causing Hikari to pout.

"Your mother has been interviewing babysitters for three months now,"

"Three months?" Kagome was so startled, she tripped over her own feet. Inuyasha steadied her, then left his hand at the base of her spine as they continued to walk. Probably just in case she tripped again, but she wasn't going to complain. "Really?

"I gave her our list of babysitter requirements. She said she'd add it to her own."

"Mama made a list?" It was very surprising. Somewhere in the back of her head she had always supposed that her mother would babysit when they needed it. But she had started working, and would not always be available.

He nodded. "She's tough."

Kagome blinked. INUYASHA thought her MOTHER'S list was tough? Seriously? "When did you two compare lists?"

"Which time?"

Okay, now she was curious. "The first time."

"While you were in the bathroom throwing up."

"Uh..."

"You know, the first time we went to visit after we found out we were having a baby."

She blinked again. This time her feet stopped moving. "You guys compared babysitting lists while I was still pregnant?"

This time he was the one who looked surprised, and slightly insulted. "Of course. I started making MY list the day you told me."

Bemused by her husband's protective streak, Kagome followed him as he scooped up his daughter grabbed her hand, and the four of them jumped into the well. Hikari squealed to be let down as soon as the hanyou leapt out of the well in Kagome's time. She and Shippo started "racing" to the house. Shippo had an adorable fake run that cracked Kagome up every time she saw him use it.

Still glowing with warm fuzzy feelings for her thoughtful husband, Kagome almost missed the unfamiliar pair of shoes inside the door. It looked like the babysitter was already here. Strangely, Kagome felt very nervous. This person was someone that she was going to trust the most important being in the world to. Someone she was going to entrust the happiness, health, and safety of her only child to. Though she had contributed to the babysitting list (one of them, at least), she wasn't sure she covered all the bases. Sad to say, she was nearly itching to get her hands on Inuyasha's book to see what the experts said to do.

Kagome and Inuyasha poked their heads around the corner to get a look at the babysitter who made it through the three month long, apparently grueling, interview process. Hikari wasn't so shy. She giggled then ran to her grandmother and threw herself into her arms. Shippo, however, stayed behind her glaring suspiciously at the girl sitting nervously on the sofa.

When the girl saw them, she jumped up out of her seat and bowed to them. She was a pretty with short hair and a determined air.

"My name is Akane Tendo. It is nice to meet you. Thank you for entrusting your daughter to my care."

Inuyasha, who had seemed like he was taking everything in stride, was suddenly balking at the idea of leaving his daughter. He eyed the girl suspiciously.

"She passed the tests," her mother assured him. "Even the one for martial arts training."

Martial arts training?

"Oh please let me try!" Akane said. "My fiancé and I are thinking of having children some day," Kagome didn't miss that Akane shifted her eyes ever so slightly to the left... apparently the fiancé didn't know that they were thinking of having children some day... "And I have studied several child care manuals! I have extensive martial arts training, I have taken and passed first aid classes from our family friend Dr. Tofu, I have all the emergency numbers programmed to speed dial on my phone, and I have my resume, list of references, and criminal background check."

Kagome glanced at the very professional looking binder of information that Akane presented her. Then she watched as her mother checked something else off on her clipboard.

"I've submitted three proposals for outings for the time you'll be gone." Kagome took the three glossy full color tri-fold pamphlets from the girl. She wondered if Akane had thought to do these on her own, or if her mother made her do them.

The highlights of the pamphlet were:

Eating lunch out at Ukyo's for okonomiyaki

Storytime at the library at one o'clock.

Play time at the playground at the park.

Each activity had a paragraph explaining what they would be doing on the way to and from the activity and why each activity was chosen. There was also a section for all of her contact information, references, training, and certificates. Whoever this girl was, she certainly was prepared.

"I can do this! I won't fail!"

Kagome looked down at her daughter, who was studying the stranger. The little girl looked up at her, and suddenly Kagome couldn't bear to leave her daughter. No. Forget it. No babysitters. No way. She just couldn't do it. Kneeling down she gathered her daughter to her and held on tight.

"All okay," her daughter murmured as she pat her cheek comfortingly. "Mama be okay."

