InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Patchwork Family ❯ Herb and Spice, Oh So Nice ( Chapter 18 )

A/N: All Inuyasha characters and references belong to the creator of Inuyasha, Rumiko Takahashi and published by Shogakukan. Any other characters are more than likely my own creation. If I borrow from another story I will do my best to make sure I give credit where credit is due. I will also be pulling some material (ideas and inspirations) from Burn Notice, Supernatural, and Lockwood & Co.

(I used some Japanese honorifics in this chapter. I felt the setting was appropriate for them. Apologies ahead of time if I misinterpreted which ones should be used. I tried.)

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Rosalind, mood much improved by the odd conversation, picked her way through the produce before heading to the butcher’s cases. They’d finally accepted that everything was not going to fit in one cart and had commandeered a second one. After she put several packages of ground beef and a few roasts into the basket, she could no longer comfortably pull either cart behind her. She came back around to the handlebars and pushed hard to get them moving again. Meat and cheese were heavy, but she was feeding carnivores so that was the order of the day.

She let out a small sound of surprise as the weight of the cart suddenly seemed cut to nearly nothing. She looked up to see Sesshomaru had put one hand out behind him, curling a few fingers around the front, inside corner of each cart to pull them, and she smiled again. There were advantages to shopping with some demon backup.

Two departments later, they’d almost worked their way around to the registers again and she sighed, studying the mass of groceries before her. She let out a satisfied sound and told Sesshomaru, “I think we can check out. The damage is done.” She eyed the stacks of meat especially, muttering, “this is going to be pricy.”

When Sesshomaru just gave her a reproving look she flapped a hand at him, “I know, I know. Come on.” As they made their way to the front of the store Sesshomaru said, “we’ve made good time, if you wish to browse the clothing they sell here.”

Rosalind turned to look at him and saw him eye the tears in her jeans. She stopped and put her hands on the curve of her hips, facing him defiantly. “Do you have a problem with my jeans? I like these jeans.” Sesshomaru’s lips quirked in amusement as he said, “I did not intend to offend you. I only thought you might want to have more than two pair of pants, and at least one pair without holes.”

Rosalind looked taken aback for a moment. How had he known what she did or didn’t have? The thought of him coming in her room and going through her dresser crossed her mind, and the image of him running his fingers over the items in her underwear drawer side tracked her in a way she wasn’t quite sure how to categorize. Then she remembered something and nearly groaned aloud. “Rin helped me unpack…”

With a heavy sigh she asked, “does she run to you with a daily Rosie report or something? I’m not annoyed; I just want to be aware if this is going to be a new thing she’s doing…”

Sesshomaru just gave her an amused smirk and said, “she cares for you.” Rosalind’s face worked into a somewhat pained expression before she adopted a somewhat resigned smile. “Ah the joys of children…” She chuckled a little and said, “I love her too.”

Sesshomaru’s expression became more solemn and he said slowly, “that alone is worth more than you know.” She looked up at him in surprise, leaning her elbows on the cart. “Rin is as an easy child to love. For the record, you’re a pretty good dad, most of the time.”

Sesshomaru raised his brow at her and she laughed. “You work a lot, but I understand why, and I think Rin does too.” When he didn’t comment she said slowly, “if you really don’t mind, I will look at the jeans they have here… just for a minute.”

Twenty minutes later she was a little horrified with herself. Once she’d started to look at all the new clothing, all pretty basic- but well made, it truly hit her how worn out her small wardrobe had become. She caved to the temptation of the little debit card with her name on it, and folded on top of the groceries were two pairs of jeans, three shirts, a bag of new white socks, and a pair of black yoga pants. She needed new underwear too but she couldn’t make herself want it badly enough to put them atop the pile with Sesshomaru standing there.

When they checked out she paid first for her clothing and the book with her new debit card, then let the cashier run everything else through on the Republiccard. She already had an idea what the total would be, unable to keep from tracking a running balance in her head. Still, seeing the amount on the little screen made her feel like her chest might seize up for a second. She noticed Sesshomaru give her a slightly exasperated look, but she pointedly ignored him.

They got the carts out to the truck, largely due to efforts on Sesshomaru’s part, while Rosalind caught anything that fell along the way. She sorted their groceries into several large bins with handles in the back of the truck and when Sesshomaru started the engine the dashboard clock told them it was only 3:30 p.m. They’d done an impressive amount of shopping in an hour and a half. As Rosalind put on her seat belt he asked, “is there anywhere else you need to go?”

She thought for a moment, clearly considering something, then shook her head. When he continued to stare her down, she finally admitted, “it would be nice to stop by the library, if there’s time. I wouldn’t take long.”

