The temple interior was fairly clean for a structure that was regularly maintained by rabbits. A room off the main courtyard was cleared and prepared for their overnight stay. An exhausted Kagome stretched on the bedroll the temple servants had carried. A dozen little brown rabbits working together to bring her a single bed! She looked up at the sulking hanyou perched against the wall. The floor was relatively cool against her belly.

"Did you have enough to eat? I thought you liked ramen and sweet rolls."

Inuyasha's hands crept higher in his sleeves as he gazed out into the courtyard. Tetsusaiga rested against his shoulder. She was surprised when he shrugged out of the robe of the fire-rat and tossed it. The slightly furry texture of his coat was warm and saturated with the scent of warm husband.

"Get some sleep. Who knows when this Tsukuyomi appears?" The late evening light was already beginning to fade. The approaching line of the temple's shadow continued to grow shorter and shorter. Even after sundown, it would be hours before the moon rose. If the moon rose! The offering bowl glistened at the foot of the moon god's shrine. The divine servants were returning to their places to continue their slumber as stone idols.

"You are keeping watch?"

"Keh – don't look at me like that. It could just be another demon for all we know." Inuyasha tilted his head. She sighed but decided to let the matter go, no matter how nice it would be to cuddle together. It would be romantic! A quiet temple all to ourselves! "I promise to make it up to you tomorrow, when we get back to our room."

"Horny puppy," Kagome teased. Inuyasha's ears perked while she giggled and drew the haori over herself. It made a fine covering for her bare legs. The cute shorts she had worn were fine for a day trip but there had been no room in the bag for a second pair of clothes, Tsukinōsagi and two impromptu meals. The canopy outside kept the surroundings temperate during the day but the air had grown cold. She rested her cheek on her bent arm to watch him.

"What would we be doing if we were at the inn?" The question caught her off guard. Inuyasha's honey gold eyes melted her insides. The edge of his mouth rose.

Inuyasha is flirting!

Very explicit memories replayed in her mind. The magazines she had bought at the convenience store had some interesting suggestions. Things she certainly would not have imagined! She flushed. Her ability to sleep was definitely compromised now!

"S-something good." It was a lame response but it was her best. Her friends had taught her nothing about flirting with a husband! She knew how to casually flirt with boys at school, little smiles and encouragements. Her mother could easily charm a random male with a simple smile. The man at the property tax office gave her an enormous discount every year!

"How good?" Inuyasha sounded encouraged!

"Like, amazing."

"Watching the magic box?"

The hint of humor made her giggle. "No!"

"What else could be so amazing?" Inuyasha was not good at playing innocent! The grin on his face was too obvious. She chucked one of her shoes in his direction but it missed. In a flash she found herself pinned to the bedroll, Tetsusaiga by her head. Her stubborn husband ignored her laughter. She squirmed when he kissed her ear. He easily evaded all of her attempts to free herself with a gentle grip.

"How are you going to throw the other shoe now, wife?"

"Who says I need a shoe?"

"So there is a plan!" Inuyasha grinned. He let her wrestle him to his back. She held HIS wrists down for a tactical assault on his ears.

"Inuyasha, no! Down!" Kagome squealed when her shoulder hit the mat. He had her socks off and her ankle in the air. The grip on her left knee kept her from jerking her foot while being mercilessly tickled.

"Are you going to throw more clothes at me? I won't mind." A friendly pat on her bottom made her laugh! Inuyasha laid on his side, supporting his head with his elbow. Relaxed. She flexed her foot to reset the nerves while resting her head on her bent elbow. Her cute guy seemed like he was in a better mood. The free hand rested on her bare hip. It was nice. Very gently, his hand came up to comb her hair behind her ear. She closed her eyes. Inuyasha was taking extreme care not to tangle her hair.

"Kagome."

"What?" Inuyasha's body warmth was more than enough to insulate the little single bed. She snuggled a little closer to hold onto his shirt. It always set her at ease knowing he was watching out for her. Perhaps on the way down the mountain they could lie under the clouds and spend a few hours enjoying the sun? There was another shrine at the base she wanted to visit.

"You and me – this. It's good. I think the marriage is doing well." Inuyasha's strong hand was rubbing calming circles on her back. It was heavily relaxing. Leaning against his chest, she sank into an intermediate state. The day's hike and the preparation of the mochi had exhausted her muscles.

"I have few complaints."

