*Notice: The short stories in this fic are part of my larger alternate universe fanfic "Miroku, Private Eye" which takes place in an alternate 1930's setting with demons and the Inuyasha crew, where Miroku is a private detective, Sango is his partner, Inuyasha is an ex-con and drifter, and Kagome is a defense attorney who cleared Inuyasha and got him released from prison. For more info on the characters and more of their crime-solving adventures, please read the fic! :3

Santa's Helper, A "Miroku, Private Eye" side story

Glass rattled as the old wooden door of the orphanage closed, a few flurries of snow rushing inside and drifting onto the dusty floor. More soon joined as the visitor brushed powdery white snow from his overcoat, removing his hat and turning it over to dump even more snowflakes onto the welcome mat. Ears as white as the snow outside swiveled as they caught the creaking joints of the caretaker, and Inuyasha looked up to see old Kaede approaching him, an exasperated smile crinkling her eyes.

"You've just arrived, and already you're making a mess? You'd better stay long enough this time to clean it up!"

"Ah, let one of the orphans do it. You're too easy on the runts – they need to learn some responsibility!"

Kaede only smiled, well used to his ploy of using gruff words to hide his true feelings. "Indeed… and is that sack of toys in your hand supposed to teach them responsibility as well?"

A blush covered the scars on his cheeks as Inuyasha scoffed, casually handing the canvas bag he held to the old woman. "Good grief, you sure you're not a demon, old hag? How'd you know what was in it?"

Kaede smiled and took the bag with an appreciative nod. "This isn't the first time we've received Totosai's famous tin toys! I could hear them rattling from down the hall."

"Well if you were able to hear 'em that good, I'm surprised none of the brats have come to investigate! Anyone with a demon nose probably already knows I'm here." He peered over Kaede's head, his eyes scanning the room and accompanying hallway, his nose sniffing the air for familiar scents.

Kaede watched him with amusement, choosing not to comment on the almost eager way he searched for the little children he referred to as 'brats'. "They've all gone to sleep, Inuyasha. It is Christmas Eve you know. Even if they know you're here or why you've come, they also know that it's no fun to spoil the surprise when it's only one sleep away. Not all of them are as impatient as you were."

Inuyasha nodded nonchalantly, though Kaede noticed his ears droop a little. "Just as well. I can't stay anyways; Kitten's throwing a party for the group, and they've all decided to crash at her place. Not like anyone really asked – they just assumed, bunch o' freeloaders…" he broke into grumblings and glares, and with a shake of her head Kaede interjected "I take it Shippo will not be returning here tonight then?"

"Nah, he's the biggest freeloader of the whole bunch." Inuyasha said roughly, though a small smile quirked his lip as he continued, "and Kitten wouldn't let him leave."

"He wanted to?"

Inuyasha shrugged, trying to hide a hint of pride in his voice as he responded "He didn't wanna leave all the other kids alone Christmas Eve. Guess it didn't sit well with him to spend Christmas in a soft bed when everyone else was in cots."

"The children here are very well taken care of, Inuyasha." Kaede said with slight irritation, her arms crossing and finger tapping.

"Psh, I know that Old Hag. Still…" he looked away slightly, and his eyes turned deep amber as he said softly "It's not the same."

Kaede's shoulders fell, and with a sigh she reached out to lay a hand on Inuyasha's arm, saying "Even though you no longer have a cot here yourself, I'm glad you haven't forgotten us. Some of the children have been asking about you though – especially little Ai. Won't you come and visit with her some time?" At Inuyasha's guilty expression and lack of response, Kaede continued "I know you wish you could do more for them, but it's alright. They don't expect you to take them all away from here – they know you can't. They just want your company." Smiling wider, Kaede gave the bag of toys a little shake and said merrily "and the gifts don't hurt either!"

Inuyasha smirked, but his expression grew solemn and with a nod he said "I know, I know. I'll come by soon. Just don't think you can rope me into 'playing Santa' or somethin' like that. I'm a free man now, and any favors are on my terms. I may be a dog, but I don't do 'tricks'!"

Kaede laughed, hobbling towards her desk to place the sack of tin toys upon it. "My my, there seem to be more gifts this year than last! However did you manage to afford them all? I thought we were in a depression!"

"Well I didn't steal 'em if that's what you're thinking!" He said with a growl, "Miroku charges enough that when I do a job, I make pretty good lettuce. And you know Totosai: he likes to play the old codger, but when it came down to it he gave me a hefty discount."

Nodding, Kaede turned back to the half-demon man, regarding him a moment before saying carefully "Have you gone to visit my grand-daughter yet?"

Inuyasha shook his head, his expression guarded as he responded quietly "We're going tomorrow."

Eyes twinkling brightly, Kaede hid a knowing smile as she repeated "We?"

"Kagome insisted on it. She says Kikyo wouldn't mind the extra company. And uh… she wanted to let Kikyo know… that I'm taken care of." His tone was level, but Kaede noticed his eyes brighten.

