[Chapter 4] The Ghost of Christmas Present

Sesshoumaru stood impatiently fidgeting in the lobby of Kagome's apartment building. This would be the fourth night she had watched Rin for him. Each day he brought Rin with him to work and met Kagome in the coffee shop for her to take his little girl home with her. He wouldn't admit it but he very much enjoyed the drink she had gotten him almost a week ago, Caramel-Apple-Cider she had called it, and he got one everyday since before going to work.

Now he stood in front of the large glass doors that opened to the rest of the building wondering why she wasn't down there to meet him with his daughter yet. She had given him her spare key to the lobby door the first day so he could go up to her apartment to pick up Rin, but she had still courteously met him in the lobby every night so he never had to make use of the key. Now he wondered what could make her late and he started to worry. Sighing he decided he might as well use the key, now was a good a time as any. Within a few minutes, he had gone up the elevator and was standing in front of her apartment door and he knocked quietly on the door.

No answer. He knocked quietly again. Once again no answer. He gritted his teeth, worry now eating at his gut. He reached his hand towards the doorknob and turned. To his mild surprise it was unlocked. As he walked into the apartment he called out, "Kagome?" he received no answer. From his spot in the entry way he could see much of the apartment. The blue light bouncing off of the walls from what must be the living room told him the TV was on. He could see the kitchen as well. Though must of the apartment was in good order the kitchen table held a disarray of boxes stacked on top of one another and some toppled over, on some of them he could see them labeled in green sharpie 'Christmas Decorations'.

Taking in the state of the apartment and noting that the seeming absence of Kagome and his daughter was the only thing amiss and it didn't seem like there was a struggle much of his worry disappeared and he became more annoyed. Closing the door behind him, he walked into the living room to go see why the TV was on. It was on the simple blue screen and he could hear the hum of the VCR signaling it had started to rewind whatever movie had ended. After turning off the TV, he turned around. The sight that met him on the couch made much of his annoyance drift away.

Rin sat lazily on one side of the couch, her head laying on the arm rest and a bowl of popcorn balanced precariously in her tilted lap. She was snoring softly, obviously asleep. Kagome lay on the other side of the couch, her elbow resting on the arm rest holding up her head. The remote sat in limply in her hand and her eyes were closed. She must have been trying to stay awake from the looks of it but fell asleep watching a movie with Rin.

He leaned forward and gently shook Kagome's shoulder while calling quietly for her to wake up. She blinked groggily for a minute and the innocent way she groaned and rubbed her eyes with her palms to wake up made him smile. He, however, was not ready for the rest of her reaction when she suddenly bolted upright almost knocking their heads together and glanced at the clock before launching in to rush of hurried apologies.

"Ohmyigosh!" she started in a rush as she clapped her hands over her face and then started scurrying around the living room picking up Rin's things to put in her bag. "I'm soo sorry! I didn't mean to fall asleep! We were just watching the movie... and... Ohmigosh I'm soo sorry." She grimaced as she continued to apologize profusely.

He grabbed her shoulders lightly to steady her and keep her from running around any more, "You will wake Rin with your fussing", he said sternly. "It's alright. At first I was worried but I can see now you are both fine. No harm done, now calm down."

She sighed and her shoulder slumped. "Thank you. I'm still sorry though, I didn't mean to worry you", she took a short glance over at Rin, "Uhm... I wasn't ready for you before we fell asleep. I still have to get her things together. Would you like something to drink while you wait?" She smiled cheerfully before adding, "I have the things to make that caramel-apple cider you like so much."

He nodded curtly, "That would be acceptable", he said as she bounced off into the kitchen. While he waited, he looked around her living room, taking in the freshly put up decorations and just then noticing the scent of pine in the air. A faux two foot tall tree sat on top of a table in front of the window and next to it, an aerosol can pine scented air freshener. Placed around the tree on the table were various pictures of her with an older woman, a very old man, and a boy that looked to be a few years younger than she was. He assumed they were her family. Just as he finished his perusal of her photos, she came back into the room with a steaming mug full a cider. As he accepted the drink and took his first sip a thought came to him, "How did you know I liked it so much?" he asked curiously.

She grinned at him, "Ayame told me she's seen you come upstairs to your office with a cup of it every day for a week."

He nodded before he turned to look around at the rest of the decorations. The garland pinned up around the doors and the icicle lights pinned up around the edge of the ceiling, and he spotted more pictures of her and the same people hung up on the walls. "Are these pictures of your family?" he asked, trying to make small conversation.

She nodded and smiled with a hint of sadness at the pictures. She paused in gathering Rin's things to stand next to him in front of one of the pictures. "Yeah.", she answered in a slightly wistful tone.

Curious now at her tone he wanted to know a little more about her family. "Will you be spending the holidays with them?" he asked, his tone not betraying his motive.

She shook her head sadly and started gathering up Rin's things in her Hello Kitty back pack. "No, they live far away so I won't be able to fly out and visit them this year."

He cocked his head to the side before asking, "If they live so far away what are you doing in New York?"

She smiled a bit as she handed him the now full back pack and moved the bowl of popcorn away from a sleeping Rin. She started putting the girl's jacket on, Rin not stirring a bit. "I write music, I came here to get my career started. It's going okay. Obviously I still have my job at the store to pay the bills but I've got a few companies and artists interested in my tracks and lyrics." She smiled at the thought as she started putting Rin's shoes on as well.

He nodded again and decided to leave the saddening topic of her absent family where it was in favor of another question. "Why is it you are so comfortable around children?" He noticed the way she so openly playing with Rin and answered her questions with unending patience and now seeing the way she so skillfully dressed the sleeping girl to leave in such a motherly way piqued his curiosity.

Her smile widened into a grin before she answered, "My mom runs a daycare. When I was in high school I used to help to earn extra money, I really liked it and kinda miss it sometimes. Taking care of Rin for you reminds me of it." She carefully picked Rin up and cradled her sleeping form against her body. "Why don't I walk you two downstairs." She said cheerfully.

He nodded and followed her out the door while she carried his daughter and he held onto the pink plastic backpack. They took the elevator ride in comfortable silence while he thought of how someone who seemed to so enjoy the Christmas holiday was probably going to spend it alone but was still so cheerful about everything. He took Rin from her as they reached the lobby doors and they said their normal goodbyes before he left to take the subway back to his own apartment.