"What do you mean, 'few'?" There was a teasing note to his soft tones. A kiss pressed against her head. His hand continued to gently massage her back. The warm, heavy cloth of the fire-rat over her legs made her drowsy. Inuyasha's familiar, red aura wrapped around her like a protective blanket. It felt completely natural to lie with him this way. They had traveled together for years as companions, sleeping in random places, but never as lovers. Her sixth sense focused on Inuyasha and his calm youki in the temple's silence. It was easy to slip into sleep.

Christmas at the Higurashi Shrine. Snow blanketing the grounds. The smell of peppermint sticks drifting through the house. Homemade eggnog cooling in the refrigerator. A miniature tree in the corner for decoration. Mama's twirling around the kitchen making her special sponge cake with fresh strawberries and whipped cream. Special cards from her friends lined on the side table! A cup of cocoa in her hands while they waited for New Year's. Her dad singing along badly with the radio. Kagome took her cocoa into the hallway to investigate the Christmas presents from Mama's friends! The phone rang and she stood on her toes to pick up the receiver.

"Hi, I'm Kagome!"

"Hello. Is Higurashi-san available?" The man's voice smiled.

"My mommy is in the kitchen making cake! Do you like cake?" She tapped her feet against the tatami flooring. The white socks with kitty faces were her favorite! "Dad likes cake. He always tries to take the first piece but mommy said no!"

"Is your father available? Can you put him on the phone?"

"I wrote a poem in preschool for my Grandpa. Can I read it to you?" She struggled to get the card off the table. Mama had promised to put the card in the mail so Grandpa would have a Merry Christmas. The others fell off the table onto the floor. She stuck her tongue between her lips while pulling on the curly phone cord. So many cards!

"Kagome, you know better." Dad's voice laughed. Warm hands picked her up. The phone was taken from her. "Higurashi residence. Yes, my apologies. My daughter likes the phone. She started preschool this year. Too young to be concerned with taxes. Yes, maybe in a few years!"

"Daaaad," she whined.

"Yes, let me verify." Dad pressed his ear to the phone and raised his shoulder. He opened the wooden box to look through their mail. "Ah, here. Three-seven-nine."

"Daaaad!"

"Why don't you help your mother in the kitchen?" Dad kissed her wrinkled forehead. He set her gently on her feet. She pouted when his attention returned to the phone. The paper in his hand will all the numbers made him smile. "A man with a growing family needs all the help he can get!"

Kagome pouted and collected her special Christmas cards in her hands, preparing to throw a fit. Dad was ignoring her! When he wouldn't pick her up, she ran into the kitchen. Mama had left her crayons in their box. She put her colors in the chair before climbing onto the cushions. Her card for Grandpa was finished but the other one still needed work. While Mama pulled a tray out of the oven, she sorted her colors.

"Finishing the card for your boyfriend?"

"I need more red." Kagome concentrated before filling in the outlines.

"You have a wonderful imagination. What is that?" Mama rested a hand on her hip when she leaned over smelling like frosting. Another red crayon was removed from the box.

"Those are his doggy ears!" Kagome bent over to focus on scribbling. The cute boy-dog was always sleeping, even in the cold. She paused to kiss the image on the paper. Her mother giggled.

"Like Sleeping Beauty! He must be cursed to sleep forever. Maybe if you make a Christmas wish, your friend will wake up." Mama squeezed her shoulder. "You can free him with your magic powers and fight the dragon that cursed him!"

"I told you, he's real! And my tummy really DOES glow in the mirror!"

"Of course it does." Mama smiled. "Can I have magic powers, too? What would they be? Oh, we could wear matching outfits!"

"That's stupid. You don't have magic powers. Dad does!"

"What are Dad's powers? Super strength?" Her mother was beginning to paint icing over the cake. Long, straight movements to coat the yellow sponge cake in white sweetness. A bowl of freshly cut strawberries were waiting to decorate. Kagome pouted. "Papa could join your superhero team. Wouldn't you like that?"

"Grandpa is too old!"

There was a knock at the door. Mama set down her square spatula and pulled her apron over her head. Kagome waited until her mother had left the room to pounce. White, sugary goodness coated her face. She ran around the table and dipped the spatula for another mouthful. Her mother's Christmas cake was better than any of her friends' had brought to school. Maybe Mama would let her push the buttons on the phone to call Eri!

"Higurashi residence. May I help you?" There was a thump. Kagome froze.

"Kagome? Where are you?" A stranger called. She dropped the spatula and crawled under the table. A pair of strange legs crossed the kitchen doorway. The shadow did not fit a human body. "Ka-go-meee. I know you are hee-EEE-re! I saw you come home with your daddy. Come out and play!" The voice was mean. She hugged herself when the man's presence made her feel cold. "Where are you, you little bitch? I finally found you and you're too young to protect yourself! A child. Aren't you the peculiar one?"