When they walked into the library, the quiet settled in Sesshomaru’s head as a wave of relief. He’d forgotten how much he liked libraries. They were one of the few places where humans observed such rules of silence. Their world was a constant barrage on his senses; and it was in many ways their world now- for they outnumbered demons by something like 10 to one,. The few places where he maintained quarters in a city, he paid, as many demons did, for the best sound proofing that could be installed.

Sesshomaru pulled a book at random from a shelf labeled ‘popular choices’ and sat down in one of the wing back chairs near a large window. Rosalind smiled at his clear message and wound her way into the stacks. She picked up a new cook book to look through, then wandered into the art section, browsing the shelves to see if there was anything she hadn’t seen before. She found a few items of interest. As she had more time on her hands than she was used to, she decided she would choose a fantasy book to read, purely for fun. Then she added two audiobooks to her growing pile of items, figuring it would give her something to listen to while she worked on the illustrations for Rin's birthday present.

She checked her books out at the front desk and wandered back over to sit on the foot rest in front of Sesshomaru. She’d never really seen him reading, and so was surprised when she saw that he really did seem to be interested in the book. A glance at the cover told her the title was that of a young adult series, ‘Ender’s Game.’ She’d read it a long time ago, and reflected that the story might be interesting on a number of levels for someone with Sesshomaru’s perspective. This thought was confirmed when he stood and registered for a library card so he could take the book with him. Rosalind was suddenly aware of how many of the library patrons had been curiously watching the demon in their midst, and she couldn’t help but be entertained by the idea that Sesshomaru was something of an unusual encounter for most of these people.

In moments, the two of them were back in the truck and pulling out of the parking lot. Rosalind was surprised when he turned north instead of south on the highway. She angled a look at him and asked, "where are we going?"

Sesshomaru said unhelpfully, "we have one more stop to make. It’s not far."

Several minutes later he turned into the parking lot beside a small health food store. She raised an eyebrow and looked at him curiously, but he offered no explanation. Rosalind followed him into the dimly lit little shop, smiling as she breathed in the scent of paper and dried herbs. Sesshomaru walked through the rows of shelves, straight to the far side of the shop.

The entire back wall was covered floor to ceiling in shelving. Stacked in rows were glass canisters that clearly were the source of the wonderful smells. Herbs and spices of every kind were arranged in alphabetical order, from left to right. There was even a refrigerated produce shelf containing fresh cut herbs and fruit. Fat bundles of curled parsley and leafy cilantro were bright green and beautiful next to smaller bunches of thyme and rosemary.

Rosalind looked with wide eyes at Sesshomaru, who quirked an eyebrow. "Will this be sufficient?" She looked back at the vast array of fragrant choices and nearly laughed at the understated question. She checked the prices and found they were more than reasonable. Turning back to him she asked, "are you sure? I can cook without them."

Sesshomaru shook his head. "Choose all that you would have at your disposal. The gentleman that keeps this shop has gone out of his way for years to keep stock of a certain tea I’m rather fond of. It comes a long way and I am grateful for his consideration and expense. Spending some money here will both serve to give you the resources you desire and demonstrate my appreciation."

Rosalind considered this for a moment, scanning the choices before her. She spent the better part of fifteen minutes measuring herbs and spices from the bulk containers into small paper bags, marking them carefully with the available, string tethered pens. She even chose a few kinds of loose leaf tea along one side of the wall. Tucking a few bunches of the fresh herbs on top of the pile of paper bags, she turned to present the full basket for inspection. When she held it out, Sesshomaru just nodded and told her, "use the house card."

She blew out a breath and took her pile of treasures up to the front counter. When she set the basket down, a stout Asian man with long gray hair pulled back in a tight braid emerged from the back room. Seeing Sesshomaru he smiled, bowed his head a moment, and greeted them in a slightly creaky voice. "Good day Dai Lord Sesshomaru sama, it is a pleasure, as always, and who is this beautiful young lady, a friend of yours perhaps?"

Rosalind smiled and bent forward a little in a small bow of her own. "I'm Rosalind. It’s very nice to meet you. Sesshomaru speaks highly of your business. You have a wonderful selection in the back." The old man's creased face wrinkled even more as he smiled, his voice carrying a slight accent. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance Rosalind sama. I'm here to serve."

His eyes dropped to the full basket and his bushy gray eyebrows rose. "It is always good to meet someone who has the proper enthusiasm for good herbs." Rosalind flushed a little and nodded. "Yes sir. We're restocking a relatively empty spice cabinet."

Sesshomaru walked back into the shelves for a moment as the old man began to ring up the contents of her basket. Within moments, the demon was at her shoulder again and set a large bottle of brown liquid on the counter. When the old man picked it up she saw that the label read 'purest organic vanilla'.

