Simple Pleasures

"It takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them and a lifetime to forget them."

~Author Unknown~

Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity.

~Henry van Dyke~

She had no idea what she was doing, waiting for him once again to meet her so he could get a chance to catch up on all the things he had missed out on. It was strange, for it wasn't that long ago that she had been waiting for him in a different way.

Once she had waited for him to come home, eager to hear about his day and the things that had occurred in it. She had wanted to be part of it all, even if it was the same old stuff that he complained about day after day. She wanted to be there, but knew she couldn't possibly always be there, so she waited sometimes very anxiously for him to return to her so she could spend what little time it seemed like she had in the evenings with him before the next day started the whole process over again.

It was a living hell sometimes, and while she hated it upon occasion, there was something about him walking in the door that made it all better. It was the kiss he gave her on the lips, and the smell of him filling her nose when she hugged him tight after a long day. It helped to sooth away the stress that she herself had been building up during the day. It separate the days from one another. She knew no matter what she was going to come home to him and once she was in his arms nothing could harm her. He had been her solace and when things fell apart it had taken her a while to get over that.

After the initial realization of it all, it had felt like a part of her soul had died when her marriage failed. She didn't blame herself for it all. Hell, Sesshoumaru had been the no good cheating husband, and while there was a part of her that nagged from the back of her head that she simply hadn't been good enough in whatever aspect it was that made him cheat on her, she knew it wasn't true.

Everyone felt like that when they were faced with betrayal, but that had been the worst situation of her entire life. She really didn't have anyone who could really share in her circumstances. No one knew how she felt or how to relate to her for a long time afterwards. She simply was not the same person during that time as she was before. She wasn't as carefree and her smiles didn't come as quickly. She laughed less and at the time it seemed like all the magic and color of the world had simply faded away.

Pushing thoughts of a much more stressful time out of her head Kagome focused on the children who were playing avidly on the swing set in front of her. The park was the place that she loved to bring Rin and Shippo to more than anything else in vastness of the city. There was something about it that had been lost in an era of video gamers and T.V. junkies.

The park had several large swings, with jungle gyms and an old wooden play castle that had real flags on top of the towers that flapped merrily in the breeze. Rope bridges and fire poles and a sand box that you could very easily loose yourself in was all carefully watched over by parents who sat on benches on the sidelines.

Today they had the park to themselves and while on any other day she was right up there playing whatever game they had in mind with them, today she was watching to see what Sesshoumaru would do.

Keeping the children entertained was her top priority when she brought them here. She had always loved the outdoors as a child and wanted her children to experience it with the same thrill that she had once felt, and sometimes still felt.

"Mommy! Look how high we can go!" Rin called suddenly from the swing set.

Forced from her brooding thoughts Kagome smiled happily at her daughter.

"Just be careful sweetie." She called standing from the bench and walking towards them.

Rin loved to imitate Shippo, and often Kagome would have to be ready to catch her if the little girl decided to jump out of the swing. Shippo was several years her senior as far as his true age went. However, from the demon point of view he was only around eight, four years older than little Rin. Yet, he never tired of her and always kept a close eye on Rin when Kagome was unable to do so.

Currently the little fox was grinning from ear to ear as he swung back and forth in the air. He loved to go as high as he could, and often would jump right at the arch of his swing and land more often than not on his little feet. Kagome was always afraid that he would end up hurting himself and she just as prepared to catch him as she was little Rin.

The smile unexpectedly dropped from the small kits face as his nose scented the air and he stopped his swing suddenly.

"That dog is back." He said harshly refusing to meet Kagome's eyes.

Shocked at the venom in her son's voice Kagome was floored for a second while she gathered her thoughts.

"Yes, he is coming to play with you both today." She replied quietly.

The little fox dragged his small foot through the dirt beneath him. "You mean he is coming to play with Rin." He said insightfully.

Shippo looked up at her suddenly his gold green eyes a swirl of resentment, sadness, and confusion so strong it made Kagome's heart stop short for a second.

"I know who he is, and I know what he wants." The kit said quietly. "I know that he is powerful and that he is to be respected, but momma, he is trying to take you away from us."

Tears started to leak from the corners of the green eyes so like his fathers, the kit took a stuttering breath and looked up at her. "Please don't leave momma. We love you and Rin. We're a family now, and families don't leave each other no matter what."

Scooping the small kit up in her arms quietly Kagome held the small boy close to her so he could both hide and release the tears that were suddenly pouring down his cheeks.

Taking his place on the swing she rocked him in her arms quietly, shushing him gently while she ran her fingers through the red hair, silently processing everything running through her mind.

Rin looked at her mother from the swing beside her, worry etched across her face. Shippo had never cried before. He was strong and brave and while sometimes very silly he was not a cry baby as other kids had sometimes labeled her. He was always happy. Whatever it was that was making him cry had to be really bad.