Kagome was too scared to move.

"Come out, come out! Maybe I'll hurt your mommy. This is getting boring." The voice sneered. "The fearless Shikon Miko hiding in the laundry! Under the stairs? No friends to rescue you, no mongrel!" The legs appeared in the kitchen. Kagome screamed when the table flipped. It shattered against the refrigerator.

"There you are, Ka-go-me. I suppose a half-grown morsel is better than no meal at all!" A mean face grinned at her. The mouth stretched too wide like the Cheshire Cat. It looked like a lady but she wasn't! When the woman turned to put her hair into a clip, there was a second mouth under her hair! A mouth full of teeth. Her hair flew around wildly like tentacles.

Kagome pulled her arms in and screamed.

"How dare you enter this household, futakuchi-onna!" Glass covered the floor but it was her dad! Standing between her and the monster. A broom in his hand. His foot came down at an angle to break off the straw head.

"Another huuuuman! I shall strip your skin from your bones!" Hair whipped towards her dad. Kagome hid her face but nothing happened. The black hair could not reach them. A sphere of light surrounded them and made the monster scream. "What is thissss? A priest! Another tasty!"

"Taste this, demon!" Strips of paper flew forward. The thing screamed shrilly and hit the wall. The broom spun in Dad's hand before he smacked the paper on her head. Another strike sent the sharp end of the broom through her chest. The wail grew louder before it petered off. The monster disappeared like a sparkler, lights fizzing to the ground. The broom clattered to the ground.

"Kagome? Oh, my little Kagome." Dad crushed her to his chest. "Are you hurt?"

"Dad!" Safe in his arms, she cried. "Was that the monster in the closet?"

"I'm so sorry, Kagome. I'm so sorry." She wrapped her arms around his neck. He carried her into the hallway. Mama was laying down in the floor. Dad helped her up. "Your mother will wake up soon, peppermint. Just a bruise, see?"

"What about the doggie man? Did she hurt him too?"

"No, she didn't hurt your friend. Still asleep." Her dad smiled but it was sad. She touched his mouth. Mama never believed her but sometimes Dad saw the dog too. He had promised they could take a slice of Christmas cake to the tree. Maybe it would wake him up! A hand tousled his hair while he mumbled to himself. Grandpa had told her stories about all kinds of monsters.

"What are we going to do, peppermint? I cannot keep you locked up. You have to go to preschool." Dad leaned back against the wall. She shrugged. His blue eyes studied her. Mama said they had the same eyes. Her hands clapped together.

"We should call the police!"

"Can't do that, honey. They will keep coming. They are drawn to the shrine."

"Why?"

"Our family is special. Most people do not have the sight, but we do. Sometimes monsters hide in plain sight. They don't like it when you expose them. Mama and Grandpa cannot see the dog man. They didn't see your principal wearing the mask, the one that changed his face. But my baby did and she used a payphone by herself."

"The principle had two faces. He wanted to hurt Eri!"

"But you both ran away. That's what you have to do. I'll keep you safe." Dad pulled her close for a squeeze-y hug. "There must be a protection spell in the old scrolls. If we hide your aura, they will not target the shrine. They can sense the – the glow. But they'll still hide in the city, looking for prey. When you catch them in their lies, they will know who you are. My baby deserves to be safe at preschool without being afraid of monsters."

"What about my play? I get to be the panda!"

"Yes, that's right! They gave Kagome the hardest part! Your mommy made the suit just for you. Do you remember your lines?"

"Pandas are from China, much bigger than a teddy bear! Pandas love to sleep, they'll do it anywhere!"

"Then what do you say?" Fingers tickled her sides. "Huh? What sound does Dad's little panda make?"

"Rawr!"


It scared Inuyasha half to death when Kagome woke up crying. Real, heart-broken tears while she sobbed wordlessly against his chest. Streams of tears running down her face. No matter what he said, she refused to answer him! Just more and more crying until she was almost dry-heaving. One of the worst moments of his life. He felt like an absolute piece of shit that he could not comfort her.

"Kagome! Kagome, what? Kagome!"

"M-my...and you! Mama," she hiccuped. He rolled slightly on his backside to drag the pack closer. Thankfully his prepared wife always carried tissues. She sniffed wetly before blowing her nose. More crying! He hugged her tightly but it did not help. She was still sad.