Remembering her mutterings that morning, she bit her lip on a smile. When she glanced up at Sesshomaru she saw his eyes glinting a little with amusement. She was surprised he’d remembered. But then she supposed, he always had been very detail oriented. Rosalind flashed him an appreciative smile and handed the old man the card. She didn't wince at the total this time, knowing that this order was partially a diplomatic transaction to support a business that Sesshomaru valued.

The old man took the debit card and asked, "do you have containers for all of these?"

Rosalind's expression must have been easy to read because the man gave them a conspiratorial grin and said, "the shipment I unpacked today had two extra sets of glass jars for a home kitchen. They send me some of their surplus product occasionally because I order often with their company. They're yours if you want them. If you take both sets, there should be enough jars for most of what you have here, no charge."

Rosalind started to protest that of course she would pay for them, but the man shook his head. "No my dear, a friend of Lord Sesshomaru's is a friend of mine." Finally she nodded, thanking him. Sesshomaru also declined his head in a small show of approval and said smoothly, "Arigato, Ogiru-san." The old man bowed back, before running the card, giving her the receipt and disappearing into the back room. Rosalind looked down at the receipt and exclaimed, "he gave us a discount too."

Sesshomaru nodded, unsurprised. "Ogiru is a generous man. I believe he likes you. I know he is perpetually frustrated with the limited and unappreciative palette of most here in the To see someone with a broad culinary taste makes him happy."

Rosalind smiled and thumbed one of the large paper bags their order had been carefully packed into. "It isn't just culinary. Many of these are good for health and preventative care. Nettle is excellent for muscle problems, among other things. Kagome was having some trouble with her leg this morning so I thought it might help. John’sWort helps sleeplessness, headaches and anxiety. Sango is semi-insomniac sometimes. And ginger, marshmallow, licorice, cayenne and cinnamon are all good for circulation, opening up the respiratory system if there is trouble with breathing or blood circulation."

The old man returned looking impressed at her recitation, and set a large box down on the counter. "You bring an old man some hope child. Too many have forgotten that what the doctors now call alternative medicine is poorly named. It is hardly the alternative if it was used first, long before all these poisonous prescriptions they write for every little cough and sniffle."

Rosalind smiled at him graciously. "I very much agree Ogiru-san. Thanks again for your generosity. I’ll put these to good use." She wasn't sure what it meant, but after hearing Sesshomaru address the elderly man as such, she decided the honorific felt right. Ogiru smiled again, dark eyes twinkling. "I believe you will. Enjoy them, and come back any time."

Rosalind gathered the two large paper sacks while Sesshomaru carried the heavy box of jars and they returned to the truck. She breathed a happy sigh and couldn't help enjoying the warm fuzzy feeling the big bags of herbs and spices gave her. She was excited to wash out the jars and get them all put away. She’d never had such a selection in her life. “I can’t believe that place,” she commented. “I should call my boss at the bakery and let him know this shop is here. He would love it.”

Sesshomaru felt her good mood and something in him hummed in approval as they started back to the house. He pondered the information she’d related in the shop and wondered when she’d learned so much about natural medicine. He was inclined to agree that it was far superior to and far safer than many of the pharmaceuticals that had become a multi-billion dollar industry in this age.

His mind caught for a moment on something she’d mentioned, right after she had talked about treating Kagome's muscle pains and Sango’s insomnia. She’d gone on to mention respiratory difficulties the same way, as if she were treating someone, but he wasn't aware of any such health problem among their number. After some consideration he posed the question. "Who is it that has trouble with their breathing?"

Rosalind looked a little taken aback, then stilled before answering, keeping her gaze directed out the windscreen as she admitted, "I do."

His frown deepened and he looked at her, listening for a second, as if he might hear some traitorous sound from her lungs, but as far as he could tell she sounded healthy. "When did this begin?"

She shrugged dismissively. "Since I was 16. It's not a big deal."

Sesshomaru looked back to the road as they began to pass the north side of the bay. "Have you seen a doctor?"

Rosalind shook her head and shrugged again. "It's just a little breathlessness. I'm pretty sure it's just a mild case of asthma or something. I'm not worried about it." After a moment she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, trying to tell if he believed her or not. The truth was slightly different, but it wasn’t a medical emergency, so she didn't see a need to share it. Her private physical and emotional shortcomings weren’t something she was eager to discuss with anyone, least of all Sesshomaru.

He was continuing to frown, and for a moment she almost wished he had dog ears like Inuyasha. One could usually tell what direction his thoughts were going in based on the way his ears did or didn't twitch. Inuyasha was a pretty open book in general. She tried to picture the demon beside her with ears like his brother’s, but couldn't manage it. Sesshomaru could tell she wasn't being entirely truthful between the changes in her scent and the self-conscious flush in her cheeks. He wondered why she didn't want to share the information he had asked for, pondering the little she’d said, setting it aside for later consideration.