Once the little kits tears had subsided Kagome lifted his chin gently, staring deep into his glistening eyes.

"Shippo I promise that I will never leave you. You are my son, and he will never take me away from you." The kit sniffed quietly and wiped the tear tracks from his face.

"You are right that he is powerful, and that he is to be respected, but that does not mean that he will always get what he wants." She said quietly.

"Then he would just be a spoiled meanie." Rin chirped quietly, adding in her four year old sense and breaking the sad moment.

Kagome and Shippo giggled. "That's right." Kagome replied smiling at her daughter.

"He is coming to get to know you better. He wants to be apart of our lives, and while it may not happen the way he wants it, I cannot deny him the opportunity to have the chance to get to know you." She said quietly. "He will never separate us, no matter what happens. I can promise you that little ones."

Shippo sniffed quietly wiping the tears from his cheeks and taking in what his mother was saying. Kagome had started dating his papa two years ago, and while to him it was a short time ago it was enough for her to become his mother in all but blood. In her eyes he was just as much hers as Rin was, and she never let him forget that.

Yet there was something about this new youkai that set him on edge, making him feel as though he could make Kagome disappear at any moment and never look back. He knew Kagome was not that type of person, but the fear was still there.

Lifting his eyes he spotted the silver haired Taiyoukai making his way across the park towards them. His golden eyes were taking in everything and as they settled on Shippo they narrowed ever so slightly. Shippos eyes fell to the ground and he did his best to make himself seem as small as possible. He was the prey and his instincts kicked in. Kitsune were once hunted by larger youkai, they were seen as an easy meal and while it was no longer a common practice, centuries of instinct could not be ignored

The kit felt weight of that stare for several long moments and Shippo tried his best not to shy away from it. He knew he was being judged and knowing is half the battle, or so his father said. Realizing suddenly that this moment would determine from now on how the inu youkai regarded him Shippo drew in a deep breath and forced his head up, meeting the eyes of the Taiyoukai head on.

It was not a challenge, or he did not mean it as one. It was just his way of stating without words that he knew where he belonged, and that place was with Kagome. The Taiyoukai regarded him silently but one eye brow twitched ever so slightly before the youkai turned his attention to Kagome.

Sesshoumaru had heard every word that was uttered, and while he had heard the steel in Kagome's voice he was unsure of how to proceed. He was impressed with the kits pluck, it was not everyday that a kitsune stood up to a larger youkai. They were tricksters and usually preferred to fight in a way that tilted the advantage to their favor. Rarely did they face an opponent head on, especially a youngster.

However it was not a battle with the kit he was looking for but the kit's father, and while he had no intention of physically fighting the other male, no matter how much the darker part of his soul longed for it, he did intend to win.

Rin was looking up at him seriously, a look that he had seen stamped upon her mother's face many a time. She got off the swing and walked the last few steps toward him. Stopping in her tracks she looked up at him quietly studying him. Waiting for her to make the first move Sesshoumaru looked down at his child, completely out of his realm of training.

"Mr. Sesshoumaru, you're not going to be a big meanie and separate us all are you?" She asked quietly looking at him expectantly. "Cause if you are I don't want to play with you today. Shippo is family, and family is not something you can break apart." She said crossing her arms.

Swiftly casting a glance in Kagome's direction he noticed she was wearing the same expectant look their daughter had. She was waiting to see how he would respond, if he was going to rip her world apart again, or if he was willing to bend.

Exhaling softly the Taiyoukai of the west knelt so that he was eye level with his daughter. "Rin. I have no intention of separating you from anyone you consider family. I am here to expand my own."

She studied him for a moment, taking in what he meant before nodding and giving a quick smile. "Let's go play on the swings!" She grabbed the sleeve of his coat and pulled him to where her mother and brother waited.

For two hours Sesshoumaru's eyes followed his daughter and the kitsune's play, absorbing, categorizing, and memorizing as much as he could. Rin made good use of the wooden castle and the swings were a definite favorite, she was always dragging the kit back to them whenever the chance arose. She was fearless when it came to heights, and did her best to follow the kitsune wherever and whatever he did. If it was something that she knew she could not do she would simply smile and shake her head. Kagome participated in some of the games, but most she watched from the sidelines.

Once in the middle of a game of tag the boy jumped from the second story of the castle and Rin, in hot pursuit was close on his heels till that point simply sat from his jump space and smiled down at him. "Shippo-chan is really fast." She called down to him. "One day Rin-chan will be able to catch him." The kit chest had puffed out at this, and he encouraged Rin to try and keep up.

Sesshoumaru kept a close eye on the kit, making sure that the boy was not going to do anything to endanger his little girl. The kit was nervous about him watching at first, but as the boy realized that the Taiyoukai was not going to suddenly whisk away everything he cared about he relaxed, and sensing that he was no threat Sesshoumaru went back to watching Rin.