"You're scaring the shit out of me, Kagome. Please say something!"

"I r-remember! How could I forget? I forgot!" It was climbing towards a wail. "How could I forget, Inuyasha? I'm such a terrible person!" He rocked her in his lap. Her stressed-out, wet, salty scent had him on edge. It was more than he could take!

"Who, forgot who?"

"My d-dad! He was such a good dad!" Hiccups. Her DAD? "Why doesn't Mama remember? She never said anything! Just the pictures of my play. Nothing about my imaginary boyfriend or my principal! Grandpa loves that picture."

"What happened? Did you have a bad dream?" It was impossible to follow her conversation. What imaginary boyfriend?

"The p-pictures! I bet Mama still has them! She keeps everything." Kagome lifted her dark head. Her tears were still marking clean trails down her face. Miserable, vulnerable eyes glistened at him with hope. "Souta's baby drawings are in the shed with everything else! I bet she kept mine, too. It feels real, but how can it? There are no youkai in Tokyo or hardly any now. It doesn't feel like a dream."

"Tell me what happened in your dream. You're shaking, Kagome!"

"Oh, s-sorry. I t-think it was a memory! A real memory of my dad." Her lips pursed. More tears rolled down her cheeks. "He died in a car crash when I was little, when Souta was a baby. Growing up, we talked about him, but we never – why is my head so fuzzy?" The girl pushed her palm against her forehead.

"You're dehydrated, that's why." Inuyasha scoffed. He pulled a water container from her bag. Kagome drank dutifully before leaning against his chest. He wrapped her in his arms while she tried to calm herself. Ragged, horrible breaths. He let his chin rest against her hair.

"I made you a Christmas card."

"You did? Last year?"

"In preschool. When I was a baby. I made lots of them. Dad helped me, I remember. He would draw the outline so I could color them in with crayons. We made cupcakes for you! Mama thought it was just my imaginary friend because I was lonely. That's how we got Souta." Kagome giggled, then coughed.

"When you were little, you drew pictures? Like Shippo?" So what?

"I could see you, sometimes. Dad too! Sleeping." Kagome rested her head on his shoulder. "Dad told me you were sleeping, anyway, not cursed. I didn't know any better. I brought the drawings to school for Show-and-Tell. My principal was a demon. I saw him! He was wearing a mask but no one else could. They thought he was a normal human. I ran away from school with Eri and begged a grandmother for change to call my dad. The woman threatened to call child services but he was so proud of me! The principal left school the next day. My dad might have purified him."

"Hold on! What do you mean, you could see me?" Inuyasha leaned back.

"When I was little, younger than Souta. I saw you...sometimes. Pinned with Kikyo's arrow." Kagome blinked. "I don't know if he knew who you were but he could see you. He told me Mama and Grandpa couldn't see but he could! I think my dad had real spiritual powers like Miroku."

"But the first time we met, we were strangers! You didn't know me."

"I know! It could be just a dream. My memories of my dad have always been fuzzy, but he died when I was seven! I should have SOME memories of him. But I remembered Christmas. Mama doesn't make Christmas cake anymore, she makes cookies, because the cake makes her sad. My family has not really talked about Dad until we started planning our wedding. Ooh – a woman came to our house and turned into a demon! It wanted to kill me. It knew me, adult me! It mentioned 'the mongrel'." Her hands gripped her head again as another bout of dizziness overcame her.

"Kagome, that's – that's crazy!"

"What time is it? Where's my phone?" The girl pushed away from him to dig in her bag. She flipped the phone open. Both hands gripped the device. Inuyasha waited until she started to push buttons. She pushed the other button that put the device on 'speaker'.

"H-hello?"

"Mama? It's Kagome. I'm with Inuyasha. Everything is fine!" Kagome wiped her nose on her sleeve. "I am so sorry to call this late but I really needed to hear your voice. I...I had a dream about Dad."

"Kagome? Oh, honey. I miss him too." Sleepy but clear, her mother's voice ran through the room. Inuyasha looked around just in case she could somehow be magically summoned like the Well. "Was it a bad dream? What happened?"

"Do you remember my imaginary friend from preschool? Dad helped me cook Christmas sweets for him. The 'Animals of the World' play?"

"Of course I remember! You made an adorable panda! The teacher gave you the longest part but it rhymed. None of the other children could be cast. Grandpa loves those pictures. You were so proud. We practiced for days."

"Do you remember anything else happening that Christmas?"

"You wore that panda costume for a week! You refused to take it off."

