Huge.... Tracts of Land by phishbon3s

Hero

Skye's weekly challenge this time was "Hero" (September 20, 2009), with an open word count. Well, I got the word count at 1195.

My husband helped me a great deal with this chapter, a lot of it written from his own experiences and peppered with his writing style, blended with my writing style to make a lovely and tasty gravy. Bon appetit! *gigglesnort*

Thank you JC! Leslie could not have done it without you!

 AN: I accidently reposted the previous chapter the first time, but I fixed the problem. Opps, my bad.

Hope you enjoy!

AN:

Thoughts - italic

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Sesshoumaru shut the car door of his Audi R8 and turned the ignition, enjoying the engine's purr. The smell and creaking of leather upholstery was the death knell for another day of office politics at Taisho Inc. Tense muscles slowly relax with each practiced motion; adjusting his mirror and setting his radio before turning the air conditioner on. As the interior climate continued to lower to an acceptable level, he took a moment to clear his thoughts of any stragglers from the work day. Finally, he put the car into gear, pulled out of the parking garage and on the busy thoroughfare.

Driving always seemed to be a form of relaxation to him and today was no exception, as he navigated through downtown toward home. In the somewhat secluded atmosphere of his tinted windows, Sesshoumaru allowed himself to hummed offhandedly to the melody floating from the speakers. Valadie's Spring Concerto. A sudden chirping noise offset the violins, as his Blackberry displayed a new text message. Idling at a red light, Sesshoumaru glanced at the screen and found the message was simple and to the point.

Come get me? =(

With a sigh, he changed course at the next intersection and proceeded to retrieve his Kagome. He had an idea of why he was "summoned", the woman he loves was down and suffering from another horrid day at work. She was more than likely depressed and in need of a rescue, something he knew in his heart of hearts that he would be willing to do without fail and for the rest of his life. As he drove down the road leading to his damsel in distress, he tried to think of what might cheer his distressed damsel. If this was a repeat of the previous times, she most likely just needed someone to be there. A shoulder to cry on.

At the park, Sesshoumaru slid out of his car and closed the door while scanning the open terrain. There she was, his Kagome. She was by herself and on a swing, but you couldn't really call what she was doing "swinging". She was slowly rocking back and forth, side to side while dragging the toe of her shoes, making small ditches across the dry powdery dirt. Sesshoumaru slowly made his way toward the adorably pathetic scene. Walking past the children playing baseball, families enjoying a happy picnic and all the other sorts of laughing, happy people; he's eyes never strayed from his destination. His eyes beheld only his best friend, his love.

Such a melancholy scene she was. The poor thing may as well have a spotlight on her. Not a grand impressive spotlight, but one of those sad ones that the heroin of the play always seems to have when the rest of the stage is dark, when she has hit rock bottom and begins to sing a truly heartbreaking song.

His poor Kagome.

She doesn't seem to notice him or anyone else until he has come close enough to cast his shadow over her. She finally stops looking at her dirt-scuffed shoes, and looks up at him with big doe eyes. He can tell she is trying to put on a happy facade, but her smile never reaches her eyes. Eyes that made her look all the sadder, betraying how she was happy to have him there, betraying with how bloodshot they were. Standing up without a word, Kagome fell into him like a marionette stripped of its wires.

Sesshoumaru put an arm around her back and swept her legs with his other arm, picking her up in a bridal style. Kagome closed her eyes as she wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in the crook of his neck. He walked back to his car, not seeing nor caring about the reactions of the people who watch them pass. He tries not to worry over the absence of her characteristic excited and talkative nature. Only when they are nearly to the car does she say a word, and when she finally did speak, she simply said "Hi."

They drove all the way back to his apartment in silence. Kagome sitting with her legs curled up on the seat, waist against the divider and her head leaning against his shoulder. And this is the way it has always gone, never really telling him what's wrong, but taking comfort in silence. It is something that she has been trying all these years to work through by herself, facing her darkness on her own. But he wanted nothing more than to join her in that battle, to be the hero who saves her from the monsters that dwell in the dark. However, for whatever her own reasons, she has not called for a hero.

She has not called for him.

He did not know if she ever would, but if she did, he would be there. He would always be there.

They got off the elevator and unlocked the door to his apartment. Sesshoumaru lowered himself gracefully on the leather couch and removed his shoes. Strangely, Kagome did not join him but walked off down the hall. Sighing, Sesshoumaru took off his tie, rolled up his sleeves, and poured himself a stiff drink. Finally, he picked up the stereo remote and turned on some music, Brahms should do it. Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and exhaled. As he sat there beginning to unwind, he felt a weary and hopeful presence near him and opened one eye to look. There stood Kagome, clutching a book to her chest. A storybook it would seem. Kagome extended it toward him and gave him the biggest pleading eyes he had ever seen.

Sesshoumaru's heart warmed at the sight and prospect of it. She wanted him to read a story, to give her escape, to tell tales of far away lands and amazing adventure. He was whisked back to those early days of their friendship. Reading to young girl, one that change him and his world irrevocably. It was something he could never forget and would always love.

He opened the book randomly and smiled at the familiar words as he began to read aloud.

"Our story begins in a beautiful castle, where a princess sits alone looking into the moonlight. She is overcome with sadness and dreams of the day that her prince will come..."

 As he continued to read aloud, she relaxed against him while his voice wrapped her in a warm cocoon of fantasy. He could see the worry and sadness in her eyes begin to fade and she began to look like herself again. Slowly as the words of the tale of magic and castles washed over her, she slowly drifted off to sleep.

Sesshoumaru continued to read, truly happy to be there in that moment and to be there with her beside him. He read a little farther and then, he too, began to be overwhelmed by drowsy contentment. As he drifted away to join his friend in dreamland, he thought about the story he had read and how simple and happy it's ending was.

Life wasn't like the fairytales, but maybe sometimes.

Maybe.