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Kagome loosened her grip and nodded. She couldn't speak. Hikari had been prepped about having a babysitter. She was to be mindful and respectful, but if the babysitter did anything to make her unhappy or hurt, she was to tell Daddy so he could solve the problem. Kagome hadn't agreed to that part, but apparently her daughter had made a pact with her husband. Kagome worried about just what "solving the problem" meant.

Akane bowed to Hikari. "I will do my best to make today fun."

"I like her."

And just like that, Hikari hired Akane Tendo to be her babysitter.

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"How do you set a stove on fire making toast?"

"Shhhh, Inuyasha," Kagome hushed him.

Inuyasha hid deeper in the shadows as he and his mate stalked the babysitter. They really had intended to go to the movies then go have dinner together somewhere, but after they had peeked in the window after he had picked up the scent of burnt toast, they decided that maybe they ought to just hang around for a few minutes.

Akane had put out the fire as if she had been putting out kitchen fires ever day of her life.

"How about we go to Ukyo's a little earlier?" she suggested as she replaced the fire extinguisher. "I'll leave a note explaining the slight alteration to the schedule." She looked around and grimaced. "Maybe we should clean up first..."

She may not be able to cook, but she was able to clean quickly. She turned it into a game for Hikari and Shippo. The kids seemed to enjoy the "game" of wiping the table as Akane zoomed around the kitchen cleaning and putting things in order. Kagome and Inuyasha groaned when Shippo's spell wore off without him noticing. Akane, however, noticed. The girl simply shrugged and kept cleaning.

The kids were quickly bundled up and out the door. Akane walked them around the house making sure every door was locked. When they started walking down the sidewalk, Kagome and Inuyasha followed silently from the rooftops. Yes, they had been looking forward to spending some time alone... but following the girl a little longer wouldn't hurt anything. Just to be sure.

Uh oh...

Inuyasha growled. Three young men were approaching them. Akane kept walking, but Hikari was growling and glaring at them. She held on to Akane protectively. Inuyasha couldn't sense any fear from either of the girls. In fact, the air seemed to shift around Hikari... a sure sign that the little girl was about to go into demon mode (albeit, an adorable demon dog mode). He would have to have a talk with Shippo about being more aware of strangers when out in public. The kit was still too enchanted and excited with this new world and was too busy looking around to notice danger.

When they stopped to block their path, demanding money, Inuyasha slipped Kagome off his back before flexing his claws menacingly. Good thing they decided to stalk her.

"Hikari, sweetie, look over there! There's a cute puppy!" As soon as Hikari turned her head (but not her ears... good girl, always on alert), Akane somehow kicked the young man so hard he literally flew into the air. Inuyasha let out a whistle. It was impressive. The punch the other boy got sent him crashing into a brick wall, knocking him out. The third simply ran like a coward.

"I like her," said Inuyasha. He felt his mate sigh beside him.

They followed them to Ukyo's where they ate okonomiyaki. Kagome called in an order to go from her magical "cell" phone when the smell became too mouthwateringly delicious. They followed them to the library where they watched Storytime from the window. They even followed them when Akane picked up Hikari and raced her to Dr. Tofu's after the little tripped and scrapped knee when they played at the park.

That was when Kagome agreed that she liked the girl as well.

They even followed them home after they stopped for ice cream (Inuyasha had gone in for two cones of the yummy treats for him and his mate while Kagome continued to trail them from a distance), just to make sure they got home safely. Once they were inside and the door was firmly locked (after Akane completely checked the house for intruders), Inuyasha and Kagome let out a sigh of relief. He saw a laughing Hikari wave to them from the window. They hadn't fooled the little girl at all.

"Ready to go?" Inuyasha asked his mate.

Kagome cringed after looking at her time keeping device. "Um... actually... we're supposed to be back here in less than twenty minutes."

"Oh..." Where had the time gone?

"I guess we could come home early..."

Ok, so the day hadn't gone exactly as planned. But at least he had almost twenty minutes alone with his beautiful mate. And he wasn't going to waste a single moment of it.

"Or we could be a little late..."

You did good, pup.

Daddy

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Author's Note:

I don't know why it amuses me to use characters from Ranma in Inuyasha, it just does. Maybe because several of the voice cast members are in both animes, at least in the US versions.