The girl was a perfect mixture of Kagome and himself, with a personality of her own emerging through strongly. She radiated a promise of her mother's movements even at four, and he knew that she would be just as beautiful as her mother when she came of age. She was brilliant and everything that he had wanted in a child and more.

The two hours went by faster than he could have thought possible, and it was the large yawn his daughter forced out that made him realize just how late it had gotten.

"Rin-chan, Shippo-chan, its time to go!" Kagome called out drawing both of the children's attention from the sand castle they were currently building in the sand box. Turning to Sesshoumaru with a small smile she waited for him to acknowledge her.

He gave her a questioning glace and she fidgeted from foot to foot. "Sorry about cutting the visit short, it's getting time for her nap." She said looking at the small girl who was trotting towards her, sleep already clouding her eyes. Rin yawned again as she neared them and taking Kagome's hand she rubbed her eyes with her other hand.

"Rin-chan what do you say to Sesshoumaru?' Kagome asked quietly.

"Thank you for coming to see me Mr. Sesshoumaru." Rin replied sleepily, grabbing Shippo's hand with her now free one. The inu youkai gave a small nod of acknowledgement which the little girl seemed happy with

The kitsune started up at the Taiyoukai quietly. Once he had his attention the kit bowed once, it was one of respect and acknowledgement of an elder. Looking up he smiled slyly at the Taiyoukai he finally spoke to the youkai for the first time "Thank you Sesshoumaru-sama." He said quietly, and then he tugged gently at Rin and slowly the two started walking toward the entrance of the park.

Kagome glanced at her ex through the corner of her eye. "This was surprisingly pleasant." She said honestly. "We should do this again. They really enjoyed your company."

She began following the same path her children had taken, knowing that Shippo would be waiting for her at the entrance. She was not surprised to find Sesshoumaru following close behind her. "We are here every other day, weather permitting." She turned to look at him. "You are more than welcome to join us." She said quietly wondering if he would accept.

The inu youkai was quiet for a moment as they came to the end of the walk way, and sure enough Shippo was standing at the side, a half-asleep Rin beside him.

"The same time?" he asked as he watched Kagome kneel to pick up the small girl. She nodded and smiled. "Yes, same time." She rotated Rin so the little girls head was lying on her shoulder. Rin's eyes were already closed before Kagome had her fully situated.

Sesshoumaru gave a soft "hn" of acknowledgement not wanting to disturb the child. He had meetings through out the week, but it was nothing that could not be arranged to fit in his schedule. His priorities were not in perfect order, and there was nothing that was going to get in his way.

"We'll see you then." Kagome said, and turned and walked away, the kitsune at her side and his daughters slumbering faces over her shoulder.

Driving home with out the love of his life and child in the car left the great Taiyoukai of the west feeling lost. It was a common feeling that he had learned to live with, constant and unchanging. Until the moment when he walked back into her life and started seeing her, on what he felt was a semi regular basis.

It was strange, but he was finding that every time he left her it was harder and harder to do so. She had opened a hole in his frozen heart and that hole was getting bigger and bigger, every time he walked away. The times he was away from her, alone in the house with no one but his one servant Jaken felt like death.

He was only alive when he was at her side, and even then not everything was right within the world. She still belonged to the kitsune. No not belonged, he corrected himself, she would never belong to anyone, and she would never let anyone forget that. She had chosen the kitsune, and that was not something that he could, nor would he live with.

He would do anything within his power to make her realize that she belonged with him, no price was too great, and there was no force or law that could keep him from her. She belonged with him, even if she didn't want to admit it. It was there though, in the way she looked at him when she thought he wouldn't notice it.

She still cared, no matter how much she tried to convince herself that she didn't. She still cared, and he knew it. Her scent changed ever so slightly every time she saw him, and her face went through a range of emotions before she settled a cool mask into place in his presence.

The game was set and the pieces only needed to be moved into their proper places. The Kitsune was a player that he had not originally calculated into their little game, but it was nothing of consequence, and something easily taken care of. One simple phone call and a large exchange of cash would take care of him, and no one would ever know the damned fox's blood lay on his claws.

The kit was the only thing that made him hesitate, and it was the steel in Kagome's voice alone that made him think twice about it. She had claimed the kit as her own, and he would do nothing to separate her from a child she claimed as her own, or cause her pain.

'After all,' he thought to himself, 'I have done that enough'

OK! Quick note to say thank you everyone for your patience, also sorry if there is something that is misspelled in here, this chapter did not go through a beta! Sorry but I really wanted to get this out asap. There are more chapters in the works so my next one will hopefully be out very soon. Thanks again. Also Please Review, otherwise I won't know if I should even continue this story or not.