Her smile deepened as she said "And she's right! I'm sure Kikyo would be happy for her to visit!"

Inuyasha scoffed, turning away slightly as he responded in a downhearted voice "I don't see what difference it'll make to a tomb-stone."

"Come now Inuyasha, you know as well as I do that there's more at her grave than ashes and bones. I'm sure you've felt her presence as many times as I have."

Inuyasha's drooping head lifted a little to look Kaede in the eye as he said in a heavy voice "Maybe not as many, but… yeah, I guess." Grabbing his hat from his pocket, he shook it out, carefully covering his ears and adjusting his coat as he prepared to leave. "Tell Ai I'll come visit tomorrow, and Kitten too. She misses the little tykes and hardly gets to see them. They don't really give her time off, even during the holidays. Besides, we gotta bring Shippo back before he gets it in his head to move in."

"Encroaching on your territory, is he?" Inuyasha growled an embarrassed "Shaddup" at the mischievous look in Kaede's eyes, but he blushed all the same.

Shaking her head amusedly, Kaede reached over to grab a few packages from her desk, handing them to the half-demon who took them with wide eyes. "I can't let you leave without Christmas gifts, now can I?"

Inuyasha's clawed hands gripped the presents wrapped in brown paper, simple string tied in a bow atop them. His yellow eyes sought out Kaede's weathered grey ones, though he didn't seem to know what to say.

"Why don't you open yours now? It might come in handy."

Searching through the stack for the one with his name, Inuyasha reverently pulled at the string, pocketing it as it fell off and carefully peeling the paper away to reveal a bright red, knitted scarf. Laughing and shaking his head, Inuyasha eyed the scarf with distaste before stuffing it in his coat pocket. "I ain't wearin' that thing ya old biddy. But… thanks."

Kaede nodded, then gestured to the other packages and said "There's one for Kagome too."

Inuyasha eyed her incredulously, amusement in his voice as he said "You didn't. Matching scarves? How damn sappy can you get?!"

"Just be sure she gets it!" Kaede laughed, pushing the white-haired man towards the door.

"Alright, alright! Crazy old woman…." He pulled open the door, letting in a flurry of snow as the wind whipped into the small room. Stepping quickly into the open doorway to block the wind, Inuyasha turned back one last time to Kaede and said with a smile "Merry Christmas! Send me the cleaning bill after New Year's!"

Rolling her eyes, Kaede waved him off, shutting the old wooden door softly on him and the wind.

With snow swirling around him, Inuyasha looked fondly back at the façade of the old brick orphanage. Movement in one of the second floor windows caught his eye, and Inuyasha looked up to see a little dark head pressed against the glass. He smiled, and lifted a hand to wave at the little half-demon Ai, her eyes lighting up in the darkness as she waved happily back. The sharp pang of loneliness and longing he used to associate with the building swept through him as he remembered people coming and going, none of them ever bothering to look back and wave at him. The image of Kagome's warm face, of Miroku and Sango's friendly smiles, and of Shippo's excitement over getting his attention suddenly filled his mind, and not for the first time he was overcome at how his life had turned out. He was one lucky Joe.

As the little dark head of hair disappeared from the window, Inuyasha turned back into the cold wind. He had just reached the gates of the orphanage before he paused again, his clawed hand fingering the soft yarn scarf in his pocket. Glancing about quickly to check for peeping eyes, he pulled out the scarf and wrapped it securely around his neck, his short white hair brushing along the heavy knit as it bunched around his face. A flash of white on the trailing end of the scarf caught his eye, and he grabbed the tasseled end to bring it into sight. At first the embroidered patch brought a growl of annoyance, but as he continued to stare at it, his frown morphed into a small smile, and with a shrug he dropped the cloth and continued on his way.

Upon seeing the black cat embroidered on the end of Kagome's green scarf later that night, Inuyasha decided he didn't really mind the white dog stitched into his after all.

*Author's Note:

probably heavily implied enough in here, but 30s' au ex-con Inuyasha grew up in this orphanage after his mother died when he was 5. His older demon brother Sesshomaru refused to take him in (even though he more than had the means) and Inuyasha has always resented him for that (yeah I know that part wasn't implied but hey the more you know)

also Kikyo died. Inuyasha was framed for her murder and that was why he was in prison in the first place. She's Kaede's granddaughter, but Inuyasha never met her before he left the orphanage because she was a few years older than him and he was a loner. After he got out of the orphanage at 18, he got in a bad fight and ended up in the hospital, and Kikyo was the nurse who stitched him up, and the first person to show him compassion because of his half-human heritage (it wasn't perfect though - they had a brief relationship but there were problems that led to him being capable of being framed) and anyways yeah. Kikyo was murdered. And years later after he was released, he finally made peace with her death (thanks to some help from Kitten :3) and that's pretty much where the story picks up.

anyways... gratuitous information, but until I write it out as a fic, it has to go somewhere.

Thanks for reading!