"No, Mom! My imaginary friend. Dad helped me draw my friend. I sat at the table with crayons while you cooked. Did you see my imaginary friend?" Kagome stopped short of breath while they waited for her mother's response. Her hand curled against her chest in the silence. Nothing. "Mama, are you there? Do you remember the woman who came to the door that Christmas?"

"The choir that sang 'Ode to Joy'? They were off key."

"Do you remember what my imaginary friend looked like? What I called him? Hello. Mama?" Kagome rechecked the phone. "She hung up on me!"

When the phone picked up again, her mother answered promptly. "Kagome? Why are you calling so late?"

"You hung up on me!"

"I would never! I was just getting some tea. Is something wrong? Is Inuyasha ok?" Kagome sent him a look. He shrugged. Humans DO get loopy when they haven't had sufficient sleep. They need the full time to recharge. If Kagome does not get her eight hours, she can be vicious!

"I'm with Inuyasha. Everything is fine. I had a dream about Dad." The repetition was forced. Her face furrowed while they both gestured at one another.

"Kagome? Oh, honey. I miss him too." There was a faint sound of metal touching metal. "Was it a bad dream? What happened?"

After a short, pointless replay about Kagome's childhood play, the girl clicked the phone closed. She let the antenna rest against her mouth while they both stewed in the oddity of her mother's forgetfulness. Inuyasha tried to recall any meaningful conversation about her dad prior to their wedding. The subject rarely came up and when it did, it was short. He had assumed it was simply too painful to remember their father, the same way memories about his mother made him sad. The weird pauses whenever Kagome asked detailed questions about her dad or her imaginary friend. Extended, forced silences.

"It couldn't be a spell, could it?"

"What kind of spell makes you forget your husband?"

"In my dream, Dad said something about a protection spell to hide my aura from demons so I could go to preschool because they were being drawn to the shrine. What if he did something? Until I fell through the well, I had never seen a demon before! I had zero memory about my imaginary dog boyfriend. Neither Eri nor her mother have ever mentioned running away from preschool!"

"So why can you suddenly remember?"

"I-I dunno. It's fuzzy." His wife drew her knees to her chest. Sad. "Blue eyes. Like me. Really handsome. He called me peppermint. I think it might have been a joke, but I don't remember the joke. Oooh!" She was on the verge of tears again.

"Kagome?"

"My teddy bear. In my room. Dad gave it to me that Christmas." Her lips pressed together. "Mama put it somewhere when we were redecorating! It was my bear. Dad couldn't find a panda so he gave me a brown bear to take to school. His name was Shortcake."

"Fuck, Kagome!" The heels of her hands pressed against her eyes. She was crying again.

"Dad and I got into a food fight so all the C-christmas cake was gone, we were s-short." Inuyasha let her cry into his shirt. It was already damp with her tears. His ears flattened against his skull while she mourned over her lost toy. He really hoped it wasn't in the bags he had carried to the street. The loud, nasty metal demon had crushed everything inside to nothing. "All that was l-left was p-peppermint candy!"

"We will find it, Kagome. I'm sure your mom stored it." Inuyasha would personally look through every box in that dusty old shed. It would break Kagome's heart to lose her father's gift. The rotted, grimy box of his mother's sacred possessions had saddened him. She had obviously tried to store treasures in the box for his welfare, old coins no longer minted and too brittle to survive, her flower paperweight sealed in resin. Miroku had promised to take it to Mushin but he didn't hope. There was only so much that could be done after so many decades in the ground. If he could keep Kagome from THAT loss, he would do anything!

"I love that bear!"

"It is safe in the shed. I'm sure of it! Your mom would keep it for your kids. She talked to me about passing things down to the next generation. Jewelry and papers and heirlooms from your grandparents. There is no way she tossed your toy out."

"That sounds like her," she sniffled.

"So calm down, breathe. Everything is fine." He patted her shoulder uncertainly. "No more blubbering. When we go home, we'll find Shortcake. If there is a spell on your mother, we'll break it. If there are demons at your nursing school, I'll kill them."

"Y-yeah, that is true! I am sorry, Inuyasha. I must have upset you." Kagome pushed back her sweaty bangs. There was a lingering puffiness around her eyes but she seemed soothed. He nodded. "You are a good husband." The heartfelt sentiment made him squirm. His wife giggled when he looked elsewhere to control his blush. The girl climbed out of lap to finish her bottle of water. Another precious granola bar was retrieved to satiate her sudden hunger. The food would get something in her stomach and soothe her.